Edwin O. Childs is a government contract and investigations and enforcement attorney who represents companies across a wide range of sectors, including the defense, services, technology, and aerospace industries.
His practice, spanning nearly 10 years in Washington, encompasses a broad array of legal services, including government contract investigations, disclosures, and regulatory enforcement actions; bid protests and government contract disputes; government contract counseling; export licensing and enforcement; prime contractor-subcontractor disputes; corporate ownership and acquisition issues; and election law investigations and enforcement matters.
Ned has considerable experience representing clients in government investigation and enforcement actions, including procurement fraud claims and qui tam whistleblower suits brought under the False Claims Act, inspectors general investigations, and in the preparation of mandatory disclosures to numerous agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Justice.
In addition, he represents clients in protests before the Government Accountability Office (GAO), suspension and debarment proceedings, litigation at the Court of Federal Claims, and size challenges at the Small Business Administration (SBA).
Ned regularly counsels clients on federal procurement issues, including foreign sourcing restrictions, small business eligibility, most-favored pricing, GSA schedule contract requirements, contract administration matters, and government rights in intellectual property, among other issues.
Ned also advises clients on legal issues affecting national security. He represents clients in matters before the Defense Security Service (DSS), the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), and the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), as well as the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States (CFIUS) and its stakeholder agencies.
He also assists clients on industrial security issues, including creating technology control and electronic communications plans, establishing cleared subsidiaries, fielding compliance concerns and questions from DSS, and developing and negotiating measures to mitigate foreign ownership, control, and influence.
Ned also represents clients in investigations and enforcement matters relating to federal election law issues, including matters before the Federal Election Commission and related federal court litigation.
Before pursuing his law degree, Ned worked at the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Coordinator of Cuban Affairs, where he negotiated the Department’s policy positions on BIS and OFAC Cuba licensing matters and participated in export enforcement matters.
In this role, he also was responsible for issues arising under Title IV of the Helms-Burton Act, a law seeking to penalize foreign companies trafficking property confiscated from U.S. citizens in Cuba.
EXPERIENCE :
- Successfully defended a top defense contractor in a high-visibility, congressionally-requested DOD OIG inquiry of alleged improprieties in U.S. Air Force space launch competitions with no findings of wrongdoing.
- Represented a medical services contractor in connection with parallel DOJ OIG investigations of Federal Bureau of Prisons billings and subcontractor charging practices.
- Counseled an FBOP contractor in a DOJ OIG audit of contract compliance and performance under a services contract.
- Represented a foreign medical supply company through the disclosure, negotiation, and resolution of claims related to non-compliance with GSA schedule foreign sourcing restrictions.
- Represented a government contractor in a DOD investigation of alleged bribery and kickbacks associated with a government contract for large-scale construction services performed in Afghanistan.
- Represented a defense and intelligence contractor in the successful bid protest of a Defense Intelligence Agency contract for intelligence analysis support before the GAO valued at more than $100 million.
- Advised a foreign-owned national security technology company in high stakes negotiations with the DSS related to FOCI and the company’s facility security clearance.
- Represented multiple British companies in acquisitions of U.S. national security and critical infrastructure companies.
Education :
- American University Washington College of Law, JD, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, Senior Federal Circuit Editor, American University Law Review, 2009
- The George Washington University, BA, Political Science, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 2005
Admissions :
- District of Columbia
- New York
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
Cost
Rate : $$$
