Jim McAleese

Principal & Owner

McAleese & Associates

James McAleese founded McAleese & Associates, P.C., a government contracts consulting and legal firm, in 1992. His vision was simple: to help organizations of all sizes understand the myriad requirements for doing business with the Federal government, and to provide legal and consulting services that would enable them to maximize value from those contract opportunities.

Since then, Jim has dedicated his career to mastering the intricacies of the government contracting process and to maintaining credibility with various stakeholders at all levels of the Federal government. This experience, combined with his in-depth understanding of the political environment and his propensity for analyzing budgets and policies line-by-line, allows him to assist companies in securing money for existing programs or new technologies, help find remedies for troubled programs, and realign companies’ relationships with their most valuable customer—the Federal government.

A lifelong interest in military and defense issues—further kindled by an internship with the U.S. Army’s contract appeals division early in his career— has established Jim and McAleese & Associates as expert defense industry consultants and analysts. Now a respected authority on the Department of Defense (DoD) budget process and acquisition cycle, Jim is regularly sought out by DoD and industry decisions makers, as well as by the investment community, to comment on the impact a policy decision might have and on what strategies might most effectively leverage that impact on industry trends.

Not surprisingly, a large portion of McAleese’s clients hold—or are seeking—Federal government contracts with DoD and with the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and State (DoS). Still, Jim’s training and experience as a government contracts attorney ensures that he can work with companies in other industries and with other Federal government agencies on any aspect of government contract work, including compliance, awards, pricing and disputes.

Prior to founding McAleese & Associates, P.C., Jim McAleese was a practicing attorney in government contracts law, based in Washington, D.C. He remains actively involved in several professional organizations, all of which vigorously support the defense and intelligence interests of the United States. He also holds a number of leadership and board positions within those groups.

Education
BA, cum laude, International Relations, Case Western Reserve University, 1988
MA, cum laude, International Relations, Case Western Reserve University, 1988
JD, George Washington University, National Law Center, 1991
LL.M, Government Procurement Law, George Washington University, National Law Center, 2001
Admitted to the Virginia Bar in 1991; admitted to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia; admitted to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Association/Board Directorships/Positions
Board of Advisors, National Contract Management Association, 1997-present
National Defense Industrial Association, Board of Directors, 2001-present
National Defense Industrial Association, Washington Chapter Board of Directors, 1994-present
Defense Acquisition University, Distinguished Guest Lecturer, 2008-present

Event Participation