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Michael E. Samuels

Partner
Partner
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Areas of Focus

Overview

Michael Samuels is a partner in Crowell & Moring’s Government Contracts group. Michael advises buyers and sellers, including both strategic and private equity clients, as well as lenders and venture capital investors, in connection with complex corporate transactions involving government contractors. Michael guides all aspects of the government contracts regulatory M&A process, including due diligence, negotiating the government contracts terms of the purchase, merger, or loan/investment agreement, and other transactional issues such as those related to small business status deal structure considerations and requirements for the maintenance of facility clearances.

Michael also assists with other corporate-adjacent government contracts matters, such as reorganizations, novations, change-of-name agreements, subcontractor and teaming agreements and organizational conflicts of interest.

In addition, Michael counsels clients on a wide range of regulatory compliance issues such as small business issues and size protests, intellectual property data rights and software issues, and cybersecurity matters. 

Michael also has extensive experience litigating bid protests before the Government Accountability Office, the Court of Federal Claims, the Small Business Administration Office of Hearings and Appeals, and the Federal Aviation Administration Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition.

Michael currently serves as co-chair of the Mergers and Acquisitions Committee of the ABA’s Public Contract Law Section.

Michael graduated from The George Washington University Law School, where he served as articles editor for the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s Quarterly Journal.

Career & Education

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    • Boston College, B.A., 2009
    • The George Washington University Law School, J.D., 2014
    • Boston College, B.A., 2009
    • The George Washington University Law School, J.D., 2014

    • District of Columbia
    • Maryland
    • Virginia
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Federal Claims
    • District of Columbia
    • Maryland
    • Virginia
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Federal Claims

  • Professional Activities and Memberships

    • American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law (Co-Chair of Mergers & Acquisitions Committee) (2023-2024)
    • American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law (Vice Chair of Mergers & Acquisitions Committee) (2021-2023)
    • American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law (Vice Chair of Young Lawyers Committee (2019-2021))

    Professional Activities and Memberships

    • American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law (Co-Chair of Mergers & Acquisitions Committee) (2023-2024)
    • American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law (Vice Chair of Mergers & Acquisitions Committee) (2021-2023)
    • American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law (Vice Chair of Young Lawyers Committee (2019-2021))

Michael's Insights

Client Alert | 6 min read | 01.24.25

Brace for Impact: Final SBA Rule Changes to Recertification and Negative Controls Will Reverberate in GovCon M&A and Investment Market

On December 17, 2024, the Small Business Administration (SBA) published a final rule amending multiple aspects of all of the SBA’s small business size and status programs.  Among other notable changes, SBA (1) introduced a new rule that changes the impact of a recertification as other than small or as other than the relevant small business status following a merger or acquisition, and (2) introduced a standardized set of permissible negative controls for minority shareholders in all types of small businesses, thereby significantly expanding the controls investors may have in service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs), women-owned small businesses (WOSBs), and participants in the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program. ...

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Representative Matters

Government Contracts Due Diligence and Transactions

  • Provided government contracts counsel to Accenture Federal Services in connection with its acquisitions of Anser and Novetta
  • Guided government contracts diligence for Arcline Investment Management in connection with the acquisition of government contractor entities within its portfolio.
  • Represented Audax Private Equity in connection with the government contracts aspects of the acquisition, reorganization, and sale of entities within its portfolio.
  • Provided government contracts counsel to Halfaker and Associates, a technology solutions provider within the government’s health, intelligence, defense, and security sectors, in connection with its sale to SAIC.
  • Led government contracts diligence for multiple private equity and lender clients.
  • Represented large contractor clients in the divestiture of significant business lines, including navigating complex novation and facility security clearance issues.
  • Advised on complex small business structuring, diligence, and compliance issues related to investments made by Small Business Investment Company clients in government contractors.

Published Bid Protest Wins as Protester

  • Successfully protested at GAO challenging an FBI award for administrative and analysis support services for the agency's National Name Check Program.
  • Won protest at GAO challenging an award for Bureau of Prisons residential re-entry center.
  • Successfully protested flawed award for operation of Navy facility on multiple grounds.
  • Successful protest of Defense Security Service award for security, suitability, and credentialing background investigations, and clearance adjudications.
  • Protest at Court of Federal Claims of Department of Veterans Affairs consulting services contract sustained on multiple grounds.

Published Bid Protest Wins as Intervenor

  • Represented IT services contractor in the successful defense of the award of a billion-dollar Department of Homeland Security contract against multiple protests.
  • Successfully defended billion-dollar Department of Veterans Affairs ID/IQ award for information technology operations and services and remediation support services against three protests.
  • Successfully defended sole-source award for airborne electronic attack system against multiple protests.

Michael's Insights

Client Alert | 6 min read | 01.24.25

Brace for Impact: Final SBA Rule Changes to Recertification and Negative Controls Will Reverberate in GovCon M&A and Investment Market

On December 17, 2024, the Small Business Administration (SBA) published a final rule amending multiple aspects of all of the SBA’s small business size and status programs.  Among other notable changes, SBA (1) introduced a new rule that changes the impact of a recertification as other than small or as other than the relevant small business status following a merger or acquisition, and (2) introduced a standardized set of permissible negative controls for minority shareholders in all types of small businesses, thereby significantly expanding the controls investors may have in service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs), women-owned small businesses (WOSBs), and participants in the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program. ...

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Recognition

  • Best Lawyers "Ones to Watch", Government Relations Practice, 2023 — 2025
  • Washington DC Super Lawyers "Rising Star", Government Contracts, 2020 — 2024

Michael's Insights

Client Alert | 6 min read | 01.24.25

Brace for Impact: Final SBA Rule Changes to Recertification and Negative Controls Will Reverberate in GovCon M&A and Investment Market

On December 17, 2024, the Small Business Administration (SBA) published a final rule amending multiple aspects of all of the SBA’s small business size and status programs.  Among other notable changes, SBA (1) introduced a new rule that changes the impact of a recertification as other than small or as other than the relevant small business status following a merger or acquisition, and (2) introduced a standardized set of permissible negative controls for minority shareholders in all types of small businesses, thereby significantly expanding the controls investors may have in service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs), women-owned small businesses (WOSBs), and participants in the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program. ...

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Insights

Client Alert | 6 min read | 01.24.25

Brace for Impact: Final SBA Rule Changes to Recertification and Negative Controls Will Reverberate in GovCon M&A and Investment Market

Webinar | 01.22.25

GSA Multiple Award Schedule Contractor Teaming Arrangements

Speaking Engagement | 01.22.25

"GSA Multiple Award Schedule Contractor Teaming Arrangements," Crowell & Moring Webinar.

Client Alert | 5 min read | 01.21.25

FAR Council Proposes Substantial Changes to OCI Regulations
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Practices

Michael's Insights

Client Alert | 6 min read | 01.24.25

Brace for Impact: Final SBA Rule Changes to Recertification and Negative Controls Will Reverberate in GovCon M&A and Investment Market

On December 17, 2024, the Small Business Administration (SBA) published a final rule amending multiple aspects of all of the SBA’s small business size and status programs.  Among other notable changes, SBA (1) introduced a new rule that changes the impact of a recertification as other than small or as other than the relevant small business status following a merger or acquisition, and (2) introduced a standardized set of permissible negative controls for minority shareholders in all types of small businesses, thereby significantly expanding the controls investors may have in service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs), women-owned small businesses (WOSBs), and participants in the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program. ...

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