Drone dominance, jobs, professional development, and more

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News

• Drone-ing on About Love, Pete Modigliani and Matt MacGregor, Substack, Non-legal oriented defense headlines with a focus on acquisition and reform.

• Pentagon could award just 3 vendors for biggest phase of Drone Dominance Program, John Harper, DefenseScoop, February 13, 2026. Article reports that Phase I will select 12 vendors and phase IV will downselect to 3-5. The article also emphasizes that DoW will look at supply chain compliance to reduce or eliminate foreign made components and to promote a healthy American supply chain. 

• Establishing an America First Arms Transfer Strategy, Executive Order, Feb. 6, 2026. SecWar Hegseth announces the Executive Order here on X promoting more and better weapons on a faster timeline for U.S. allies.

• xAI held an all-hands last week (video) laying out its product roadmap. The roadmap includes Macrohard, an AI training supercluster in Memphis which aims to create the capability to produce all digital goods and services. It also revealed more behind the merger with SpaceX and the goal to build data centers in space and eventually a massdriver on the moon. 

• 9 startups from Palantir alumni you need to know – Fast Company, David Linsky, Fast Company. Article discussing startups founded by former Palantir employees such as Manifest and Nominal.

• Akin Gump Space Law and Policy update.

Social Media and Podcasts

• Viral post Something Big is Happening on X discusses the pace of AI improvement and its implication for the economy and society, including the legal profession. Here is a podcast from the the AI Daily Brief analyzing the post.

• Ep 18 – Starfish Space: Building Autonomous Satellite Servicing in a Contested Space Domain, Mission Matters, Maggie Gray. Podcast discussing space rendezvous and proximity operations technology. Starfish is a space defense tech startup and its CEO also talks about navigating SBIR, STRATFI, and working with the Space Force. 

• FILE 25: THE SHIELD PURSUIT MANUAL, Startup DoD, Substack, Ross Facione

Feb 11, 2026. Article discusses MDA’s SHIELD IDIQ and reporting that initial requests for proposals for task orders will begin in March 2026.

• No CMMC, No Contract: Why You’re Already Too Late for NAVAIR, podcast by Summit 7 which argues that companies should be looking at procurement action lead time (PALT) among other factors to determine how long they have to prepare for CMMC requirements in future solicitations.  

• Here is a podcast from the CMMC Compliance Guidance on the Jan. 2026 CMMC townhall discussing Hard Copy CUI, Scope, and program changes.

• LinkedIn post by CEO of Persistant Systems, LLC discussing the Army’s partnership with industry in the 4th Infantry Division’s Ivy Sting IV  innovation event. 

• Linkedin post promoting a U.S. Army JAG School podcast on the FAR Overhaul. 

• X post announces first of its kind airlift carrying the 8 modules of the Ward250 nuclear reactor flying from from March Air Reserve Base, CA to Hill Air Force Base, UT. 

Open Defense Tech Legal Jobs

* Indicates new additions since last newsletter.

• Legal Counsel, Apex Technology, Inc., Los Angeles, CA (Space)*
• Associate General Counsel, Government Contracts, Hadrian, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. (Advanced Manufacturing)*
• Senior Counsel, Contracts, Hadrian, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. (Advanced Manufacturing)*
• Compliance Counsel, Hadrian, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. (Advanced Manufacturing)*
• Senior Counsel, Export Controls & Cybersecurity, Hadrian, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. (Advanced Manufacturing)*
• Senior Corporate Counsel, Otto Aerospace, Washington, D.C. (Aerospace)*
• Sr. Global Trade Analyst, SpaceX, Hawthorne, CA (Space)*
• Sr. Global Trade Analyst, SpaceX, Washington, D.C. (Space)*
• U,S. Privacy Counsel, Palantir, Washington, D.C. (AI, Intel, C2, and Data)*
• Senior Legal Program Manager, IonQ, Bothell, Washington, United States; College Park, Maryland, United States; Remote, US (Quantum, Space)*
• Legal Counsel, Public Sector, Databricks, Washington, D.C. (Data and AI)
• Associate General Counsel, Persistent Systems, New York, NY (Radio networks)
• Corporate Counsel, Echodyne, Remote (Radar)
• Paralegal, Saronic, Austin, TX (Maritime Autonomy)
• Legal Operations Engineer, Hadrian, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. (Advanced Manufacturing)
• Corporate Counsel, Ursa Major, Berthoud, CO (Space, hypersonics)
• Senior Corporate Counsel, Rocket Lab Corporation, Long Beach, CA (Space)
• Legal Operations Associate, Forterra, Clarksburg, MD (Ground Autonomy)
• Counsel – Supply Chain, Forterra, Arlington, VA (Ground Autonomy)
• Senior Corporate Counsel – Aerospace & Defense, Microchip, Inc., Chandler, AZ (Semiconductors)
• Compliance Counsel, Saronic, Austin, TX, San Diego, CA, Washington, D.C. Multiple legal positions across legal ops/paralegal/etc. (Maritime Autonomy)
• Associate General Counsel, MP Materials, Las Vegas, NV (Rare earths)
• Legal and Compliance Analyst, Global Trade Compliance, Washington, D.C. and Hawthorne, CA, SpaceX (Space)
• M&A Corporate Counsel, Anduril Industries, Costas Mesa, CA (Unmanned systems and AI)
• Product Counsel, Nominal, Washington, D.C. (Engineering and testing platform)
• Legal Counsel – Contracts, Palantir Technologies, Washington, D.C. (Software/AI)
• Assistant General Counsel, K2 Space, Los Angeles, CA (Space)
• Senior Counsel, Government Business, Beehive Industries, Knoxville, TN (also roles in Loveland, OH and Englewood, CO) (Advanced manufacturing)
• Paralegal, Beehive Industries, Loveland, OH (Advanced manufacturing)
• Commercial Counsel, Government Contracts, xAi, Washington, D.C. (AI)
• Senior Director and AGC, Product Legal (Privacy, IP, Employment), Scale AI, San Francisco, CA (AI)
• Lead Counsel, Product and Employment, Scale AI, San Francisco, CA (AI)

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

• The Pivot to Commercial Contracting: What Does It Mean for Cost and Pricing in Federal Procurement?, March 3, 2026, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. ET, Webinar. Venable and HKA.

• 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.

• Private Capital, Defense, and National Security: Investing at the Intersection, February 24, Webinar, Webinar and in-person, New York, NY, Goodwin.*

• 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.

Space

• Defense and Intelligence Space Conference, National Security Space Association, February 9-11, 2026, Hyatt Regency Reston, Reston VA and NGA, Springfield VA.

• 2026 Space Beach Law Lab , February 24-26, 2026, Long Beach, CA

• 2026 SmallSat Symposium, Silicon Valley, CA, February 10-12, 2026. Industry focused.

• ABA 2026 Washington Update Conference, March 6, 2026, The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C.

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.

Pro Bono and Volunteer Opportunities

• Volunteer as a judge for this year’s North American Round of the IISL Manfred Lachs Space Law moot court competition. More information about this great event is on the website.

Contact Defense Tech Legal Network.

Defense Tech Legal Network Est. January 2026

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