Nichols Law

Government Contracts

Steve Shaw is a nationally recognized authority on ethics, compliance, and suspension and debarment in federal contracting. He previously served as Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Air Force and the Department’s first Air Force Suspension and Debarment Official (SDO), where he oversaw hundreds of contractor responsibility cases, including many involving alleged False Claims Act violations. In his capacity as the Air Force’s first SDO, Steve helped shape modern federal suspension and debarment policy.

Steve Shaw is a nationally recognized authority on ethics, compliance, and suspension and debarment in federal contracting. He previously served as Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Air Force and the Department’s first Air Force Suspension and Debarment Official (SDO), where he oversaw hundreds of contractor responsibility cases, including many involving alleged False Claims Act violations. In his capacity as the Air Force’s first SDO, Steve helped shape modern federal suspension and debarment policy.

Following his tenure with the government, Steve joined Chambers-ranked Covington & Burling, ultimately following Robert Nichols after Robert left Covington to found what would become Nichols Law. Now in private practice, Steve is able to provide invaluable insight in advising government contractors and grantees facing high-risk enforcement exposure, including significant exposure under the FCA to administrative/agency suspension and debarment actions, which oftentimes parallel civil and criminal FCA proceedings. Not only does his vast experience as the Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Air Force and its first SDO equip him with unique insight with which to counsel FCA clients, it also has earned him wide respect and credibility with agency officials.

English

Bar and Court Admissions

District of Columbia Bar Maryland State Bar Ethics Resource Center, Fellow Member of the Senior Executive Service American Bar Association, Public Contract Law Section, Committee on Suspension & Debarment

Education

American University, Washington College of Law, J.D., 1973 Franklin and Marshall College, B.A., 1969