Overview

Townsend Bourne is a partner in the Governmental Practice in the firm's Washington, D.C. office. She also is Leader of the firm’s Government Business Group.

Areas of Practice

Townsend represents companies that do business with the Federal Government, either directly or through a prime contractor or reseller. She represents multiple clients in the aerospace and defense industry as well as commercial companies and cloud service providers.

Townsend specializes in matters relating to cybersecurity and data protection for government contractors, including counseling clients with regard to Department of Defense (DoD) and civilian agency security requirements, implementation of System Security Plans, negotiation of subcontractor agreements and incident response. She chairs the Coalition for Government Procurement’s Cyber and Supply Chain Security Committee, and writes and speaks frequently on cybersecurity developments affecting the Government Contracts industry.

Townsend's experience also includes complex litigation in connection with the Contract Disputes Act and the False Claims Act, bid protest actions both challenging and defending agency decisions on contract awards before the Government Accountability Office and Court of Federal Claims, claims litigation before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals and the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, investigating and preparing contractor claims and conducting internal investigations. She also helps clients navigate issues relating to multiple award contract vehicles, procurement integrity, subcontract flow-down provisions, mandatory disclosure, and contract termination and assists in negotiation of subcontracts and teaming agreements. 

Experience

Experience

Representative Matters

  • Represents Fortune 500 government contractor before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in on-going Contract Disputes Act case involving multiple contractor claims and government counterclaims related to an $874 million contract with the U.S. Postal Service
  • Successfully defended large government contractor in False Claims Act dispute before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
  • Represented major contractor before the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals in contract dispute with the Department of the Interior that resulted in favorable settlement for client
  • Succeeded in Court of Federal Claims protest to overturn a decision by the Department of Education to cancel a solicitation for critical services
  • Represented major international aerospace company before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals in data rights dispute with the government that resulted in favorable settlement for client
  • Successful prosecution and defense of numerous bid protests before the Government Accountability Office for a variety of clients including large defense contractors and GSA schedule vendors
  • Conducted internal investigations for large government contractors and counseled clients regarding resolution of investigations involving mandatory disclosure of contract overpayments and the Procurement Integrity Act
  • Assisted in drafting and negotiating key provisions in subcontracts and teaming Agreements for multiple clients, including commercial service providers and value-added resellers

Cybersecurity and Data Protection Experience

  • Counsels clients regarding agency-specific cybersecurity and data protection requirements, including DFARS 252.204- 7012, and the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program
  • Works with clients to understand the interplay between the above requirements and rules specific to cloud service providers, including FedRAMP and the DoD Security Requirements Guide
  • Assists clients with creation and finalization of System Security Plans, Incident Response Plans and Insider Threat Plans
  • Helps with drafting and negotiation of subcontract provisions relating to data security
  • Counsels clients with regard to supply chain risk management (SCRM), including secure software development and security of Internet of Things (IoT) devices
  • Assists clients with incident response and reporting obligations, including communications with the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) pursuant to DFARS 252.204-7012, law enforcement, customers, and other government agencies

Honors

Honors

Aerospace & Defense Editorial Advisory Board, Law360, 2023

Recommended Lawyer: Government Contracts, Legal 500, 2023

Top Author, JD Supra Readers' Choice Awards, 2023-2024

Washington, D.C. Rising Star, Super Lawyers, 2019-2020

  • JD Supra Top Author 2023
  • JD Supra Top Author 2024
  • Legal500 US Recommended Attorney

Insights

Articles

  • Authored chapter, "General Overview of Cloud Computing," Cloud Computing Legal Deskbook, 2013 Edition, Thomson Reuters Westlaw, 2013

AI Law and Policy Blog Posts

Blockchain and Cryptocurrency: Law of the Ledger

Government Contracts & Investigations Blog Posts

Eye on Privacy Blog Posts

Labor and Employment Law Blog Posts

Organizational Integrity Group Blog Posts

White Collar & Government Enforcement Blog Posts

Speaking Engagements

  • Presenter, "2022 Fall Conference - Expectations for Gov Fiscal Year 2023," The Coalition for Government Procurement, November 16, 2022
  • Presenter, "Cybersecurity & IT," PubK's Public Contracts Annual Review, January 25-28, 2021
  • Presenter, "Cybersecurity Compliance Frameworks for Government Contracting,” National Contract Management Association’s Government Contract Management Symposium, Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia, December 3, 2018
  • Presenter, "FedRAMP and the Cloud; Cybersecurity Update,” Ingram Micro Federal Summit, Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, National Harbor, Maryland, October 31, 2018
  • "FREE Popular Topics Webinar Series: DoD Cybersecurity Requirements," Public Contracting Institute, August 23, 2018

Events

Memberships

Memberships

Member, State Bar of Virginia

Member, Bar of the District of Columbia

Member, American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law

Member, National Defense Industrial Association

Member, U.S. Court of Federal Claims

Member, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

Digital Media

Education

J.D., George Mason University School of Law, 2009, cum laude, Notes Editor, George Mason Law Review

B.A., Vanderbilt University, 2006, summa cum laude

Admissions

  • Commonwealth of Virginia
  • District of Columbia
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims
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