Marines


Biography
Mark A. Romano
Counsel for the Commandant

Mr. Mark Romano is the Counsel for the Commandant of the Marine Corps. As such, Mr. Romano is the senior civilian legal advisor to the Commandant, Assistant Commandant, Deputy Commandants and other senior leaders within the Marine Corps, leading 115 legal professionals located across the globe. Mr. Romano and his team provide comprehensive and timely legal advice and support to the Commandant, Headquarters staff agencies, and Marine Corps operating and supporting establishments in the areas of business and commercial law including procurement and fiscal, environmental and land use, personnel law, cyber and information, government ethics, and all other matters under the cognizance of the General Counsel of the Navy.


Previously, from 2019 to 2021, Mr. Romano was the Assistant General Counsel (Manpower & Reserve Affairs) (AGC (M&RA)), the principal legal advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower & Reserve Affairs) for matters concerning military and civilian personnel policy, including Equal Employment Opportunity, the Sexual Assault Prevention Program, Naval Education, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as well as the coordination of efforts worldwide in labor and employment litigation. As AGC (M&RA), Mr. Romano led an office of approximately forty legal professionals providing advice to the Secretariat, the Naval Education Enterprise, the Office of Civilian Human Resources, the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, the Board for Correction of Naval Records, and the Council of Review Boards.


Mr. Romano was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2014. From 2014 to 2019, he served as the Deputy Counsel for the Commandant, responsible to assist the Counsel in his duties as the senior legal advisor to the Commandant. He supervised over 100 civilian and military legal professionals located at Headquarters, Marine Corps and field offices worldwide.


From 2012 to 2014, Mr. Romano was the first Counsel, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Systems (OPNAV N9), when he was responsible for the entire scope of business law practice for a client who set requirements for all manned aircraft, surface vessels, submarines, and amphibious warfare platforms. From 2008 to 2012, Mr. Romano served as the Associate Counsel for the Commandant (Procurement & Fiscal Law) providing advice and counsel to Headquarters, Marine Corps on all matters related to business and commercial activities. Mr. Romano began his career with the Office of General Counsel in 1994 as a trial counsel assigned to the joint Department of Justice/Department of Navy A-12 Litigation Team and has held several other positions within OGC. Mr. Romano has received numerous awards including, the Department of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award, Department of the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award, Department of the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award, and the Department of Justice’s John Marshall Award.


Mr. Romano received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the College of William & Mary in Virginia and earned his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law, in Queens, New York.

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