Alexander O. Canizares Partner

Alexander Canizares is a litigator and adviser whose practice focuses on representing clients in complex disputes, investigations, and compliance involving government contracts.

A former trial lawyer with the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Division, Alex draws on his more than 15 years of experience in private practice and government to assist government contractors and other companies in high-stakes litigation, internal and government investigations, enforcement actions, and counseling spanning all phases of federal procurement. His clients range from early-stage companies to Fortune 100 corporations in the aerospace and defense, information technology, healthcare, professional services, and other industries.

Alex represents clients in False Claims Act (FCA)/qui tam whistleblower actions and investigations involving fraud allegations. He also helps clients navigate mandatory and voluntary disclosures to federal agencies and mitigate risks involving the FCA and misconduct. Alex serves as lead counsel in litigation related to the formation and performance of government contracts, including bid protests, contract claims, and prime-subcontractor disputes. As a trial lawyer in the DOJ Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, National Courts Section, Alex first-chaired dozens of cases at both the trial and appellate levels involving federal agencies. He advocates on behalf of clients before U.S. district courts, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the Government Accountability Office, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and arbitral tribunals. He has presented 13 oral arguments before the Federal Circuit and has secured successful outcomes in contract-related litigation and bid protests.

In his counsel to clients, Alex provides advice on a wide range of U.S. government contracting matters with a focus on driving effective responses to compliance risks. He regularly helps contractors assess and address cybersecurity and supply chain security requirements including those related to safeguarding controlled government data. He provides practical guidance to contractors across a variety of industries on the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), agency FAR supplements, and federal procurement laws. Alex’s counseling practice extends to commercial products/services contracting, procurement integrity/ethics issues, the Anti-Kickback Act, subcontracting, suspension and debarment issues, the Freedom of Information Act, intellectual property/data rights, and diligence in corporate transactions.

Alex writes and speaks frequently regarding government contracting issues. He is a co-chair of the American Bar Association (ABA) Public Contract Law Section Procurement Fraud and False Claims Committee. He is also a contributing editor of the second edition of The False Claims Act and Government Contracts published by the ABA Public Contract Law Section.