Thomas Averill Duckenfield is a Partner in the Firm’s Washington, DC office. He represents a wide range of clients from Fortune 500 companies and municipalities to minority and women-owned companies in international law, government contracts, government relations, commercial litigation, and corporate diversity matters. He has served in the various capacities of a partner, principal, CEO and COO at several national and international law firms and corporations.

Mr. Duckenfield has litigated and arbitrated commercial disputes, as well as litigated and negotiated government contracts protests and claims concerning information technology, shipbuilding and military materiel procurements, including several matters concerning classified and security issues.

He has also advised clients about export controls and financing; organized and led several U.S. certified international trade missions and delegations; conducted numerous internal diversity audits and vulnerability assessments, designed and developed diversity and inclusion training programs, defused high-profile diversity disputes, and spoken on the topics of global supplier diversity, workforce diversity, diverse government and community relations, corporate social responsibility, and cultural authentication.

Mr. Duckenfield served as Assistant to the General Counsel in the U.S. Army General Counsel’s Honors Program in the Pentagon, where his responsibilities included providing legal advice at the Secretary and three-star general level on information technology; munitions production; intellectual property; utilization of small and minority-owned businesses; outsourcing, and alternative dispute resolution.

After receiving an initial commission as a U.S. Army Infantry officer, he later received a second commission as an officer in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, where he served as a reservist at the Headquarters, U.S. Army Litigation Center.

Mr. Duckenfield is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia, New York, Virginia, and England & Wales, as well as before the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, and U.S District Court for the District of Columbia.

An avid traveler and student of history and culture, Mr. Duckenfield has visited all 50 U.S. states, 67 countries, and 18 indigenous nations; is proficient in Spanish and French; and is studying Arabic and Mandarin Chinese.

Representative Matters

• International Risk Analysis

• Export Controls & Financing

• International Trade Missions

• Government Contracts Protests and Claims

• SBA Programs [8(a), 8(m), Veteran, HUBZone, Mentor-Protégé]

• Federal Appropriations and Grants

• Corporate Diversity Vulnerability Assessments, Audits & Training

Involvement

Current

• Board of Directors, Gennx Technologies, Inc.

• Board of Directors, Diversity Spectrum Corporation

• Board of Directors, Export Import Trade Solutions, Ltd.

• Co-Chair, Centennial Counselors, St. Albans School

• American Bar Association

• National Bar Association

• National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

• National Minority Law Group

Former

• Board of Governors, District of Columbia Bar (Secretary)

• Vice President, Washington Bar Association

• World Bank U.S. Minorities Roundtable

• Board of Governors, Saint Albans School (Secretary)

• Board of Directors, Maryland/DC Minority Supplier Development Council

• Board of Directors, Beta-Mu Lambda Corporation, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

• Board of Directors, Action to Rehabilitate Community Housing (Vice-Chair)

• Board of Directors, Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (Parliamentarian)

• Board of Directors, Princeton Club of Washington

• President, The Duckenfield Foundation

• Board of Directors, Abramson Foundation

• Steering Committee, Hugh O’Brian Youth World Leadership Congress

• Annual Dinner Committee, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

• Annual Dinner Committee, Greater Washington Urban League.

Publications

• Government Contracts Settlements and Negotiations: Leading Lawyers on Analyzing and Discussing Contracts, Resolving Disputes, and Addressing the Unique Challenges of Negotiations with the Government; Aspatore Books; 2008; (Contributor).

• Construction Claims Deskbook: Management, Documentation, and Presentation of Claims 2001; Aspen Pub; 2001; (Contributor).

• “A Primer for the Prudent Corporate Executive: Developing Defenses and Safe Harbors to Counter Challenges to, and Risks Of, Corporate Diversity Programs;”DiversitySpectrum.com Web Magazine; June 2007.

• “Where Less Means More: Increasing access to ‘mainstream’ capital is critical to the growth of minority owned businesses;” Minority Business Entrepreneur Magazine;Volume 16, Number 6; November/December 1999.

• “New Sheriff in Town: GSA Schedules could eclipse the 8(a) program as the leading source of federal contract awards to minority businesses;” Minority Business Entrepreneur Magazine; Volume 15, Number 3; May/June 1998.

• “Strange Bedfellows: GM/CEO Jack Smith and Rainbow/PUSH Founder Jesse Jackson Work Together on Minority Dealer Issues;” Minorities in Business Magazine;July 1998.

• “Fair Deal: General Motors and the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition hammer out a blueprint for improving GM’s relationship with its minority dealers;” Minority Business Entrepreneur Magazine; Volume 15, Number 4; July/August 1998.

• “Champion For Diversity Secretary of Defense William Cohen Supports Minority Businesses Breaking Through Glass Ceilings and Concrete Walls;” Minority Business Entrepreneur Magazine, Volume 15, Number 5; September/October 1998.

• “Family Pride – A History of the Thompson and Newman Families;” Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine; Volume LXVIII, Number 1; December 2008.

• Barons & Bastards. A History of the Duckenfield Family: From English Origins to an American Presence; U.S. Library of Congress, 1994; UK Tameside Local Studies and Archives Centre, 2010.

• In the Shadow of the Capitol : a Study of the Nature and Dimensions of Residential Segregation in Washington, D.C., 1940-1980; The Historical Society of Washington, DC; 1986.

Speaking Engagements

Mr. Duckenfield has spoken often about international trade, government contracts, small business, and corporate diversity issues. His presentations include the following:

• Corporate Diversity Panel Discussion, Black MBA Association & Hispanic MBA Club, Kogod School of Business, American University (2011).

• Legal Implications of Corporate Diversity Counseling, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University (2009).

• Moderator, Patton Boggs LLP Diversity Advisory Board Meeting (2009).

• Legal and Tax Briefing on Gateway Trade Mission to Canary Islands, Spain, United States Export Assistance Center, Arlington, Virginia (2007).

• Collective Bargaining Negotiation Strategies, National Basketball Referees Association, Chicago, IL (2004).

• Federal Government Computer Procurement Procedures, Federal Publications Eastern Briefing Conference, Washington, DC (1993).

• Small Business Administration 8(a) Program, U.S. Army SADBU Conference, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland (1992).

Teaching and Lectures

Mr. Duckenfield has taught a number of Continuing Legal Education courses in a variety of formats on the issues of Commercial Law, Government Contracts, and International Trade, including the following:

• Haiti Crisis Update: Current and Emerging Issues (2010, West Legal Edcenter Virtual Seminar CLE)

• SBA 8(a) Business Development Program: What You Need to Know to Get your Client Certified for Preferential Access (2010, Lawline.com Online Video CLE)

• Small Business Life Cycle: Formation to Dissolution and Everything in Between (1996, National Bar Association National Convention CLE)

Media Appearances

• Spanish Media Press Conference – Presenter. Presented successes of Gateway Trade Mission to Canary Islands, Spain. (2008)

• Diversity Spectrum netRadio, Spectrum Exchange Show – Interviewer. Interviewed Congressman Walter Fauntroy about state of civil rights legislation on 60thAnniversary of birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. (2008)

• WTOP-AM 1500, Diversity Matters Radio Show – Guest. Interviewed about Global Implications of Corporate Diversity Counseling. (2006)

• Diversity Spectrum netRadio, Spectrum Exchange Show – Interviewer. Interviewed African American U.S. Marine Corps Brigadier General Walter E. Gaskin about corporate diversity and EEO issues. (2006)

• Diversity Spectrum netRadio, Spectrum Exchange Show – Interviewer. Interviewed First Hispanic Woman U.S. Marine Corps Brigadier General Angie Salinas about corporate diversity and EEO issues. (2006)

• In the Know TV Public Affairs Show – Guest. Interviewed about Corporate Diversity Counseling, Vulnerability Assessments, and Internal Audits. (2005)

Military

• Distinguished Military Graduate, U.S. Army ROTC, 1986

• Commission, Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Infantry, 1986

• Army Unit Citation Award, Desert Shield Desert Storm, 1991

• Department of Defense Meritorious Service Medal, 1993

• Commission, Captain, U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, 1995

• Army Achievement Medal, 1997

• Honorable Discharge, U.S. Army, 2001