Tom Kruza is a member of the firm's Government Contracts group and specializes in government procurement law.

With nearly 20 years of diverse government contracts experience, Tom is able to serve clients on a wide variety of issues including: bid protests, appeals before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, contract administration, claims, changes to government contracts, contract termination, prime contractor-subcontractor disputes, rights in intellectual property, suspensions and debarments, defective pricing, export controls, foreign military sales, cost accounting, investigations and audits, security clearances, defense and retention at the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOHA) and small business issues. Tom has broad experience with a FAR, DFARS and Navy FAR supplement issues, including waiver and deviation protocol. He also works extensively with appropriation, program funding and Anti-Deficiency Act issues.

Mr. Kruza has litigated in federal court, serving clients in actions involving claims of patent infringement, trade secret misappropriation, breach of contract, security clearances, and various torts.

Prior to his legal career, Tom worked for the Department of Navy, serving as a Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO). During his Navy contracting tenure, Tom dealt extensively with top management from virtually every major defense contractor. He led U.S. negotiation teams, drafted contracts, source selection plans and business clearances, and exercised unlimited signature authority to procure multi-billion dollar aircraft, satellites, tactical and business networks, software and data rights on behalf of the U.S. and Allied nations. While serving on both Navy and Joint DoD Acquisition Category (ACAT) 1 programs, Tom was responsible for delivering and formally briefing business strategies to top Pentagon senior executives and political appointees, as well as responding to congressional inquiries on acquisition and contracting issues.

Mr. Kruza has extensive foreign military sales (FMS) experience, and has traveled overseas to craft and refine foreign customer requirements and negotiate the sale of aircraft, ships and electronics to Finland, Switzerland and Taiwan. Tom's international experience also included appointment to serve as the PCO for a eight-nation NATO coalition, committed to acquiring common aircraft electronics. In carrying out his duties, Tom briefed and gained business strategy approval from senior executives from the U.S. and executives from the defense ministries of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, The Netherlands, and Spain. Tom served as the acquisition agent for multiple nations, including Norway, South Korea, and Japan, for the acquisition of shipboard electronics systems.

During his Department of Defense service, Tom was appointed to the position of PCO with unlimited authority in less than seven years. For his efforts related to Pentagon acquisition and contracting reform, Tom received numerous awards, most notably the Vice President Gore's "Hammer Award" for excellence in federal procurement (1996), and the Secretary of Navy's Meritorious Unit Commendation (2002).

Tom has been extensively involved in the firm's pro bono efforts, and was honored to receive Crowell & Moring's Pro Bono Award in 2007. Specifically, Tom has represented and counseled natural disaster victims of Hurricane Katrina and the Southern California wildfires. In addition, Tom represented an immigrant women's advocacy organization in appealing the denial of its FOIA request for information that would protect domestic violence victims' confidentiality. Tom volunteers his time to represent military veterans seeking benefits before the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Tom received his J.D. from The University of San Diego School of Law in 2001, and was a member of the San Diego Law Review. He earned an M.B.A., from The George Washington University in 1993, and a B.S.B.A while graduating cum laude from the University of Richmond's Robins School of Business in 1990. Tom is admitted to the bar in California, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania and is a member of the United States District Court, Central District of California, as well as the San Diego County Bar Association, National Defense Industry Association.

Education
University of Richmond: Robins School of Business, B.S.B.A., 1990 - cum laude
George Washington University, M.B.A., 1993
University of San Diego School of Law, J.D., 2001 - San Diego Law Review

Affiliations
Admitted to practice: California, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, United States District Court - Central District of California

Speeches & Presentations
"Rules of the Road for SBIR’s and STTR’s," TriTech Small Business Development Center Workshop (February 2010). Co-Presenters: Thomas A. Kruza III and Ryan C. Wong.

"Green Building Construction: Rewards, Rules and Risks," The 24th Annual Construction Superconference (December 2009). Moderator: Randall L. Erickson; Presenters: Rosemary K. Carson, Bernadette M. Stafford and Thomas A. Kruza.

"The Rewards Rules and Risks of Doing Stimulus Business Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009," National Defense Industry Association, Navy Gold Coast Small Business Opportunity Conference (August 2009). Co-Speakers Donald E. Sovie and Thomas A. Kruza III.

"Contract Claims and Disputes," Crowell & Moring's Ounce of Prevention Seminar (OOPS) (May 28, 2009). Co-Speakers: Frederick (Rick) Claybrook Jr., J. Chris Haile, Thomas A. Kruza III, Matthew W. Cheney.

"Organizational Conflicts of Interest," National Defense Industry Association, Navy Gold Coast Small Business Opportunity Conference (August 2008). Co-Speakers Donald E. Sovie and Thomas A. Kruza III.

"Sharing Your IP," National Defense Industry Association, National Small Business Conference (May 2008). Speaker: Thomas A. Kruza.

"Teaming And Contracting For U.S. Federal Government Contracts With Small Businesses," Crowell & Moring West Coast Ounce Of Prevention Seminar (April 2008). Co-Presenters: Donald Sovie, Tom Kruza and Amanda J. Paracuellos.

"Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software: Pitfalls for the Unwary," Crowell & Moring West Coast Ounce of Prevention Seminar (April 2008). Co-Presenters: Thomas A. Kruza and John E. McCarthy Jr.

"Acquisition Improvement and Accountability Act of 2007: Title VIII of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (H.R. 4986)," presented to National Contract Management Association - Los Angeles South Bay Chapter (March 11, 2008). Presenter: Thomas A. Kruza III; Authors: Terry L. Albertson, Alan W. H. Gourley, Shauna E. Alonge, Elizabeth W. Newsom, David C. Hammond and Rogelyn D. McLean.

"Helping Wildfire Victims Deal with FEMA: Lessons Learned from a Katrina Volunteer," San Diego County Bar Association Wildfire Assistance Training Seminar (November 2007). Speaker: Thomas A. Kruza.

"Learn from the Losers: Avoid Lost Awards & Bid Protests," Association of Proposal Management Professionals Conference (APMP) (October 2007). Speaker: Thomas A. Kruza.

"Bid Protest Trends," Western Ounce of Prevention Seminar (May 2007). Co-Speakers: Elizabeth W. Newsom, Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan and Thomas A. Kruza.