OT Counsel Corner - Fall Bid Protest Edition

Galina I. Fomenkova is a Trial Attorney with the National Courts Section of the Commercial Litigation Branch, United States Department of Justice.  She represents the United States in bid protests and other matters before the United States Court of Federal Claims and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.  Prior to joining the Justice Department in 2019, she was an associate at Williams & Connolly LLP, where her practice focused primarily on pharmaceutical patent litigation.  She holds a B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles and a J.D., with high honors, from the University of Chicago Law School. 

Andrew ("Andy") J. Smith currently serves as the Chief, Bid Protests for the Contract Litigation & Intellectual Property Division (KLIP), U.S. Army Legal Services Agency (USALSA), and is responsible for the litigation of protests filed against a multitude of Army and DoD agencies at the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (COFC).  He supervises, trains and mentors military and civilian trial attorneys in defending protests.  Additionally, Andy serves as the Acting Army Chief Trial Attorney (CTA) when the CTA is absent.  He previously served as a Senior Attorney at GAO, where he resolved bid protests.  Andy is a retired Lieutenant Colonel and former JAG.  He is the co-chair of the American Bar Association's Public Contract Law Bid Protest Committee.

Major Joshua ("Josh") Fix is an active duty Army Judge Advocate currently serving as a trial attorney for the Contract Litigation & Intellectual Property Division of the U.S. Army Legal Services Agency. Josh is a member of the bar of Virginia and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Virginia, the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and the U.S. Supreme Court.  His previous experience includes serving as a Chief of Military Justice, Commissioner for the Army Court of Criminal Appeals, Appellate Defense Counsel, and Trial Counsel, among other assignments.  In 2023, Josh earned an LL.M., with highest honors, in government procurement law from the George Washington University Law School.  In 2020, he earned an LL.M., superior graduate, in military law from the Judge Advocate General's School in Charlottesville, Virginia.  In 2010, he earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from Indiana University Maurer School of Law–Bloomington. Josh lives in Fairfax, Virginia with his wife, Amberly, and their three-year-old son, Theodore ("Theo"). In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, woodworking, and playing with Theo.