Blank Rome LLP regularly serves as government contracts counsel on M&A transactions, recently handling a number of such mandates for aerospace and defense clients, while also providing expert advice on high-value bid protests, FCA litigation, bet-the-company litigation and compliance advice. Other sectors in which the firm maintains an active practice include healthcare, maritime and technology. Justin Chiarodo co-leads the practice and has in depth knowledge of federal, state and local procurement law, handling both regulatory compliance and contentious contract litigation. Dominique Casimir advises major defense contractors on bid protests, suspension and debarment issues, FCA investigations and contract litigation, co-head Luke Meier similarly handles contentious bid protests, contract claims and fraud investigations as does Scott Arnold, who is an expert in foreign military sales, the foreign corrupt practices act and export control issues in this regard. Clients see Elizabeth Jochum as a ‘go-to’ government contracts practitioner, whose practice spans both contentious and non-contentious contracting advice. Other key members of the team include bid protests expert Stephanie Harden and FCA litigation specialist Robyn Burrows. Philadelphia based Michael Montalbano was made partner in January 2025 and maintains a broad practice encompassing advice on bid protests, M&A transactions and compliance matters for clients across the environmental, maritime, IT and cybersecurity industries. The rest of the team is based in Washington DC.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘I have worked with Elizabeth Jochum for years. She is among the most practical, business-oriented, problem-solving attorneys I know. She is uncommonly capable of connecting with our business leaders to grasp the issues and offer the soundest advice to achieve a favorable outcome. We think of her as one of a very small cohort of "go-to" government-contracts counsel.’

Key clients

  • Trident Maritime Systems
  • Bcore f/k/a Bridge Core
  • Amentum
  • Louis Berger Aircraft Services
  • Washington River Protection Solutions
  • Oshkosh Defense
  • Riva Solutions
  • Hanford Tank Waste Operations & Closure, LLC
  • Nuclear Waste Partnership
  • ARKA Group

Work highlights

  • Advised H2C on a successful bid protest concerning a $45 billion contract to manage and treat waste at the Department of Energy’s Hanford site in Washington State.
  • Represented LBAS in defending against protests by Alisud Gesac Handling Servisair 2 scarl (“Algese”) challenging awards to LBAS for air terminal/ground handling services at U.S. Naval bases in Rota, Spain and Naples, Italy.
  • Served as government contracts counsel to Bridge Core Federal, in four transaction in the past year.

Lawyers

Leading partners

The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Next generation partners

Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Practice head

Justin Chiarodo; Luke Meier

Other key lawyers

Dominique Casimir; Scott Arnold; Elizabeth Jochum; Stephanie Harden; Robyn Burrows; Michael Montalbano