As announced by Bloomberg Law, defense contractor Leidos Holdings Inc. has elected to bring back Daniel Antal as a successor to their retiring general counsel, Jerald “Jerry” Howe Jr. Antal, who previously held various positions at Leidos, including corporate secretary and general counsel of the civil group, is slated to take over as Leidos’ top lawyer on April 1, 2024.
Antal took up a role as general counsel for North America and defense at Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC in 2021, after having contributed to Leidos for approximately eight years. Meanwhile, Howe is set to assume a full-time advisory role through July 31, 2024, after which, he shall serve as a consultant to Leidos.
The company has already arranged a consulting agreement with Howe, providing for $1,200 per hour on a biweekly basis, extending from August 1, 2024, to March 15, 2025. Howe, an experienced professional, came to Leidos in 2017, having previously worked in private practice at prestigious firms such as Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, and Steptoe & Johnson.
Antal, in his new leadership role, is expected to bring substantial expertise from his experiences in the defense and aerospace industries. His extensive knowledge covers contracts, corporate governance, legal matters, and risk, as per the statement released by Leidos.
Leidos’ enterprises extend beyond defense contracting. They announced a unique collaboration with Microsoft Corp in the last year centered on hastening the adoption of artificial intelligence technology in the public sector. However, not without controversy, the company has faced scrutiny over allegations of sexual harassment at U.S. government facilities in Antarctica.
Lastly, it is noteworthy that Ogletree Deakins, a national labor and employment-focused law firm, had a stake in nearly 44% of Leidos’ court appearances in the past five years. Leidos also compensated Troutman Pepper’s public affairs arm with $120,000 for lobbying at the federal level on topics pertinent to defense health programs during the initial three quarters of 2023.