Government Contract Investigations and Enforcement
Investigations and regulatory enforcement actions in the government contracts arena raise unique challenges and considerations, along with a host of potentially costly consequences. Our Government Contract Investigations and Enforcement team leverages the experience and capabilities of McGuireWoods’ full-service Government Contracts practice in helping a broad range of clients – from the nation’s leading defense contractors to small businesses and technology startups – navigate through each critical decision point in these challenging matters.
Our work ranges from representations in high-profile investigations by the Department of Justice and Department of Defense Office of Inspector General to sensitive internal reviews and mandatory disclosures. Over the past 20 years, we have built a reputation with government investigators as experienced and professional advocates for our clients, and earned a reputation among clients for successfully resolving complex and sensitive matters with a wide range of government agencies, including the DOJ.
About Our Team
The foundation of our Government Contract Investigations and Enforcement team at McGuireWoods is our full-service Government Contracts practice, which offers government contract services across the entirety of the procurement process, including bid protests; government contract claims; procurement counseling; internal investigations and enforcement matters; False Claims Act investigations; mandatory disclosure counselling; export control counseling and enforcement; and support with prime contractor-subcontractor negotiations and related disputes. Our team has strong defense and national security credentials, including security clearances, and significant operational and government service, including former Navy and Marine Corps officers.
Our Government Contract Investigations and Enforcement team also is part of an elite Government Investigations & White Collar Litigation Department that has been recognized as a Law360 Practice Group of the Year. Our senior team is comprised of a deep bench of lawyers with decades of experience with investigations at the intersection of law and politics, including a former Deputy Attorney General of the United States, former U.S. Attorneys, more than a dozen federal prosecutors, an Associate Counsel to the President of the United States, and other former senior enforcement officials.
How We Help
With this combination of skills, experience, and proven results, McGuireWoods’ Government Contract Investigations and Enforcement team helps clients develop successful strategies to move through the full scope of investigations involving government contracts and relating, in particular, to allegations of procurement fraud. Where a client has identified an issue internally, we work closely with the client’s team to investigate the matter and determine whether the conduct must be disclosed to the government under mandatory disclosure rules. Where the government has identified an issue, either on its own or as a result of a qui tam action, we advocate to limit the scope of that review and investigate the matter consistent with the government’s request.
We have extensive experience negotiating settlements with the DOJ and the various components of DOD, and, regardless of an investigation’s origin, limiting the collateral consequences of an investigation by proactively gauging the potential legal and reputational risks of the matter. Our efforts focus on developing reasonable and appropriate remedial actions, strategizing methods to resolve all potential enforcement matters arising out of a set of conduct, and limiting ancillary government investigation, suspension or debarment action, private litigation, and criminal review.
Download a PDF copy of our team brochure.
Subject to Inquiry Blog
The latest on government inquiries and enforcement actions.
