Sean Sabin is the Vice President and General Counsel of Raytheon Missiles and Defense. He graduated from GW Law in 2003 with an LLM in Government Procurement Law. We were delighted to speak with him recently about his incredible career path and experience in GW Law’s Government Procurement Law Program.
Interview with Sean Sabin
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. Please tell us about your current role with Raytheon.
I’m currently the Vice President and General Counsel of Raytheon Missiles and Defense (RMD). With operations across the globe and annual sales of $16 billion, 40% of which is international, RMD is one of four businesses that make up Raytheon Technologies Corp. The four business are the result of a 2020 merger involving Raytheon Company, Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney, and I was charged with designing, staffing and leading a newly created 170-person legal, compliance and ethics operation. With that job complete and with Raytheon Technologies Corp approaching its second anniversary, I will be leaving the company to find the next challenge in my career.
Could you tell us about your career path and experiences that led you to this position?
It really began with my Air Force career. After serving in the Comptroller career field as a young officer, I was selected for an Air Force program that sent me to law school and eventually into a government procurement law assignment at the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). This assignment allowed me to utilize my military, law and business experience – I was awarded an MBA degree while an Air Force ROTC cadet at Vanderbilt University – and I quickly realized this was my professional calling. After graduating from GW Law’s Government Procurement Law LLM Program in 2003, I had a few more Air Force procurement law assignments before retiring at the rank of lieutenant colonel after a 20-year career. I then served as Of Counsel in Foley & Lardner’s government procurement practice before accepting a senior counsel position at Raytheon Company. I eventually was selected to be Vice President and General Counsel of Raytheon Company’s Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) business, a role I held at the time of the 2020 merger.
What are some of your favorite aspects of practicing in this area of the law?
Undoubtedly, my favorite aspect is the people. Government procurement professionals are some of the best people you will meet – very collegial, smart, and fun. Everyone gets along extremely well, whether they practice on the government side, industry side, or at a law firm. I look forward to the end of the pandemic when we again can gather as a group for in-person events. Also, serving as an expert in a very specialized area of the law is very satisfying and professionally rewarding. The leaders I have supported throughout my career have really valued my insight and counsel on matters that are both complex and essential to mission success.
“I can think of no other law school program like [the GW Law Government Procurement Law Program]. You will learn from the absolute best practitioners of this area of the law in the city where it all happens, you will forge a relationship with the Program that will continue throughout your career, and you will form lifelong friendships.”
Sean Sabin (LLM ’03)
Please tell us whether GW Law’s Government Procurement Law Program met your expectations.
It is the best professional decision I ever made. I was very lucky to get selected for the Program midway through my Air Force career and almost immediately knew that I would focus on this area of the law for the rest of my professional career. The Program is the epicenter of the government procurement world, both nationally and internationally, and I have been able to meet many of the leading practitioners in this field through my affiliation with the Program. I also quickly realized that this area of the law is far more collegial than most. There is a family aspect to it, and over time I have learned that my government procurement colleagues will do whatever they can to help you on a matter.
Please tell us about your experience as a GW Law student – what are some of your favorite memories?
My twin daughters, who now are sophomores in college, were born the first day of classes, so that undoubtedly is the greatest memory of my life. Unlike any other academic program in which I have participated, I genuinely looked forward to attending every class during my two semesters in the Program. The topics were always interesting, the professors had fascinating stories to bring each day’s subjects to life, and the class participation was dynamic. It was both an academic and practical environment, where the concepts I learned were applied to events that had occurred relatively contemporaneously. My classmates and I also had a lot of fun, both in the classroom and occasionally after class at a nearby watering hole. Finally, every day I was amazed at the energy level of the Program’s instructors, particularly Steve Schooner. His enthusiasm for government procurement matters was and is amazing, and it caused me to become passionate about an area of the law in a way that I didn’t think was possible.
You participated in our Government Contracts Moot Court Competition when you were a student – what was that experience like?
I was a little hesitant to participate due to time constraints associated with being a new father to twins who were born very prematurely, but I am so glad that I did. It was the absolute highlight of my time at GW Law. I partnered with then Air Force Captain Rebecca Vernon, now a brigadier general in the Air Force JAG Corps, and after success in the first round we made a pact that we were in it to win it. To this day, I still can remember the arguments we made for each side. The finals were at held at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in front of practicing government procurement judges, and it was an extremely exciting and nerve-racking day. When Rebecca and I were announced as both the Overall Winner and Best Briefs awardees at the event’s banquet dinner, I jumped out of my seat and hugged Rebecca. We were thrilled that all our hard work and long hours had paid off. I still cherish the pictures from that day.
In my opinion, moot court is one of the best ways to prepare for a legal career because the written and oral advocacy skills one perfects during the moot court process are essential to success as a counsel.
What was the topic of your thesis? Could you tell us a little bit about the thesis-writing experience?
My thesis topic was “Rethinking the Presumption of Social and Economic Disadvantage,” and it was published in the Public Contract Law Journal in 2004. The thesis publication process was arduous and important to improving my research and writing skills. The hard work I put into researching the history of social and economic disadvantage programs, their state in the 2000s, and then recommending a new path to more equitably achieve the programs’ worthy goals was very rewarding. The guidance I received from Chris Yukins also was extremely helpful. It is the one part of the LLM program that is just the individual student and a professor. Teamwork is very important to success as a government procurement lawyer, but so is a very thorough working knowledge of a topic that is important to the success of the organization you support and counsel. The thesis process was important to that part of my professional development.
What advice do you have for attorneys who may be interested in seeking an LLM in government procurement law?
I highly recommend it. I can think of no other law school program like it. You will learn from the absolute best practitioners of this area of the law in the city where it all happens, you will forge a relationship with the Program that will continue throughout your career, and you will form lifelong friendships. In addition, since it is such a specialized area of the law, you will graduate with government procurement law knowledge and acumen that very few have.
What advice do you have for recent grads and other attorneys early in their careers that are practicing in this field?
Keep building the networks that you started while at GW Law. Participate in as many events as possible and get to know as many government procurement leaders as you can. Not only will you benefit professionally, but you will also enjoy the experiences.