Profile
Tim McLister focuses his practice on government contracts and procurement matters. He represents domestic and international businesses in all facets of government contracts transactional matters. He advises government contractors in bid protests before the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (COFC); mergers and acquisitions; claims, disputes, and terminations; and contract formation work, including joint ventures, teaming agreements, and subcontracting. He also counsels contractors on Small Business Administration (SBA) initiatives, the Buy American Act (BAA), Trade Agreements Act (TAA), foreign military sales (FMS), and classified contracting. He serves contractors in a broad array of industries, with an emphasis on defense, intelligence, cybersecurity, and maritime.
Prior to entering private practice, Tim served as an Active-Duty Captain in the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps where he represented the United States Army in its litigation and procurement strategy. He also served as the Senior Trial Counsel for the nation’s Contingency Corps where he managed a team of prosecutors at the nation’s largest military installation. Further, he deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, and Kuwait in support of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve where he advised a three-star general command in the acquisition of critical supplies and services throughout a contingency operation. He maintains an active Top Secret, Sensitive Compartment Information (TS/SCI) clearance and holds a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) with a finance concentration.
Capabilities
Experience
- Regularly serves as lead counsel in high-stakes multimillion-dollar litigation, including over fifty (50) bid protests before the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and U.S. Court of Federal Claims (COFC), as well as appeals before the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA).
- Served as government contracts counsel to domestic and international businesses in connection with over forty (40) transactions involving the acquisition of a government contractor, including assisting large businesses and private equity firms in the acquisition of government contractors performing small business set-aside contracts and classified procurements.
- Represented the lead arranger, administrative agents and collateral agents in connection with a $650 million syndicated senior secured credit facility to a leading commercial seafood company with several commercial fishing vessels.
- Represented numerous contractors in size protests and appeals before the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Hearing and Appeals (OHA).
- Experience with the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, as well as other non-traditional federal funding programs, such as Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs).
- Represented the United States Army in its litigation and procurement strategy in complex, multimillion-dollar cases involving high-visibility contracts that are vital to national defense, including classified procurements supporting operations world-wide, before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Government Accountability Office, and the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals.°
- Represented the United States Army in over two-dozen bid protests totaling more than $1 billion and over twenty contract appeals totaling more than $25 million.
- Argued as lead prosecutor on over a dozen courts-martial trials, one of which involved a large conspiracy involving the larceny of over $2 million worth of critical military equipment stored for the nation’s Immediate Reaction Force just prior to its urgent deployment to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq.°
- Prosecuted the Fort Liberty (f/k/a Bragg) Garrison (base) Commander in a high-profile senior leadership procurement fraud case.°
- Deployed to Baghdad, Iraq and Kuwait in support of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve and advised a three-star general command on the procurement of over $300 million worth of mission-critical equipment and services throughout a deployed contingency operation.°
- Represented over one hundred individual soldiers on personal legal matters to include estate planning, real property disputes, family law matters, and powers of attorney.°
°The above representations were handled by Mr. McLister prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
- Active-Duty Captain, Judge Advocate (JAG), United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, 2016-2021
- Trial Attorney, Contract Litigation and Intellectual Property Law, United States Army Legal Services Agency, Fort Belvoir, VA
- Senior Trial Counsel, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, Fort Bragg, NC
- Legal and Business Development Intern, Atlantic Coast Conference, 2015-2016
- Summer Law Clerk, United Technologies Corporation Aerospace Systems (n/k/a Collins Aerospace), 2015
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, "Ones to Watch," 2025
- Administrative/Regulatory Law, 2025
- Mergers and Acquisitions Law, 2025
- Recognized, United States Armed Forces
- Joint Service Commendation Medal
- Joint Meritorious Unit Award
- Meritorious Service Medal
- Army Commendation Medal
- Listed, Loudoun County 40 Under 40, 2023
- Board of Directors, Loudoun Golf & Country Club
- Member, Section of Public Contract Law, American Bar Association
- Vice-Chair, Small Business & Other Socioeconomic Programs, 2023-2024
- Member, Association for Corporate Growth
- Member, International Stability Operations Association
- Member, Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association
Credentials
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J.D., Wake Forest University School of Law
- Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Business and Intellectual Property Law
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M.B.A., Duke University, The Fuqua School of Business
- Finance Concentration
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B.A., McDaniel College
- Captain, Football
- North Carolina
- Virginia
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- German, Conversational