“The government has unlimited resources.
You need one attorney who knows every rule they’re playing by.”
“Can I protest after a debriefing?”
Yes — a debriefing does not waive your protest rights, but it does reset your clock. You have five business days from the conclusion of a required debriefing to file at GAO, a window that supersedes the standard ten-day post-award deadline. Request the debriefing immediately and use those hours to build the record.
“Do I qualify for an 8(a) set-aside?”
Eligibility turns on two axes: social and economic disadvantage, and unconditional control. The SBA scrutinizes ownership structures, daily management authority, and whether a disadvantaged individual holds genuine decision-making power — not merely equity on paper. A pre-application review can prevent a denial that follows your firm for years.
“What grounds actually win a GAO protest?”
Winning protests typically turn on evaluation record failures: unstated evaluation criteria applied during source selection, disparate treatment between offerors, or a best-value tradeoff that cannot be traced through the contemporaneous documentation. Price-technical tradeoff challenges succeed when the record shows the agency paid a premium it never justified.
“DCAA wants to audit my incurred costs. What do I do first?”
Before the auditor arrives, reconstruct your indirect cost allocation methodology and confirm it matches what you certified on your Incurred Cost Submission. DCAA auditors focus on unallowable cost categories under FAR 31.2 — entertainment, lobbying, and improperly classified direct costs are the most common findings. Privilege attaches to preparation conversations; document nothing you would not want read into a hearing transcript.
“I received a cure notice. Is my contract in danger?”
A cure notice is a formal warning that the contracting officer believes your performance failure is endangering contract completion — and it is a prerequisite to termination for default. You have ten days to respond. That response is not a casual email; it is a legal document that will be cited if the government proceeds. An inadequate cure response has converted fixable performance problems into permanent default terminations.
“My CPSR review flagged purchasing system deficiencies. Now what?”
A disapproved purchasing system triggers withholding of payments — up to five percent of billings — until the system is corrected and re-approved. The corrective action plan must be submitted within 45 days, and it must demonstrate systemic fixes, not one-off remediation. Auditors return specifically to test whether the deficiency has recurred.
“I just received a Civil Investigative Demand. What does that mean?”
A CID is issued by the Department of Justice under the False Claims Act and signals that your company is a target or subject of a qui tam investigation — meaning a relator has already filed a sealed complaint. You have 20 days to respond or seek modification. Everything produced in response to a CID is preserved evidence; nothing should be discussed, forwarded, or summarized outside of privileged channels from this moment forward.
“Can the government suspend me without a conviction?”
Yes. Suspension requires only "adequate evidence" — a standard far below probable cause — and can be imposed the same day a referral is made. It is effective immediately and applies to all federal agencies simultaneously, not just the one that referred you. The suspension period has no statutory maximum while an investigation is pending, and a suspended contractor cannot receive new awards or exercise options.
Assess Your Contract Risk
Five questions. Three minutes. The same triage an attorney would run on an intake call — without a retainer agreement first.
Five questions. Real diagnostic value.
This assessment mirrors how an attorney would triage your situation on an intake call. Your answers will generate a personalized risk tier — Watch, Elevated, or Urgent — with a paragraph of specific legal orientation.
No contact information required
Attorney-client privilege is established at the moment of your consultation, not this assessment.
The first call is privileged.
Attorney-client privilege attaches from the moment you retain counsel — not after the government has already built its case. Federal contractors who engage representation early consistently achieve better outcomes than those who wait for a formal demand.