Cherie Owen counsels and represents clients in a wide array of government contracts issues, with a special focus on bid protests at the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the United States Court of Federal Claims (COFC). As a former GAO bid protest hearing officer, she resolved some of the most challenging bid protests on procurements ranging from thousands to billions of dollars involving solicitation challenges, proposal evaluation challenges, organizational conflicts of interest, Procurement Integrity Act (PIA) violations, affirmative responsibility determinations, the conduct of discussions, and competitive range determinations. In this role, Cherie held numerous bid protest hearings, conducted alternative dispute resolution (ADR), and drafted bid protest decisions. At GAO she handled more than 600 protests and issued more than 500 decisions.
After serving for several years as a GAO bid protest hearing officer, Cherie was promoted to the position of Deputy Assistant General Counsel for Procurement Law and eventually Acting Assistant General Counsel for Procurement Law. In this role, she supervised a team of GAO bid protest hearing officers. Cherie also served as a judge on the GAO Contract Appeals Board, where she resolved appeals of contracting officers' final decisions regarding contract claims for legislative branch agencies.
Cherie is a thought leader on topics relating to bid protests and agencies' use of their Other Transaction Authority (OTA) and holds several leadership roles in the ABA Public Contract Law Section. She also maintains an active pro bono practice, representing clients in asylum proceedings before U.S. Immigration Courts.
Experience
Additional Publications
Publications Prior to Jones Day
2014
Alternative Dispute Resolution: A Practical Guide for Resolving Government Contract Controversies, coauthor, ABA Book Publishing (3rd ed. 2014)
Speaking Engagements
- July 29, 2019
OTAs and Intellectual Property: Hot Topics and New Developments; NCMA World Congress - May 9, 2019
Ten Things You Need to Know About Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) - April 26, 2019
How to Price Your Services and Products for the Government Market - April 9, 2019
Cost Analysis in Government Contracts; Public Contracting Institute - December 6, 2018
Speaker, The Acquisition of Federal Information Technology (Session 6): What U.S. Contractors Need to Know About European Cybersecurity and Privacy Regulations (and IT Case Law Developments); Public Contracting Institute - May 2018
Understanding the Truth in Negotiations Act and Commercial Items - April 17, 2018
Panelist, Oral Advocacy in Bid Protests: A Discussion of Oral Arguments at COFC and Hearings at GAO, ABA PCLS Bid Protest Committee Meeting - January 12, 2018
Hot Topics and Trends In Bid Protest Practice and Procedure, ABA Live Webinar - November 17, 2017
Introduction to Bid Protests, ABA Live Webinar - September 19, 2017
Back to School: Protest Musings and Updates From Your Co-Chairs, American Bar Association Public Contract Law Section's Bid Protest Committee Lunch and Meeting - July 18,2017
Ask the GAO, American Bar Association Public Contract Law Section's Bid Protest Committee Lunch and Meeting - May 3, 2017
Practice Pointers for Litigating Before the Boards, BCABA Trial Practice Seminar - April 26, 2017
Bid Protests and Solicitation Ambiguities, Federal Circuit Bar Association's Government Contracting Summit - April 6, 2017
Proposal Evaluations: Cost Realism Evaluations, PCI Webinar - April 5, 2017
The Most Important Bid Protest Decisions of 2016, ABA Webinar - December 12, 2016
GAO Bid Protests: Insights from an Insider, National Contract Management Association 35th Annual Government Contract Management Symposium - November 29, 2016
Speak Up! Roundtable on Speaking and CLE-Instructor Opportunities, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association-DC - November 15, 2016
Cost and Pricing Issues in Bid Protests, American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law, Bid Protest Committee
Speaking Engagements Prior to Jones Day
2012-2016
CON 360 - Advanced Business Solutions for Mission Support, VA Acquisition Academy, (regular guest lecturer - approximately 6 times per year)
Frederick, Maryland
June 2016
Bid Protest Year in Review, District of Columbia Bar Association, Government Contracts Section
Washington, D.C.
May 2016
Sole Source Contracts, National Contract Management Association, D.C. Chapter
Washington, D.C.
April 2016
Remedies, American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law, Bid Protest Committee
Washington, D.C.
April 2016
The State of the Court of Federal Claims and the Boards of Contract Appeals: Perspectives from Those Tribunals, Judicial Conference of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Washington, D.C.
March 2016
Sole Source Contracts, National Defense Industrial Association, Manufacturing Division
Washington, D.C.
December 2015
GAO Bid Protests: Insights from an Insider, National Contract Management Association 34th Annual Government Contract Management Symposium
Washington, D.C.
October 2015
Source Selection Authority and Award Types, Public Contracting Institute
Webinar
September 2015
GAO Bid Protests, guest lacturer, George Washington University Law School
Washington, D.C.
July 2015
Bid Protests: Insights from an Insider, National Contract Management Association World Congress 2015
Dallas, Texas
July 2015
Ask the GAO, American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law, Bid Protest Committee
Washington, D.C.
July 2015
Speed Networking with the Judges, Boards of Contract Appeals Bar Association
Washington, D.C.
June 2015
Lunch Q&A with GAO Attorneys, American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law, Young Lawyers Committee
Washington, D.C.
May 2015
GAO Bid Protest Hot Topics, Federal Housing Finance Agency
Washington, D.C.
April 2015
Sole Source Contracts, National Contract Management Association, Tysons Chapter
Arlington, Virginia
July 2014
Ask the Experts (Bid Protests), National Contract Management Association, D.C. Chapter
Washington, D.C.
June 2013
Protective Orders, American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law, Small Business Committee meeting
November 2013
GAO Bid Protest Overview, Federal Bar Association, Forty-First Annual Symposium on Government Acquisition
Huntsville, Alabama
October 2012
Timeliness, American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law, Bid Protest Committee meeting
- Pennsylvania State University (J.D. summa cum laude 2004; Class rank: 2/177; Woolsack Honor Society; Recipient of numerous scholarships for excellence and achievement); Edinboro University (B.A. summa cum laude 2001)
- District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- Served with the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO), Office of General Counsel (2004-2016) in the following positions: Deputy Assistant General Counsel, Procurement Law (2015-2016); Judge, GAO Contract Appeals Board (2013-2016); Senior Attorney, Procurement Law (2008-2015); and Staff Attorney, Legal Services Division (2004-2008)
Law360 Government Contracts Editorial Advisory Board (2017, 2019)
Co-Chair, ABA PCLS Bid Protest Committee (2016-2019) & Diversity Committee (2015-2018)
Board of Governors, Board of Contract Appeals Bar Association (BCABA) (2015-2018)
Several governmental achievement awards, including: Outstanding Achievement Award; Team Award for Attorney Training Instructors; numerous "Spot Awards"; and Results Through Teamwork Award
- Judicial Extern to Judge William Caldwell, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania (Spring 2004)