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 seasoned 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), has successfully argued multiple bid protests before both the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (COFC) and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and represents contractors in cost accounting and contract claim disputes before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA). Rob is also very active in Crowell & Moring’s pro bono program, where he argues criminal appeals and has litigated a wide variety of civil and administrative cases.

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 contributing editor for Thomson Reuters’ Government Contract Bid Protests: A Practical and Procedural Guide, which is available on Westlaw.

Rob has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a "Rising Star" in government contracts since 2017.

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

REPRESENTATIVE ENGAGEMENTS

Published Bid Protest Wins as Protester

  • 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., No. 20-1211C, 2020 WL 6375739 (Fed. Cl. Oct. 21, 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

  • 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))



Highlights, News & Knowledge

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Firm News & Announcements

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