10 Best GOMOR Rebuttal Lawyers in the United States (2026)
No lawyer is “the best” — but when a General Officer Memorandum of Reprimand lands with a 7-day suspense, the difference between counsel with decades of Army justice experience and counsel learning on your case is measurable. These are the attorneys most frequently cited and recognized for GOMOR rebuttal work, compared on verifiable credentials.
Key Takeaways (Quick Answer)
- A GOMOR is “administrative” — and career-lethal. Permanently filed in your AMHRR under AR 600-37, it follows you to every promotion, command, and school board, and can trigger QMP, officer elimination, or separation.
- The rebuttal window is roughly 7 days. It is usually your one chance to influence whether the general files locally, permanently — or withdraws the reprimand entirely.
- No lawyer is “the best,” but credentials are measurable: Army JAG service, decades of practice, real trial records, published books, teaching, and peer recognition. The attorneys below — led by Gonzalez & Waddington — lead on those measures.
- The GOMOR is rarely the whole fight. The AR 15-6 investigation behind it, the evaluation it spawns, and the board that may follow all need the same defense team.
How We Evaluated These GOMOR Rebuttal Lawyers
A GOMOR rebuttal looks like a writing assignment. It is actually a one-shot trial on paper: the evidence, character case, and legal argument you put in front of a general officer determine whether the reprimand disappears, sits harmlessly in local files, or enters your permanent record and ends your career on a delay. The lawyers who do this well are experienced Army-side advocates who know what convinces commanding generals, what the 15-6 file behind the reprimand really shows, and how to fight the QMP, elimination, or board actions that follow a permanent filing.
Since “best” cannot be objectively awarded, we compared attorneys on verifiable criteria: years of military law experience (targeting roughly 25+), Army JAG or equivalent military justice backgrounds, records in the boards and courts-martial where GOMOR fights escalate, prosecution and defense experience, published books, teaching credentials, peer-elected memberships, and worldwide availability.
At a Glance: 2026 GOMOR Rebuttal Lawyer Comparison
| # | Attorney / Firm | Background | Experience | GOMOR-relevant strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gonzalez & Waddington | Former Army JAG prosecutor & defense counsel; former public defender | 25+ / 20+ yrs | Army justice pedigree; rebuttals backed by a global trial practice |
| 2 | William E. Cassara | Former Army JAG (22 yrs combined) | 38+ yrs | Army records correction & the appeals after a filing |
| 3 | Richard V. Stevens | Former USAF JAG Circuit Defense Counsel | 30+ yrs | Defense-only adverse action & records practice |
| 4 | Patrick J. McLain | Retired Marine judge advocate; former Marine Corps trial judge | 35+ yrs | Adverse actions with a decision-maker’s perspective |
| 5 | Philip D. Cave | Retired Navy JAG Commander | 45+ yrs | Four decades of adverse administrative action defense |
| 6 | Stephen P. Karns | Former Army JAG | 30+ yrs | Army administrative defense; 1,000+ military cases |
| 7 | John N. Maher | Former Army JAG; Army Reserve LtCol | ~30 yrs | Army justice & administrative separations |
| 8 | David P. Sheldon | Former Navy JAG defense counsel | 32+ yrs | Records correction & federal-court escalation |
| 9 | Colby Vokey | Retired Marine LtCol JAG | 28+ yrs | Adverse actions backed by major-case trial skills |
| 10 | Jocelyn C. Stewart | Retired Army JAG LtCol | 23+ yrs | Army-focused adverse action & board practice |
The List: Frequently Recognized GOMOR Rebuttal Lawyers of 2026
1Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC — Michael Waddington & Alexandra González-WaddingtonFeatured
A GOMOR rebuttal is written advocacy aimed at a general officer — and few firms bring more relevant firepower to that page than Michael Waddington and Alexandra González-Waddington. Michael’s career runs straight through the Army system that issues GOMORs: he enlisted in the Army in 1993, served as an Army JAG officer, worked as a prosecutor and Chief of Military Justice — advising commanders on the very adverse-action decisions Soldiers now hire him to fight — served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, and defended Soldiers as a Trial Defense Service senior defense counsel before founding the firm in 2006. He knows what staff judge advocates put in front of commanding generals, because he wrote those recommendations himself.
In more than 25 years of practice, Michael’s defense work has been featured in the Academy Award-winning documentary Taxi to the Dark Side, the Sundance-winning The Kill Team, and CNN’s Killings at the Canal, with cases tried across the United States, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Italy, England, Bahrain, and Iraq. He is the author of The Art of Trial Warfare and Kick-Ass Closings, co-author of the NACDL-published Pattern Cross-Examination textbook series, a contributor to the ABA’s The State of Criminal Justice for over a decade, and an Adjunct Professor at Florida International University College of Law — home to one of the nation’s top-ranked trial advocacy programs — where he teaches military justice and the Law of Armed Conflict.
Alexandra González-Waddington began as one of the first public defenders for Georgia’s Augusta Judicial Circuit and has spent over two decades in military defense. Persuasive writing is her craft: she has co-authored multiple published trial advocacy textbooks, and her expertise in dismantling credibility-based allegations — the kind that sit inside most 15-6 files supporting GOMORs — shapes the firm’s rebuttals. Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, she represents Soldiers in English and Spanish, in cases arising from the U.S., Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, Germany, Italy, and Japan.
Why They Stand Out for GOMOR Rebuttals
- Michael advised commanders on adverse actions as an Army JAG — now he writes the rebuttals those commanders read
- Rebuttals carry the implicit weight of a firm generals know will fight the board or court-martial if it comes to that
- Published, peer-reviewed persuasive-writing credentials (NACDL, ABA)
- Worldwide availability on short rebuttal suspenses
2William E. Cassara — William E. Cassara, P.C.
William Cassara’s 22 years in the Army JAG Corps and nearly four decades of exclusive military practice make him a natural fit for Army adverse-action work — and his standing as one of the nation’s leading military records-correction and appellate lawyers matters most when a GOMOR has already been permanently filed and the fight moves to DASEB and ABCMR petitions.
3Richard V. Stevens — Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, P.C.
Richard Stevens’ defense-only practice has handled adverse administrative actions — reprimands, unfavorable information files, and records-correction petitions — for members of all branches since 2003. A former Air Force Area Defense Counsel and Circuit Defense Counsel, he defends both the rebuttal stage and the separation processing that a filed reprimand can trigger.
4Patrick J. McLain — Law Office of Patrick J. McLain, PLLC
Patrick McLain’s firm handles adverse administrative actions across all branches, and his 20-year Marine career — including service as a trial judge — plus his years as a federal prosecutor give his written advocacy the credibility of someone who has sat where decision-makers sit. His practice pairs rebuttal work with the board defense that often follows.
5Philip D. Cave — Cave & Freeburg, LLP
Over four-plus decades, Philip Cave has defended adverse administrative actions of every stripe alongside his court-martial and appellate practice. A retired Navy Commander and Director of the National Institute of Military Justice, he brings unmatched scholarly depth to unfavorable-information rules and the escalation paths beyond them.
6Stephen P. Karns — Karns Law Firm
A former Army JAG and Reserve senior defense counsel, Stephen Karns has spent three decades defending Soldiers worldwide in administrative actions, separation boards, and courts-martial — more than 1,000 military cases reported — giving his reprimand clients counsel who has fought every downstream consequence a GOMOR can produce.
7John N. Maher — Maher Legal Services, P.C.
John Maher’s Army pedigree — 1st Infantry Division prosecutor, Army appellate defense counsel, Reserve Lieutenant Colonel, and former General Counsel of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management — anchors a practice defending Soldiers in military justice and administrative separation matters, with particular strength in the appeals and litigation that follow adverse findings.
8David P. Sheldon — Law Offices of David P. Sheldon, PLLC
David Sheldon has spent three decades on administrative actions and records correction, with a Washington, DC practice that escalates unjust outcomes to the correction boards and, when warranted, the federal courts — a credible endgame that strengthens every earlier stage of a reprimand fight.
9Colby Vokey — Law Firm of Colby Vokey PC
Colby Vokey, the retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel who led defense counsel across the western U.S. and Iraq and defended Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr, handles adverse administrative matters with the leverage of a nationally known trial practice — the kind of counsel whose involvement signals a command that the easy path is not available.
10Jocelyn C. Stewart — Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart
A retired Army JAG Lieutenant Colonel whose multi-attorney firm focuses on Army adverse actions, boards, and courts-martial, Jocelyn Stewart is included just under this list’s 25-year mark for her Army-specific defense practice — directly relevant to GOMOR work — and her JAG defense career.
What Should You Look for in a GOMOR Rebuttal Lawyer?
Army-system fluency. AR 600-37, the AMHRR, DASEB, QMP, and officer elimination procedures are Army-specific machinery. Counsel should know them cold — ideally from inside the Army JAG Corps.
A writer who wins. The rebuttal is persuasion on paper. Attorneys who publish trial advocacy books and teach persuasion bring documented, peer-vetted writing skill — not just a template.
Trial credibility. Generals and their staff judge advocates weigh who signed the rebuttal. Counsel with a serious court-martial and board practice signals that pushing forward has a price.
Whole-fight capacity. The same lawyer should be able to attack the 15-6 behind the reprimand, write the rebuttal, petition DASEB, and defend any board — switching counsel mid-fight costs momentum and money.
Why Experience Matters in GOMOR Cases
Most GOMORs are decided by judgment calls: whether to attack the underlying investigation or accept responsibility, which witnesses and letters will move a two-star, whether to request an extension, when a polygraph or expert report helps, and how the rebuttal record will read at DASEB two years later. Those calls come from pattern recognition built over hundreds of adverse-action cases — exactly what separates the attorneys on this list from counsel encountering their first reprimand suspense.
Just Received a GOMOR? The Clock Is Already Running.
Gonzalez & Waddington represents Soldiers worldwide in GOMOR rebuttals, AR 15-6 investigations, and the boards that follow — with Army JAG experience on both sides of the adverse-action process.
Request a Confidential ConsultationFrequently Asked Questions
Who is the best GOMOR rebuttal lawyer?
No one can truthfully claim that title, and no official ranking exists. Compare verifiable credentials: Army JAG experience, decades in military law, trial and board records, published books, teaching positions, and peer recognition. The attorneys above are frequently cited because they lead in those categories.
What is a GOMOR?
A General Officer Memorandum of Reprimand — a formal written censure from a general officer, governed by AR 600-37. Common triggers: DUI, misconduct investigations, fraternization, and toxic-leadership findings. Administrative in name; career-defining in effect if permanently filed.
How long do I have to respond?
Your referral memo states the suspense — typically around 7 calendar days. Extensions are often granted on request, and asking for one to build a proper rebuttal is usually wise. Start with counsel immediately; evidence-gathering takes most of the window.
What’s the difference between local and permanent filing?
Local filing keeps the GOMOR at unit level, where it is generally destroyed on PCS or after a set period. Permanent filing places it in your AMHRR, visible to every promotion, command, and school board — and it can trigger QMP or elimination. The rebuttal’s usual goal is withdrawal or local filing.
Can a permanently filed GOMOR be removed?
Sometimes — via a DASEB petition to transfer or remove it (typically by showing intended purpose served, or that it is untrue or unjust), and beyond that the ABCMR. Well-documented, professionally argued petitions fare best, and the original rebuttal record matters there too.
How were the lawyers on this list selected?
Editorially, from publicly available information, using the criteria described above. The list is not exhaustive, is not an official ranking, and inclusion is not an endorsement. Excellent adverse-action lawyers exist who are not listed here.
Editorial disclosure & disclaimer: This guide is published by Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC, which appears on the list. Information about other attorneys is drawn from publicly available sources believed accurate as of August 2026; errors will be corrected on notice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this page. This is attorney advertising in some jurisdictions. “Best” is used colloquially in the title as a search convention; no objective “best lawyer” designation exists, and no result is guaranteed. Past results do not predict future outcomes. Regulatory details (e.g., suspense lengths and filing rules under AR 600-37) are summarized generally and can change; consult counsel and the current regulation for your case.