Ira E. Hoffman, Principal

Government Contracts

Email:	ihoffman@offitkurman.com
Office Phone:	240.507.1723
Fax:	240.507.1735
Mailing Address:	4800 Montgomery Lane 9th Floor Bethesda, MD 20814
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Practice Areas

Practice Focus

Ira E. Hoffman has been practicing law for more than 25 years, focusing on government contracts, export controls and other international issues.  More recently, he has expanded his focus to include cybersecurity law and policy.  He counsels large and small companies alike, on a wide range of government contracts issues, such as bid protests, claims, teaming agreements, cybersecurity contracting, subcontracting, intellectual property rights, mergers and acquisitions, cost allowability, ethics and compliance, audits and investigations, the False Claims Act, suspension and debarment, security clearances, and small business issues, including 8(a), HUBZone, SBIR, SDVO and WOSB small businesses, and size protests. He has extensive experience in government contracts cases, ranging from protests at the GAO, Court of Federal Claims and ODRA, to disputes and alternative dispute resolution. His international practice focuses on export controls (both ITAR and EAR), the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions.  His cybersecurity practice focuses on M&A, IG investigations, and liability issues for security breaches.

EDUCATION

• J.D. (cum laude), University of Miami School of Law
• M.Sc (Econ), London School of Economics
• B.A., University of Michigan

BAR AND COURT ADMISSIONS

• Maryland
• District of Columbia
• Florida
• U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, D.C., Eleventh and Federal Circuits
• U.S. District Courts for the Districts of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Florida (Southern District)
• U.S. Court of Federal Claims

POINTS OF DISTINCTION

Mr. Hoffman, a member of the CyberMaryland Advisory Board, is one of the founders of CyberMontgomery 2014.  Previously, he taught International Trade Law and European Union law as an adjunct professor at the George Mason University School of Law, and had the honor of serving as a Court Law Clerk at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, as Counsel to the Israeli Ministry of Defense Mission to the United States, and as Counsel to the Vice Chairman of the U.S. International Trade Commission.

ACTIVITIES

• Member, Governor's International Advisory Council (appointed by Governor of Maryland)
• Member of Board and Instructor, Public Contracting Institute, LLC
• Member, CyberMaryland Advisory Board
• Member of Board, Maryland/Israel Development Center (a constituent body of the Maryland Dep't of Business & Econ. Development)

PUBLICATIONS

• U.S. Law and International Cooperation in Combating Cyberthreats and U.S. Law, 47 Md. Bar J. No. 1 at 37 (Jan./Feb. 2014)
• "The (Slowly) Evolving Landscape of Security Clearances in the Cyberworld After Snowden," 2 U.S. Cybersecurity Magazine No. 2, 56 (Spring 2014)
• The Annotated Export Administration Regulations Desk Reference (editor, West 2013)
• Bid Protests Get Bad Press (PCI, April 2013)
• “Recent Trends and Future Challenges for Government Contractors,” in Inside the Minds: The Impact of Recent Changes in Government Contracts (Aspatore 2011)
• “New Compliance Issues and Requirements in Government Contracting,” in Inside the Minds: Government Contracts Compliance (Aspatore 2011)
• International Compliance: Mitigating Risk in FCPA and Other Cross-Border Transactions (co-author with Jacob Frenkel), 43 Md. Bar J. No. 4 at 33 (July/Aug. 2010)
• Export Controls and Economic Sanctions, (co-author), 42 Int'l Law. 301 (2008)
• Blowing the Whistle on Terror Funding, Baltimore Sun, 21A (Sept. 2, 2005)
• Strategic Application of the New DFARS Rule on Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software to Major Defense Acquisition Systems, The Clause (Apr. 1996)

Speaking Engagements 

• "The Patchwork of Cyber Regulations," Maryland Center for Entrepreneurship Speaker Series, Howard County Economic Development Authority, April 18, 2014
• "Maryland-Israel Cyber Highway," Israel Cybersecurity Association, hosted by MicroSoft Israel R&D Center, Herzliyya, Israel, April 10, 2014
• Panelist, Workshop on Strategic Operational Simulation, Defensive Cyberspace Operations & Intelligence conference, co-hosted by Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies and the Cyber Security Forum Initiative, April 9, 2014
• "Top 10 Small Business Contracting Issues," webinar in "The Professor's Top 10 Webinar Series" hosted by Prof. Ralph C. Nash, Jr. and the Public Contracting Institute (PCI), January 30, 2014
• "Cybersecurity Update," Tech Council of Maryland, Executive Breakfast Club Roundtable, December 3, 2013
• "International Cooperation in Combating Cyberthreats: Theory and Practice," panelist, CyberMaryland 2013, October 9, 2013
• "Export Controls Compliance," PCI's Masters Academy in International Contracting, August 23, 2013
• "ITAR and EAR," PCI's Masters Academy in International Contracting, August 20, 2013
• "Foreign Military Sales," Ft. Worth NCMA Chapter, August 6-7, 2013
• "Going Global," Baltimore Business Journal's "Knowledge is Power" series, June 21, 2013
• "Best Practices:  Small Business Contracting," PCI's Masters Academy on Best Practices in Government Contracting, June 12, 2013
• "U.S. Government Contracts: An Overview," In-house Seminar for Universal Technical Resource Services, Inc., January 23-24, 2013
• "Best Practices:  Small Business Contracting," PCI's Masters Academy on Best Practices in Government Contracting, January 17, 2013
• "Special Rules for Israeli Companies Selling to the U.S. Homeland Security and Cybersecurity Markets," In-house Seminar for the Merage Institute/U.S.-Israel Innovation Bridge, January 15, 2013
• "Best Practices:  Small Business Contracting," PCI's Masters Academy on Best Practices in Government Contracting, October 24, 2012
• "Essential Fundamentals in Government Contracting," Seminar for Deltek Insight Conference, October 15, 2012
• "U.S. Export Controls & Reforms," Virtual Classroom for PCI and Deltek University, August 16, 2012
• "Government Contracting Fundamentals," Seminar for Deltek University/George Mason University, August 9-10, 2012
• "How to Best Position Your Company for Teaming as a Subcontractor," Seminar for Maryland Procurement Technical Assistance Program, June 21, 2012Seminar on “Critical Strategies in Government Contracting:  Small Businesses & Teaming” for Women Presidents’ Educational Organization, April 10, 2012
• Seminar on “Critical Strategies in Government Contracting:  Small Businesses & Teaming” for Women Presidents’ Educational Organization, April 10, 2012
• Seminar on “International Business for U.S. Start-Ups:  Opportunities & Pitfalls” for the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development, Business Innovation Network, February 14, 2012
• Seminar or webinar? Ethics Training Program on “Business Ethics and Conduct in Government Contracting” for Quadel Consulting Corporation, February 9, 2012
• Webinar on “Bid Protests:  How to Get a Second Bite of the Apple When the Government Improperly Makes Award to Your Competitor” for PTAP, January 24, 2012