Federal and state government contracts present some of the biggest job opportunities many companies, large or small, will ever find. These markets also require award to contractors based on specific rules that do not exist in private markets. We are one of the few firms in Mississippi that knows where, how, and when to ensure that those rules are followed. Pre-award and post-award protests are time-sensitive. Our attorneys are poised to act adroitly and comprehensively when de-briefing and protest issues arise.

Our government contracts attorneys have practiced extensively before the General Accountability Office, the Court of Federal Claims, the Boards of Contract Appeal, the United States Court of Federal Appeals, and before other federal and state tribunals and agencies, including the Public Procurement Review Board and Bureau of Buildings and Ground. Our clients include prime contractors, service providers, suppliers, protesters, and intervenors.

Our extensive experience in protests includes size-protests and other "status" protests before the Small Business Administration and the Veterans Administration on matters involving the full spectrum of small-business programs. We have challenged and defended numerous size and other protests involving the 8(a), HUBZone, Mentor-Protégé, Veteran-Owned Small Business and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business programs.

Claims of a government contractor or qui tam plaintiff are governed by public laws, regulations, and jurisprudence that differ greatly from private party contracts. We have decades of experience in government contracts claims and disputes and the appeals that may be required.

We are experienced in assessment and preparation of Requests for Equitable Adjustment and Claims. We understand the rubric of certifications, regulations and limitations that impact the disputes and appeals process. We have pursued –and defended — complex claims and appeals including delays, loss-of-productivity, liquidated damages, defective specifications, government interference and disruption, changes, differing site conditions, termination for default, and terminations for convenience.

We provide guidance on the Federal Acquisition Regulation, agency-specific federal acquisition regulations, False Claims Act, Truth-in-Negotiating Act, Cost Accounting Standards, Defense Contract Audit Agency audits, Mississippi Procurement Manual, and numerous other federal and state procurement regulations.

Construction defects are a major source of disputes in the industry. Experienced counsel that routinely deals with construction projects and construction defect issues are essential to maximizing a client’s chance for success. Unlike a “general litigator,” our lawyers have not dabbled in construction defect issues. Our lawyers have spent collective decades dealing regularly with construction defect issues, from simple workmanship issues to highly complex, multi-faceted product or structural issues to design failures.

We are one of the few law firms in Mississippi with extensive knowledge and experience in construction and surety law. Christopher Solop leads the firm’s practice in these areas. Our attorneys have provided professional services to clients in the area of contract negotiation and drafting; contractor licensing; public bid protests at the local, state, and federal levels; construction administration; claim analysis and drafting; construction defects; and litigation, arbitration, and mediation of complex and simple construction disputes on behalf of owners, prime contractors, subcontractors, and sureties. Our construction lawyers are licensed to practice throughout the Southeast and in all state and federal courts in Mississippi and actively participate in state and national construction-related organizations.

Contractors who perform private and public construction work in Mississippi, whether commercial or residential, should fully understand the licensing requirements. Our comprehensive services in the construction industry extend to the “ins and outs” of the requirements for Certificates of Responsibility to bid on and enter contracts lawfully on public and private projects. Both in and out-of-state contractors must heed the laws of Mississippi and regulations promulgated by the Mississippi State Board of Contractors.

Our counsel have decades of experience representing clients on contractor licensing issues, including application and maintenance of Certificates of Responsibility, challenges to compliance by other contractors, and representation on all disciplinary and administrative matters before the State Board of Contractors.

Billions of contracting dollars are set-aside each year by state and federal agencies for award solely to small business concerns. The multi-billion dollar small-business contracting market includes construction, services, and manufacturing. Our counsel has decades of experience advising clients on how to maximize their participation in the small-business market.

Small business set-asides allow for a reduced competitive field. Many small-business concerns with special certifications also capture contracts on a sole-source basis. The 8(a), Mentor-Protégé, HUBZone, Veteran-Owned Small Business, Small-Disadvantaged Veteran-Owned Small Business, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, and Woman-Owned Small Business Programs all require certification by various federal and state agencies. For qualified companies, certification allows them to negotiate sole-source awards and to strategic partnering with large and other small businesses to increase their experience and prospects. We regularly counsel clients throughout the certification process. Once certification is awarded, our attorneys also counsel clients on maintaining their special small-business status, changes in circumstances, teaming or joint venturing with other concerns, and all matters of compliance.

We provide a broad spectrum of services and counseling for new and small businesses, particularly those who desire to work in the government contracts market. We assist with business formation, joint venture creation, and certifications for all types of contracts set aside for small businesses; including HUBZone, 8(a), Veteran-Owned, and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned concerns.

We counsel both small and large businesses that want to establish mutually beneficial business relationships, such as teaming agreements or a Mentor-Protégé Program relationship. Our services extend also to counseling on small-business regulatory compliance; protests of competitors' size and other small-business qualifications; and contract claims and disputes. 

Claim prevention begins with astute contract drafting and negotiation. Our construction and government contracts practice group have prepared and negotiated hundreds of contract documents integral to these industries. Our senior counsel has extensive experience representing prime contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and design professionals. This enables us to prepare and advise on those contract terms most advantageous to each client’s interest, regardless of their role in a construction project. We prepare and negotiate prime contracts, subcontracts, teaming agreements, joint venture agreements, purchase orders, and other documents—unique or customary—that meet our clients’ needs and accomplish their business goals.

We also assist clients with expedient and proper project documentation that can be crucial to defending or pursuing the claims that frequently arise on a project.