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Overview

Covering the full government contracting cycle

There’s no finish line when it comes to government contracts. Securing and managing government contracts can be highly lucrative but requires careful navigation through complex regulations, including the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), and various agency-specific requirements. Government contractors must not only win bids but also maintain compliance throughout the contract lifecycle, including managing disputes and ensuring regulatory adherence. After passing background checks and security clearance investigations, selected contractors must ensure continued compliance with layered frameworks of government policies and regulations as they deliver on their obligations. Here, legal guidance isn’t an option; it’s a must.

At Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig, we offer comprehensive legal support across the full spectrum of government contracting. From pre-bid compliance assessments to post-award disputes, we assist contractors with navigating every stage of the contracting process. Our team, which includes attorneys with Top Secret clearances and Armed Services veterans, has a deep understanding of the complexities of government contracting, particularly in the intelligence and defense verticals.

Our experience in government contracts

Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig advises businesses throughout the procurement process, helping them compete for contracts and manage compliance risks. Our services encompass all contracting phases, from solicitation and negotiation to performance, claims, and disputes filed in courts and with government agencies.

Our law firm represents contractors both bringing and defending pre-award and post-award bid protests, including cases before the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. We work with clients to evaluate the merits of potential protests and provide aggressive representation in defending awarded contracts.

Our team has also successfully defended government contractors facing suspension or debarment. We help clients respond to show cause notices and negotiate with suspension and debarment officials to protect their ability to continue securing federal contracts.

We work with small and disadvantaged businesses in leveraging government programs that provide access to set-aside contracts. Our attorneys help businesses apply for and maintain certifications under programs such as the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 8(a), HUBZone, and service-disabled veteran-owned programs while defending against size or eligibility protests.

We also advise clients on the structuring and negotiation of teaming agreements, joint ventures, and subcontracts, helping them establish successful partnerships that meet government standards and protect their interests in the performance of the contract.

Whether businesses are responding to solicitations, managing contract performance, or addressing compliance issues, our team provides the legal expertise needed to succeed in the competitive world of government contracting.

What we do

  • Serve as outsourced general counsel for government contractors
  • Offer guidance on ethics programs, internal control systems, post-employment/revolving door issues, recordkeeping and reporting, corporate policies and procedures, streamlining purchasing and contracting operations, proposal writing, and small business programs
  • Advise on intra-corporate service agreements, organizational conflicts of interest, and acquisition due diligence
  • Conduct risk assessments and contract audits to help organizations comply with FAR/DFARS, contract compliance, and internal investigation requests
  • Evaluate claims involving the False Claims Act (FCA), the Truthful Cost and Pricing Act, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and anti-trafficking laws
  • Prepare companies for Contractor Purchasing System Reviews (CPSRs) by conducting internal audits, identifying gaps, and drafting policies, procedures, templates, and process documentation to meet Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) requirements
  • Review issues relating to cost accounting, supply chain security, and labor mapping
  • Lead contract negotiation and cradle-to-gave contract management, including prime and subcontract negotiations, teaming agreements, reseller agreements, nondisclosure agreements, exclusivity agreements, joint venture agreements, Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs), GSA schedules, mentor-protégé agreements, major systems acquisitions, basic ordering agreements, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts and orders, Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grants, service agreements, software and hardware licensing agreements, and more
  • Handle classified contracting matters, including National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM) issues, facility security clearance audits, personnel security clearances, special procurement authority reviews, and Foreign Ownership Control & Influence (FOCI) mitigation
  • Serve as counsel in contract-related disputes, including bid protests, requests for equitable adjustment, termination cost proposals, debarment and suspension, government contract claims, security clearance denials and revocations, breaches of contract, change orders, exclusivity issues, and matters under the Contract Disputes Act
  • Counsel clients on international public procurement matters, including Foreign Military Sales (FMS), international entity establishment, offsets, trade and export matters, direct commercial sales, treaties, status of forces agreements, and joint government programs
  • Conduct cradle-to-grave government contract compliance audits
  • Help businesses develop a full system of internal controls to meet federal contract and regulatory requirements, including training executives, program teams, contracts and purchasing staff, human resources, security, and finance in implementing the controls
  • Develop contract templates — including subcontracts, nondisclosure agreements, software licenses, reseller agreements, consulting agreements, vendor agreements, purchase orders, statements of work, master services agreements, employment agreements, lease agreements, and more
  • Represent clients in bid protests before federal agencies, the GAO, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims
  • Defend contractors in bid protests brought by unsuccessful offerors, working closely with agency and Department of Justice counsel to protect awarded contracts
  • Defend contractors facing suspension or debarment from federal contracting
  • Help clients respond to notices of proposed suspension or debarment, prepare responses to agency information requests, and establish present responsibility to mitigate risks
  • Lead negotiations with suspension and debarment officials to protect clients’ eligibility for federal contracts
  • Assist clients with applications for set-aside contracts under SBA programs like 8(a), HUBZone, and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses
  • Defend small businesses facing size protests and appeals before the SBA’s Office of Hearings and Appeals
  • Advise on structuring and negotiating teaming agreements and joint ventures, including mentor-protégé agreements
  • Draft and review subcontracts, nondisclosure agreements, and other related agreements
  • Represent clients in disputes involving subcontract performance, work-share agreements, and profit-sharing disputes
  • Lead government contract negotiations, including prime contracts, subcontracts, and teaming agreements

OUR TEAM

Partners

Ellis Bennett

Partner

Thomas Dunlap

Partner

Bernard Goodman

Partner

Aaron Jackson

Partner

David Ludwig

Partner

Team

Tracy Pearson

Senior Associate

Brandon Rickwood

Senior Associate

Michael Shafer

Senior Associate

Carolyn Williams

Senior Associate

Jason Witten

Of Counsel

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Intern Program

As part of our effort to recruit, develop and retail the best and brightest attorneys, Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig offers a summer intern program for promising law school students who are looking to work as part of an innovative and incredibly successful team. With a global team of lawyers, selected candidates are able to work on high level projects in a collaborative space.

Paralegals and Legal Support Staff

At Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig, our team of paralegals and staff work together collaboratively along side our attorneys toward a common goal. We have created a positive work environment where our paralegals and legal assistants work to successfully reach firm-wide goals and support each other to combine individual strengths to enhance team performance. They regularly assist our attorneys with organizing and maintaining files, conducting legal research, and preparing documents.