H. Stewart (Stu) Van Scoyoc

Stu Van Scoyoc is Chief Executive Officer of Washington, D.C.’s largest independent government affairs group, the Van Scoyoc Companies. Starting in 1990 with only two other employees and eight clients, Stu has created an unparalleled team of 90 professionals serving more than 300 clients in their interaction with federal and state governments. His successful methodology combines an outside-the-beltway corporate approach with an insider’s expertise in government policymaking. National Journal says, “K Street colleagues consider Van Scoyoc a brainy Washington insider who sweats the details.”

The outstanding story about the Van Scoyoc Companies began in 1990 when Stu founded Van Scoyoc Associates (VSA) with a focus on congressional appropriations and taxation. VSA quickly developed more than twenty practice areas, ranging from agriculture, biotechnology, defense and education, to areas such as financial services, energy, homeland security, transportation and telecommunications.

In 1994, he established The Implementation Group (TIG) to provide professional assistance in the implementation and evaluation requirements of publicly funded programs. TIG specializes in opportunity identification and capture strategies for federal grants and contracts.

In 2000, Stu created Capitol Decisions, Inc. (CDI) to provide government relations and public affairs counsel in the specialties of health care, grassroots advocacy, and community development.

Finally, in 2002, Stu formed the law firm of Van Scoyoc Kelly PLLC (VSK) to be strategically allied with his other government affairs firms. VSK provides counsel for military and other government contractors, in addition to innovative legal solutions for acquisition, procurement and regulatory issues.

Stu’s consulting expertise is based on several career highlights. Prior to the establishment of the Van Scoyoc Companies, Stu was a founding partner of Winburn, Van Scoyoc & Hooper government relations firm. In addition, Van Scoyoc spent eight years as vice-president at the prestigious Charles Walker Associates, where he specialized in tax, energy, insurance and environmental matters.

Corporate experience is an invaluable part of understanding the client, and Van Scoyoc fortunately worked with some of the best at the DuPont Company. Stu first worked in various DuPont engineering assignments while earning his law degree at night from the University of Maryland. He then continued his career in DuPont’s Washington office working on a variety of legislative and regulatory issues.

While earning his Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Lehigh University in 1969, he also received the Alpha Phi Omega award for leadership and outstanding service to the University.

Contact Stu Van Scoyoc via email: stu@vsadc.com

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Kevin F. Kelly

Kevin F. Kelly serves as Vice President at Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc. (VSA) and is the Chief Operating Officer of the Washington, DC law firm of Van Scoyoc Kelly PLLC. Kelly came to VSA after a dozen years of Capitol Hill experience in various senior positions in the House and Senate. At VSA, Kelly specializes in budget, appropriations and legislative issues for a range of high technology and Fortune 500 companies, institutions of higher education, governmental entities and national trade associations. Kelly’s practice includes efforts to obtain annual funding for a range of programs and projects, as well as providing executive branch liaison on policy and budgetary matters. In addition, Kelly offers corporations and non-profit entities strategic advice and counsel on the capture and expansion of technology-based government contracts. Finally, Kelly’s practice includes assisting universities and colleges in the development of creative solutions to secure additional research funds from a range of federal agencies and programs.

In his prior government service, Kelly served for eight years with the Senate Appropriations Committee. Six of those years included service as the Chief Clerk and Majority Staff Director for the Veterans Administration, Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Subcommittee, the committee’s second largest subcommittee, with a $90 billion portfolio in 25 federal cabinet departments and agencies. Serving in this role, Kelly was the principal advisor and counsel to the subcommittee chair and members on all major budget and policy issues affecting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans’ Affairs. The other two years of Appropriations Committee service involved his role as appropriations counsel and legislative assistant for Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland. In this capacity, Kelly managed Senator Mikulski’s appropriations initiatives for 12 of the committee’s 13 subcommittees, including Transportation, Defense, Commerce-State-Justice, Treasury-Postal Service and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education

Most recently, Kelly served in the Senate leadership as Chief Counsel and Floor Assistant to the Secretary of the Democratic Conference, Senator Mikulski. In this role, Kelly served as a senior advisor to the Senate Democratic leadership on broad policy matters, including budget and appropriations strategy, regulatory reform, and welfare reform.

Earlier in his career, Kelly served as a professional staff member on the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, where he served as a subcommittee counsel on maritime commerce, water resources, marine pollution and regulation, and the Coast Guard. He also handled various transportation issues related to the Oceanography Subcommittee Chair’s assignment on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Kelly holds a juris doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center and a bachelor of arts degree summa cum laude from Borromeo College of Ohio. He has been admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia, in Pennsylvania, and before the U.S. Supreme Court. He is a member in good standing of the American Bar Association.

Contact Kevin F. Kelly via email: kkelly@vsadc.com

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James H. Roberts, III

James Roberts is a founding attorney and Managing Director in the Washington DC law office of Van Scoyoc Kelly PLLC. His practice focuses on government contract law and litigation and encompasses all phases of the acquisition process, including advice on the preparation of bids and proposals, the negotiation, protest, and defense of contract awards, and the administration of contract performance, including disputes, claims and appeals. Roberts also represents clients in corporate, commercial contracting, environmental, construction, leasing, legislative, and procurement fraud-related civil and criminal matters.

Before entering private practice, Roberts was the Chief of Government Contract Law for the Department of Treasury’s Internal Revenue Service, from 1983 to 1988, where he was the principal legal adviser and chief trial attorney in all matters involving government contracting, including multi-million dollar computer and telecommunications systems acquisitions, and all proceedings before Boards of Contract Appeals, and the General Accounting Office.

Roberts was an Attorney-Adviser in the Procurement Law Division of the Office of General Counsel, U.S. General Accounting Office, from 1978 to 1983, where he was involved in writing the decisions of the Comptroller General in the areas of government contract protests, grant complaints, and fiscal law matters.

From 1974 to 1978, Roberts served on military active duty in the Army JAG Corps as a legal officer assigned to military justice and government contracting matters, including the acquisition of major weapons systems. Recently he served as a reserve Army Lieutenant Colonel and commanded a District of Columbia Army National Guard legal detachment at the Pentagon involved in administrative, contract, and environmental law for the National Guard Bureau.

Roberts has authored several articles on government contracting topics, and is a frequent speaker and instructor on the subject. He was a faculty member for government contract and computer law courses at the Department of Justice Legal Education Institute, and a government contract litigation instructor for the General Services Administration’s IT Manager “Trail Boss” Program. He co-chairs the Federal Bar Association’s annual briefing conference on government contracts.

Roberts received an undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1971, and a Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from Saint Louis University School of Law in 1974, where he served as an editor of the law review. He is a member of the Bars of Iowa, the District of Columbia, various federal courts, and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Contact James H. Roberts, III via email: jroberts@vsklaw.com

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Joel R. Kaswell

Joel Kaswell is Of Counsel supervising the Corporate/Business Group of Van Scoyoc Kelly PLLC. Kaswell joined the firm in 2004, following a 40-year legal career representing public and private entities in the areas of corporate finance, private and public offerings, acquisitions, credit transaction, partnership and joint venture organization, commercial law and bankruptcy law. He has practical experience as in-house general counsel to both public and private corporate entities, as well as serving as an independent director to several publicly-held corporations. Kaswell also has considerable experience in international business transactions. He is the author of several published articles on securities regulation and finance.

Kaswell now leads a team of attorneys in providing general commercial and business law services, including securities, government contract, and employment and executive compensation expertise to a wide range of corporate and individual clients. The firm provides complete startup corporate services, tax planning and ongoing commercial law advice, as well as counsel to existing entities in contract drafting and negotiation, merger and acquisition transactions, employment law, public and private securities offerings, venture capital and project financing, partnership law, and civil litigation and administrative proceedings in those areas.

Kaswell received his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from Dartmouth College in 1959, and graduated with honors from Harvard Law School in 1962. He was a Rufus Choate Scholar, a Woodbury Law Fellow in 1960, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He is a member of the Massachusetts and District of Columbia bars, and the American Bar Association.

Contact Joel R. Kaswell via email: jkaswell@vsklaw.com

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Carrol H. Kinsey, Jr.

Carrol Kinsey is Senior Counsel in the Washington, D.C., office of Van Scoyoc Kelly, PLLC. His practice focuses on government contract law, litigation, government relations, homeland security, national defense, lobbying disclosure, campaign finance, and corporate governance/ethics. Mr. Kinsey’s government contract practice encompasses all phases of the acquisition process, including advice on the preparation of bids and proposals, the negotiation, protest, and defense of contract awards, and the administration of contract performance, including disputes, claims, and appeals. Mr. Kinsey also represents clients in arms export compliance, employment law, and environmental, legislative, and government relations matters.

Mr. Kinsey was Chief Counsel of the Treasury Department’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing before entering private practice. He retired from Federal service after a 25-year career. The Bureau manufacturers all United States currency for the Federal Reserve, as well as other security documents for other federal agencies on a reimbursable basis. The Office of the Chief Counsel had offices located at the Bureau’s Washington, D.C., facility and at the Western Currency Facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

During over 14 years as the Bureau's Chief Counsel, Mr. Kinsey provided representation, legal advice, and assistance to Bureau executive staff and management officials in a wide variety of subject matter areas, including labor/management and employee relations, government contracting, environmental compliance, occupational safety and health, government ethics, and general administrative law.

From 1988 to 1990, Mr. Kinsey was Deputy Assistant General Counsel for Administration and Civil rights at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Prior to that, he was Special Assistant to the General Counsel and, from 1982 to 1986, served as a staff attorney. During his eight years at OPM, Mr. Kinsey was lead agency counsel on numerous actions before the Merit Systems Protection Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Federal Labor Relations Authority, and the federal courts.

Mr. Kinsey assisted the Office of the Solicitor General in several cases heard by the United States Supreme Court. He provided legal advice and assistance on contracting matters and represented OPM before the Government Accountability Office and the General Services Board of Contract Appeals. Mr. Kinsey was one of OPM’s primary contacts and spokespersons for the Drug-Free Federal Workplace Program. He received the OPM Director’s award for distinguished service in 1988.

From 1979 to 1982, Kinsey was on active duty with the U.S. Army as a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, assigned to the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Military District of Washington. He served for over 22 years in the District of Columbia Army National Guard. At his retirement from the National Guard in 2005, he held the rank of colonel and was unit commander of the Legal Support Office, which supports the Office of the Chief Counsel of the National Guard Bureau. He received various decorations during his military service, including the Army Commendation Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the Legion of Merit.

Kinsey received his Bachelor of Arts degree, with distinction, from the University of Virginia in 1976 and his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the College of William and Mary in 1979. He is a member of the bars of the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Supreme Court of the United States, and various Federal courts.

Contact Carrol H. Kinsey, Jr. via email: ckinsey@vsklaw.com

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Paula S. McCommons

Paula S. McCommons serves as Government Contracts Advisor/Legal Assistant at Van Scoyoc Kelly PLLC (VSK). She provides advice and assistance on government contract matters that encompass all phases of the acquisition process, including advice on the negotiation, protest, and defense of contract awards, and the administration of contract performance, including disputes, claims and appeals.

While attending the George Washington University, McCommons worked as a research assistant at the Washington, D.C. bureau of Cox Newspapers. After graduating from GWU in May of 1998, she relocated to the Czech Republic where she was instrumental in making the Berlitz School of Languages one of the top grossing schools in the country by teaching and marketing English language instruction to CEOs and top management of Fortune 500 global corporations. Also, she implemented a Spanish language program for her Berlitz office. She returned to the U.S. to work at The AES Corporation as Legal Assistant to the Senior Vice President and General Counsel assisting in matters relating to litigation, maintaining corporate records for the subsidiaries worldwide, and regulatory filings. At AES, she also participated in business development bids and corporate and project transactional closings. In the grassroots political area, McCommons has work experience with MSHC Partners, the leading direct mail firm in America, where she was involved in the implementation of grassroots mail programs for campaigns for members of the Senate and House specific to their home state issues.

McCommons has a B.A. in Political Science from the George Washington University, and currently is studying under the Virginia Law Reader Program for admission to the Virginia Bar. She is a member of the Hispanic National Bar Association. McCommons is a fluent Spanish speaker.

Contact Paula S. McCommons via email: pmccommons@vsklaw.com

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