Nicole Owren-Wiest is a partner and member of the Steering Committee of Crowell & Moring’s Government Contracts Group in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Nicole is nationally ranked by Chambers USA in Government Contracts and a recognized leader in two of the most complex areas in government contracting: accounting, cost, and pricing, and intellectual property/data rights. With over 20 years’ experience, Nicole has a broad counseling and dispute-resolution practice and leads the Group’s cost accounting practice, which focuses on helping clients navigate the government’s complex cost and pricing rules, including the FAR Part 31 cost principles, the Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), and Truth in Negotiations Act/Truthful Cost or Pricing Data (defective pricing).

While she is an accomplished litigator with significant Contract Disputes Act experience, Nicole’s main strength lies in her ability to combine thoughtful legal analysis with real-world practical advice. Nicole is focused on efficiency, extremely responsive, and brings an aggressive but practical, “big picture” approach to solving her clients’ problems and resolving disputes. Clients have commended Nicole for her client-oriented style and sensitivity to business priorities, including “seeing beyond our immediate needs to help us address issues before they become risks or concerns,” and for her ability to “combine scholarly legal analysis with such practical, solution-focused insight.” As such, clients routinely turn to Nicole to resolve DCAA and DCMA audit findings and cost accounting/pricing and data rights disputes (pre- and post-contracting officer’s final decision), and when faced with high-stakes, bet-the-company compliance matters and litigation.

In addition to her cost accounting and data rights expertise, her practice includes claims, False Claims Act investigations and litigation, and other compliance matters. Nicole also regularly speaks at government and industry events around the country, and provides on-site training to legal and executive teams on a range of topics.