Todd R. Steggerda Partner

As the Department Chair of the Government Investigations Department at McGuireWoods since 2018, Todd leads and manages a seasoned team of 60 attorneys representing Fortune 100 and other companies and individuals across the full range of civil and criminal investigations and enforcement matters at both the federal and state level.  Comprised of a deep bench of former federal officials, including a former Deputy Attorney General of the United States, three former U.S. Attorneys, and more than a dozen former federal prosecutors and other senior enforcement officials, our national practice is strategically centered in Washington and spans nine offices across the country.  Reflecting the breadth of our investigations and enforcement capabilities, our Government Investigations Department houses some of the most notable Practice Groups at McGuireWoods, including the White Collar, Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption, Anti-Money Laundering and Trade Embargo Compliance, Export Control and Sanctions Enforcement, IG Investigations, SEC Enforcement, Strategic Risk and Crisis Management, and Congressional Investigations Practice Groups.  

Recognized by Legal500 as a “Name to Note” in the investigations and enforcement arena, Todd’s representations involve key industries at the crucial intersection of business, law and politics, including major corporate clients and other organizations and individuals operating within the Aerospace and Defense, Health Care, Energy, and Political sectors.

In the Aerospace and Defense sector, Todd leverages his background as an Annapolis graduate and former Navy pilot, with a deep understanding of advanced weapons systems and other products and services provided to the Department of Defense (and its component agencies), NASA, FAA, and other federal agencies.  In this practice area, Todd has led matters involving the full range of investigations, enforcement, and litigation matters for Aerospace and Defense contractors and other companies operating in the federal contracting space. 

As Lead Counsel, Todd’s representations have included numerous qui tam whistleblower suits involving claims of procurement fraud brought under the False Claims Act, high-visibility DOD IG and DOJ IG investigations, and dozens of investigations conducted by the Department of Justice.  Todd also litigates matters before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, and has handled a wide range of contractor-related litigation in both state and federal courts, often involving sophisticated advanced weapons technology and complex government contracting issues.  Todd’s practice has also protected the interests of various client’s international operations, resolving disputes over contractor-related projects and programs in several foreign jurisdictions, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Russia, and Jordan.   Reflecting his broad experience in the defense arena, Todd continues to serve as Chair of the firm’s Government Contract Investigations and Enforcement Practice Group, and was also recently appointed (for the second time) to the Law360 Aerospace & Defense Editorial Board.  Specific representative matters in this arena have included the following:

• Lead Counsel in Defense Criminal Investigative Service inquiry involving alleged nonconformance with technical specifications in the aerospace metal supply chain to DOD primes, a DOD investigation of alleged bribery and kickbacks associated with a government contract for large-scale construction services performed in Afghanistan, several DOJ inquiries involving defense contractors’ recruitment of government personnel, and several internal investigations of allegations of bribes and improper gifts and gratuities involving international subsidiaries.

• Lead Counsel on several high-visibility DOD IG investigations into allegations of procurement fraud involving the U.S. Air Force and other federal agencies, and Senior Team Member on a multi-year investigation and enforcement proceeding by DOJ, SEC and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia involving the recruitment and hiring of one of the Air Force’s most senior acquisition officials.   

• Lead Counsel in claims litigation before the COFC and the ASBCA, including a $50 million settlement from the U.S. Army for alleged copyright infringement of a sophisticated logistics software package, and Co-Lead Counsel in a successful three-week trial before the ASBCA on a breach-of-contract claim for a top aerospace and defense company, valued at approximately $400 million, against the U.S. Air Force relating to satellite launch services.

• Lead Counsel on numerous qui tam whistleblower actions involving allegations of procurement fraud under the False Claims Act, including a publicly announced settlement with DOJ and DOD resolving a $90 million claim against the joint venture of two top defense companies relating to alleged over-charging on national security contracts, resolving allegations of false testing certifications on a $250 million telecommunications system built in Iraq in 2005, and a settlement with the DOJ and GSA, resolving allegations of noncompliance with a federal supply schedule contract.

• Lead Counsel representing a joint venture of the country’s top two defense companies in federal court litigation defending a $1B award from the U.S. Air Force for the development of a next-generation space launch vehicle.

• Lead Counsel on numerous high-value bid protest proceedings, including a high-stakes GAO bid protest defending a top federally-funded research and development center (FFRDC) against a collateral attack alleging organizational conflicts of interest and other violations under a multi-billion dollar FFRDC contract with the U.S. Air Force, and the successful defense of protest of an Air Force award for a military radar system valuing more than $500 million dollars for one of the world’s premier aerospace companies.

Todd also has extensive experience in the Political sector, where he continues to handle a diverse set of matters for corporations, national party committees, national campaigns, senior political operatives, candidates and other clients in politically-charged litigation and investigations under the jurisdiction of the Federal Election Commission, DOJ’s Public Integrity Section, and various U.S. Attorney’s Offices and congressional committees.  During the 2007 and 2008 presidential election cycle, Todd served as a Senior Staff Member and Chief Counsel for the McCain 2008 Presidential Campaign. As one of the longest-serving members of the McCain Campaign from January 2007 through December 2008, Todd led the development of the legal and strategic risk and crisis management strategy across a wide range of complex legal matters, including federal and state AG investigations, political litigation matters in federal court, campaign finance compliance and FEC enforcement matters, and significant and sensitive matters arising under the campaign’s ethics and compliance program.  As the leader of the campaign’s day-to-day legal department operations, Todd also organized and led the campaign’s nationwide litigation efforts, managing more than a dozen state-based litigation teams comprising nearly 100 attorneys engaged in significant litigation at both the state and federal levels. 

Maintaining deep relationships in the Political sector, including with former colleagues currently serving in positions in the Administration, in Congress, and within the political establishment, Todd continues to maintain a significant practice in this dynamic arena.  Notable representations in this sector have included the following:

• Lead Counsel representing senior political operative in DOJ investigation of conduct during state 2014 gubernatorial election, and defending high-net-worth federal campaign donor in DOJ Public Integrity investigation regarding potential $1 million corporate conduit federal campaign contribution.
   
• Lead Counsel for presidential campaign in FEC investigation of potential violations of campaign finance laws involving campaign funding for presidential general election, and Senior Team Member representing national cancer hospital system in investigation and resolution of FEC enforcement action relating to an improper corporate bonus program involving federal campaign contributions.

• Lead Counsel for national and state party committees and various committee members defending a federal court RICO action stemming from 2016 campaign activities, and defending national party committee, state party committee, and a national governors’ association in defamation case in federal court.

• Lead Counsel for major defense company in a congressional investigation regarding Veteran hiring practices, and Senior Team Member representing a senior office of a presidential inaugural committee in DOJ and congressional investigations of potential foreign contributions during a presidential election.

• Lead Counsel for a national party committee defending election re-count litigation in federal court following the 2018 Florida Senate election, and representing a state party committee in credentials litigation involving the seating of delegates to the 2012 national party convention.

Todd also has substantial experience in investigations, enforcement, and litigation matters for clients operating in the Health Care and Energy sectors, including the following representative engagements: 

• Lead Counsel defending Alaska-based refinery of Alaska North Slope crude oil in DOJ Antitrust Division’s industry-level inquiry of pricing issues within the petroleum supply chain.
   
• Lead Counsel for major healthcare management services provider in DOJ IG’s multi-part investigation of healthcare services provided to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
   
• Lead Counsel defending one of the country’s leading energy providers in a dispute with the federal government regarding military facility construction of an energy-savings project, and defending an energy company in an IG investigation of the company’s practices during the infrastructure re-construction of the Puerto Rico power grid in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017.
   
• Lead Counsel representing a notable energy company in the strategic review and development of a compliance and ethics program governing the company’s federal business lines.
   
• Senior Team Member representing the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of a prominent national health insurer in an independent investigation and public reporting of conduct involving allegations of backdated stock options investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the SEC, and Main Justice.

Before his tour as Department Chair for the Government Investigations Department, Todd served on the Firm’s Finance, Strategic Planning, Recruiting, and Diversity Committees, and formerly chaired the Defense, National Security, and Government Contracting Industry Team.  Earlier in his legal career, Todd was a member of an AmLaw50 Washington-based international law firm, where he was promoted to an Equity Partner position at his first point of eligibility in 2005 stemming from his work on a broad range of complex and sensitive investigations and enforcement matters.

Todd is a 1987 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aerospace Engineering.  Following graduation, Todd earned a designation as a Naval Aviator and subsequently served as a Navy Flight Instructor and F-18 Pilot, amassing nearly 1600 flight hours and 200 carrier arrestments aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) and other United States Aircraft Carriers.  During his service in VFA-105, Todd’s F-18 squadron earned the prominent “Battle E” award as the top East Coast Navy F-18 squadron for a consecutive three years in 1992, 1993, and 1994.  Transitioning from his naval service in 1994, Todd returned home to the Midwest to attend law school at the University of Iowa College of Law, where he graduated “with high distinction” at the 5^th percentile, was appointed to the Order of the Coif, and was selected by his peers as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Corporation law.