Deborah A. Raviv Associate

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The Army and Navy Club Building
1627 I Street, N.W. Suite 850
Washington, DC 20006
draviv@s-elaw.com
Tel: 202.684.2377  Fax: 202.293.6842

Deborah Raviv joined Steese ♦ Evans ♦ Frankel, P.C. in 2010 as an associate. Ms. Raviv's practice focuses on litigating government contract cases and providing advice and compliance assistance regarding federal government contracts and grants. A significant portion of Ms. Raviv's practice also involves advising clients on the False Claims Act and counseling clients with regard to the requirements of the 2009 federal stimulus bill. Prior to joining Steese ♦ Evans ♦ Frankel, P.C., Ms. Raviv was an associate with Hogan & Hartson, LLP.


Practice

Ms. Raviv's experience includes representing clients involved in litigation before numerous federal courts and in bid protests before the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. She has worked with defense and information technology contractors as well as universities in responding to government audits and investigations involving allegations of fraud and regulatory noncompliance. She has also advised clients with regard to numerous complex government contracts matters, including risk mitigation, lobbying restrictions, and intellectual property issues.

Prior to her work in the private sector, Ms. Raviv served as a law clerk to the Honorable James Lawrence King of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. While in law school, she was a Notes Editor for The George Washington Law Review and earned the Richard C. Lewis, Jr., Memorial Award for Excellence in Clinical Practice for her participation in her law school's Small Business Clinic and Domestic Violence Litigation Clinic.

Recent Highlights

Litigation

Ms. Raviv assisted in successfully defending the Department of Defense's award of a multi-million dollar call center management contract against bid protest proceedings before the Government Accountability Office and on appeal in the Court of Federal Claims.

Ms. Raviv successfully obtained dismissal for lack of standing of a bid protest challenging the award of a contract in aid of the United States' war against terrorism in Afghanistan.

Ms. Raviv assisted a large pharmaceutical company in its response to a Department of Veterans Affairs' request for information relating to the company's pricing under its Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Contract. Ms. Raviv helped obtain a favorable settlement of the matter, including an affirmative statement by the Department that the pharmaceutical company had not engaged in any false or fraudulent conduct.

Ms. Raviv assisted two universities in their responses to subpoenas from multiple federal government agencies and successfully avoided all liability on behalf of either university.


Compliance Counseling

Ms. Raviv has advised numerous large entities that do business with or on behalf of the U.S. Government on the restrictions on the use of federal funds for lobbying activities.

Ms. Raviv has counseled government contractors in putting in place effective compliance programs in order to avoid liability under the federal False Claims Act.

Ms. Raviv has counseled entities on the infrastructure needed to track the use of funds received as part of the 2009 federal stimulus package in order to comply with the requirements of this new legislation.


Professional Activities

Ms. Raviv is currently a Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Public Contract Law's Procurement Fraud Committee. She is also active in the D.C. region's Anti-Defamation League and is currently a participant in the organization's Glass Leadership Institute and a member of its Civil Rights Committee.

Formerly, Ms. Raviv was a professional ballet dancer with several companies throughout the United States including the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, Ballet Omaha, and Southern Ballet Theatre. She also served as the Executive Director of the American Jewish Ballet for several years.


Publications

"2006 Government Contract Decisions of the Federal Circuit." American University Law Review, Vol. 56, No. 4 (05.11.2007)

"Trends in Congress for Greater Transparency in Government Funding May Be at Odds With Courts' Protection of Contractor Information." The Government Contractor, Thomson/West (10.18.2006)