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MoFo Advises Godspeed Capital on its Strategic Investment in JP Donovan

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Morrison Foerster advised Godspeed Capital Management, a middle-market Defense & Government services, solutions, and...

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Morrison Foerster advised Godspeed Capital Management, a middle-market Defense & Government services, solutions, and technology-focused private equity firm, on government contracting and national security matters related to its strategic investment in JP Donovan, a leading provider of space infrastructure, fabrication, precision machining, and mission-critical support solutions for government and commercial space customers. Godspeed Capital will partner closely with JP Donovan to build a leading platform in the space and defense infrastructure market, combining integrated infrastructure delivery capabilities with advanced fabrication and precision machining expertise.The MoFo team advising Godspeed Capital was led by government contracts partner Damien Specht and national security partner Chris Chamberlain, with support from government contracts associates Markus Speidel and Ali Young McCann and national security associate Mason Gauch.Read the <a href="https://www.godspeed.com/jp-donovan-announces-strategic-investment-from-godspeed-capital/" target="_blank">Godspeed Capital press release</a>.

MoFo Advises Godspeed Capital on its Strategic Investment in JP Donovan

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Damien is a partner in the firm’s Government Contracts & Public Procurement practice. Damien represents clients in all facets of government contracts transactions, as well as regulatory counseling, subcontract and teaming agreement negotiations, contract disputes, size protests, and protests. Damien has been recognized as a leading Government Contracts lawyer by various publications. Chambers USA explains that he “is a strong choice for advising government contractors on M&A transactions,” with sources saying that he has “excellent knowledge of government contracts M&A” and that “his biggest strength is that he is very commercial, thinking about both the legal and business side of things.” National Law Journal named him a Trailblazer and found that federal lawmakers turn to him when they “need expert advice about small-business policy.”Damien has played a significant role in more than 200 government contracts transactions, representing industry leaders, private-equity firms and entrepreneurs. He also regularly serves as lead counsel in high-stakes litigation, including pre- and post-award protests at the GAO, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and state tribunals, as well as in size protests and appeals.The co-editor of books on small business litigation and government contracts transactions, Damien was a founding member of the ABA Public Contract Law Section Mergers and Acquisitions Committee and serves in the leadership of the American Bar Association Small Business & Other Socioeconomic Programs Committee. Damien has testified about procurement issues before the United States House of Representatives.<h4>GAO PUBLISHED DECISIONS</h4><ul><li>Dawson Solutions, LLC, B-418587, B-418587.2, Jun. 19, 2020, 2020 CPD ¶ 216</li><li>LATA-Atkins Technical Services, LLC, B-418602,B-418602.4, Jun. 10, 2020, 2020 WL 3265159</li><li>Inquiries, Inc., B-418486, B-418486.2, B-418486.3, May 27, 2020, 2020 WL 3034820</li><li>BEAT, LLC, B-418235, B-418235.2, Jan.30, 2020, 2020 CPD ¶ 64</li><li>Battelle Memorial Institute, B-416263.5, Jan. 23, 2020, 2020 WL 508726</li><li>ASRC Federal Data Network Technologies, LLC, B-418028; B-418028.2, Dec. 26, 2019, 2019 WL 7370424</li><li>IPKeys Technologies, LLC, B-416873.2, B-416873.3, Apr. 5, 2019, 2019 CPD ¶138</li><li>ActioNet, Inc., B-416557.4, February 27, 2019, 2019 CPD ¶ 97</li><li>Advanced Software Systems, Inc., B-414892.2, B-414892.3, B-414892.4, B-414892.5, B-414892.6, Jan. 7, 2019, 2019 CPD ¶ 51</li><li>Chenega Healthcare Services, LLC, B-416158, Jun. 4, 2018, 2018 CPD ¶ 200</li><li>Federal Acquisition Services Alliant JV, LLC, B-415406.2, B-415406.3, April 11, 2018, 2018 CPD ¶ 139</li><li>VT Halter Marine, Inc., B-415510.2, B-415510.3, B-415510.4, Jan. 24, 2018, 2018 CPD ¶ 62</li><li>OBXtek, Inc., B-415258, Dec. 12, 2017, 2017 CPD ¶ 381</li><li>Katmai Health Services, LLC, B-413816.3, Jul. 12, 2017, 2017 CPD¶ 220</li><li>Verdi Consulting, Inc., B-414103.2, B-414103.3, B-414103.4, Apr. 26, 2017, 2017 CPD ¶ 136</li><li>Threat Management Group, LLC, B-413729, Dec. 21, 2016, 2017 CPD ¶ 9</li><li>Analytic Strategies LLC; Gemini Industries, Inc.; B-413758.2, B-413758.3, Nov. 28, 2016, 2016 CPD ¶ 340</li><li>Kollsman, Inc., B-413485, B-413485.2, B-413485.3, Nov. 8, 2016, 2016 CPD ¶ 326</li><li>The Boeing Company, B-412441, Feb. 16, 2016, 2016 CPD ¶ 269</li><li>Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., B-411359; B-411359.2, Jun. 16, 2015, 2015 CPD¶ 219</li><li>IAP World Services, Inc.; EMCOR Government Services, B-407917.2, B-407917.3, B-407917.4, B-407917.5, B-407917.6, B-407917.7, 2013 CPD ¶ 171</li><li>AT&T Government Solutions, Inc. , B-406926, B-406926.2, B-406926.3, B-406926.4, B-406926.5, B-406926.6, 2013 CPD ¶ 88</li><li>Weibel Equipment, Inc., B-406888, B-406888.2, 2012 CPD ¶ 279</li><li>O'Gara Training and Services, LLC, B-404901.2, 2011 CPD ¶ 171</li><li>Harrington, Moran, Barksdale, Inc., B-401934.2, B-401934.3, 2010 CPD ¶ 231</li><li>CIGNA Government Services, LLC, B-401068.4, B-401068.5, 2010 CPD ¶ 230</li><li>ITT Corporation, Systems Division, B-310102.6, B-310102.7, B-310102.8, B-310102.9, 2010 CPD ¶ 12</li><li>FedSys, Inc., B-401453, 2009 CPD ¶ 181</li><li>Academy Facilities Management, B-401094.3, 2009 CPD ¶ 139</li><li>Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc., B-400771; B-400771.2, 2009 CPD ¶ 49</li><li>TrailBlazer Health Enterprises, LLC, B-310801.6, B-310801.7, B-310801.10, 2013 CPD ¶ 204</li><li>Evans Security Solutions, Inc. , B-311035, 2008 CPD ¶ 58</li><li>DRS C3 Systems, LLC, B-310825; B-310825.2, 2008 CPD ¶ 103 </li></ul><h4>COFC PUBLISHED DECISIONS</h4><ul><li>AccelGov, LLC v. United States, 170 Fed. Cl. 508 (2024)</li></ul><ul><li>Acuity Edge, Inc. v. United States, 174 Fed. Cl. 46 (2024)</li></ul><ul><li>Alpine Cos., Inc. v. United States, 156 Fed. Cl. 681 (2021)</li></ul><ul><li>Navarro Rsch. & Eng’g, Inc. v. United States, 151 Fed. Cl. 184 (2020)</li></ul><ul><li>Next Phase Sols. & Servs., Inc. v. United States, 164 Fed. Cl. 15 (2023)</li></ul><ul><li>Noble Supply & Logistics LLC v. United States, 168 Fed. Cl. 439 (2023)</li></ul><ul><li>Quanterion Sols, Inc. v. United States, 157 Fed. Cl. 22 (2021)</li></ul><ul><li>HomeSource Real Estate Asset Servs. v. United States, No. 10-416 C, 94 Fed. Cl. 466 (Fed. Cl. 2010)</li><li>ACTA, LLC v. United States, No. 20-356C</li><li>Chenega Healthcare Servs., LLC v. United States, No. 18-861C, 141 Fed. Cl. 254 (Fed. Cl. 2019)</li><li>Trans Digital Techs., LLC v. United States, No. 18-121C, 138 Fed. Cl. 34 (Fed. Cl. 2018)</li><li>Precise Sys. v. United States, No. 14-1174C, 122 Fed. Cl. 263 (Fed. Cl. 2015)</li><li>Palladian Partners, Inc. v. United States, No. 14-317C, 119 Fed. Cl. 417 (Fed. Cl. 2014)</li><li>Pyramid Real Estate Servs., LLC v. United States, No. 10-599 C, 95 Fed. Cl. 613 (Fed. Cl. 2010)</li><li>Acad. Facilities Mgmt. v. United States, No. 09-302C, 87 Fed. Cl. 441 (Fed. Cl. 2009)</li><li>L-3 Communs. EOTech, Inc. v. United States, No. 08-515 C, 83 Fed. Cl. 643 (Fed. Cl. 2008)</li></ul>

Damien C. Specht

Partner

Chris Chamberlain is a partner in Morrison Foerster’s National Security Group. He previously served as a Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), where he focused on complex high-technology issues in export controls at the forefront of U.S. national security and foreign policy, including semiconductors. He brings over 15 years of government and private practice experience, including in-depth knowledge in export controls and related fields. Chris has extensive experience advising and engaging with senior government and industry leadership, and in navigating interagency and international coordination on export controls. During his time at BIS, Chris was a Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration and was the senior policy lead for semiconductor manufacturing controls. He played a pivotal role in strategizing, drafting, and implementing key regulations and policy actions on semiconductor issues. Chris advised on key issues pertaining to the Department of Treasury’s outbound investment regulations. In his work in and out of government, Chris has led teams and personally handled the execution of virtually every aspect of regulatory implementation in export controls. This includes extensive coordination with enforcement personnel, engineers, and other regulatory and legal experts on issues arising from license applications and determinations, Advisory Opinions, Letter Authorizations and the Is-Informed process, and other regulatory mechanisms and issues. Chris also has extensive experience in the extraterritorial application of export controls, including under the Foreign Direct Product Rule (FDPR) and De Minimis Rule, and restrictions on U.S. Person activities. Chris has a particular industry focus on semiconductor production, microelectronics, telecommunications (including encryption), and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. His experience also includes advising companies’ export controls issues in semiconductor design and test, cloud based services, and various technologies involved in autonomous vehicles, making him a valuable asset in navigating the regulatory landscape of these high-tech sectors. He also has extensive experience consulting with industry to provide feedback on regulations, and he has strategized and executed numerous internal investigations to assess compliance with U.S. trade and national security controls. In private practice, Chris has advised on the development and application of a wide array of national security and trade laws, with a specific focus on export controls (EAR/ITAR) and specializations in federal procurement and other regulations on cyber and supply chain security. Chris has extensive experience in export compliance, policy, and enforcement, having developed and implemented global compliance programs focused on trade and national security controls, especially on controls related to China and Russia. His work has involved advising on export jurisdiction and classification determinations (CCATS and Commodity Jurisdiction requests), strategizing and preparing export license applications and similar requests, and conducting internal risk assessments and investigations to assess compliance with U.S. trade controls. In the context of CFIUS, Chris has conducted export control jurisdiction and classification analysis in company-wide critical technology reviews for CFIUS filings and evaluated potential outcomes and timing for CFIUS reviews. He has also drafted guidance and advised on national security authorities in the context of commercial and corporate transactions, especially related to China and telecommunications, including undersea cable projects. Earlier in his career, Chris served as a Judicial Law Clerk to Judge Margaret Ryan on the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, where he drafted memoranda and briefed cases involving complex constitutional law and regulation. Prior to that, he worked as a Program Analyst in the Office of Audits at the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General, where he designed and executed audit plans focused on immigration, procurement, transportation, and grants. Chris earned his J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center, where he was recognized as an Exceptional Pro Bono Pledge Honoree.

Chris Chamberlain

Markus Speidel is an associate in Morrison Foerster’s Government Contracts & Public Procurement Group, in Washington, D.C. Markus assists clients across a wide range of contract matters, including contract claims and disputes, bid protests, compliance counseling, and investigations.Markus has litigated pre- and post-award bid protests before the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (COFC), and federal agencies. He has represented clients before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA), helped clients prepare requests for equitable adjustment (REAs) and certified claims, and assisted in resolving prime-subcontractor disputes across a diverse range of industries, including aerospace, defense, intelligence, cybersecurity, and telecommunications.   Markus has experience supporting clients’ internal and external investigations into Procurement Integrity Act and revolving door concerns. His practice also involves counseling clients on various compliance and regulatory issues, including Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS), the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) Act, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funds, and intellectual property rights. Markus speaks on and regularly writes about domestic preference requirements and cybersecurity.Markus graduated from the University of Washington, with a B.S. in biology and a B.A. in history and science. He received his J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, where he was awarded the Murray J. Schooner Scholarship for Government Procurement Law. During law school, Markus worked as a law clerk with the firm’s Government Contracts Group and as a research assistant to the Nash & Cibinic Professor of Government Contract Law, Steven Schooner. Prior to practicing law, Markus taught high school science, including AP physics and chemistry. He earned a Ph.D. in education from the University of Hawaii. Markus is admitted to practice in Washington, D.C.

Markus Speidel

Associate

Ali Young is an associate in the Government Contracts practice in Morrison Foerster’s Washington, D.C. office.Ali’s practice focuses on a full range of government contract litigation and compliance matters including bid protests, contract claims and disputes, small business compliance and disputes, and mergers and acquisitions. She has represented clients in both pre- and post-award bid protests before the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Court of Federal Claims (COFC). She has also assisted clients draft requests for equitable adjustments and certified claims and has litigated claims disputes at the COFC and the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA).Ali’s practice additionally includes counseling clients on a variety of regulatory and contractual compliance issues, particularly in small business matters such as and size determination and appeals at the SBA's Office of Hearings and Appeals, mentor protégé joint venture agreements, and socioeconomic status eligibility.She has worked on a number of mergers and acquisitions involving the purchase of government contracting concerns or related assets, including performing due diligence, negotiating purchase agreements, and counseling on post-transaction structures.Ali has taught several seminars on various small business matters and organizational conflicts of interest.Ali graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2013, receiving her B.A., magna cum laude, in Political Science and History. In 2017, she earned her J.D. with honors from the George Washington University Law School, where she received the Patricia A. Tobin Government Procurement Law Award for excellence in the area of government contracts law and served as the editor-in-chief for the International Law in Domestic Courts Journal. Ali was also a Thurgood Marshall Scholar.Prior to joining Morrison Foerster, Ali practiced government contracts law at a mid-sized law firm. While attending law school, Ali clerked at a large Washington, D.C. law firm in the government contracts group, and interned at various international human rights non-profit organizations.Ali is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.

Alissandra McCann

Mason Gauch is an associate in Morrison Foerster’s National Security Practice Group.Mason advises clients on economic sanctions, export controls, foreign investment, and tariffs. He has guided multinational companies through sensitive regulatory matters, including obtaining authorizations from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), preparing filings before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), and conducting due diligence reviews of corporate transactions from an international trade perspective. He has also counseled technology companies on risk-based compliance programs tailored to their products, users, and jurisdictions.Prior to joining Morrison Foerster, Mason practiced at another international law firm, where he focused on cross-border trade compliance, foreign investment reviews, and regulatory frameworks affecting emerging technologies. He also gained additional relevant experience as an intern to Magistrate Judge Frances Stacy of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. In addition, he maintains an active pro bono practice, representing clients in asylum, divorce, expunction, and criminal exoneration matters.Mason earned his B.A. and M.Ed from the Ohio State University and his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School, where he was a Dean’s Scholarship recipient.

Mason Gauch

Government Contracts + Public Procurement

National Security: Economic Sanctions + Export Controls, CFIUS, FARA