Robert S. Metzger
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Areas of Practice

Mr. Metzger is a member of the firm's Government Contracts Practice Group. He advises leading US and international companies on key public contract compliance challenges and in strategic business pursuits. His litigation practice includes representation of companies before administrative agencies as well as civil matters in federal and state courts. His transactional practice includes international projects, joint ventures, direct and FMS sales to foreign governments.

Professional Qualifications

Mr. Metzger’s clients include prominent U.S. and international firms in aerospace, defense, electronics, information technology, infrastructure, professional services, software and telecommunications. His experience in government contract-related controversies includes bid protests, compliance and internal investigations, complex claims and disputes, cost-related controversies, terminations, and defense of actions brought under the False Claims Act. Mr. Metzger has spoken at many aviation, defense, finance, IT, telecommunications, technology and trade forums, and he has authored a wide variety of legal and academic publications on diverse subjects. Mr. Metzger is ranked by Chambers in 2011 as a top government contracts lawyer (national) and by The Legal 500 in 2010 as a top telecom lawyer.

Mr. Metzger is admitted to the Bar of the State of California and the District of Columbia. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Section on Public Contract Law. For the ABA Section on International Law, he serves as a Vice-Chair, Aerospace & Defense Industries Committee, and as a Member of the Steering Group of the India Committee. Mr. Metzger is a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), London. Academic publications on international security topics include articles in International Security,the Journal of Strategic Studies and Indian Defence Review. A recognized authority on public procurement practices and policies, he is the co-author of “A Critical Reassessment of the GAO Bid-Protest Mechanism,” Wisconsin Law Review, Volume 2007, Number 6, 2008 (co-authored by Daniel Lyons) and is a presently a Guest Lecturer at the George Washington University Law School on procurement topics.

Mr. Metzger is among the nation’s leading experts in emerging issues related to supply chain risk management and avoidance of counterfeit electronic parts. He is the author or co-author of three articles on this subject area in Federal Contracts Report and one in The Procurement Lawyer and has spoken frequently on the subject. As a faculty member of the Public Contracting Institute, he will lead delivery of a day-long course, “Supply Chain Security: Reducing Threats to Critical Systems,” to be offered in Washington, D.C. on March 5, 2013.

Selected External Publications & Presentations

“Making India’s Offsets Work for India and its Offset Partners,” scheduled for publication in Indian Defence Review on February 5, 2013

“An Appraisal of Select Provisions of the FY 2013 National Defense Authorization Act,” Federal Contracts Report,Vol. 99, January 8, 2013

 “Supply Chain Secuirty & Integrity,” ACI Industrial & National Security Conference, Washington, D.C., November 2012

“The Counterfeit Parts Crisis: Government and Industry Initiatives to Address the Issue,” Panelist, American Bar Association, Public Contract Law Section, Denver, CO, November 2012

“Doing Aerospace Business in India,” Presentation to Aerospace Industries Association, General Counsels Forum, October 2012

“India’s Revised Offset Guidelines,” Presentation to DIOA/GOCA Fall 2012 Conference, Brewster, Mass, September 2012

“Counterfeit Electronic Parts: What to Do Before The Regulations (and Regulators) Come? (Part 2),” Federal Contracts Report, Vol. 97, August 21, 2012

“Legislating Supply Chain Assurance: Examination of Section 818 of the FY 2012 NDAA”, The Procurement Lawyer, Vol. 47, No. 4 (co-authored by Jeffrey Chiow)

“Counterfeit Electronic Parts: What to Do Before the Regulations (And Regulators) Come?” (Part 1),” Federal Contracts Report, Vol. 97, June 21, 2012 ((co-authored by Jeffrey Chiow)

“U.S.-India Defence Cooperation: Towards an Enduring Relationship,” Indian Defence Review, Vol. 27 (2), April-June 2012

Program Presentation, “India’s Aerospace & Defence Markets,” Bloomberg Conference, April 26, 2012 (New York, N.Y.)

Program Chair and Speaker, “Defense Opportunities: at takeoff or crossroads?”, American Bar Association, Section of International Law, Program on Key Aspects of Cross Border Business (U.S.-India), January 2012 (Mumbai, India)

“A ‘Work in Progress’ – The Evolving U.S.-India Defense Supply Relationship,” Indian Law News (ABA Section of International Law), Vol. 2, Issue 3, Co-Authored by Sanjay Mullick, Summer 2011

Program Co-Chair and Speaker, 2d Premier Industry Forum on India Defense Procurement, sponsored by American Conference Institute, June 2011 (Washington, D.C.)

Webcast, “Understanding OCI Today, Anticipating the New FAR Rule,” TechAmerica, March 29, 2011
“Final DFARS OCI Rules—A Retreat From What Some Feared, A Sign Of What Is To Come?,” The Government Contractor, Vol. 53, No. 5, February 2, 2011

Program Co-Chair and Speaker, Industry Forum on India Defense Procurement, sponsored by American Conference Institute, June 2010 (Washington, D.C.)

Education

J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 1977
Editor, Georgetown University Law Journal

B.A., Middlebury College, 1974

Research Fellow, Center for Science & International Affairs,
Harvard Kennedy School of Government, 1977-1978

Bar Admissions
California - 1978
District of Columbia - 1980