Stephen J. Obermeier

Stephen has a wide range of experience litigating complex domestic and international disputes before federal and state courts and administrative agencies and in arbitration. He has represented clients in both individual and class action cases involving the False Claims Act (FCA), the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, election law disputes, commercial and government contract disputes, procurement fraud, and business torts. He also has experience conducting internal investigations for corporate clients in response to government allegations of misconduct. Stephen is a member of the firm’s Management Committee and previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the civil section in the Eastern District of Virginia.

Representative Matters

• Successfully defended multiple clients in FCA procurement fraud cases brought by relators and the U.S. Department of Justice seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.
• Successfully defended multiple clients in high-profile civil RICO cases worth millions of dollars in damages.
• Successfully represented various candidates, officeholders, and political parties in a variety of election law and other disputes, including cases involving alleged FECA violations.
• Successfully represented multiple clients in complex administrative matters and APA litigations.
• Successfully represented trade associations in commercial disputes and complex litigations.
• Represent large government contractors in a multimillion-dollar Anti-Terrorism Act litigation.
• Successfully defended a government contractor in a multimillion-dollar class action arbitration involving wage claims by fire and rescue employees used during the Iraq War.
• Successfully represented the owners of small government contractors in buyout disputes and mediation.
• Represent public interest groups and other clients seeking to vindicate important constitutional interests, including First and Second Amendment interests, before federal appellate courts and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Professional Experience

• Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia (2010-2013)
• Represented the United States and federal agencies in a variety of civil matters, including FCA, APA, Federal Tort Claims Act, Title VII, and Bivens matters
• Successfully defended against class action certification in a Title VII suit against the U.S. Marshals Service
• Successfully defended the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in multiple APA suits
• Obtained a favorable settlement following an investigation of an FCA procurement fraud suit involving a federal intelligence agency

Affiliations

• U.S. Chamber Litigation Center, Administrative Law & Government Litigation Advisory Committee
• Catholic Charities Legal Network, Advisory Council
• American Bar Association (ABA), Section of Public Contract Law
  • Procurement Fraud Committee

Recognitions

• Listed by Chambers USA as one of “America’s Leading Lawyers for Business” in Litigation: General Commercial (2022) and Political Law (2022)
• Recognized by The Legal 500 US in Appellate: Court of Appeal (2020-2022)