Photograph of Robert J. Sneckenberg

Education

  • Harvard University, A.B., cum laude
  • The George Washington University Law School, J.D., with honors

Admissions

  • District of Columbia
  • Maryland

Robert J. Sneckenberg

Counsel
Washington, D.C.
rsneckenberg@crowell.com
Phone: +1 202.624.2874
1001 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20004-2595

Rob Sneckenberg is a government contracts litigator in Crowell & Moring’s Washington, D.C. office. He routinely first chairs bid protests before the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and U.S. Court of Federal Claims (COFC), and has successfully argued multiple appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He also represents contractors in contract claim and cost accounting disputes before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA), and counsels clients on a wide array of government contracts investigations. Rob is very active in Crowell & Moring’s pro bono program, where he focuses on civil and criminal appeals.

Rob is a co-host of the monthly All Things Protest podcast, which covers major trends in bid protest litigation, key developments in high-profile cases, and best practices in state and federal procurement. He is also a Vice Chair of the ABA Public Contract Law Section’s Bid Protest Committee; an editor for Government Contract Bid Protests: A Practical and Procedural Guide, which is available on Westlaw; and a member of the Advisory Board for Thomson Reuters’ The Government Contractor.

Rob has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a "Rising Star" in government contracts since 2017, and was highlighted as a “Key Lawyer” in The Legal 500 United States’ 2021 profile of Crowell & Moring’s “Tier 1” Government Contracts practice.

Rob received his J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, where he served as an editor of the Federal Circuit Bar Journal and interned at the COFC and the U.S. Department of Justice. Rob received his undergraduate degree from Harvard College.

REPRESENTATIVE ENGAGEMENTS

Published Bid Protest Wins as Protester

  • Successfully protested corrective action taken in response to meritless GAO protest—resulting in reinstatement of client’s original award without recompetition. See Superior Optical Labs, Inc. v. U.S., 152 Fed. Cl. 319 (2021), aff’d, 2021 WL 2879047 (Fed. Cir. July 9, 2021).
  • Prevented the Department of Veterans Affairs from transitioning contracts away from service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs). See Superior Optical Labs, Inc. v. U.S., 150 Fed. Cl. 681 (2020).
  • Overturned a contractor’s exclusion from a nearly $1 Billion IT procurement. See Knight Point Systems, LLC, B 418746, Aug. 24, 2020, 2020 CPD ¶ 314.
  • Represented a Department of Education contractor in protesting and appealing a series of procurement decisions involving task order awards. After the COFC initially dismissed multiple protests, Rob successfully appealed to the Federal Circuit, which reversed and remanded. See Coast Prof’l, Inc. v. United States, 828 F.3d 1349 (Fed. Cir. 2016). On remand, the agency took corrective action and awarded Rob’s client a task order. Later, when the work was enjoined through separate litigation, Rob successfully appealed that injunction—and obtained a rare stay pending appeal—restoring the client’s right to perform. See Continental Serv. Grp. v. U.S., 722 F. App’x 986 (Fed. Cir. 2018).
  • Successfully protested—three separate times—flawed U.S. Army awards for mission test support services, resulting in the client winning the contract at issue. See TRAX Int’l Corp.-Costs, B-410441.8, Aug. 17, 2016, 2016 CPD ¶ 226; Jacobs Tech. Inc., B‑410441.15, B‑410441.16, Sept. 24, 2018, 2018 CPD ¶ 338.
  • In a bid protest involving a complex GAO hearing, overturned a roughly $500 Million sole-source award for firefighting airtanker services. See Coulson Aviation (USA) Inc. et al., B-409356.2 et al., Mar. 31, 2014, 2014 CPD ¶ 106.

Published Bid Protest Wins as Intervenor

  • Successfully defended at trial and on appeal a roughly $250 Million award for security and transportation services. See G4S Secure Solutions (USA), Inc. v. U.S., 146 Fed. Cl. 265 (2019), aff’d, 829 F. App’x 518 (Fed. Cir. 2020).
  • Successfully defended at trial and on appeal against organizational conflict of interest allegations in the Department of Defense’s $10 Billion JEDI procurement. See Oracle Am., Inc. v. U.S., 144 Fed. Cl. 88 (2019), aff’d, 975 F.3d 1279 (Fed. Cir. 2020).
  • Successfully defended protest of award term extension contracts. CBE Grp., Inc. v. U.S., 138 Fed. Cl. 230 (2018).
  • Successfully defended the Defense Health Agency’s $17.7 Billion award for managed care support services under the Department of Defense TRICARE program. See Unitedhealth Military & Veterans Servs., LLC et al., B-411837.2 et al., Nov. 9, 2016, 2016 CPD ¶ 329; UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Servs., LLC v. U.S., 132 Fed. Cl. 529 (2017).
  • Successfully defended GAO and COFC protests challenging contract for stevedoring services in Kuwait. See Cargo Transp. Sys. Co., B‑411646.6, B-411646.7, Oct. 17, 2016, 2016 CPD ¶ 294; Cargo Transp. Sys. Co. v. U.S., No. 16‑1481C, 2017 WL 1406862 (Fed. Cl. Apr. 20, 2017).
  • Successfully defended a Defense Commissary Agency award for fresh fruits and vegetables against both GAO and COFC protests. See Raymond Express Int’l, LLC, B‑409872.3 et al., Sept. 11, 2015, 2015 CPD ¶ 265; Raymond Express Int’l, LLC v. U.S., 124 Fed. Cl. 79 (2015).

Published ASBCA Wins

  • Won quantum valebant and quantum meruit damages for goods and services provided under implied-in-fact contract. See Honeywell Int’l, Inc., ASBCA No. 57779, 17-1 BCA ¶ 36,820.
  • Won rare appeal involving pricing of commercial items transferred between a contractor’s commonly controlled subdivisions. See A-T Sols., Inc., ASBCA No. 59338, 17‑1 BCA ¶ 36,655.
  • Won summary judgment as to entitlement in long-running dispute involving energy savings performance contract (ESPC). See Honeywell Int’l, Inc., ASBCA No. 57779, 15‑1 BCA ¶ 36,121.

Unpublished Matters

  • Represented contractors in ASBCA arbitration and mediation proceedings concerning wide-ranging contract and termination disputes.
  • Counseled clients regarding cost accumulation and allocation issues in connection with pending or potential litigation.
  • Convinced various federal agency suspension and debarment officials to lift suspensions of firm clients by demonstrating present responsibility and/or pursuing litigation.
  • Conducted internal investigations involving, inter alia, mandatory disclosure and False Claims Act considerations in support of active and/or potential litigation.

Affiliations

Admitted to practice: District of Columbia, Maryland, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, U.S. Court of Federal Claims

Member: American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law (Vice Chair of Bid Protest Committee (2018-2021))



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Firm News & Announcements

Jun.14.2021 Legal 500 United States Ranks Crowell & Moring in Six Practice Areas in 2021 Guide
Sep.20.2019 Super Lawyers Recognizes 82 Crowell & Moring Lawyers Across United States
Feb.22.2019 Law360 Names Crowell & Moring's Government Contracts Group a "Practice Group of the Year" for the Ninth Consecutive Year
Oct.15.2018 Super Lawyers Recognizes 82 Crowell & Moring Lawyers Across United States
Jan.04.2018 Crowell & Moring Elects Seven New Partners and Promotes 23 Associates to Counsel
Oct.31.2017 Super Lawyers Recognizes 79 Crowell & Moring Lawyers Across United States
Jan.09.2015 Crowell & Moring's Government Contracts Group Named to Law360's "Practice Groups of the Year" for Fifth Consecutive Year