Richard Clifford, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Deputy General Counsel for Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. He is responsible for providing advice to the Service Acquisition Executive, the Program Executive Officers, and the Air Staff on acquisition law, intellectual property, cyber-security, and litigation.
Mr, Clifford joined the Air Force in January 2015 from private practice. He has over 20 years of industry experience representing government contractors, ranging from small businesses to the nation's largest defense contractors, in all aspects of litigation and counseling, including contract performance disputes, bid protests, terminations, CAS and incurred cost disallowances, TINA defective pricing claims, False Claims Act litigation, technical data and computer software rights, subcontractor arbitration and litigation and suspension and debarment proceedings. Most recently, Rich was a partner at the law firm of Perkins Coie, where he served as Chair of the firm's Government Contracts Practice Group.
EDUCATION
1987 Bachelor of Arts, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, Pa.
1990 Juris Doctor, The George Washington University Law School, Washington, D.C.
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. 1990 - 1991 Clerkship, Honorable Bohdan A. Futey, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, Washington, D.C.
2. 1991 - 1992 Clerkship, Honorable Wilson Cowen, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Washington, D.C.
3. 1992 - 2000 Associate and then Partner, Howrey & Simon, LLP, Washington, D.C.
4. 2000 - 2014 Partner, Perkins Coie, LLP, Washington, D.C.
5. 2015 - present, Deputy General Counsel for Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
AWARDS AND HONORS
Listed in Chambers USA "America's Leading Lawyers" for Government Contracts
AV Peer Review Rated"® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbell
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
American Bar Association, Public Contracts Law Section
Court of Federal Claims Bar Association
Federal Circuit Bar Association
PUBLICATIONS (selected)
1. “
Understanding the Intellectual Property License: Government Contracts,” Practising Law Institute: (Nov. 2013) (co-author)
2. “
The Government Procurement Review: United States,” Law Business Research, Ltd. (Summer 2013) (co-author)
3. "
4th Circ. Ruling On Expired FCA Claims Is Troubling," Law360 (April 5, 2013)
4. “
Q&A with Perkins Coie’s Rich Clifford,” Law 360 (March 25, 2013)
5. “
Practical Aspects of Negotiating and Settling Disputes with the Government," Inside the Minds: Government Contracts Settlements and Negotiations. (June 2008) (co-author)
6. "
Protecting Privileged and Confidential Information During Claims Litigation," Federal Publications Briefing Papers (December 1998) (co-author)
7. "
Recovering the Costs of DOL Wage Increases Under the Service Contract Act," 15 Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal 2 (1998) (co-author)
8. "
Can A Contractor Waive CDA? The Final Word on Finality Clauses," 25 Public Contracts Law Journal 1 (Fall 1997) (co-author)
9. "
Bid Protests Before the Court of Federal Claims," American Bar Association, Public Contracts Section, Monograph (1997) (chapter author)
10. "
Government Contract Cases Before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit: 1993 Summary and Analysis," 43 American University Law Review 4 (1994) (co-author)
(Current as of February 2015)