Michael J. Navarre

Special Counsel

• mnavarre@steptoe.com
• vCard
• Washington Office

Michael J. Navarre is special counsel in the Washington office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where he is a member of the Litigation Department. His practice focuses primarily on government litigation, including antitrust, white collar criminal, and government contracts litigation.

Litigation
Mr. Navarre’s prior cases have involved contract disputes between the US government and civilian contractors, representation of attorneys in professional liability suits, and multi-district antitrust litigation. He has participated in cases before the Court of Federal Claims, Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, numerous state and federal courts, bid protests before the Government Accountability Office, and administrative appeals before various federal agencies. Mr. Navarre also has experience in expert witness preparation, including appearances involving cross-examination and deposition of expert witnesses in both state and federal court proceedings. 

Internal Corporate and Government Investigations
His prior representations include internal corporate investigations and responding to both state and federal grand jury and civil investigations. He has coordinated and assisted with responses to civil investigative demands, criminal subpoenas, civil regulatory subpoenas, and congressional inquiries, among others. These cases have included investigations of alleged government contractor personnel misconduct, government corruption, and tax fraud.

Prior to joining Steptoe, Mr. Navarre served as a Lieutenant in the US Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps for five years. During that time he served as a prosecutor, the sole attorney-advisor to the Commander of Regional Support Group, Norfolk, Virginia, and as an appellate criminal defense counsel. Mr. Navarre served as appellate defense counsel in two capital appeals. He has also presented lectures on capital litigation at the Naval Justice School Defense Complex Litigation Course.

Reported Cases:

• Statutory Interpretation: Walker v. United States, 60 M.J. 354 (C.A.A.F. 2004); United States v. Quintanilla, 60 M.J. 852 (N-M. Ct. Crim. App. 2005); Constitutional Law: United States v. Dooley, 60 M.J. 130 (C.A.A.F. 2004) (summary disposition).

Noteworthy

• Mr. Navarre is a Vice-Chair of the ABA Section of Public Contract Law: Battle Space and Contingency Procurements Committee. In that capacity he has drafted comments in response to new contract clauses related to contingency contracting. He also moderated ABA-CLEs dealing with the US-Iraq SOFA and its affect on US government contractors (January 2009) and accountability of government contractor personnel involved in supporting US military operations abroad (March 2009).

Select News & Events

• "Battlespace and Contingency Contracting," International Contracting Week, October 29, 2010
• Andy Irwin and Mike Navarre Speak at Industry Summit on DoD Contracting, June 24, 2010
• Michael J. Navarre Appointed to the Board of Advisors of the National Institute of Military Justice
• Steptoe Announces Four New Partners and Six Additional Promotions; Re-elects Chair and Vice Chair of Firm’s Executive Committee

Selected Publications

• Civilians With Stake in Airstrikes
  Counterterror Involvement May Bring Legal Risk
  August 2, 2010, Defense News
• Government Contracts Advisory - DoD Proposed Rule Expands Organizational Conflicts Of Interest Coverage
  April 29, 2010
• Selected Compliance & Contract Administration Issues in Contingency Contracting
  December 2009, Briefing Papers
• International Law Advisory - DDTC Issues New ITAR Exemption Regarding Temporary Export of Body Armor
  August 10, 2009
• Departments of State and Defense Sign MOA on Private Security Contractors
  Vol. 43, No. 3, at p. 3
  Spring 2008, The Procurement Lawyer
• International Law Advisory - Contractors “In the Field” Now Subject to Military Justice
  March 12, 2007

Professional Affiliations

• Federal Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• The American Membership of the International Society for Military Law and the Law of War