McLean, V.A. – April 30, 2018 – Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has made a strategic addition to its Government Contracts & Projects Practice by having Michael “Mike” Gardner join as a shareholder in its Northern Virginia (NVA) office. Gardner joins from Troutman Sanders, where he was a partner.
Gardner focuses his practice on companies that provide national security and infrastructure services to federal and foreign customers. He has experience working with contract negotiations, bid protests, claims and dispute resolution at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Court of Federal Claims, and the Boards of Contract Appeals, and has provided compliance support related to the Federal Acquisition Regulation, International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the Defense Security Service, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency.
“Mike is an outstanding addition to our government contracts team, particularly because of his international work and significant experience with security, logistics, IT, and marine industrial companies. Each of these will further expand the capabilities of our practice,” said Mike Schaengold, Government Contracts & Projects Practice co-chair. “His agency experience and industry knowledge, coupled with his security clearance, are invaluable to our clients, who rely on our team to help them navigate unique situations.”
The practice recently added Jennifer S. Zucker, a highly regarded federal procurement and defense specialist, as a shareholder in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.
Gardner also has wide-ranging experience working on the legal aspects of international programs managed by the Defense Logistics Agency; global security and nation building programs managed by the Department of State and the Department of Defense; broad spectrum IT solutions; marine industrial work including ship building and repair; and renewable energy project work supporting both major federal facilities and remote, resilient operations.
“We are excited to welcome Mike as we continue to strategically grow our Northern Virginia office, a region that is a hub for so many industries key to how our clients do business today,” said Laura Foote Reiff, co-managing shareholder of the firm’s NVA office and co-chair of its Global Immigration & Compliance Practice, and Michael R. Sklaire, NVA office co-managing shareholder.
The NVA office adds Gardner to its ranks on the heels of Lucy S. Lee, shareholder in the Tax Practice.
Gardner works with a large array of clients including assisting large and small businesses on capitalizing on Small Business Administration initiatives. He has also worked with Fortune 50 and privately held companies to develop and implement plans to increase revenue and profitability through organic growth and acquisitions and to plan and execute liquidity events like ESOPs, private equity investment, and M&A events.
“Greenberg Traurig respects and understands the power of relationships, which is a key tenet in helping companies not only grow their businesses but also develop and implement strategies to win work,” Gardner said. “As I have long admired GT’s deep bench and global footprint, my move to this firm is a strategic one, keeping in mind my clients’ needs and the international focus of my practice.”
Prior to his private law practice, Gardner served as a Coast Guard line officer supporting Coast Guard operations in Europe, Africa, and South America. He received his J.D. from The College of William and Mary, where he was on the Law Review, and his B.S., with honors, from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
About Greenberg Traurig’s Government Contracts & Projects Practice
Greenberg Traurig’s Government Contracts & Projects Practice helps companies navigate the highly regulated acquisition and compliance processes of federal, state, local, and foreign governments and their agencies. The firm’s attorneys and governmental affairs professionals assist both experienced contractors and newcomers with a broad array of issues arising from, for example, sales of commercial off-the-shelf and customized products, services, and managed solutions to governments at all levels. The practice also focuses on meeting the transactional and U.S. regulatory needs of clients in the commercial, defense, aerospace, information technology, telecommunications, medical and health care, and other high-tech sectors.
About Greenberg Traurig’s Northern Virginia Office
Greenberg Traurig’s clients rely on the more than 40 attorneys in the firm’s Northern Virginia office for multifaceted, broad-based legal services. Team members’ primary goal is to assist clients in addressing their legal needs, locally, regionally, or on a global scale. They work collaboratively with colleagues around the region, or across to Europe, the UK, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. And when a matter requires it, they do not hesitate to utilize the firm’s full slate of cross border resources. Clients come to the Northern Virginia office for their corporate and securities matters, real estate transactions, wealth management and tax planning, business immigration compliance, labor and employment issues, litigation cases, and government contract needs, among others. These include the top decision makers at tech companies headquartered in the region, as well as government contractors, health care organizations, high net worth individuals, and developers. Most of the firm’s Northern Virginia attorneys are admitted to practice in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
About Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and is among the Top 20 on the 2017 Am Law Global 100. Web: www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.