Nicholas T. Iliff, Jr.

Nick helps government contractors and subcontractors protect contract awards, manage compliance risk, and resolve disputes with federal agencies. He represents clients in bid protests and award defenses, contract claims and appeals, and procurement litigation. His U.S. government experience, including as a government contracts trial attorney and litigation team leader, informs his assessment of agency decisions and the strategies available to challenge or defend them.

Nick translates procurement requirements into practical guidance on issues such as contractor ethics, subcontract flowdowns, and defense supply chain restrictions. Nick works with a cross-disciplinary team exploring the intersection of government contracting, artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous systems, and space and satellite technologies. He also contributes to Wiley’s FAR and DFARS overhaul initiative through analysis and publications explaining changes to federal procurement requirements.

Before joining Wiley, Nick represented the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, USTRANSCOM, and USSOCOM as first chair in 46 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) bid protests and litigated 15 appeals before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA). In that role, he handled the litigation for multiple procurements exceeding $1 billion in scope, successfully defending nearly $4.5 billion in protested procurements. As the Defense Logistics Agency’s (DLA) Troop Support contract litigation team leader, he oversaw more than 50 matters involving more than $10 billion in controversy.

Nick serves on the D.C. Bar Government Contracts Community Steering Committee. He writes and speaks on acquisition reform, defense technology, AI, and contractor compliance. He has taught GAO bid protests at the U.S. Army JAG School’s Contract Attorneys Course. Earlier in his career, he was a Maryland Assistant Public Defender who represented hundreds of clients and handled more than a dozen jury trials as sole counsel.

Representative Matters

At Wiley

• Successfully defended a defense technology contractor’s approximately $475 million Missile Defense Agency contract for radar system testing and analysis against a GAO protest.
• Defeated a GAO protest challenging a facilities services contractor’s selection for a U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) building services blanket purchase agreement (BPA) valued at approximately $139 million.
• Developed a government contractor’s code of conduct and prepared and presented related employee training.
• Advised a government contractor on defense supply chain restrictions for covered materials, including exceptions for commercial products and electronic devices.
• Counseled a shipbuilder on allocation of component obsolescence risk under a vessel construction contract.

For the Government

• Successfully defended a U.S. Transportation Command award to a freight transportation and logistics company under a procurement with a $2.3 billion ceiling against a GAO protest.
• Represented the U.S. Air Force in ASBCA appeals involving the price definitization of F-16 modification contracts for Singapore and South Korea, with contract values on the order of $1 billion.

Professional Experience

• Government Contracts Trial Attorney, U.S. Air Force (2021-2025)
• Attorney Advisor, U.S. Small Business Administration (2020-2021)
• Government Contracts Litigation Team Leader, DLA Troop Support, Defense Logistics Agency (2019-2020)
• Staff Attorney and Technical Specialist to Hon. Chief Judge John P. Morrissey, Maryland Judiciary (2018-2019)
• Assistant Public Defender, Caroline, Talbot, and Kent County Offices, Maryland Office of the Public Defender (2014-2018)
• Judicial Law Clerk, Hon. Chief Judge Ronald A. Silkworth, Anne Arundel County, Maryland Judiciary (2012, 2014)
• Judicial Law Clerk, Hon. Paul F. Harris, Jr., Anne Arundel County, Maryland Judiciary (2013)
• Judicial Intern, Hon. Christopher L. Panos, Baltimore City, Maryland Judiciary (2012)

Affiliations

• District of Columbia Bar's Government Contracts Community Steering Committee
• American Bar Association (ABA), Section of Public Contract Law
• Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA)
• PubK
• District of Columbia LGBTQ+ Bar Association