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Government Contracts

Who We Are
Rogers Joseph O'Donnell is highly respected as one of the leading government contracts law firms in the country. Formed by two of the firm's founding partners, Allan Joseph and Neil O'Donnell, the Rogers Joseph O'Donnell Government Contracts Practice Group has been an integral part of our practice since the firm was established in 1981. With more than 80 years' combined experience in the practice area, our Government Contracts partners hold leadership positions in national and State government contracts bar and industry associations.

What We Do
Our Government Contracts lawyers help solve the many different problems that confront companies doing business with federal, state and local public agencies, by counseling our clients and providing advocacy in litigation and other forums. Our work covers the full scope of the procurement and contract performance cycles, including:
  • Disputes between Contractors and the Government
  • Disputes between Prime Contractors and Subcontractors
  • Teaming and Joint Venture Agreements for Public Contracts
  • Compliance With Solicitation and Procurement Requirements
  • Drafting and Negotiating Prime Contracts and Subcontracts
  • Claims, Constructive Changes and Other Performance Disputes
  • Due Diligence in Acquisitions and Mergers
  • Terminations for Default and Convenience
  • Suspension and Debarment
Our Government Contract lawyers assist clients in all substantive areas of Federal and State procurement law, including:
  • Bid Protests At the Federal, State and Local Level
  • Fraud, Qui Tam, Voluntary Disclosures and Defective Pricing Matters
  • Procurement Integrity, "Revolving Door" and Ethics Matters
  • Rights in Data, Intellectual Property and Software Licensing
  • Electronic Contracts and E-Procurements by Public Agencies
  • Import-Export Compliance and "Buy-American" Requirements
  • Compliance with Cost Accounting Standards
  • Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Contracts
Our attorneys are regularly relied upon to provide advice and counseling to our clients and often conduct internal investigations for them in these areas. We practice in federal and state courts, before the Boards of Contract Appeals and in the United States Court of Federal Claims and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on the wide variety of disputes which arise between contractors and public entities and between contractors and their subcontractors. In addition to handling litigation and appeals, Rogers Joseph O'Donnell attorneys are very experienced in arbitrations, mediations and other forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

Because of our wide-ranging experience in handling difficult government contract disputes, our Government Contract lawyers are also routinely retained to handle complex commercial contract litigation matters and arbitrations. These cases have included multi-million dollar disputes over contracts for computer software and hardware, satellite launch services, digital camera systems, and commercial and cruise ship conversions.

Who We Represent
We work with large and small companies in the myriad industries that provide products and services to public agencies. Our representative government contract clients include Accenture, Bechtel, Delta Dental, DynCorp, Educational Testing Service, FMC Technologies, Hewlett Packard, Intercon Security Systems, IT Design USA, Lockheed Martin, Motorola, Northrop Grumman, Seagate Software, Southwest Marine, Teledyne Technologies, United Defense, URS, and WorldGroup Consulting.

The Value We Add
Our clients gain the benefit of the many years' combined experience of our partners in practicing government contracts law. This means fewer start-up costs and faster results for our clients. While Rogers Joseph O'Donnell has the depth and resources to handle the largest cases, we also staff cases more leanly than most firms. Based on our active involvement in government contracts bar and industry associations, we often provide leadership and advice on cutting edge issues and initiatives facing companies in their government markets.

The firm has established favorable law in a number of areas, including the permissible scope of qui tam actions, choice of law in prime-subcontract disputes, terminations, and the scope of federal court review of agency actions. Rogers Joseph O'Donnell also has achieved settlements that have influenced government policy in specific areas of procurement law, such as environmental cost recovery under government contracts.

Rogers Joseph O'Donnell is able to draw from its pool of partners and associates experienced in government contracts law and provide consistent, long-term staffing to our clients. Complemented by our White Collar Defense, Construction, Employment, and Complex Commercial Practice Groups, Rogers Joseph O'Donnell's Government Contracts Practice Group has the expertise and resources to resolve any issue or dispute that may arise in the complex web of federal, State and local regulations that apply to public contracts.

Representative Cases and Issues:
  • American Institutes for Research v. California Department of Education, Educational Testing Service, Intended Awardee; successful defense of bid protest at California Office of Administrative Hearings against award of contract for California high school exit exam.
  • Am-Pro Protective Agency, Inc., MVM, Inc., B-271385.4 et. al., 96-2 Comp. Gen. 192; represented awardee in successfully defending against protest based on allegations of improper proposal evaluation, unbalanced bidding and unreasonable price analysis.
  • Anacomp, Inc., B-242029, 91-1 Comp. Gen. 291; represented GSA Federal Supply Schedule ("FSS") contractor in successful challenge to award of microfiche reader/printer to non-FSS contractor.
  • FMS Corp., B-255301, 94-1 Comp. Gen. 141; successful defense of award to FMC Corp. of $69 million contract for supply of armored personnel carriers to U.S. Army.
  • IBM v. California Statewide Automated Welfare System Consortium-IV; successful defense of bid protest against $450 million "best value" contract award to Andersen Consulting.
  • Inter-Con Security Systems, Inc., ASBCA Nos. 46251, 95-1 BCA 27,424; represented contractor in dispute over applicability of DOL wage determination to Air Force contract for security guard services.
  • Language Line Services v. State of California; successful bid protest in California Superior Court on contract for translation services for California emergency response telephone network.
  • Lockheed v. Garrett, et al., United States District Court, Central District of California; enjoined Navy from withholding $124 million in unliquidated progress payments.
  • Lockheed Corp. v. Widnall, 113 F.3d 1255 (Fed. Cir. 1997); successfully brought test case to determine the allowability of interest paid by contractor to State of California on supplemental tax assessment.
  • Motorola, Inc., ASBCA No. 39782, 93-3 BCA 26,081; represented contractor in successful challenge to Army's improper exercise of contract option under contract for multi-mission transceiver radios.
  • New S.D., Inc. v. Rockwell Int'l. Corp., 79 F.3d 953 (9th Cir. 1995); federal law applies to subcontract dispute where prime contract involves national security.
  • Peter Kiewit Sons' Co., IBCA Nos., 3535-95 et al., 2000 BCA 31,044 and 99-2 BCA 30,401; represented general contractor and its pipe supplier in defending against multi-million dollar latent defect claim brought by Department of Interior Bureau of Reclamation relating to Central Arizona Project.
  • San Francisco Unified School District v. Strategic Organizational Systems, Inc., Contra Costa Superior Court; disputed claims on high school asbestos abatement contract.
  • San Joaquin Helicopters v. State of California; DynCorp. Technical Services, Real Party in Interest, 110 Cal. App. 4th 1549 (2003); successful defense in California Superior Court of protest to award of contract for operation and maintenance of California's firefighting airplanes.
  • Southwest Marine v. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Society of Maritime Arbitrators Arbitration; determination that shipyard was justified in stopping work due to lack of direction from owner.
  • Todd Shipyards v. Cunard Lines, 943 F.2d 1056 (9th Cir. 1991); award of compensatory and punitive damages and attorneys' fees in cruise ship arbitration.
  • United States ex rel. Hansen v. Cargill, Inc., 107 F. Supp. 2d 1172 (N.D. Cal. 2000); motion to dismiss false claims action granted based on public disclosure jurisdictional bar.

References available upon request.

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Government Contracts Publications


Attorneys
Neil H. O'Donnell (co-chair)
Allan J. Joseph (co-chair) br> Michelle L. Baker
Thomas D. Blanford
David F. Innis
Suhani Kamdar
Joseph C. McGowan
Robert M. Osier
Aaron P. Silberman