Stephen J. McBrady

Steve serves as a strategic adviser to in-house counsel and corporate executives on high-stakes matters involving the U.S. government, drawing on two decades of experience in Washington, and is widely viewed as one of the “go-to” lawyers for disputes involving the U.S. government. 

Over the past several years, he has received the National Law Journal’s “Winning Litigator” award as a lawyer who has “tackled some of the most widely watched cases of the year,” as well the “D.C. Trailblazer” award, recognizing lawyers who have “made significant marks on the practice.” Steve has been named one of the top lawyers in the government contracts field by Chambers USA, and in both 2018 and 2022, was named “Government Contracts MVP” by Law360.

Over the course of his career, Steve has successfully litigated dozens of cases before state and federal courts around the country. In 2020, he served as counsel in the landmark $13 billion Affordable Care Act “risk corridors” litigation at the U.S. Supreme Court, resulting in an 8-1 decision in favor of his clients, and one of the largest civil judgments entered against the U.S. Government.

In the lower courts and boards of contract appeals, Steve’s litigation teams have scored precedent-setting victories in matters arising under the Contracts Disputes Act, the Tucker Act, the Debt Collection Act, and the Federal Arbitration Act, recovering billions of dollars for Crowell’s clients under a variety of contractual and statutory claims. Outside the courtroom, he is often called upon to resolve sensitive commercial matters via alternative dispute resolution, including confidential arbitration and mediation, and has developed a reputation for resolving cases early in the dispute stage, identifying win-win legal and business resolutions.

Steve’s commentary on government-facing issues have been featured in The New York Times, Politico, and various other print, radio, and television media. He frequently speaks at government and industry events around the country, and he provides on-site training to legal and executive teams on a range of topics.