Defense contractor Leidos Inc. announced last week the appointment of seasoned defense attorney Jerald Howe Jr. as executive vice president and general counsel. Howe, who joins the company on July 10, according to a company spokesperson, will bring more than 30 years of experience in aerospace, defense and intelligence to the Reston, Virginia-based giant.

Howe will join Leidos from firm Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson's Washington, D.C., office, where he leads the government contracts practice and focuses on government contracts litigation, investigations and bid protests, as well as mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions. Prior to Fried Frank, Howe held a handful of in-house roles. Most recently, he was senior vice president and general counsel at private defense contractor TASC Inc. and before that, he held the same title at intelligence and military contractor Veridian Corp.

“I am very excited to be rejoining the aerospace, defense and intelligence industry—and particularly to be joining Leidos, a tremendous company with great people and [one] that I know very well,” Howe said in an email.