Government Contracts

Clients turn to Steptoe’s Government Contracts team for its combined litigation prowess and extraordinary breadth of experience tackling issues for government contractors and recipients of federal funds. Our group includes several recognized lawyers in Chambers and Legal 500, along with leaders in the Public Contracting Institute and many other prominent organizations.

Steptoe provides a full range of services to clients who conduct business with the government, including representing them in contract negotiations and performance, bid protests, claims, data rights and other intellectual property issues, small business issues, investigations, and whistleblower or US government enforcement actions, including those related to the False Claims Act. We often advise clients on complying with the maze of regulations and contract terms applicable to government contractors.

We represent clients in the traditional defense industries, as well as clients working in a broad array of other areas, including professional services, healthcare, life sciences, information technology, artificial intelligence, software engineering, financial services, construction, telecommunications, transportation, public utilities, engineering and project management. We also represent clients on financial assistance projects that are subject to distinct requirements and audits and investigations relating to such transactions.

Steptoe's team is highly integrated with other resources of our firm, often drawing on related disciplines, such as supply chain, privacy and cybersecurity, intellectual property, antitrust, national security, and government relations to provide clients with full-service assistance.

Compliance with Domestic Content Restrictions

Steptoe routinely advises clients on the major domestic content regimes that impose requirements on federal procurements and federal financial assistance programs.

The team is well versed on the Build America Buy America (BABA) requirements enacted as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the application of a "Buy America" preference to federal financial assistance programs for public infrastructure, as well as the process for waiving such a preference if necessary. For example, we are well-versed on the interplay between the newest BABA requirements and the existing framework of federal domestic sourcing requirements (the Buy American Act for federal procurements and transportation-related "Buy America" statutes). Steptoe's team is also adept in advising on the relationship between existing "Buy America" provisions for federal funding, and the Trade Agreements Act (TAA), requirements for specialty metals and unmanned aerial vehicles, cargo preferences, and chips.

R&D, Emerging Technologies, and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Steptoe regularly advises companies in various sectors on prototyping arrangements with the US government and research and development funding. In particular, Steptoe has significant experience with small business innovation research, other transaction authority, and cooperative research and development agreements, as well as associated intellectual property and compliance considerations. We work with many clients to transition technology through various stages of US government funding, particularly in the context of regulated industries or broader national security concerns.

Working closely with colleagues from our AI, Data & Digital group, our government contracts team has also developed a robust practice related to emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI). Steptoe provides comprehensive advice on government contracts from negotiation to performance and, if needed, disputes. This area is no exception. In addition, our government contracts team works with technical experts in the firm to truly understand technical aspects of client technologies. The team also assists clients with cutting-edge work in classified settings.