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Government Contract Claims Lawyers

Avoid Forfeiting 20% More On Your Government Contract Claim

 

Call Our Government Contract Claims Attorneys Today

(1-866-601-5518)

In 2008 approximately $164.3 million in government contract claims went unresolved. Of that amount 53.7% were dollars claimed by small businesses.  The government does not always pay you on a federal contract. Oftentimes, there is miscommunication or abuse of authority that causes a contractor to perform work. Your business cannot afford to loose thousands or millions due to the government refusing to pay a contract claim. Our law firm provides assistance with:

  • Non payment of contract claims by the government
  • Overpayment claims on cost-reimbursable contracts
  • Breach of contract claims
  • Prompt Payment Act Disputes
  • Appeals for Claims Denied by the agency
  • Claims Preparation

 

The government contract lawyers at  Theodore Watson & Associates, LLC have extensive experience in claims preparation and litigation for small and large clients. Our contract claims attorney have successfully handled a variety of claims disputes involving:

  • Cost disallowance
  • Recovery
  • Defective pricing
  • Breach of contract
  • Change orders
  • Claims for constructive changes
  • Equitable adjustments

 

Gain Leverage With Our Effective Approach to Claims Preparation. Before pursuing with litigation at the Board of Contract Appeals, you must demonstrate that a legitimate contract claim was filed and rejected by the government. Our  attorneys realize that the means for solving disputes can entail negotiations with the specific government agency. We will represent you in this phase and aggressively pursue and preserve your rights. We will also prepare detailed documents to facilitate quick resolution. If the agency does not resolve the matter, our attorneys are prepared to litigate the matter in court.

  

The government takes you more seriously when you have a claims attorney representing you. Contractors can now increase their chances of recovery by submitting claims in a fashion that either forces the government to pay or make a final decision.

 

Gaining a strong position early has an impact on the result. When it comes to initiating an unpaid claims dispute, it is very critical to analyze the details and be ready to handle your claim head-on. Our lawyers will:

  • Aggressively pursue unpaid contract claims
  • Carefully analyze the merits of your case
  • Meticulously review all relevant documentation
  • Prepare a detailed claim on your behalf
  • Enter into discussions and negotiations for you
  • Litigate or appeal your claim if the government refuses to pay 

 

Primary : Government Contract Claims Lawyer – Celeste Gamache

 Alternate: Government Contract Claims Lawyer – Peter Ford

 

Our meticulous contract claims preparation and approach gets better results from the government. The government is savvy about its rights and you should be too. Just as any contracting party, government attorneys have to protect the government’s interest. You always want to ensure that when you file a claim against the government that you have meticulous documentation AND legal counsel that can put it all together for you. This is where Watson can help you.

 

Get to the heart of the problem early.When clients come to our law firm, they immediately realize the depth of our government contracting experience and our ability to:

  • Conduct early contract claims analysis
  • Handle your government claims with reputable efficiency
  • Adopt a proactive effort for claims prevention
  • Deal directly with the government on your behalf
  • Negotiate favorable terms

 

Avoid common claims mistakes. Unfortunately, not all claims are resolved and businesses are stuck with the decision to continue fighting and exhaust addition legal fees. Nevertheless, research shows that 37% of claims remain unresolved. A few reasons why contractors fail to recover claims include:
 

  • Mischaracterization of the claim. Claims must be specific and detailed enough to set forth valid reason for compensation.  You cannot simply send an invoice and expect the government to pay it. Having a lawyer handle this particular requirement can save long delays from government and wasted man hours in useless communication. See FAR.
     
  • Failure to identify problems early in the contract. A good example is in a construction project where the contractor is faced with conditions that no one could foresee. In this situation, our attorneys suggest that you should start a paper trail of communication to the contracting officer (the more detailed the better).
     
  • Written communication to the wrong person. Having a thorough understanding of the authority of government contracting personnel is critical when it comes to filing a claim. You should never make the mistake of talking or communicating with contracting officer representatives about changes to the contract. They have no authority to bind the government. Instead, you must focus you attention to the Contracting Officer – no one else matters.
  • Handling claims by yourself. Contractors tend to take this route to avoid legal fees.  You want to maximize the amount that you get in the end. The government understands the rules and can avoid paying out additional monies if you don’t have representation. Every successful contractor appreciates the substantial amount and complexity of federal procurement rules.

 

The government only protects its own claim rights not yours. If you have filed a contract claim for payment on a government project /contract, you should understand the common loopholes and landmines that can make the difference between getting paid or suffering a serious blow to your business.  Although, it might seem prudent for the government to look for your best interest, the truth is that it does not and simply does not have to.

Theodore Watson & Associates have resolved and litigated complex and tricky government contract claims on behalf of clients doing business with the federal government.

Our litigation attorneys are very experienced in contract claims law and can probably help your case involving non payment, breach of contract and more. If you are experiencing any of the following,  call 1.866.601.5518 to speak to our government contract claims attorneys today if:

  • You have filed a government contract claim in the past 90 days
  • You are experiencing a scope change that requires you to perform additional work
  • You seek equitable adjustment for additional unanticipated work
  • The Contracting Officer is blowing you off and does not correspond to you
  • You seek a government contract claims lawyer for appeal to the Board of Contract Appeals
  • You need help filing a claim
  • You need guidance with prompt payment litigation
  • You seek experienced breach of contract litigation support

 

Know the claims process and your contract remedies. Most government contracts contain language that grants remedies either to the government or the contractor. FAR 52  addresses remedies for fixed price contracts, cost reimbursements, changes or delays caused by the government. As a contractor you must be very specific and focused when submitting a government contract claim. Although you are not required to have a contracts claim attorney, there is a certification process needed to preserve your rights.

 

What Are Acceptable Reasons For Filing a Claim?

  • Unforeseen physical conditions
  • Changes to the scope of work
  • Delays caused by the government
  • Differing site conditions
  • Termination for convenience

 

Having sound documentation helps your recovery. When you decide to file a claim against the federal government, documentation and support strengthens your position. The changes clause in a federal government contract drives the source of your claim and the direction in which you must follow. Theodore Watson’s government contract law and construction attorneys will prepare the necessary paperwork on your behalf and initiate recovery actions. We have the requisite skill and experience to handle:

  • Cost disallowance
  • Formation mistakes
  • Nonpayment of invoices
  • Performance disputes
  • Construction claims
  • Claims arising from contract modifications
  • Contract claims arising from government delays

 

Tip: Never rely on e-mails or correspondence to the contracting offer to surmount to a claim. Contract claims should be specific, concise and leaving no room for ambiguity. 

 

Learn How to Handle Nonpayment of Claims Invoices: The government is required to pay correctly submitted invoices in a prompt and timely matter. See Prompt Payment Act. If you have correctly submitted a valid invoice, then our government contract claims attorneys will go to work on your behalf. In this situation, the agency may argue that your invoice was not correctly submitted or that you are not entitled to payment. Don’t fall prey to this defense. Always check and double check your invoices before submitting them.

 

Tip: DOD is generally requiring all contractors to submit invoices on Wide Area Workflow to speed up payment of invoices.

 

Construction Claims. Watson’s government contract claims attorneys frequently counsel clients across the country regarding construction claims. More specifically, we address issues such as:

  • Construction modifications and changes
  • How to start a communication paper trail
  • Construction delays

 

 Our attorneys pay special attention to small business matters. As a practical matter, small businesses rely heavily on timely payment of invoices to successfully perform under the contract. Watson & Associates also helps small contractors nationwide with recovery of government contract claims. Our lawyers are well-versed in socio-economic programs such as 8a and HUBZone programs (where there is a problem with payment among partners etc. in addition to nonpayment by the agency).

 

Other Services: In addition to filing contract claims, Watson & Associates provide:

 

Contact Today For Prompt Resolution of Your Contract Claim

If you are seeking an experienced and knowledgeable law firm to assist and guide you in government contracts, call Watson & Associates at 720.941.7200 or Toll Free 1-866-601-5518, or contact us online.

 

Additional Online Resources:

Federal Acquisition Regulations CCR Small Business Administration Federal Procurement Opportunities Office of Federal Procurement Policy Office of Federal Compliance Programs Our Federal Procurement Consulting Services U.S. Department of Agriculture GAO U.S. Supreme Court

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