Hogan Lovells Government Contracts Practice Named Law360’s Practice Group of the Year for Second Consecutive Year

The Practice Group of the Year honor recognizes attorney teams for their impactful victories and groundbreaking work that shaped the legal industry over the past year. Earning this achievement two years in a row reflects our Government Contracts practice’s teamwork and longstanding commitment to the government contracting community.

The team was recognized for its significant work on several complex matters, including:

• Winning a GAO Bid Protest for MVM Inc.: Hogan Lovells successfully persuaded the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to overturn an $896 million contract award for transportation services supporting the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s program for unaccompanied children. The team argued that the contracting officer failed to consider a prior U.S. Department of Justice settlement of fraud allegations involving an affiliate of the winning bidder, Acuity International LLC. GAO sustained the protest, requiring the General Services Administration (GSA) to reassess its responsibility determination.
• Challenging an Air Force RFP on Environmental Grounds: The team successfully protested the terms of a U.S. Air Force request for proposals (RFP) for an air tactical combat training contract. The RFP contained environmental requirements that Hogan Lovells argued were unduly restrictive and would limit competition to just one or two bidders. Their argument led the Air Force to take corrective action and modify the solicitation.
• Facilitating a $3.1 Billion SES-Intelsat Merger: Hogan Lovells advised Luxembourg-based SES SA in its landmark acquisition of Intelsat SA. Given that both companies conduct classified work for the U.S. government, the team navigated complex regulatory hurdles, including security clearances, export controls, and Foreign Direct Investment review, ensuring a smooth transaction without business disruptions.

You can read more about our standout matters from 2024 in Law360's featured article.

In the past year, the Government Contracts team has earned various awards and recognitions for outstanding legal work. Partner Stacy Hadeka was selected as Law360’s 2024 MVP in Government Contracts, and was also named a 2024 Up and Coming Government Contracts lawyer by Chambers USA. Mike Mason, partner and head of the firm’s Aerospace & Defense sector group, earned Band 1 rankings in Government Contracts and Bid Protests by Chambers USA in 2024. Bill Ferreira, partner and head of the firm’s Government Contracts and Education practice earned a Band 2 ranking in Higher Education by Chambers USA in 2024.

Our Government Contracts practice is one of the world’s largest, both in terms of size and in the sheer breadth of our experience. Our deep knowledge of government contracts law combined with a keen industry focus—be it aerospace and defense, technology, life sciences, education, energy, or professional services—uniquely positions us to guide clients through the complexities of doing business with the government.

Authored by Bill Ferreira, Stacy Hadeka, Mike Mason, Allison Pugsley, Mike Scheimer, Joy Sturm.