John McAdams

John McAdams is a seasoned government contracts and national security lawyer in Holland & Knight's Tysons office. He represents clients before the national security and defense agencies on a range of issues including government contracts disputes, white collar investigations and highly sensitive national security matters. Mr. McAdams joined the firm following a decade of distinguished government service as a senior attorney in both the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) National Security and Civil Divisions, and as a U.S. Army judge advocate. He is a trusted adviser to senior executives, general officers and officials at the secretarial level.

As a trial attorney in the DOJ's Civil Division, Mr. McAdams litigated government contracts disputes before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. In the DOJ's National Security Division (NSD), Mr. McAdams worked extensively with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), law enforcement and the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) on the nation's most sensitive intelligence programs to ensure compliance with law, regulations and executive branch policies. He led investigations overseeing foreign intelligence, counterintelligence and other national security activities of the IC, including matters under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). 

Earlier in his career, as an active-duty Army judge advocate, Mr. McAdams litigated government contracts disputes before the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA). During his early military assignments, he prosecuted felony-level courts-martial and civilian defendants as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA), and served as a principal legal advisor (general counsel) for an infantry brigade combat team.

As an Army Reserve judge advocate, Mr. McAdams has held assignments on the Joint Staff and in the Office of the Judge Advocate General. In addition, Mr. McAdams is a graduate of the Army's Command and General Staff College.

Representative Experience

• Argued complex government contracts appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC)
• Served as first chair in a high-stakes, multimillion-dollar contract claim, and argued numerous dispositive and procedural motions before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (COFC)
• Authored applications to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) for orders pursuant to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)
• Successfully pursued several motions to the FISC and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review (FISCR) for various relief in sensitive matters
• Prosecuted criminal trials and adverse administrative board actions as an active-duty Army judge advocate