McCarter & English is pleased to announce that two highly accomplished government contracts and cybersecurity lawyers, Alexander W. Major and Franklin C. Turner, have joined the firm’s Government Contracts & Export Controls and Cybersecurity & Data Privacy practices as partners, after spending nearly a decade at Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP. Major and Turner will co-lead the Government Contracts & Export Controls Practice Group, and will be based out of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.
“With the addition of Alex and Franklin, we’ve now expanded our first-rate government contracts and cybersecurity law practice to our D.C. office. We’re thrilled to welcome these highly regarded lawyers to our team. They have spent years successfully handling ‘bet-the-company’ government contracts matters for many of the most well-known businesses in the world,” said Michael P. Kelly, Chairman of the firm. “Our clients of all sizes will benefit from their broad array of experience and their unique ability to deliver efficient and optimum results on the most complex of matters.”
The pair brings nearly 20 years of combined experience representing aerospace, defense, technology, and health care government contractors in connection with disputes concerning a multitude of Federal Government civilian and defense agencies. That proficiency allows Major and Turner to provide McCarter’s clients with seasoned counseling and acumen in preparing and prosecuting contract claims, defending against False Claims Act allegations, prosecuting and defending bid protests, navigating Multiple Award Schedule contracting, handling cost recovery and cost accounting issues, conducting internal investigations, and addressing the evolving cybersecurity and cloud computing requirements facing government contractors.
“In these times of economic uncertainty and increased regulation, clients are now – more than ever – faced with the challenge of managing their resources, while depending on premium legal counsel,” commented Major, “In McCarter, we’ve found both the legal platform and responsive business models that these businesses require.”
Alex Major has a varied background as a government contracts attorney, civil litigator, and military intelligence officer. He regularly advises companies on federal procurement compliance issues, leads multifaceted internal investigations, and manages large-scale False Claims Act litigations. A prolific author, speaker, and teacher in the area of cybersecurity and the law, he also guides companies in addressing cybersecurity liability and risk management across multiple industries. A retired U.S. Air Force intelligence officer with expertise in the areas of technical intelligence collection and intelligence analysis, Mr. Major has the distinction of being the only attorney to have graduated from the National Security Agency’s Junior Officer Cryptologic Career Program (“JOCCP”).
Franklin Turner is widely regarded as an authority in the field of government procurement, having successfully represented companies of all sizes over the years in connection with some of the most high-profile matters in the United States. Mr. Turner’s experience includes prosecuting and defending complex bid protests, preparing and prosecuting comprehensive claims for payment, submitting mandatory and voluntary disclosures, creating and implementing multifaceted compliance programs, conducting internal investigations, responding to audit reports questioning the reimbursability of contract costs, and defending against False Claims Act allegations. Mr. Turner is a federal procurement thought leader who frequently speaks, writes and teaches around the country on trending issues in the industry.