Dallas Government Contracts Partner Returns to K&L Gates

Dallas - Global law firm K&L Gates LLP has added Sheila Armstrong as a partner in the government contracts and procurement policy practice. She returns to K&L Gates’ Dallas office from Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP.

Armstrong represents a broad range of companies in many aspects of government contracting, including Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)-based contracts, grants and other financial assistance agreements, and Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs). She routinely counsels both prime and subcontractors in a variety of contractual and civil settings. Armstrong’s experience includes proposal preparation, contract negotiation, subcontracting, teaming arrangements, intellectual property rights in government contracts, contract compliance, audits, investigations, mandatory disclosures, and procurement fraud. She also routinely provides support to clients on novation and due diligence issues, and advises clients with respect to General Services Administration (GSA) and Veterans Affairs (VA) Federal Supply Schedule contracts.

Armstrong has significant experience in developing and maintaining corporate compliance programs. In this area, she conducts compliance reviews, training, and internal investigations, and advises clients on required disclosures under FAR and 2 CFR Part 200. Armstrong has represented clients before defense and civilian agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, the General Accountability Office, the U.S. Department of Defense, the VA, the GSA, and various suspension and debarment officials.

Complementing her contracting work, Armstrong provides counsel on foreign sourcing issues and regularly advises on compliance with the Buy American Act, Trade Agreements Act, and other foreign sourcing restrictions applicable to federal contracts.

Michael Scanlon, co-leader of K&L Gates’ global policy and regulatory practice area, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Sheila back to our government contracts and procurement policy practice. Shelia brings extensive legal and practical experience to help navigate the complex regulatory and commercial issues faced by clients engaged in government sales.”

Armstrong was a K&L Gates lawyer from 2003 to 2015, first as an associate and then as a partner. She is an active member of the American Bar Association’s Public Contracts Law Section, having served in leadership roles as co-chair of the Procurement Division and vice chair of the Commercial Products and Services Committee.

“We are extremely happy to have a talent like Sheila’s returning to the firm,” said Michael Cuda, managing partner of K&L Gates’ Dallas office. “She has a real gift for counseling clients with unique problems and helping them find optimal solutions in difficult situations.”

Armstrong is among nearly 135 new partners and of counsel who have joined the firm globally since the beginning of 2020, including Texas partners Andrea Cunha (health care), Maria Faconti (power), Chris Graff (IP), Brian Kilmer (restructuring and insolvency), and Colin Rose (IP), and of counsel Felisa Sanchez (maritime). K&L Gates’ presence in Texas spans more than 40 years with offices in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston. Collectively, the firm’s lawyers in Texas provide comprehensive legal services to public and private businesses across all industry sectors on national and international matters, in addition to those involving Texas-specific law.

Members of K&L Gates’ government contracts and procurement policy practice provide counseling, litigation, and regulatory representation in most areas of procurement law. The team provides real-time advice and imaginative legal and business solutions to navigate their relationships with federal, state, and local governments, and represent clients in numerous industries such as defense, information technology, health care, manufacturing, maritime, construction, professional services, and emerging technologies.