Defense Tech Legal Network Newsletter 11

March 30, 2026

Our goal is to build the community of defense tech legal professionals. The newsletter aims to further your professional development and raise awareness of good content and opportunities.

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News

• Acquisition Marketplaces Are Blossoming, Defense Tech and Acquisition, Matt MacGregor and Pete Modigliani, Feb. 28, 2026. News headlines and summaries from the week; nonlegal focused.

• The most innovative companies in defense tech for 2026, March 24, 2026, Fast Company.

• Pentagon Expands Use of Palantir AI in New Defense Contract, March 25, 2026,  Military.com, originally reported by Reuters. Here is a video demo of the capability. Link to a Substack with further analysis of Maven Smart System and its transition to a program of record.

• Anthropic v. DoW. The Judge granted the preliminary injunction which will pause enforcement of the designation of Anthropic as a supply chain risk pending full litigation. However, the Judge will wait seven days to implement the ruling in order to allow the government to appeal. The Court found Anthropic is likely to succeed on the merits for its claims of First Amendment retaliation (described as “First Amendment retaliation” for punishing the company’s public advocacy on AI safety and usage restrictions), Fifth Amendment due process violations (de facto debarment), and Administrative Procedure Act violations (supply chain risk designation deemed “contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious,” plus failure to follow procedures in 10 U.S.C. § 3252). See latest article from Fluet law, Isaac Natter, David Panzer, Matthew Thrasher. Link to Court Decision.

• NASA goes big on the Moon and Mars, Space Commerce Week, March 29, 2026. NASA to spend $20 billion to build a base on the moon, NBC News. NASA is cancelling the lunar space station and will instead use its components to construct a lunar base. 

• Defense technology startup Shield AI valued at $12.7 billion in latest funding round, March 26, 2026 Reuters. Series G round for $2 Billion led by Advent International and co-led by JPMorganChase’s Strategic Investment ​Group, and previous  investors such as Snowpoint Ventures ​and Riot Ventures.

• Army picks companies to build commercial data centers at Fort Bliss, Dugway Proving Ground, DefenseScoop, Drew F. Lawrence, March 29, 2026. Carlyle Group and CyrusOne will operate commercial data centers on the Texas and Utah installations under the Army’s Enhanced Use Lease program.

• The US Army is already ditching its most powerful laser weapon yet, March 23, 2026, Jared Keller, MilitaryTimes. The Army decided not to transition the  300 kilowatt Indirect Fire Protection Capability-High Energy Laser system (IFPC-HEL or Valkyrie) to a program of record.

Social Media and Podcasts

• Submarines and the Future of Defense Manufacturing, a16z Podcast, Chris Power, CEO, Hadrian, and Vice Admiral Robert Gaucher, portfolio manager for submarines.

• Short post on stubstack discussing the unmanned sea vehicles, strategic chokepoints, and the USV market. 

• Ep. 77 – Tasking Satellite in Seconds, Crossing the Valley Podcast, Discussion with Luke Fischer, Co-founder and CEO of SkyFi.

• The SpaceX and Tesla Playbook for Hard Tech Startups, The A16z Show podcast. 

• Linkedin post, Jeremy Burkhart, John McAdams, Sarah Beard, Holland & Knight, discussing the U.S. Army commercial solutions opening (CSO) for counter-drone technology in support of Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF) 401. Full analysis here.

• The FCC’s Hardest Call, March 27, 2026, Mike Turner, Journal of Space Commerce. Article analyzes Amazon’s Jan. 30, 2026 filed extension to its FCC deployment milestone schedule (it deployed 212 out of 1,616 required under the license). Amazon pointed to the lack of launch capacity as the primary driver of the shortfall, but also noted it has taken steps to resolve the bottleneck. SpaceX filed a comment in opposition which cited to the FCC’s 1999 Teledesic precedent arguing that an extension should remove Amazon of its spectrum priority for the undeployed portion. Link to Amazon’s response to SpaceX’s comment. 

• How Prime Contractors Evaluate Supplier Cybersecurity and CMMC Compliance, CMMC Compliance Guide Podcast.

• Why the White House’s two-year Tech Force stints are aimed at young people’s approach to work, Fedscoop daily podcast. Podcast also discusses the new President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) which includes tech executives such as Mark Zuckerberg, Meta; Larry Ellison, Oracle; Sergy Brin, Google; and Jensen Huang, Nvidia. It is chaired by David Sacks and Michael Kratsios.

• The Missing Power Layer of Modern Warfare, a16z podcast. Adam Warmouth, CEO, Chariot Defense, and Alex Miller, CTO, U.S. Army.

Open Defense Tech Legal Jobs

* Indicates new additions since last newsletter.

• Commercial Counsel – Government Contracts, Palo Alto, CA, Washington, D.C. (AI)*
• Director of Contracts, Inversion, Los Angeles, CA (Space to ground logistics)*
• Legal Counsel, Maritime, Anduril Industries, Washington, D.C. (Autonomous Systems and AI)*
• Director, Trade Compliance, Blue Origin, Greater Seattle Area, Space Coast, FL (Space)
• Deal Operations Administrator, Palantir Technologies, New York, NY (AI, Decision and Intel Systems)
• Legal Counsel, Palantir Technologies, Washington, D.C. (AI, Decision and Intel Systems)
• Legal and Compliance Analyst, Privacy and Security, SpaceX, Hawthorne, CA, Washington, D.C., Bastrop, TX (Space)
• Legal Counsel, Air Defense & Counter Intrusion, Anduril Industries, Washington, D.C., Costa Mesa, CA (Autonomous Systems and AI)
• Senior Counsel, ispace inc., Englewood, CO (Space)
• Associate General Counsel, Commercial, Neros Technologies, El Segundo, CA (Small UAS)
• Senior Counsel – Intellectual Property, IonQ, Bothell, Washington, Remote (Quantum)
• General Counsel, CoAspire, Fairfax, VA (Advanced Weapon Systems)
• Corporate Counsel, Velo3D, Fremont CA (3d Printing, Additive Manufacturing)
• Legal Administrator/Contracts Compliance, Planet, Arlington, VA (Satellite Imaging)
• Sr. Counsel, Commercial & Product, Archer, San Jose, CA (EVOTL)
• Sr. Counsel, Intellectual Property, Archer, San Jose, CA (EVOTL)
• Associate General Counsel – Space & Defense Group, Moog, Buffalo, NY (cUAS, motion controls)
• Commercial Counsel, Public Sector, Peregrine Technologies, Washington, D.C. (Public Safety and Intel AI)
• Lead Counsel – Public Sector, Datadog, Remote (Cloud monitoring and Security)
• Government Contracts Manager, Mach Industries, Huntington Beach, CA and Washington, D.C. (Autonomous Systems)
• Legal Counsel, Scout AI, Sunnyvale, CA (Robotics and AI)
• Head of Strategic Contracts and M&A, Public Sector, NVIDIA, Richmond, VA (AI and Semiconductors)
• Legal Counsel-Commercial, FieldAI, Irvine, CA (Robotics and AI)
• General Counsel, Ursa Major, Berthoud, Colorado (Space, Hypersonics)
• Head of Compliance, Shift5, Remote (Operational technology, cybersecurity)
• Head of Safety Compliance, Boston Dynamics, Waltham, MA (Robotics)
• Director, Corporate Attorney, Vantor, Herndon, VA (Geoint)
• Associate General Counsel, Product, Neros Technologies, El Segundo, CA (Small UAS)
• Director of Contracts, Inversion, Playa Vista, CA (Space)
• Senior Contract Specialist – Legal, Otto Aerospace, Washington, D.C. (Aerospace)
• Senior Counsel – Business Operations (National Aerospace Systems), Peraton, Reston, VA (IT and Cybersecurity)
• Regulatory and Export Compliance Attorney, True Anomaly, Denver, CO, Long Beach, CA, or Remote (Space)
• Corporate Paralegal, True Anomaly, Denver, CO, Long Beach, CA, or Remote (Space)
• Associate General Counsel, Government Contracts, Hadrian, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. (Advanced Manufacturing)
• Associate General Counsel – Labor and Employment, 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)
• 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)*
• Senior 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)
• Corporate Counsel, Ursa Major, Berthoud, CO (Space, hypersonics)
• Senior Corporate Counsel, Rocket Lab Corporation, Long Beach, CA (Space)

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

• Small Business Contracting & Subcontracting, April 15, Webinar, Eric Valle, PilieroMazza.*
• Innovation Insights: Navigating the Complexities of Employment Law Impacting Geographically-Dispersed Workforces, April 16, 2026, Webinar, Crowell & Moring.*
• NCMA Warfighter Acquisition Forum, April 23, 2026, Washington, D.C. One-day forum for defense acquisition pros; discussions on strategies and policies.
• Government Contractors Navigating a Sea Change (OOPS 2026), April 22, 2026, Crowell & Moring
• Responding to Government Investigations – The Latest Developments and Strategies for Government Contractors, April 23, 2026, Crowel & Moring, The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner.
• 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

• 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 Control

• Live Export Compliance Seminar, June 15-18, Chicago, IL. Enforcement-focused ITAR/EAR.
• Customs Hot Topics Around the World, October 6, Webinar, Baker Mckenzie.*
• Risk Management and Practical Compliance Tips in a Changing Sanctions World, December 10, Webinar, Baker Mckenzie.*

Intellectual Property (IP)

• 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

• 41st Space Symposium, April 13–16, 2026, Colorado Springs, Colorado. This is a premier space-sector gathering with a dedicated Space Law and Regulation Track focused on current legal and regulatory issues affecting commercial space activity, along with broader access to senior government, industry, and policy stakeholders across the space ecosystem.*  

• Nebraska Law Annual Space Law Fall Conference, September 24, 2026, Washington, D.C.

Industry & Entrepreneurship

• Technology & National Security Conference 2026, April 3-4, Cambridge MA (MIT).
• Sea-Air-Space, April 19-22, Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center.*
• Alignment Summit, April 29, Santa Clara. Deep tech connections.
• Defense TechConnect Innovation Summit & Expo, Sep. 22-24, 2026, National Harbor, Maryland.

Pro Bono and Volunteer Opportunities

More coming soon. 

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