Erica L.Bakies

In her government contracts practice, Erica advises clients on complicated compliance issues, such as classified contract requirements under the National Industrial Security Program, supply chain risk management, access restricted information like Controlled Unclassified Information, cybersecurity requirements, and SBA small business requirements and disputes. She regularly represents contractors pursuing or defending federal bid protests at the US Government Accountability Office and the US Court of Federal Claims. Erica also conducts internal investigations related to potential False Claims Act violations and the Mandatory Disclosure Rule and counsels clients in procurement disputes and government contracts litigation.

In her international trade practice, Erica concentrates on export controls, specifically the Export Administration Regulations and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, as well as sanctions programs as enforced by the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Erica conducts due diligence on individual transactions, assists clients with performing export control classifications, develops compliance procedures, performs internal investigations, and counsels clients through government enforcement actions. She also assists clients in submitting voluntary self-disclosures to the US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security and OFAC and responding to government investigations.

Combining her international trade and government contracts practices, Erica has significant experience counseling clients undergoing mergers and acquisitions, in particular those involving US defense contractors. In addition to engaging in due diligence, she represents both foreign and domestic companies in the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States’ (CFIUS) national security review process.  She also counsels clients on foreign ownership, control, or influence mitigation measures administered by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency.