Almost all business owners can recall receiving a threatening letter, phone call, or visit from a governmental agency. The experience is often stressful and unpleasant. Berenson LLP represents clients before governmental agencies on a weekly basis (e.g., Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Labor, Internal Revenue Service, States Attorneys General, state consumer affairs bureau, home improvement commissions). Our goal is generally to resolve issues without undue cost to the client, while maintaining a professional and respectful relationship with the agency involved. However, in many instances, a strong and often aggressive defense is required to avoid a contractor being subject to overzealous prosecution or runaway enforcement actions based more on technical issues and press releases than actual harm to a consumer. Understanding the mindset of the government agency is critical to the successful defense of an investigation, and Berenson LLP attorneys have previously worked for numerous such agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice and various States Attorneys General.