The ‘exceptionally knowledgeable and professional’ government contracts practice at DLA Piper LLP (US) has extensive experience in federal, state and local contracting. Among the team’s capabilities are bid protests, transactional support and M&A expertise, cybersecurity compliance, federal grants issues and regulatory counselling. The practice is primarily based in Washington DC and is jointly led by Sam Knowles, who has specialist knowledge in GSA federal supply schedule contracting, commercial item contracting and IP matters, and Dawn Stern, who chiefly handles contracting disputes and cybersecurity compliance issues. Daniel Cook handles contract counselling and litigation for pharma, life sciences and medical devices companies, and Thomas Daley handles a litany of contracts investigations and litigation, including FCA matters and Richard Rector is well versed in bid protests. Brad Jorgensen in based in Austin and focuses on M&A transactions involving government contractors.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘The team is exceptionally knowledgeable and professional. They have a deep understanding of the Government Contracting space. Their collaboration is top notch in ensuring that we as the client have a firm understanding of the issues and risks associated with accepting a Government contract.’

  • ‘Throughout every phase of the solicitation process from inception to contract negotiation to contract execution and ongoing compliance, the detailed responses from Daniel Cooke have been nothing short of exceptional.'

  • ‘Incredibly responsive and knowledgeable on a myriad of government contracts issues. More importantly, they are well rounded attorneys, who are both personable, knowledgeable, and we enjoy working with them.’

  • ‘Thomas Daley goes above and beyond what we need. Daniel Cook has provided incredibly valuable information.'

  • ‘The team at DLA Piper actively collaborates with us to support our efforts in expanding business opportunities in the public sector. They keep us informed about legislative changes that could impact our operations, ensuring we remain aligned with evolving requirements. They are very accessible and can spin up a team to rapidly respond to tight deadlines.’

  • ‘I work closely with Samuel Knowles, the Global Co-Chair of the Government Contracting Sector. I rely extensively on his expertise in federal and state contracting law, and him an integral advisor to my firm's public sector practice.'

Key clients

  • GE HealthCare Technologies Inc.
  • GE Aviation
  • United Parcel Service, Inc.
  • Luma Energy, LLC
  • Labcon North America
  • Meridian Medical Technologies/Kindeva Drug Delivery
  • Inserso Corporation
  • ICF International

Work highlights

  • Advised General Electric during a major corporate reorganization, including the separation of is healthcare business into a stand-alone corporate entity.
  • Represented GE Aviation in an appeal before the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and protected GE’s award of a Navy important contract.
  • Representation LUMA Energy, LLC, in its performance of the contract to operate and manage the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA).

Lawyers

Practice head

Samuel Knowles; Dawn Stern

Other key lawyers

Daniel Cook; Thomas Daley; Richard Rector; Brad Jorgensen