Robert's practice focuses on counseling U.S. and foreign companies on a variety of domestic and international antitrust, foreign investment, national security, and trade regulation issues. He also counsels clients on government contracts and general procurement issues across all industries. Across these practice areas, Robert regularly represents clients before federal agencies in Washington, D.C., as well as foreign governments and international organizations.
In his antitrust practice, Robert advises clients on a wide range of competition matters, with an emphasis on companies involved in joint ventures, teaming arrangements, and other cooperative activities. His counseling work includes providing advice to enterprises in multiple industries on issues relating to competitor communications, information sharing agreements, benchmarking activities, competitive pricing and distribution, bid rigging, refusals to deal, trade association compliance, and U.S. and international pre-merger clearance. Robert has developed corporate and association antitrust compliance programs, and has represented businesses involved in civil and criminal government antitrust investigations. Robert has particular experience dealing with the unique intersection of global antitrust laws and shipping regulations. He regularly represents ocean common carriers, marine terminals, and their cooperative arrangements before the Federal Maritime Commission, the Department of Justice, and governments around the world.
In his international trade practice, Robert has extensive experience advising and representing both U.S. and international clients in matters before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a multi-agency group with the statutory authority to review and block proposed transactions and investments for national security reasons. Robert works with clients to conduct pre-CFIUS filing analysis and due diligence to determine potential national security issues; preparing for CFIUS reviews and investigations, including assessing whether specific transaction or investment structures create CFIUS jurisdiction; and negotiating deal terms with the government and preparing filings before CFIUS. He assists clients with other security-related issues, including mitigation of foreign ownership, control or influence (FOCI), and compliance with industrial security rules administered by the Defense Counterintelligence Security Agency (DCSA). He also has experience in matters involving the U.S. economic sanctions regulations administered by the Office of Foreign Asset Controls (OFAC), U.S. export control laws, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)administrated by the State Department and the Export Control Regulations (EAR) administrated by the Department of Commerce.
As part of his government contracts practice, Robert represents clients in a range of industries, including maritime, aviation, defense, engineering, health care, information technology, and security services. He has successfully prosecuted and defended bid protests before defense and civilian agencies and the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). He routinely counsels businesses on compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), executive orders, Small Business Administration (SBA), statutory, and regulatory provisions incorporated into each federal contract. He also guides buyers and sellers through the M&A process by conducting due diligence to assess risk associated with the acquisition or sale of government contractors.
As part of his regulatory compliance practice, Robert serves as counsel to Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies and its clients, where he advises commercial and political entities on federal regulatory, administrative, and public procurement issues.
Robert earned his undergraduate degree from Boston University in 2001 and his law degree from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law in 2004.