Government Contracts

The US Government is perhaps the single largest consumer of products and services.  It spends nearly half a trillion dollars every year. The Government can be a great customer. After all, the Government pays it bills (generally). You have the full faith and credit of the United States backstopping performance of the contract. On the other hand, the Government is one difficult customer that writes its own rules and expects all of its vendors to live by them—at least until they change them. Even more daunting are the all too infrequent occasions when the Government doesn’t understand or ignores the rules it made.

AWR has decades-long experience representing companies of all sizes and backgrounds in their dealings with the Government. The firm represents very large and small businesses. A significant number of the very largest government contractors are clients. Yet, the firm is dedicated to providing the same quality of services regardless of the client's size.

The firm’s clients have included companies that provide cutting edge engineering capabilities to NASA, live combat training to Marines, security guard staffing at Government facilities, O&M services for major government operations, and health counseling in developing countries—one client even cleaned the halls of Congress. Our clients share an entrepreneurial spirit that values creative, results-oriented solutions. Whether the task is negotiating a change order, defining compliance policies, or fighting adverse government actions, your business objectives drive the firm’s approach to your needs.

 

AWR’s Government Contracts services include:

  • Bid Protests

  • Contract claims including the preparation of requests for equitable adjustment and appeals

  • Subcontracts, teaming arrangements, joint ventures, and other strategic alliances

  • Ethics and compliance counseling and training

  • Suspension and debarment proceedings

  • Response to government investigations including inspector general inquiries and contract audits

  • Mergers and acquisitions support including due diligence and contract novations

  • Commercial disputes related to government contracts

  • Trade secret protection

  • Small Business Administration counseling and disputes including affiliation, size protests, NAICS code challenges and teaming arrangements

  • Construction disputes

  • Surety bond claims including Miller and Little Miller Act bonds

  • Organizational and individual conflicts of interest

  • Grants, cooperative agreements, and public-private partnerships

AWR’s attorneys have:

  • Provided ongoing advice to federal contractors regarding legal compliance, employment policies, codes of ethics, nondisclosure agreements, commercial contracts, subcontracts, and teaming agreements.

  • Analyzed, developed and updated client policies and procedures to ensure compliance with government labor and employment requirements including the Fair Labor Standards Act, Service Contract Act, and Davis-Bacon Act.

  • Represented clients in government contract disputes including the preparation of equitable adjustments, claims and the litigation of contract appeals and bid protests.

  • Served as transactional counsel regarding government contracting issues for health data analysis firm in a merger valued at $400 million.

  • Represented solar energy firm in defense of threatened debarment arising out of alleged violations of Buy American requirements.

  • Advised clients regarding requirements of GSA federal supply schedule contracts and assisted in response to GSA audits.

  • Won an appeal on behalf of aerospace company that resulted in the award of a Service Contract Act price adjustment for severance costs paid at the end of a contract.

  • Represented Alaska native corporation in disputes arising out of government subcontracts and teaming agreements.

  • Provided advice to Native American corporation regarding employment policies, terminations of employees, layoffs as well as coping with the 2013 government shutdown.