Wiley Rein Attorneys Named Law360 “Rising Stars” for Government Contracts, Telecommunications

March 31, 2016

Washington, DC — Law360 has named Wiley Rein partners Jon W. Burd and Brett A. Shumate to its annual “Rising Stars” list in their respective practice areas of Government Contracts and Telecommunications. The highly competitive award recognizes attorneys under the age of 40 “whose legal accomplishments belie their age.” Honorees were selected based on their career accomplishments in their related practice areas.

Mr. Burd is a standout attorney in Wiley Rein’s highly regarded Government Contracts Practice, which was once again named a “Practice Group of the Year” by Law360 for 2015. He counsels government contractors and subcontractors on a range of legal matters and regularly litigates bid protests before the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and federal agencies, including classified protests. Mr. Burd conducts internal investigations involving allegations of contractor fraud or abuse in conjunction with U.S. Department of Justice and Inspector General subpoenas, suspension and debarment proceedings, and employee whistleblower claims, and helps clients develop and maintain internal compliance and training programs. 

Mr. Shumate is an integral part of the firm’s preeminent Telecom, Media & Technology (TMT) Practice, which was also named a Law360 “Practice Group of the Year” in 2015. He is an appellate litigator with significant experience handling cases involving Title II common carrier, satellite, wireless, cable, and Internet issues under the Communications Act. He recently argued before the D.C. Circuit that the Federal Communications Commission’s “net neutrality” rules violate the First Amendment. Apart from his appellate litigation experience, Mr. Shumate has played a key role in litigation in the federal district courts, focusing on dispositive motion practice in cases raising complex or novel legal questions. 

Editors at Law360 reviewed more than 1,100 nominations before selecting 179 attorneys from 87 law firms spanning 32 practice areas. Law360 will publish individual feature profiles of Mr. Burd and Mr. Shumate in the coming weeks.