Erica L. Bakies

Erica Bakies represents aerospace and defense companies, high-technology firms, private equity sponsors, and foreign investors navigating the intersection of government contracts, international trade, and national security. Her practice spans the full lifecycle of complex transactions involving U.S. defense and technology assets with particular depth in matters requiring coordination across multiple national security-related regulatory regimes.

Representative Industries

• Aerospace & defense prime contractors and subcontractors
• High-technology and emerging technology companies
• Private equity funds and strategic investors acquiring government contractor platforms
• Foreign companies seeking to enter or expand within the U.S. defense and technology markets

Transactional & National Security Practice

Erica regularly advises buyers and sellers on mergers and acquisitions of U.S. government contractors, including those holding facility security clearances under the National Industrial Security Program (NISP). She guides both U.S. and non-U.S. persons through the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) national security review process, in addition to developing filing strategies, structuring transactions to mitigate regulatory risk, and negotiating national security agreements. For transactions implicating foreign ownership, control, or influence (FOCI), Erica counsels clients on mitigation measures administered by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), including proxy agreements, special security agreements, and voting trust arrangements.

Erica’s transactional practice integrates deep experience in government contracting obligations, export controls under both the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and sanctions programs enforced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Erica conducts regulatory due diligence on targets, identifies compliance risks, evaluates license and authorization requirements, negotiates purchase agreements, prepares required regulatory notices, and designs post-closing integration plans that preserve contract eligibility, uninterrupted performance of classified contracts, and business continuity.

Government Contracts Compliance & Disputes

Erica counsels U.S. government contractors on the spectrum of government contracts compliance obligations, including classified contract requirements, controlled unclassified information (CUI) handling, supply chain risk management, cybersecurity standards, and small business regulations. She represents contractors in federal bid protests before the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and she handles internal investigations related to potential False Claims Act violations and mandatory disclosure rule obligations.

International Trade

Erica’s international trade practice focuses on supporting multinational companies navigate the complex export control and economic sanction restrictions imposed by the United States, including the EAR administered by the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the ITAR administered by the Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), and OFAC’s economic sanctions restrictions.  Erica assists clients with export control classifications, technology transfer assessments, license applications, and the development of compliance programs tailored to clients’ risk profiles. She also regularly conducts internal investigations and guides clients through voluntary self-disclosures to the relevant regulatory agencies. Her experience extends to counseling on supply chain security, sanctions screening, and the regulatory implications of technology-sharing arrangements with foreign partners.

Notable

• Best Lawyers in America, "Ones to Watch" for Antitrust Law, 2023-2024, 2026-2027
• Chambers USA, Government Contracts (Nationwide), 2024-2026
• Legal 500, "Next Generation Partners: Government - Government Contracts, 2026; "Rising Stars: Government Contracts," 2022-2024; Recommended Leading associate for Government - Government Contracts, 2025
• Law360 Top Attorneys Under 40, 2025
• Chambers USA, "Up and Coming" attorney for Government Contracts (Nationwide), 2023
• Chambers USA, "Associates to Watch: Government Contracts," 2020-2022

News

Affiliations

• American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law – Co-Chair, Legislative & Regulatory Coordinating Committee
• American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law – Director, 2025 Fall Forum
• American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law – Young Lawyer Council Member, 2023–2026