Steven D. Gordon

Steven D. Gordon litigates federal civil and criminal cases. He has been lead counsel in more than 100 trials and has argued appeals in most of the federal circuits and the U.S. Supreme Court.

White Collar Defense

Mr. Gordon represents corporate and individual clients under investigation or facing criminal charges. His corporate clients have included a number of government contractors and his individual clients have included business executives, government officials and private citizens. He has conducted a number of internal investigations for clients, including private and publicly held companies and state agencies.

Native American Litigation

Mr. Gordon represents Indian Tribes in litigation against the federal government. These have included claims for breach of trust based on mismanagement of Tribal trust funds and natural resources, and for breach of funding obligations under self-determination contracts. He has sued the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS) under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), and has represented Tribes in litigation involving the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).

Civil Litigation

Mr. Gordon litigates complex civil and commercial cases, often against the federal government. He sues federal agencies under the APA and other federal statutes on behalf of clients who are regulated by those agencies. For example, he has represented a variety of private clients and state agencies in litigation against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He has also tried a number of cases involving alleged misappropriation of trade secrets and related torts.

False Claims Act; Suspension and Debarment

Mr. Gordon defends federal contractors and program participants (grantees) against False Claims Act (FCA) suits brought by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) or by whistleblowers (qui tam). He also represents clients facing suspension or debarment from participating in federal contracting or other federal programs. He successfully litigated the only debarment case to reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

Appeals

Mr. Gordon briefs and argues cases in the federal courts of appeals and in the U.S. Supreme Court. Cases handled by Mr. Gordon include:

• Jicarilla Apache Nation v. U.S., 564 U.S. 162 (2011)
• Royal Brush Mfg., Inc. v. U.S., 75 F.4th 1250 (Fed. Cir. 2023)
• Navajo Nation v. Dept. of Interior, 57 F.4th 285 (D.C. Cir. 2023)
• U.S. ex rel. Cody v. ManTech International Corp., 746 Fed.Appx. 166 (4th Cir. 2018)

Before entering private practice, Mr. Gordon prosecuted crimes for 10 years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia, and served as Chief of the Felony Trial Division. He also served as a law clerk to the Hon. William J. Holloway Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.