Isaac Natter is Counsel at Fluet, where he represents, advises, and counsels government contractors and defense industry clients on a wide range of government contracts, acquisition, and defense industrial base matters.

Mr. Natter brings nearly two decades of government legal experience to his practice. He previously served as the Acting Deputy General Counsel (Acquisition & Logistics) at the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of General Counsel, where he was the senior-most government acquisition attorney in the DoD OGC and head of the DoD OGC acquisition law division. In this role, he provided legal counsel to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Under Secretaries, and Assistant Secretaries on mission-critical acquisition matters and managed an 11-person team overseeing DoD-wide acquisition law issues. He supported the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition with significant acquisition reform efforts, including the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul. Mr. Natter also has extensive experience drafting and reviewing proposed legislation and strategizing on engaging with Congress and the Executive Branch.

His practice encompasses the full spectrum of government contracting matters, including compliance with government regulations (FAR/DFARS), acquisition planning, solicitation, source selection, contract administration, contract claims, bid protests before the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and procuring agencies, and contract disputes before administrative boards. Mr. Natter also supports clients in understanding Federal Government decision and policy making, interpreting legislation and regulations, and identifying and avoiding conflicts and pitfalls when doing business with the Government. He also has widespread experience with overseas contingency contracting, including private security contracts, the “Never Contract with the Enemy” statute, and base operations and support services contracts.

Mr. Natter has deep experience in defense industrial base matters, having served as the lead DoD contracts attorney for the Department’s acquisition of an equity interest in, and multi-billion-dollar agreement with, Mountain Pass Materials to address critical rare earth element requirements for national security. His work included supply chain vulnerabilities, critical minerals and munitions programs, including priority efforts to accelerate munitions production and supply, the Defense Production Act (DPA), the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program, and DoD reviews of transactions subject to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) as well as mergers and acquisitions under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act.

In the area of DoD research and grants, Mr. Natter served as primary attorney for all DoD research and testing policy, including the DoD Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, other transaction agreements (OTAs), research integrity and protection, and technology transfer. As the attorney at the forefront of the DoD’s efforts to protect Government-funded research from malign foreign influence, he assisted the DoD in developing and implementing due diligence programs for both DoD-funded basic research and the DoD SBIR/STTR programs. He also served as the lead attorney for DoD microelectronics and CHIPS Act efforts, heading a multi-attorney team that, working with the Department of Commerce and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, negotiated the multi-billion-dollar Secure Enclave CHIPS Act award to establish a first-of-its-kind secure domestic semiconductor design and manufacturing capability.

Mr. Natter’s procurement fraud experience includes serving as a procurement fraud counsel at the Department of the Navy Acquisition Integrity Office, where he handled fraud investigations and remedies, the Procurement Integrity Act, the False Claims Act, organizational conflicts of interest, small business program fraud, and suspension and debarment matters. He has extensive experience conducting and responding to investigations, audits, and Government Accountability Office and Inspector General engagements.

Outside of his legal practice, Mr. Natter is an avid fan of The Simpsons, frequently attends very loud concerts and supports local music scenes, is a devoted husband, and a “cool dad” to a teenager and a young adult, as well as two oversized dogs.

*Isaac Natter is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and Louisiana.