Practice Areas
- Employment Law
- Federal Employment Law
Practice Locations
- Washington, D.C.
A seasoned trial lawyer and retired Administrative Appeals Judge with the U.S. Departments of Labor and Health & Human Services, Stephen is a Partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Tully Rinckey, PLLC. He practices in the federal labor and employment section of the firm. Judge Godek represents federal employees in a wide range of employment-related challenges with specialized expertise in disciplinary and adverse actions, employment-discrimination matters, and whistleblower retaliation claims.
Stephen approaches every client’s situation with personalized attention and closely collaborates with them to develop a pragmatic and problem-solving plan tailored to achieve an optimal outcome for a client’s needs, no matter how complex.
Prior to his judicial appointments, Judge Godek represented the U.S. Department Health & Human Services as Senior Counsel for the Office of Counsel to the Inspector General and as Senior Counsel for the Office of General Counsel. Stephen provides unique expertise and experience in government investigations, complex administrative enforcement proceedings, and federal court litigation in the areas of labor and employment law, health care fraud and abuse, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, and regulatory compliance. Judge Godek is also a former Special U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. He also worked with Department of Justice attorneys in a precedent-setting Civil Rights case and in Medicare fraud cases under the qui tam provisions of the Civil False Claims Act.
Judge Godek earned his Juris Doctor degree at the University of Virginia School of Law. He also graduated from the University of Virginia College of Arts & Sciences with a Bachelor of Arts degree With Distinction and majored in American Government and minored in History. After law school, Judge Godek clerked with The Honorable Joseph J. Longobardi, Chief Judge for the U.S. District of Delaware. Stephen is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania
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