Government Contracts Boutique Law Firm Launched by Former Covington and Crowell Partners and Senior Government Officials

WASHINGTON, March 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Top Washington DC lawyers have joined with two recent Federal Agency General Counsels and a former U.S. Ambassador in launching Nichols Liu LLP, a multidisciplinary boutique law firm dedicated to serving the needs of government contractors.  The firm is headquartered in the heart of Washington D.C. with national and international reach.

Robert Nichols and Andy Liu, two of the founders, previously were partners in the nation's top-ranked Government Contracts and White Collar practices at Crowell & Moring. 

Nichols left Crowell in 2012 to co-chair the Government Contracts practice at Covington & Burling LLP, growing that practice by tenfold and achieving national rankings for the practice in less than five years.  Individually, Nichols was named a Law360 MVP in Government Contracts in 2013. 

Liu left Crowell in 2015 to be General Counsel of the Social Security Administration, a position he recently left.  Earlier in his career, Liu was a Trial Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice.

Nichols said: "We asked top contractors what they need most from their law firms, and a common theme emerged: maintain the same high-quality services while increasing efficiency.  We worked with an executive-in-residence at the Yale School of Management to engineer Nichols Liu from the ground up based on three foundational principles: premium expertise, modern approaches such as collaborative project management, and value-driven billing." 

This new firm brings together an unparalleled level of experience and expertise.

"We are particularly proud," said Liu, "that nearly all of us have spent time in Government -- the Defense Department, Justice, State, USAID, Army Corps of Engineers, and the CIA.  We know the policies and the decision makers to get things done." 

In addition to Robert Nichols and Andy Liu, the firm's senior ranks include: Derek Gilman, former General Counsel of the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency; Steve Shaw, former Air Force Suspension and Debarment Official; Natalie Thingelstad, former Chief of Compliance for USAID; Craig Crotteau, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers veteran lawyer specializing in infrastructure projects; and Ambassador Robin Raphel, who has 40 years of experience in the Middle East and Central Asia.

Nichols Liu has launched with an impressive stable of clients.  "Our deep bench of experts in Government Contracts compliance and investigations already has attracted a healthy stream of business," said Shaw, "including major defense and aerospace contractors, State Department contractors, and international development NGOs."

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Nichols Liu LLP
700 Sixth Street, NW
Suite 430
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 846-9800
[email protected]
nicholsliu.com

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Interviews and photographs available upon request.  Contact:

Andrew Rice
(323) 540-4372
[email protected]

SOURCE Nichols Liu LLP