Kendra is a Washington, D.C.-based partner in Reed Smith’s Regulatory & Investigations Group. Her practice focuses on representing companies that do business with federal and state governments - either as prime contractors, subcontractors, third-party suppliers, or grant and cooperative agreement recipients - in a wide range of litigation, regulatory compliance, and transactional matters.
In addition to regularly managing internal investigations and advising companies facing government investigations and audits, Kendra represents clients in bid protests, contract claims and disputes, terminations, mergers and acquisitions, False Claims Act matters, and suspension and debarment proceedings. She also routinely counsels companies on government ethics requirements and works with clients to develop codes of business conduct and policies tailored to address their legal obligations as government contractors.
Kendra works with companies of all types and sizes to navigate the complex requirements of the federal government marketplace, from large defense contractors and international companies doing business in the U.S. government market to 8(a) firms and other small and emerging businesses. Kendra has extensive experience working with General Services Administration schedule contractors, as well as companies participating in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Set-Aside, Small Business Innovation Research, and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. She also advises for-profit and non-profit organizations on matters related to federal grants, cooperative agreements, technology investment agreements, and other transaction authority (OTA) agreements.
Kendra’s clients span many industries, including aerospace and defense, information technology, telecommunications, professional and technical services, higher education, security, architectural and engineering (A&E), construction, and health care. Over the course of her legal career, Kendra has handled matters involving nearly all the major contracting and grant-awarding agencies in the federal government.
Before entering private practice, Kendra spent more than 10 years at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), working in budget and procurement, legislative affairs, and grant portfolio management in support of the agency’s human spaceflight; space and life sciences; aeronautics research; small business; and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education missions.
Kendra is passionate about education and educational equity, which not only influences how she runs her practice but also how she spends her time outside of work. Kendra actively mentors law students, young lawyers, and other young professionals to help them best position themselves for a successful career. As an adjunct professor at The Howard University School of Law, she is also responsible for helping educate the next generation of lawyers.
