Mark S. Zaid, P.C.

Founding Legal Partner

Mr. Zaid has worked for 30 years representing federal workers in cases involving classified information, including whistleblowing, administrative investigations, criminal prosecutions, and security clearance disputes. Since 2009, Mr. Zaid has been named both a Washington, D.C. Super Lawyer every year and a “Best Lawyer” in Washingtonian Magazine’s bi-annual designation for his national security work. The Magazine also named him one of D.C.’s 250 and 500 Most Influential People in 2021 and 2022, respectively, for national security. And in 2022, Mr. Zaid was also awarded the status of “Lawyer Lifetime Achievement Member” by the Magazine for being featured on its Top Lawyers list at least 10 times out of the past 15 years. In 2020, the Washington Metropolitan Employment Lawyer’s Association named him “Attorney of the Year”, along with Andrew Bakaj, for his work on the Intelligence Community Whistleblower’s case. 

Mr. Zaid is the Executive Director and founder of the James Madison Project, a Washington, D.C.-based organization, with the primary purpose of educating the public on issues relating to intelligence gathering and operations, secrecy policies, national security and government wrongdoing. Additionally, Mr. Zaid is an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University in the Global Security Studies program where he teaches on national security issues.

Mr. Zaid graduated from the University of Rochester Cum Laude and Albany Law School of the Union University of New York. He served as an Associate Editor of the Albany Law Review. Mr. Zaid currently possesses an active TOP SECRET clearance with SCI eligibility and has also held Q level access.

Mr. Zaid is admitted to practice law in the states of Maryland, New York, Connecticut and the District of Columbia, as well as various federal courts.