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News

• Overhauling the Innovation Ecosystem, Pete Modigliani and Matt MacGregor, Substack, Non-legal oriented, but has a great weekly rundown of articles on the defense industry with a focus on reform and innovation.

• NDAA: Massive expansion of commercial solutions openings and other key takeaways for defense contractors – Nextgov/FCW, Jeremy Burkhart, Partner, Holland & Knight. Great insights on the FY26 NDAA acquisition and procurement provisions.

• Five Things Defense Contractors Need to Know About the “Prioritizing the Warfighter” Executive Order, David Panzer, Matthew Thrasher, Jessica Thibideau, Fluet Law. Link to Executive Order.

• The War Department Overhauls Innovation Ecosystem to Accelerate Technology to the American Warfighter, U.S. Department of War. Department of War (DoW) announces realignment of innovation and R&D organizations.

• The DoW published an AI Acceleration Strategy. In addition to the strategy, it directs the use of modular open system approaches for AI systems, and clarifies responsible AI by ordering DoW organizations to incorporate “any lawful use” language into contracts. Link to Memo.

Social Media and Podcasts

• Christian Brose, President and Chief Strategy Officer, Anduril, Jan. 8, 2026 – National Security Law Today.

• Behind the Scenes of Innovation with Mike Brockly, Director of Program Management at NTSXL, Dec 31, 2025 – Defense Tech Podcast.

• The War Department’s New AI Strategy and Innovation Ecosystem Reform, Jan. 14, 2026 – Mission Matters.

• LinkedIn post introducing BuildList: a curated list of companies doing important work.

• Industrial Base Alpha post on Substack analyzes the stock buybacks and schedule delays of the large primes.

• Peter Newell, CEO, BMNT, posts on Substack a short article on how BMNT grew to $150 million yearly revenue by bootstrapping.

Professional Development and CLE of Interest

Legal and non-legal professional development. Some events have a registration fee. The list will be updated with new events.

Government Contracts & Acquisition

• From Partner to Powerhouse: Building High-Impact Teams in the OTA Ecosystem, January 20, 2026, Webinar. PilieroMazza, Law Firm.

• The FAR Overhaul, Part 2: What Contractors Need to Know, Jan. 29, 2026, webinar. Holland & Knight and BRG.

• You’re Hired! Restrictions on Hiring Former Government Employees for Government Contractors, Feb. 3, 2026, Webinar. PilieroMazza.

• Navigating the New Era of U.S. Government Contracting: Strategies for Commercial Companies and ”Non-Traditional” Contractors,” Feb. 3, 2026, Webinar. Freshfields.

• PubK Law Annual Review, Feb. 10-11, Washington, D.C.

• Government Contracts in M&A: Navigating Compliance and Risk – Events, March 10, 2026, Webinar. Morgan Lewis. Includes overview on M&A compliance obligations, national security considerations, False Claims Act risks, and restrictions on assignment or change of control.

• ABA 2026 Federal Procurement Institute, March 11-13, 2026, Annapolis, MD. ABA Public Contract Law Section’s flagship event with CLE sessions on federal procurement trends relevant to defense tech.

• NCMA Warfighter Acquisition Forum, April 23, 2026, Washington, D.C. One-day forum for defense acquisition pros; discussions on strategies and policies.

• Hilton Head Government Contracts Week, July 27-31, 2026, Hilton Head, SC. FPS conference with masters-level sessions on govcon law; CLE available.

M&A, CFIUS, FOCI, & Trade Regulation

• M&A Academy: CFIUS & Trade Regulation Considerations in M&A Transactions, February 24, Webinar, Morgan Lewis. Presentation on CFIUS due diligence, risk assessment, national security issues, and trade regs in M&A—tailored for defense/govcon deals; part of ongoing academy series with CLE potential.

• 12th National Conference on CFIUS, April 22-23, Washington, D.C. ACI conference with discussions on CFIUS including filing requirements, risk mitigation strategies, and new regulations.

• 9th National Forum on FOCI, September 29–30, Washington, D.C. ACI. Focuses on Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence mitigation (parallel to CFIUS in cleared defense contractors); compliance strategies for national security reviews in defense M&A.

• Advanced Venture Capital 2026 | October 27, 2026 | In-Person Program – PLI, October 27, 2026, San Francisco, CA. PLI.

Export Controls

• Global Export Controls Advanced Forum, February 24-25, 2026, Arlington, VA. American Conference Institute (ACI) conference on multi-jurisdictional export compliance, including deemed exports and sanctions. Offers CLE credits and networking for defense attorneys.

• Live Export Compliance Seminar, June 15-18, Chicago, IL. Enforcement-focused ITAR/EAR.

Intellectual Property (IP)

• 2026 IP Transactions Bootcamp, Feb. 12, 2026, Seattle, WA. AIPLA.

• 2026 AIPLA Spring Meeting, May 13-15, Fairmont San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. 2.5-day conference on trending IP topics, expert insights, networking; focuses on innovation/tech IP relevant to defense sectors.

Industry & Entrepreneurship

• Milvetstartups, Feb. 12-13, 2026, San Francisco, CA. Largest conference of military entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders.

• Defense TechConnect Innovation Summit & Expo, Sep. 22-24, 2026, National Harbor, Maryland.

Open Defense Tech  Legal Jobs

• Legal Counsel, Government Contracts, Hadrian, Washington, D.C.

• Legal counsel, Air Dominance and Strike, Anduril Industries,  Washington, D.C.

• M&A Corporate Counsel, Anduril Industries, Costas Mesa, CA

• Satellite Policy Associate (Starlink Regulatory Affairs), SpaceX,  Washington, D.C.

• Product Counsel, Nominal, Washington, D.C.

• Sr. Corporate Counsel, SpaceX, Hawthorne, CA

• Legal Counsel – Contracts, Palantir Technologies, Washington, D.C.

• Senior Legal Counsel, Supply Chain, Commercial Contracts, Metrea, Temecula, CA, US

• Assistant General Counsel, K2 Space, Los Angeles, CA

• Senior Counsel, Government Business, Beehive Industries, Knoxville, TN (also roles in Loveland, OH and Englewood, CO)

• Paralegal, Beehive Industries, Loveland, OH

• Commercial Counsel, Government Contracts, xAi, Washington, D.C.

• Senior Director and AGC, Product Legal (Privacy, IP, Employment), Scale AI, San Francisco, CA

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• Lead Counsel, Product and Employment, Scale AI, San Francisco, CA

Pro Bono and Volunteer Opportunities

Coming soon.

Contact Defense Tech Legal Network.

Defense Tech Legal Network Est. January 2026

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