Government procurement is at the heart of economic development for businesses throughout Ohio. When government entities are addressing legal challenges in their procurement efforts, seek guidance on their existing procurement processes, or when private contractors are looking to bid and earn public contracts, they all look to our experienced team for strategic guidance.
Understanding the Process
Our lawyers, including many with careers working in public service, have both broad and deep experience working with public entities seeking new opportunities in creative contracting, and private enterprises seeking to enter into contracts with administrative agencies in Ohio and the federal government. We operate as part of our clients’ strategic business development teams, assisting them with the most complex issues surrounding contract procurement, including:
- drafting complex procurement documents, including design-build and progressive design-build;
- private and public entities seeking public state and federal grant funds;
- pursuing and defending bid protests;
- establishing prime/subcontractor teaming agreements and joint venture agreements;
- appealing and overturning debarment and suspension;
- exploring small, minority, women-owned, and veteran-owned business contracting programs at the local, state and federal levels; and
- navigating construction bidding and assisting with risk analysis for public and private entities.
Contract Performance
When representing private companies during the performance of a public contract, our lawyers remain intimately involved with contractors, helping them better understand and leverage critical contract clauses, from novation agreements and change orders to minority-owned business goals and requirements and subcontracting strategy.
For companies competing for federal projects internationally, our cross-functional team monitors the implications of the Buy American Act to protect their opportunities in accordance with the law.
With respect to public entities, our team is involved at every level -- from project conception and funding acquisition and through design, procurement, and construction. That means we understand all phases of the public procurement and project management processes; working on projects from under $50,000 to more than $3,000,000,000.
Dispute Resolution
When disputes arise, our litigation team represents contractors in analyzing and submitting claims, requesting equitable adjustment related to pricing, and pursuing claims through the administrative process.
