Richard G. Vartain serves as Of Counsel with Liff, Walsh & Simmons, leading the Government Contract practice area including government contract negotiations and business ethics, cybersecurity, national security, and government investigations. Rich has more than thirty years of experience in complex federal government procurement matters and will advise clients during the acquisition and post-award performance and close-out of DOD, IC, and civilian contracts. Rich has first-chair False Claims Act trial experience from his years with the U.S. Department of Justice Fraud Section, and extensive experience in the private sector managing government, whistleblower, and internal investigations.
Prior to joining Liff, Walsh & Simmons, Rich was the Assistant Vice President & Senior Counsel to AT&T’s Chief Compliance Office and its National Security and Defense Segment. During this time, he also played a pivotal role in shaping the legislative framework that culminated in the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015. Rich has handled contracting issues and litigation concerning classified programs and has worked on matters from all the major IC agencies. His fully cognizant of the laws and process governing a company’s response to governments’ demands for information through compulsory processes.
Rich earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia College of Arts and Sciences, and subsequently, obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia Law School. He is licensed to practice law in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia and holds Top Secret/SCI (Full Scope Polygraph) clearances. Rich resides in Annapolis, Maryland, with his spouse and family.
