Defending the Defender: A Civilian Attorney’s Guide to Military Justice and Administrative Actions 2026

Stephanie Barna draws on over three decades of U.S. military and government service to provide advisory and advocacy support and counseling to clients facing policy and political challenges in the aerospace and defense sectors.
Prior to joining the firm, Stephanie was a senior leader on Capitol Hill and in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Most recently, she was General Counsel of the Senate Armed Services Committee, where she was responsible for the annual $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Additionally, she managed the Senate confirmation of three- and four-star military officers and civilians nominated by the President for appointment to senior political positions in DoD and the Department of Energy’s national security nuclear enterprise, and was the Committee’s lead for investigations. Previously, as a senior executive in the Office of the Army General Counsel, Stephanie served as a legal advisor to three Army Secretaries. In 2014, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel appointed her to be the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. In that role, she was a principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense on all matters relating to civilian and military personnel, reserve integration, military community and family policy, and Total Force manpower and resources. Stephanie was later appointed by Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis to perform the duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, responsible for programs and funding of more than $35 billion. Stephanie was also previously the Deputy General Counsel for Operations and Personnel in the Office of the Army General Counsel. She led a team of senior lawyers in resolving the full spectrum of issues arising from Army wartime operations and the life cycle of Army military and civilian personnel. Stephanie was also a personal advisor to the Army Secretary on his institutional reorganization and business transformation initiatives and acted for the Secretary in investigating irregularities in fielding of the Multiple Launch Rocket System and classified contracts. She also played a key role in a number of high-profile personnel investigations, including the WikiLeaks breach. Prior to her appointment as Deputy, she was Associate Deputy General Counsel (Operations and Personnel) and Acting Deputy General Counsel. Stephanie is a retired Colonel in the U.S. Army and served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps as an Assistant to the General Counsel, Office of the Army General Counsel; Deputy Staff Judge Advocate, U.S. Army Special Forces Command (Airborne); Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower & Reserve Affairs); and General Law Attorney, Administrative Law Division. Stephanie was selected by the National Academy of Public Administration for inclusion in its 2022 Class of Academy Fellows, in recognition of her years of public administration service and expertise.

Martha Foss has more than 30 years of experience as a former active-duty and now retired Army Colonel and Judge Advocate. During that time, she has held senior legal advisory positions including as the Staff Judge Advocate, Army Aviation and Missile Command, Huntsville; During her time in those positions, Martha gained significant experience in with litigation, complex investigations, administrative law, compliance/risk, federal employment law, federal procurement contracting, government ethics, and environmental, and governance matters. Leaning on her significant experience, Martha counsels currently serving members of the Armed Services facing adverse administrative processes military commanders are increasingly using, such as: administrative, criminal, and inspector general investigations, adverse performance reviews, positive urinalysis, non-judicial punishment, removal from command and positions of responsibility, formal reprimands, loss or suspension of security clearances, CID/NCIS/OSI titling, and administrative separation boards.

Christopher Nuneviller is a founding partner of MNB Meridian Law, Ltd. and the managing partner for the firm’s Philadelphia office. Christopher focuses his practice on small and mid-sized business owners, investors and shareholders, and their success through smart formation, organization, governance, routine and special operations, and growth toward IPO. As a small business owner in several ventures himself, Christopher understands the pressure to succeed and be profitable, while staying level headed for his clients, employees, family, and business partners. As a Veteran, Christopher also assists currently serving members of the Uniformed Services as they challenge the adverse administrative punishments military commanders use to “save” their commands and their careers, such as: administrative, criminal, and inspector general investigations, bad evaluations, positive urinalysis, non-judicial punishment, removal of special designations and positions, reprimands, removal from positions, loss of security clearances, titling, and administrative separation boards. Christopher’s background includes practicing securities, venture capital, emerging business, military, and government regulatory law. He served as inhouse and general counsel, a contractor to the federal government, a federal government senior level executive, and a C-Suite executive. He is also a former U.S. Army Judge Advocate, having served seven years in Washington, D.C., where he gained significant experience with above-the-fold matters of great import and an unhealthy insight into the internal workings of the beltway underbelly.