Before joining Clark Hill’s Government Contracts team earlier this year, Ron Sullivan enjoyed a 29-year career in public service. He retired from his federal civilian government employee role, but remains in uniform as a General Officer in the Army Reserve and Army JAG. His training and experience have prepared him to take on a wide variety of roles and responsibilities.
Sullivan recently discussed his career and how that led him to his current government contracts role with Clark Hill.
To get started, what inspired you to have a career in the military?
My dad retired at the rank of First Sergeant after serving 21 years in the Air Force, so I was around the military my entire life. I wanted to join the Air Force to be a fighter pilot, but my colorblindness prevented that from happening. I pivoted my goals, and after focusing on securing a military scholarship in high school, I got involved with high school ROTC and earned the Army scholarship. With that scholarship, I attended Howard University and earned a Bachelor of Business in Information Systems, and completed ROTC as a distinguished military graduate. The Army granted me a delayed entry to attend law school at the University of Kansas, and then selected me to join the Army JAG Corps. I knew I wanted to serve, and my dad laid that foundation. I didn’t know how I would get to where I am now, but life has a way of getting you to where you’re supposed to be.
What did your military career involve?
I started at Fort Drum, New York, as a young captain doing legal assistance work, and then I served as a prosecutor and national security lawyer. I then moved to be defense counsel for a couple of years before getting my first taste of government contracts as a litigator for the US Army Legal Services Agency in the Contract Appeals Division. We did multi-million and multi-billion dollar bid protests and claims litigation where I defended the Army.
Following that, I became a prosecutor in Guantanamo Bay, prosecuting war crimes. After nearly 10 years on active duty, I went to the Department of Justice and then the Department of Veterans Affairs, where I spent 12 years supporting IT supply and services contracts, which included negotiating many commercial agreements.
After the VA, I transferred to the Army as a civilian to be the lead lawyer for acquisition law, leading the transformation efforts at Army Futures Command for Acquisition, Personnel Ethics, IT, and Emerging Technology.
What are the differences between practicing law in the military versus a typical civilian practice?
Think of the military as its own state, and the Army JAG Corps is like the military’s own large attorney general’s office with many different practice areas. If your responsibility is advising military leaders and their staffs, then there are various areas, such as national security, military justice (prosecution), administrative law, personnel law, etc. There are so many different rules, regulations, and specialties that the military needs a wide variety of counsel. If you are an Army lawyer in a personnel or family member facing practice area, then you’re likely serving as a criminal defense counsel or legal assistance attorney.
Many military lawyers begin like I did in criminal prosecution, but the military builds on your initial assignment, then gives you the chance to pick up experience in several other areas like administrative law, claims, or contract law, for example. It’s a natural progression for a prosecutor to become a commercial or defense litigator. There are also opportunities to lead, and as you get more experience, you get bigger groups to lead.
How did those experiences lead you to your current role at Clark Hill?
I’m now sitting on the opposite side of the table from where I worked in the Army. Clark Hill has a great reputation for collegiality and innovation. I was introduced to Clark Hill through a firm Member, and it was almost like a match made in heaven. I felt very comfortable and relaxed from my first meeting with the firm leaders, and I felt that this was a firm that’s about getting things done and accomplishing goals with tremendous collaboration. A few months in now, and my opinion hasn’t changed.
What does your current practice entail?
I work with government contractors and corporate entities adjacent to government contracts. I advise on a variety of situations and documents that detail a contractor’s relationship with the government, whether it’s a traditional or non-traditional contract, a research activity, a public assistance document, or something else. I advise on how documents are structured, the protest of a contract award decision, problems in the execution of the contract, and terminations.
What has been trending in your practice recently?
Earlier this month, the Department of Defense issued a new rule for cybersecurity, and it’s soon going to surely expand to other agencies in the near future. Initially, the general thought might be that this is simply a compliance rule, but there are federal criminal implications if a company isn’t compliant with this rule, so to be clear, this is not just an administrative issue. We’ve been assisting contractors as they navigate the rule, helping them understand the new landscape.
Is there anything else outside of your current work responsibilities that you’re involved in?
Since starting on this side of the coin, I’ve realized that engagement and involvement in local contractor organizations and other civic organizations are important. I’ve gotten involved with the National Veterans Small Business Council and the Central Texas chapter of AFCEA International. I’ve also started engaging with the National 8(a) Association and the American Minority Airport Council. These four organizations really enhance the experience for government contractors by doing similar things in different ways. They support contractors and help them to collaborate on so many basic and advanced levels to help make them successful, to keep the government meeting its mission for the American people.
Subscribe for the latest
Subscribe