As Co-Chair of the firm’s national Government Contracts team, Todd Canni is entrusted by government contractors to resolve their most
important “bet-the-company” government contracts matters and unexpected “crisis” events. Indeed, his success for clients earned
him national Chambers recognition, Law360’s prestigious “Most Valuable Player” for Government Contracts lawyers in 2024, a designation given to only five lawyers nationally, and Legal500 (2024) to call him “a heavyweight in crises matters, high-profile bid protests, white collar defenses and fraud allegations ….” Where others fear the U.S. Government, Todd helps his clients “triumph over the Goliaths” as recognized by Chambers (2024).

Todd is widely known as one of the nation’s preeminent suspension and debarment lawyers and one of only a few debarment lawyers who previously served as a Department of Defense debarring official (Director, Suspension & Debarment Operations). Among his accomplishments: in 2022, Todd served as lead trial counsel in successfully challenging a DoD debarment in federal court, thus saving the client’s business and the jobs of its valued workforce. Due to Todd’s two decades of experience in the government contracts and debarment spaces, including as a debarring official and as defense counsel, and his involvement in several dozen administrative agreements involving monitoring, he is well positioned to serve as an Independent Monitor under agency Administrative Agreements. Indeed, Todd served as Chair and Vice Chair of the ABA Suspension and Debarment Committee, and he authored the chapter on administrative agreements in the ABA’s Practitioner’s Guide to Suspension & Debarment.

Alex Iftimie is co-chair of Morrison & Foerster’s Global Risk and Crisis Management group and routinely advises Fortune 500 and high-growth clients on all aspects of breach preparedness and response, including counseling executives on cybersecurity governance and risk management, and responding to cyber incidents ranging from ransomware attacks to nation-state sponsored economic espionage. Drawing on his experience at the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Alex also advises global entities on legal obligations related to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA); foreign investment transactions before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS); and laws related to material support to terrorism, sanctions, and export controls.

Prior to joining Morrison & Foerster, Alex held multiple senior positions at the DOJ, including Counselor to the Attorney General, Deputy Chief of Staff and Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, and Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia. Throughout his time at DOJ, he advised the Department leadership on national security, intelligence and cyber matters, including policy and legal issues arising in the National Security Council process, CFIUS matters, complex issues involving FARA, and engagements with non-U.S. officials. He also represented the Department on the Export Control Reform Initiative that sought to strengthen national security and the competitiveness of key U.S. manufacturing and technology sectors, and before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court on issues involving novel questions at the intersection of law and technology. Most recently, as a prosecutor in the National Security and Cybercrime Units of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, Alex brought the Department’s charges against Russian efforts to interfere in the 2018 midterm elections. During his time at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he also investigated, and/or prosecuted, federal crimes ranging from espionage, trade secret theft, and national security cyber matters, to fraud, firearm, and drug offenses.

Michael Rizzo, Pillsbury’s Government Contracts & Disputes practice co-leader, has represented defense contractors, design/build firms, transportation and technology companies in multimillion-dollar, precedent-setting cases.

A government contracts lawyer in Los Angeles, Michael prepares Contract Disputes Act certified claims; resolves contract disputes before the ASBCA, the CBCA, California federal and state courts, and in arbitration; and handles termination disputes at the federal, state and local government levels. He defends lawsuits filed under the Civil False Claims Act. He crafts comprehensive government contracts compliance programs designed to reduce clients' future exposure and legal expenditures. Additionally, Michael is experienced in handling internal investigations into quality assurance and pricing issues.

Alex Tomaszczuk, a Pillsbury Government Contracts & Disputes partner, is repeatedly recognized by Chambers USA as an authority on government contracts and disputes litigation.

Alex litigates high-dollar value government contract claims and bid protests, helps clients challenge adverse CPARS ratings and conducts internal investigations related to a wide range of compliance issues. He represents a diverse set of clients, including utilities, aerospace manufacturers, real estate developers and service contractors in actions before the GAO, the Court of Federal Claims and other federal forums. Alex has secured important victories in procurement and contractual disputes with the DOE, DOD, Justice Department, the GSA and other agencies.