john mcgovern
legal counsel
John@SMGstrategy.com
John represents SMG clients before Congress and Executive agencies. He also provides legal counsel to US and European companies interested in forming joint ventures for US and international markets.
He specializes in international law, government contracting, defense, and intellectual property law, and presently represents US and international defense, health care, pharmaceutical, and development companies, as well as industry trade associations.
In the 2000s, he negotiated the first-ever build-lease contract with the US military for an Italian company to construct a US Navy base in Italy for the Sixth Fleet. He also represented Finmecannica’s Alenia Aeronautica, Alenia Spazio, Mirabella SpA, Montedison Spa, Ferruzzi Group, Fiat, and numerous other companies.
He also helped develop a joint venture between Alenia, SpA, and L-3 Communications to sell C-27J aircraft to the U.S. Department of Defense.
In the 1990s he was Legislative Assistant to the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and served as a senior Senate aide.
He is founder and past President and CEO of Icarus Aircraft Corporation, which owned and operated airships for Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and Outback Steakhouse. He also founded Mediterra LLC, a private equity firm that specializes in providing advice and funding for start up firms in the education, healthcare and real estate sectors. He is also managing partner at McGovern & Smith LLC, in Washington, DC.
John holds a J.D, from the Georgetown University Law Center. He attended Vanderbilt University and the University of Maryland, where he earned a BS degree and pursued graduate business studies. He is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia.