Catherine O. Shames is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Crowell & Moring, where she is a member of the firm’s Government Contracts Group.
Catherine’s government contracts practice focuses on contract claims/disputes under the Contract Disputes Act (CDA), prime-sub disputes, transactional due diligence, internal investigations, and disclosures under the Mandatory Disclosure Rule. She also assists contractors with cost allowability issues and responding to DCAA audits.
Catherine is active in pro bono matters. She has represented low-income individuals in contested custody disputes and in housing disputes against landlords to remediate unsafe housing conditions.
During law school, Catherine interned for the Honorable Lydia Kay Griggsby at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Catherine also completed U.S. Department of Justice internships with the Office of the Pardon Attorney, the Tax Division, the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and the Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section.
Prior to law school, Catherine was a legal analyst at the nation’s largest military shipbuilding company where she gained valuable government contract experience.
Speeches & Presentations
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“Cost & Pricing: Our Two Cents,” GC 101: Back to Basics, Washington, D.C.
(September 21, 2022).
Presenters: Erin Rankin, Nicole Owren-Wiest, Charles Baek, and Catherine Shames.
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"Cost and Pricing: When Your Cost Recovery is in Jeopardy," Back Together Again for OOPS 2022, Washington, D.C.
(May 17, 2022).
Speakers: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Craig Barrett, Erin Rankin, and Catherine Shames.
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"Accounting, Cost, and Pricing," OOPS 2021, Crowell & Moring's 37th Annual Ounce of Prevention Seminar
(May 12, 2021).
Presenters: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Skye Mathieson, Erin Rankin, and Catherine O. Shames.
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"Accounting, Cost, and Pricing," OOPS 20/20 - Setting Your Sights
(October 20, 2020).
Presenters: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Skye Mathieson, Catherine O. Shames, and Sean K. Griffin.
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"Costs and Pricing: No Contract is Really Final," Government Contracts "101" - Back to Basics, McLean, VA
(October 23, 2019).
Moderator: Mana Lombardo; Panelists: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Charles Baek, and Catherine Shames.
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"Accounting Cost & Pricing Compliance and Pitfalls," Government Contracts Breakfast Series, Herndon, VA
(September 18, 2019).
Presenters: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Elizabeth Buehler, Charles Baek, Michael G. Gruden, and Catherine O. Shames.
Client Alerts & Newsletters
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"March Madness: Government Goes for a Slam Dunk and Misses in CAS Dispute,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(March 24, 2023).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Erin Rankin, Alexandra Barbee-Garrett, Catherine O. Shames, Zariah T. Altman
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"Contractors Take Note: DoD Issues Two Final Contract Cost and Pricing Rules,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(November 2, 2022).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Christian N. Curran, Erin Rankin, Catherine O. Shames, Rina M. Gashaw
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"Too Late: Government’s Failure to Timely Audit Did Not Extend the Contractor’s Document Retention Obligations,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(October 3, 2022).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Erin Rankin, Catherine O. Shames
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"When is the Price of a Fixed-Price Contract Not Fixed?,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(August 31, 2022).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Erin Rankin, Charles Baek, Catherine O. Shames
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"Just the (Same) Facts, Ma’am: ASBCA has Jurisdiction to Hear Contractor’s Different Theories of Recovery Based on the Same Set of Operative Facts,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(April 5, 2022).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Erin Rankin, Catherine O. Shames
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"Failing Health: NDIA’s Annual Vital Signs Report Highlights Weaknesses in the Defense Industrial Base Supply Chain,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(February 10, 2022).
Contacts: Peter Eyre, Lyndsay A. Gorton, Catherine O. Shames
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"Federal Circuit Affirms Board Decision on Pandemic-Related Claim,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(June 21, 2021).
Contacts: Stephen J. McBrady, Robert J. Sneckenberg, Charles Baek, Michelle D. Coleman, John Nakoneczny, Catherine O. Shames
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"You Snooze, You Lose: Contractor’s Compensation Costs are Not Expressly Unallowable When the Government Delayed in Setting Annual Cap,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(June 16, 2021).
Contacts: Skye Mathieson, Stephen J. McBrady, Nicole Owren-Wiest, Erin Rankin, Catherine O. Shames
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"Time is Money: Contractor’s Claims for Payment Dismissed,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(May 10, 2021).
Contacts: Stephen J. McBrady, Nicole Owren-Wiest, Charles Baek, Michelle D. Coleman, John Nakoneczny, Catherine O. Shames
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"“Mere allegations of fraud do not divest the Board of jurisdiction” – Government’s Motion to Dismiss Denied When It Cannot Prove that Appeal Resolution Depends on a Factual Determination of Fraud,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(May 7, 2021).
Contacts: Stephen J. McBrady, Brian Tully McLaughlin, Lyndsay A. Gorton, Catherine O. Shames
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""Here before. Many times. And without resolution." – Board’s Dismissal of Contractor’s Appeals as Moot Precludes Analysis of Costs Repeatedly Disallowed on the Same Grounds,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(April 1, 2021).
Contacts: Skye Mathieson, Nicole Owren-Wiest, Alexandra Barbee-Garrett, Catherine O. Shames
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"Show Me the Money? When a Sum Approximate Counts as a Sum Certain,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(March 22, 2021).
Contacts: Skye Mathieson, Stephen J. McBrady, Nicole Owren-Wiest, Charles Baek, Michelle D. Coleman, Catherine O. Shames
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""A Claim By Any Other Name": Jurisdiction Over Certified Supplement to Termination Proposal,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(February 23, 2021).
Contacts: Skye Mathieson, Nicole Owren-Wiest, Alexandra Barbee-Garrett, Catherine O. Shames
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"Fine Print: A False Claims Act Settlement Does Not Void a Contract,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(November 20, 2020).
Contacts: Stephen J. McBrady, Brian Tully McLaughlin, Lyndsay A. Gorton, Catherine O. Shames
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"The Virginia Coronavirus Fraud Task Force,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(March 25, 2020).
Contacts: Laura J. Mitchell Baker, Catherine O. Shames
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"Silence = Acquiescence: Government Stuck with Contractor’s Interpretation that was Provided with its Proposal,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(March 18, 2020).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Skye Mathieson, Michelle D. Coleman, Catherine O. Shames
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"Double Take: The DoD OIG Recommends Attempting to Recoup $43 Million in Purportedly Expressly Unallowable Costs Not Previously Disallowed,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(February 13, 2020).
Contacts: Stephen J. McBrady, Nicole Owren-Wiest, Skye Mathieson, Michelle D. Coleman, Charles Baek, Catherine O. Shames
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"GAO Rejects Navy’s Blind-Eye Approach to Awardee’s Whitewash of Adverse Performance Information,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(December 20, 2019).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Catherine O. Shames
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"Expressly Does Not Require Being Expressed: Fed. Circuit Finds Salary Costs for Lobbying are Expressly Unallowable,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(October 22, 2019).
Contacts: Alan W. H. Gourley, Nicole Owren-Wiest, Catherine O. Shames
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"In the Land of the Disfavored: FAR Council Issues Proposed Rule on Avoiding Usage of LPTA,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(October 11, 2019).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Charles Baek, Catherine O. Shames
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"At Last! Proposed Amendments to the FAR Reflecting Increased MPT, SAT and TINA Thresholds,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(October 10, 2019).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Charles Baek, Catherine O. Shames
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"Show Me the Value: DFARS Proposes Rule on Market Research and Value-Based Price Reasonableness Determination,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(October 4, 2019).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Charles Baek, Catherine O. Shames
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"Government Charged With Knowledge of Unapproved Subcontractors Listed on Invoices,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(October 2, 2019).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Stephen J. McBrady, Skye Mathieson, Michelle D. Coleman, Charles Baek, Catherine O. Shames
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"DCAA Materiality Standards for Incurred Cost Audits,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(August 1, 2019).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Charles Baek, Catherine O. Shames
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"Here We Go Again: DFARS Changes to the "Only One Offer" Rule,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(July 30, 2019).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Charles Baek, Catherine O. Shames
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"We've Come to the End of the Road: FY 2018 Report to Congress Says DCAA Backlog is No More,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(July 11, 2019).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Stephen J. McBrady, Catherine O. Shames
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"FAR Council Introduces Limits on the Single-Offer Adequate Price Competition Exception,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(July 1, 2019).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Charles Baek, Catherine O. Shames
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"Contractor’s Challenge to Cost Accounting Regulation Hits Headwinds,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(June 19, 2019).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Catherine O. Shames
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"It’s Time for a Raise! DoD Proposes to Increase CPSR Threshold,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(June 11, 2019).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Catherine O. Shames
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"Expedited Contract Closeouts – A Fast Track Available to Select Older Contracts,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(May 28, 2019).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Catherine O. Shames
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"Take Two: DoD Issues Another Proposed Rule on Performance-Based Payments,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(May 23, 2019).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Catherine O. Shames
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"Foreign Governments Join the Commercial Item Party,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(May 20, 2019).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Lorraine M. Campos, Catherine O. Shames
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"It All Adds Up: What’s New with DCAA (May 2019),"
Podcast: It All Adds Up
(May 7, 2019).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Charles Baek, Michael G. Gruden, CIPP/G, Catherine O. Shames
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"CAS Board Begins Statutorily-Mandated CAS/GAAP Conformance,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(March 27, 2019).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Catherine O. Shames
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"Contractor Business Systems Reviews: A Work in Progress According to GAO Report,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(February 22, 2019).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Catherine O. Shames
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"ASBCA Rules that Navy’s Desires Are Not an Option,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(February 13, 2019).
Contacts: Skye Mathieson, Stephen J. McBrady, Nicole Owren-Wiest, Catherine O. Shames
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"Better to Ask Permission than Forgiveness: ASBCA Denies Subcontract Payments,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(January 18, 2019).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Stephen J. McBrady, Skye Mathieson, Catherine O. Shames
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"Fixed-Price or Firm-Fixed-Price? Contractor’s Right to Seek Reimbursement of Legal Costs in Defending Qui Tam Suits,"
False Claims Bullet Points
(November 20, 2018).
Contacts: Nicole Owren-Wiest, Charles Baek, Catherine O. Shames
Firm News & Announcements