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J. Hunter Bennett

Of Counsel

Washington +1 202 662 5424

  • About
  • Representative Matters
  • Credentials
  • About

    Hunter Bennett regularly represents government contractors in bid protests before the Government Accountability Office and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. He also counsels clients in a wide range of formation and disputes issues. Prior to entering private practice, he served as a Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, where he was a member of the Department’s Bid Protest Team and frequently defended the United States against bid protests filed in the Court of Federal Claims.

    During his tenure at the Department of Justice, Hunter served as lead counsel for the United States in dozens of cases involving complex commercial disputes. He also oversaw the litigation of all habeas corpus cases filed by Guantanamo Bay detainees that were pending before the Honorable Gladys Kessler in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and personally tried five detainee habeas cases. Additionally, Hunter briefed and/or argued more than 20 cases in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

    Hunter began his career as a prosecutor in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, where he served as lead counsel in over 200 habeas corpus cases filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and successfully briefed and/or argued multiple cases in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

    In his spare time, Hunter plays bass guitar in the band Dot Dash, whose song “Shopworn Excuse” was dubbed “a jangly piece of heaven” by USA Today.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Practices and Industries
  • Representative Matters
    • Successfully defended a major maritime services corporation’s $160 million federal contract to modify and operate a vessel on behalf of the Navy against protests litigated to a decision on the merits at both GAO and the Court of Federal Claims.
    • Represented the disappointed bidder in a GAO protest of the Army’s award of a program management support services contract valued at more than $200 million. The Army took corrective action in response to our protest.
    • Successfully protested the Army’s award of a $200M contract for IT services on the ground that the awardee had an organizational conflict of interest and gained an unfair competitive advantage by hiring a former government official. The agency took corrective action in response to the protest.
    • Successfully defended the Missile Defense Agency’s award of a $50 million engineering and support services contract to our client against a GAO protest brought by an unsuccessful offeror.
    • Conducted an internal investigation for a multinational corporation looking into allegations of improper gratuities paid to a government employee.

    While at the Department of Justice:

    • Successfully defended the United States Air Force’s override of a GAO-imposed automatic stay in a Court of Federal Claims bid protest arising out of the Air Force’s award of a contract for Light Air Support aircraft to be provided to the Afghan Air Force. Beechcraft Defense Co. v. United States, 111 Fed. Cl. 24 (2013).
    • Successfully defended the United States Air Force’s award of a sole-source contract for the purchase of flight simulators as part of a Foreign Military Sale in a Court of Federal Claims bid protest. L-3 Communications Corp. v. United States, 99 Fed. Cl. 283 (2011).
    • Successfully defended the United States at trial in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia against a habeas corpus petition filed by an al Qaida explosives trainer. Khalifh v. Obama, 2010 WL 2382925 (D.D.C. 2010).

    While at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office:

    • Successfully defended the City of Philadelphia against a habeas corpus petition challenging the first-degree murder conviction of the hit man who blew up Philip “Chicken Man” Testa, Godfather of the Philadelphia Mafia.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Credentials
    Education
    • Temple University, Beasley School of Law, J.D., 1999
        • cum laude
    • Temple University, B.A., 1995
        • summa cum laude
    Bar Admissions
    • District of Columbia
    • Pennsylvania
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Federal Claims
    Government Experience
    • U.S. Department of Justice
    • U.S. District Court
    • U.S. District Attorney's Office
    Judicial Clerkship
    • Hon Ronald D. Castille, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
    Accolades
    Previous Experience
    • United States Department of Justice, Trial Attorney, Civil Division
    • Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, Assistant District Attorney

    Areas of Expertise

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