Eric M. Ransom is a senior counsel in the Government Contracts Group in Crowell & Moring's Washington, D.C. office. Eric is extensively experienced in matters of government contract formation and bid protest litigation, and provides unique insight into the full range of legal issues surrounding the award or proposed award of a government contract, or the terms of a solicitation. Eric is also experienced in a variety of other government contracts areas, including the Procurement Integrity Act, the Service Contract Act, classified procurements, contract claims, and congressional investigations.
Prior to joining Crowell & Moring, Eric spent more than a decade at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), where he served as deputy assistant general counsel and as a senior bid protest hearing officer in the Procurement Law Division. As a hearing officer, Eric presided over many high-profile bid protests filed at the GAO, including protests concerning the U.S. Air Force B-21 Stealth Bomber Program; NASA Commercial Crew Transportation Capability Program; and protests of other Major Defense Acquisition Programs and classified procurement programs. He resolved more than 750 bid protests at GAO and was responsible for more than 125 published legal decisions
Eric also previously served as procurement counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, where he advised Senate offices on federal procurement laws, regulations, and best practices. Eric also drove improvements in the Senate’s internal procurement systems and led committee oversight on legislative branch contracting issues, including management of data privacy concerns in Senate software contracts, and the termination and recompetition of the Government Publishing Office’s $61-million contract for printing the 2020 U.S. Census.
Affiliations
Admitted to practice: District of Columbia, Maryland, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, Supreme Court of the United States
Memberships
ABA Public Contract Law Section, Member
Speeches & Presentations
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"Pre-Award Protest Challenges: Terms, Acquisition Approach, and Timeliness Traps," United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia," OOPS 20/20 - Setting Your Sights
(October 21, 2020).
Presenters: Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan, Eric M. Ransom, Christian N. Curran, and Zachary Schroeder.
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"Source Selection and Bid Protests: Pre- and Post-Award Considerations," Government Contracts 101 - Back to Basics Webinar
(September 21, 2020).
Presenters: Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan, Anuj Vohra, Eric M. Ransom, and Robert J. Sneckenberg.
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"Protesting Federal, State, and Local Contract Awards: 'Who Gets It?'" ABA 2019 Public Procurement Symposium, San Diego, CA
(October 25, 2019).
Panelists: Eric M. Ransom, Crowell & Moring; Greg Jacobs, Polsinelli; Kayleigh Scalzo, Covington & Burling; McCall Ginsberg, Georgia Department of Administrative Services.
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"Source Selection and Bid Protests: Pre- and Post-Award Considerations," Government Contracts "101" - Back to Basics, McLean, VA
(October 23, 2019).
Moderator: Robert J. Sneckenberg; Panelists: Daniel R. Forman, Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan, Eric M. Ransom, and Anuj Vohra.
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"GAO Bid Protests Update 2017," United States Army Corps of Engineers Field Counsels
(August 30, 2017).
Presenters: Eric M. Ransom, Deputy Assistant General Counsel, GAO; Evan D. Wesser, Senior Counsel, GAO.
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"The Process of Pursuing and Defending Bid Protests Involving Classified Procurements: It’s No Big Secret," ABA Public Contract Law Section, Bid Protest Committee Meeting
(April 18, 2017).
Panelists: The Honorable Mary Ellen Coster Williams - Judge, U.S. Court of Federal Claims; Eric Ransom - Deputy Assistant General Counsel, GAO; Harry Rucker - Classified Information Security Officer, Litigation Security Group, U.S. Department of Justice's Justice Management's Division; Scott Flesch - Chief Bid Protests, U.S. Army Legal Services Agency; Steven Mager - Senior Trial Counsel, U.S. Department of Justice.
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"GAO National Security Acquisitions Audits and Bid Protests Q&A," Department of Defense, F-35 Sustainment Procurement Team
(2016).
Bid Protest Presenter: Eric M. Ransom, Deputy Assistant General Counsel, GAO.
Publications
Client Alerts & Newsletters
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"GAO Sustains Protests Alleging Agency Failed to Consider Pandemic Impacts on its Requirements,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(October 28, 2020).
Contacts: Anuj Vohra, Eric M. Ransom, Abigail (Abi) Stokes, William B. O'Reilly
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"Follow Up: White House Expands Invocation of Defense Production Act Authorities as Part of COVID Response,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(March 30, 2020).
Contacts: Jonathan M. Baker, Troy A. Barsky, Alan W. H. Gourley, J. Chris Haile, John E. McCarthy Jr., Eric M. Ransom, Stephanie L. Crawford
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"Follow Up: White House Issues Order under Defense Production Act as Part of COVID Response,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(March 27, 2020).
Contacts: Jonathan M. Baker, Troy A. Barsky, Alan W. H. Gourley, J. Chris Haile, John E. McCarthy Jr., Eric M. Ransom, Stephanie L. Crawford
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"Follow Up: White House Issues Order under Defense Production Act as Part of COVID Response,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(March 23, 2020).
Contacts: Jonathan M. Baker, Troy A. Barsky, Stephanie L. Crawford, Alan W. H. Gourley, J. Chris Haile, John E. McCarthy Jr., Eric M. Ransom
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"White House Issues Order under Defense Production Act as Part of COVID Response,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(March 19, 2020).
Contacts: Jonathan M. Baker, Troy A. Barsky, Alan W. H. Gourley, J. Chris Haile, John E. McCarthy Jr., Eric M. Ransom
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"GAO Rejects Use of Highest-Technically Rated Reasonably-Priced Award Criteria for FSS Contracts,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(January 23, 2020).
Contacts: Jonathan M. Baker, Anuj Vohra, Eric M. Ransom, William B. O'Reilly
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"GAO: Ongoing DoD Fraud Risk Assessment Efforts Should Include Contractor Ownership,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(November 27, 2019).
Contacts: Adelicia R. Cliffe, Alan W. H. Gourley, Laura J. Mitchell Baker, Eric M. Ransom
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"All Things Protest: One-Sided Discussions (August 2019),"
Podcast: All Things Protest
(August 30, 2019).
Contacts: Eric M. Ransom, Christian N. Curran, Robert J. Sneckenberg
Media Mentions
Firm News & Announcements