Michael Samuels is a counsel in Crowell & Moring's Government Contracts Group. His practice involves counseling and representing government contractors on a wide range of issues. Michael has extensive experience litigating bid protests before the Government Accountability Office, the Court of Federal Claims, the Small Business Administration Office of Hearings and Appeals, and the Federal Aviation Administration Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition.
Michael advises buyers and sellers in complex M&A transactions involving a government contractor. He assists with the due diligence process, the government contracts terms of the purchase or merger agreement, and other diligence issues in areas such as small business recertification, data privacy, and data rights issues.
Michael also counsels clients on various regulatory compliance issues, subcontractor and teaming agreements, small business issues and size protests, intellectual property data rights issues, cybersecurity, and contract claims and appeals.
Michael graduated from The George Washington University Law School, where he served as articles editor for the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) Quarterly Journal.
Representative Matters
Published Bid Protest Wins as Protester
- Won protest at GAO challenging an award for Bureau of Prisons residential re-entry center.
- Successfully protested flawed award for operation of Navy facility on multiple grounds.
- Successful protest of Defense Security Service award for security, suitability, and credentialing background investigations, and clearance adjudications.
- Protest at Court of Federal Claims of Department of Veterans Affairs consulting services contract sustained on multiple grounds.
Published Bid Protest Wins as Intervenor
- Represented IT services contractor in the successful defense of the award of a billion-dollar Department of Homeland Security contract against multiple protests.
- Successfully defended billion-dollar Department of Veterans Affairs ID/IQ award for information technology operations and services and remediation support services against three protests.
- Successfully defended sole-source award for airborne electronic attack system against multiple protests.
Affiliations
Admitted to practice: District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, U.S. Court of Federal Claims
Professional Activities and Memberships
- American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law (Vice Chair of Young Lawyers Committee (2019-2020))
Speeches & Presentations
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"A New Year and New Stimulus Legislation Bring Significant PPP Developments," Crowell & Moring Webinar
(January 5, 2021).
Presenters: Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan, Paul J. Pollock, Eric Homsi, Olivia Lynch, and Michael E. Samuels.
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"Key Issues in Due Diligence of Government Contractors," American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law, Joint Panel of the Mergers & Acquisitions Committee and Young Lawyers Committee
(July 29, 2020).
Presenter: Michael E. Samuels.
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"Ethics, Procurement Integrity, and Compliance in Federal Contracting," National Contract Management Association (NCMA) Tysons
(November 2018 and 2019).
Presenter: Michael E. Samuels.
Publications
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"SBA Publishes Rule to Implement One-Year Extension for 8(a) Business Development Program Participants," Crowell & Moring’s Government Contracts Legal Forum
(January 14, 2021).
Authors: Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan, Olivia Lynch, Michael E. Samuels and Zachary Schroeder.
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"Changes to the SBA’s Mentor-Protégé Programs," Crowell & Moring’s Government Contracts Legal Forum
(December 18, 2020).
Authors: Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan, Olivia Lynch, Michael E. Samuels and Zachary Schroeder.
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"SBA’s Recent Rulemaking “Consolidation of Mentor Protégé Programs and Other Government Contracting Amendments”" Crowell & Moring’s Government Contracts Legal Forum
(December 18, 2020).
Authors: Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan, Olivia Lynch, Michael E. Samuels and Zachary Schroeder.
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"The Statute Of Limitations Under The Contract Disputes Act: Recent Developments," Briefing Papers
(March 2017).
Co-Author: Michael E. Samuels.
Client Alerts & Newsletters
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"National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021: Need-to-Know Provisions for Government Contractors,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(January 12, 2021).
Contacts: Charles Baek, Jonathan M. Baker, Adelicia R. Cliffe, Stephanie L. Crawford, Peter Eyre, Christopher D. Garcia, Kate M. Growley, CIPP/G, CIPP/US, Michael G. Gruden, CIPP/G, J. Chris Haile, Olivia Lynch, Nicole Owren-Wiest, Michael E. Samuels
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"SBA Issues Application Forms for New and "Second-Draw" PPP Loans,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(January 11, 2021).
Contacts: Mana Elihu Lombardo, Olivia Lynch, Stephanie Marcantonio, Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan, Paul J. Pollock, Michael E. Samuels
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"SBA Begins Rolling Out Guidance for New PPP and PPP Second Draw Loans,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(January 7, 2021).
Contacts: Mana Elihu Lombardo, Olivia Lynch, Stephanie Marcantonio, Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan, Paul J. Pollock, Michael E. Samuels
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"One Way or Another, Congress Will Allow a One-Year Extension of 8(a) Status for Participants Who Were in the 8(a) Program on or Before September 9, 2020,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(December 24, 2020).
Contacts: Olivia Lynch, Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan, Michael E. Samuels, Zachary Schroeder
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"Congress Passes Combined COVID-19 Relief and Omnibus Spending Bill,"
(December 23, 2020).
Contacts: Jacinta Alves, A. Xavier Baker, Troy A. Barsky, Peter Eyre, James G. Flood, Glenn D. Grant, Olivia Lynch, S. Starling Marshall, Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan, Paul J. Pollock, Michael E. Samuels, Tim Shadyac
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"All Things Protest: The Latest on Key Personnel (November 2020),"
Podcast: All Things Protest
(November 30, 2020).
Contacts: Olivia Lynch, Michael E. Samuels, Robert J. Sneckenberg
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"D.C. District Court Denies Stay in FOIA Case, Authorizing Release of PPP Borrower Names and Amounts as Soon as December 1,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(November 25, 2020).
Contacts: Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan, Daniel W. Wolff, David Chung, Olivia Lynch, Michael E. Samuels