Profile
Michael J. Schaengold focuses his practice on government contracts litigation, investigations and counseling, and on litigation before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. From 2014 to 2024, he was Chair or Co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Government Contracts Group.
Mike's substantial government contracts dispute and bid protest experience includes litigation of major cases before the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Court of Federal Claims, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Boards of Contract Appeals. He has represented clients in disputes involving most major departments and agencies of the U.S. government and, in recent years, has focused on procurements involving the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, the Department of Energy, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Aeronautical and Space Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of State, among others. He has substantial experience in False Claims Act (including qui tam) and Inspector General investigations and litigation, including negotiating Settlement and Administrative Agreements related thereto; suspension and debarment matters; and drafting and implementing compliance programs.
Mike regularly represents clients in patent/government contracts litigation in the Court of Federal Claims and in patent appeals to the Federal Circuit, and has represented clients in some of the largest Federal Circuit appeals, including several valued at more than $500 million. He has been appointed by four Federal Circuit Chief Judges to that Court’s Advisory Council and/or Rules Advisory Committee, and has been appointed by three Court of Federal Claims Chief Judges to that Court’s Advisory Council. He currently serves on the Court of Federal Claims Advisory Council and, from 2004-2010, was Co-Chair of the Federal Circuit Advisory Council.
Mike is a frequent lecturer on government contracts, Federal Circuit and Court of Federal Claims topics. He has lectured at Thomson Reuters (West) Government Contracts Year in Review Conferences, PubKGroup’s Year in Review Conferences, Federal Circuit Judicial Conferences, Federal Circuit Bar Association Conferences, ABA Public Contract Law Section seminars, the Association of Board of Contract Appeals Judges seminars, the Board of Contract Appeals Bar Association Conferences, Court of Federal Claims Bar Association Conferences, the George Washington University Law School’s Government Procurement Law Program, the University of Virginia School of Law, University of Maryland School of Law and George Mason University School of Law programs. He has published more than 80 articles on Government Contracts, Federal Circuit and Court of Federal Claims topics.
Concentrations
- Government Contracts
- Bid Protests
- Contract Disputes Act
- Court of Federal Claims, Board of Contract Appeals, GAO and Federal Circuit litigation
- False Claims Act and qui tam litigation and investigations
- Inspector General and other government investigations
- Suspension, debarment and ineligibility determinations, Administrative Agreements, and compliance programs
- COVID-19 matters
- Mergers, acquisitions, sales and spinoffs of government contractors
- Grants and cooperative agreements
- Technology, defense and national security, homeland security
- Patent litigation including against the U.S. Government under 28 U.S.C. § 1498
- Construction projects
- Litigation, dispute resolution and mediation
Capabilities
Experience
- Represented clients in judgment by the Court of Federal Claims, which was affirmed by the Federal Circuit and collected by the clients, against the U.S. government in a government contracts breach of contract case for more than $97 million.°
- Represented client in major ruling by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Court of Federal Claims concluding that, while a federal statute prevented the Secretary of the Navy from adjusting shipbuilding claims older than 18 months, the statute in no way limited the authority of a court to adjudicate such claims.°
- Represented clients in resolving or settling numerous False Claims Act and qui tam investigations or litigation.°
- Represented clients in overturning, resolving or settling numerous debarment or suspension actions, including negotiating Administrative Agreements and implementing compliance programs.°
- Represented government contractors and federal program participants in contesting numerous inspector general audits and investigations.°
- Represented numerous clients in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, including in multimillion- and billion-dollar patent and government contracts cases involving reversals of adverse trial court decisions.°
- Represented clients in numerous bid protests (including obtaining preliminary and permanent injunctions and attorneys’ fees), bid protests where corrective action was taken by various federal agencies in response to protests on behalf of clients, and the settlement of bid protests, which led to multimillion-dollar contract awards to clients and/or allowed clients the opportunity to compete for, and win, government contract awards.°
- Represented clients in challenges before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA) on behalf of 20 major manufacturers to government claims asserted under a "most favored customer" clause of a Department of Defense contract.°
- Represented numerous clients in multimillion-dollar settlements of government contracts and patent claims against the U.S. government.°
- Represented clients in mediations of numerous government contracts and patent cases, including before the ASBCA, the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, the Court of Federal Claims and the Federal Circuit.°
- Represented clients as government contracts counsel in more than 80 mergers, acquisitions, sales or spin-offs of companies with government contracts.°
°Some of the above representations were handled by Mr. Schaengold prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, Chambers USA Guide, Government Contracts, 2024
- Selected, Lexology, "Lexology Client Choice Awards," 2022
- Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers, 2007 and 2013-2023
- Listed, Who's Who Legal
- Government Contracts, 2015-2024
- Thought Leaders: USA, 2023-2024
- Listed, Washingtonian magazine, Top Lawyers - Government Contracts, 2017
- Listed, The Legal 500 United States, Real Estate and Construction - Construction, 2015 and 2024
- Member, Advisory Council to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, 2006-Present
- Member, Advisory Council to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 1998-2021
- Co-Chair, 2004-2010
- Co-Chair, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Judicial Conference, Steering Committee, 2002, 2006, 2008 and 2010
- Member, 2012, 2016, 2018
- Chair, 1997
- Member, Federal Circuit Bar Association & George Washington University Law School Planning Committee, Symposium on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 2009
- Associate Editor, The Federal Circuit Bar Journal, 1993-2009
- Chair, Federal Circuit Advisory Council, Rules Advisory Committee, 1999-2004
- Associate Editor, Public Contract Law Journal, American Bar Association, 1994-1998
- Member, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Advisory Committee on Rules, 1994-1998
- Member (pro bono), Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, D.C., Legal Affairs & Audit Committee, 2013-2018
- Member, Court of Federal Claims Bar Association
- Member, Federal Circuit Bar Association
- Chair, Committee for Liaison with Other Bar Associations, 2004-2006
- Secretary, 2003-2004
- Treasurer, 2001-2003
- Chair, Membership Committee, 2000-2001
- Member, Board of Governors, 1997-2000
- Member, Amicus Committee 1995-1998
- Chair, Government Contracts Committee, 1992-1997
- Member, The Federal Circuit Historical Society
- Member, Most Valuable Kids, Board of Directors
- Member, PubKLaw, Advisory Board
- Member, The Government Contractor, Thomson Reuters/West, Advisory Board
Credentials
- J.D., University of Virginia School of Law
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B.A., summa cum laude, Dickinson College
- Phi Beta Kappa
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 1987-1988
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims, 1986-1987
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia