The Law Firm of John P. Mahoney

Mr. Mahoney’s initial consultation was very helpful. His firm was the third law firm I consulted, and I was impressed by his honesty and straightforward assessment of my case. He immediately explained what I could realistically achieve and what was unlikely to be attainable. He also outlined the strategy he believed would best advance my objectives and provided a clear understanding of the likely costs involved. I appreciated that his advice was grounded in his extensive experience in this field. After discussing the matter with my wife, I decided the following day to retain him and his firm to represent me.

If you are a federal employee but not on the GS pay scale, they will say that they are interested in taking your case, waste 2 weeks to “get back to you” and then only after following up will they say, “Oh sorry we only take cases with GS pay scale.” They knew that this was not a GS pay scale employer! CLOWNS!

An Extremely Disappointing Legal Experience — Over $15,000 Spent with No Results

I retained this law firm with the expectation of receiving expert legal counsel, timely communication, and strategic support. Unfortunately, my experience fell far short of those expectations.

I encountered rushed work, inconsistent communication, and a troubling lack of accountability. On the night of a critical filing deadline, I received a draft from the supervising attorney, Rochelle Young, at 11:00 PM—just one hour before submission. This left no opportunity for thoughtful review or revision. Additionally, the lead attorney on my case, Chris Lopez, submitted filings that I had previously raised concerns about, citing weak arguments and inadequate evidentiary support. My input was largely dismissed.

More concerning, the firm billed significantly beyond the original estimate—ultimately more than doubling the projected cost—without providing advance notice, justification, or an opportunity for me to reassess the engagement. At no point did the firm acknowledge any oversight or take responsibility for the breakdowns in service.

Throughout this process, I did not feel treated as a valued client. The professionalism, integrity, and diligence I reasonably expected were consistently lacking. It is both disheartening and frustrating to invest over $15,000—along with significant emotional energy—only to walk away without any meaningful progress or resolution.

Legal professionals must be held to high ethical and performance standards. Based on my experience, this firm failed to meet those standards in multiple critical areas

This could have been an easy case to win, if the time and attention was put into it.

PS- before the firm responds with all of their accolades, personal testimonials are also valid. I am sure this firm got where it is be doing great work, they just didn’t do great work for me. The firms awards yesterday (last year etc) holds little merit today for me as a client. Very disappointing!

DO NOT PAY HIS $500 CONSULTATION FEE!!!

I wish I had read reviews before paying. When we first spoke, it was explained to me that the $500 fee was for a one-hour consultation call. However, that was not my experience during the initial call. I was rushed off the phone within just three minutes and, shortly after, received an email detailing his actual service costs.

Had I known the true nature of the fee upfront, I could have avoided this confusion. Charging $500 for such a brief call, which resulted only in an email about his fees, is not only disappointing but feels like an unfair practice. At a rate of over $166 per minute, I believe this is an exploitative charge, particularly for people already dealing with a difficult situation.

As a result, I have decided to proceed with another law firm that took the time to listen to my husband and me, addressing our concerns and demonstrating more transparency and professionalism.

Took tens of thousands of dollars from me and ghosted me. Missed the deadline to submit discovery documents, resulting in an order to compel and possible sanctions. Stay away from this firm, I am not the first person they have done this to. Check the DC Bar attorney discipline page, you will see their history. You are better off paying your drunk uncle to represent you.