John F. Havranek

/My focus

My practice focuses on finding solutions to complex problems associated with national security, homeland security, government investigations, and civil and criminal enforcement matters.

As a US Marine and career civil servant, I served as a trusted legal advisor to Senior US government officials including the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of DHS, the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of DoD, the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and to many other political appointees and 3 and 4 star military officers.  In these roles I provided legal advice and guidance on military and DHS operational matters, crisis action, international law, counterterrorism, and on the development of government strategy and policy. In addition to my experience as a legal advisor experienced in national security and homeland security matters, I bring litigation acumen based upon my service as a trial attorney, appellate counsel, trial judge, appellate judge, and supervisory attorney.

My three-plus decades of government service with the US Marine Corps and DHS allowed me to establish experience in many disciplines, which I now use in private practice to assist clients. These disciplines include: national security; homeland security; navigating government cross-border authorities and regulations; investigations; civil and criminal enforcement matters; maritime operational law (Jones Act); Drone and counter-Drone operations; border security; forced labor; supply chain resilience; CFIUS; sanctions; international trade; and cyber security

Prior Government Experience

• Principal Deputy General Counsel, DHS Office of General Counsel
• Designated Agency Ethics Official for DHS, overseeing ethics and ethics compliance across all of DHS
• Associate General Counsel for Operations & Enforcement Law Division, DHS Office of General Counsel
• Appellate Judge, United States Coast Guard Court of Military Appeals
• Assistant General Counsel for Operations, DHS Office of General Counsel
• Deputy Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Staff Judge Advocate, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, HI
• Deputy Staff Judge Advocate, I Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD), Camp Fallujah, Iraq
• Asst. Staff Judge Advocate, US Pacific Command, Camp Smith, HI
• Trial Judge, Sierra Judicial Circuit, Camp Pendleton, CA
• Appellate Counsel, Washington Navy Yard, Washington D.C.
• Senior Defense Counsel, USMC Air Station New River, Jacksonville, NC
• Prosecutor, Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan