Benjamin Aaron Beliles

My former employer (the government contractor that manages a large federally-funded research center where I worked in Charlottesville, VA) terminated me in 2022 for opposing corporate policies and programs that discriminated by race and sex in the guise of DEI. Blowing the whistle on employer discr...imination is protected by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, so I decided to sue my former employer for retaliation. I asked FIRE to recommend a good civil-rights lawyer and was connected with Ben Beliles of Beliles & Associates, PLLC in Richmond, VA. I retained him after our first meeting because he had prepared by studying my complaint and was very open about the time, money, and effort plaintiffs need to expend in order to win federal civil lawsuits against large corporations. We worked well together throughout the three years it took to win because he understood the law, the quirks and uncertainties of the legal system, and how to obtain revealing information from hostile witnesses during depositions. Also, I could count on Ben to give me expert advice on what I should and should not do. His final legal memorandum to the court so clearly demolished the opposing arguments that the defendants offered to accept a judgment against them and in my favor, to pay me a large award for damages, and to reimburse my legal costs in full, just to avoid the impending jury trial. To anyone thinking about filing civil-rights or other employment-law complaint, I strongly recommend contacting Ben Beliles first.

Mr. Beliles defended me in a courts-martial regarding a positive urinalysis showing cocaine usage. When I contacted Mr. Beliles, there was no interrogation, no judgment, no doubt, just support and willingness to help me. As Ben and I weighed the options of going to NJP versus a courts-martial, his ...confidence and expertise made me feel more confident in moving forward with a courts-martial to prove my innocence. Up until he arrived at my base to represent me, one of the most comforting and impressive things about Ben was that he always answered the phone or got back to me very shortly after when I called. I never felt like "just another client." This was especially true when he flew down from Washington D.C. to represent me in trial in Florida and we were able to meet in person. He was professional, knowledgable, personable, accommodating to my questions, and really just a fun person to work with. When it came time for the trial, this man owned the room. He was courteous to the judge and jury, and vicious when it came to shutting down the prosecution. Honestly I almost felt bad for them...almost. During this trial, I was most worried about taking the stand myself. When I eventually did take the stand to give my testimony and Ben stood up to ask me questions, he made me feel comforted and confident. The confidence he set in me carried over to when the prosecution cross-examined me right after, and I hardly felt nervous. Now, Ben's closing argument...I can't say enough good things about his closing argument. My actual words to him after he spoke to the jury were "I would vote for you for f***ing president after that." He spoke eloquently and was captivating to the jury while he simultaneously shut down every point that the prosecution had to argue with us. Words that I would use to describe Ben's closing argument with regard to the prosecution would be "wiped the floor with," "destroyed," "annihilated," "obliterated," etc. And I must be right because the jury returned with a verdict of Not Guilty. I've never been more relieved in my life, and it's all because of Ben Beliles. I do not possess the vocabulary to describe how highly I recommend Ben to anyone seeking legal counsel. This man will fight for you, and I have no doubt in my mind that he will win for you.

Ben Beliles is truly the best of the best! I hired him for counsel when I was the subject of a vindictive inspector general allegation that had the attention of the highest levels my service’s leadership. Always responsive, he was available via phone or email even when traveling in different time zo...nes. In addition to thoroughly understanding the law, he also appreciated the emotional stresses involved. His personal and legal counsel are sound, he has a successful track record and I trust him implicitly.

Ben is absolutely top notch. He takes the time to understand your case before plotting a way forward. You may be facing some serious charges or career implications so you need to ensure that you have a lawyer with your best interest and that’s Ben to a T. From the first phone consultation, I felt ...at ease and knew I was in great hands. I had spoken to the Military attorney and while I think that attorney really wanted to do well, he just didn’t have the experience or time. Ben made it a point to make sure that if I had any thoughts or concerns to feel free to reach out to him and we would discuss. Although we were many miles away his attentiveness made the distance a non issue and I felt fairly confident prior to meeting him in person before my board. Once we were face to face he took the time to meet with my witnesses and then we sat together to prepare me for the most important day in my career at that point. During my board I watched as he drove home the truth and made the government look simply foolish for putting me through what I was facing. I walked out of the board as a rejuvenated soul and thankful for Bens hard work. Since the conclusion I have still been able to reach out to him for advice and without hesitation he has tried to assist where he could. Many lawyers talk and tell you how great they are, but when facing a career/life altering experience, you don’t need talk, you need results and Ben delivers Top Notch.