Government Contracts Bid Protests: A Practical Guide in Light of Recent Developments

Michael J. Anstett is a special counsel in Fried Frank’s Washington, DC office, who focuses his practice on the representation of government contractors, including major defense and aerospace clients, in a wide range of matters involving bid protests, regulatory compliance, and suspension and debarment proceedings.  Mr. Anstett regularly advises as government contracts counsel in mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, and joint venture transactions involving aerospace and defense companies.  He also represents government contractors in fraud investigations and False Claims Act qui tam litigation and counsels clients on contract formation and post-award matters, government audits, Procurement Integrity Act and Freedom of Information Act disputes, and voluntary disclosures.  Mr. Anstett currently serves as the Secretary for the Procurement Division of the National Defense Industrial Association and as a Vice Chair of the Mergers & Acquisitions Committee of the ABA’s Section of Public Contract Law.

Luke Meier is a seasoned Government Contracts litigator and counselor with wide-ranging experience in government procurement law. Luke is a Vice-Chair of the ABA’s Bid Protest Committee and has litigated scores of bid protests at the Government Accountability Office and U.S. Court of Federal Claims.  Recent victories include successful post-award protests of awards made by the Army and Department of Homeland Security.

Luke also has extensive experience helping clients investigate and defend allegations of fraud, and offers clients regulatory compliance counseling on matters such as the Buy American and Trade Agreements Acts, GSA schedule contracting, and ethics and internal controls requirements.

Prior to law school, Luke worked for a major defense contractor as an on-site consultant at the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Domestic Preparedness.

Ms. Wills is the Practice Leader for the Berkeley Research Group Government Contracts Consulting Practice.  She brings over 30 years of experience in the government contracting and commercial industries. She has worked with contractors spanning virtually all industries, including aerospace, biotech, construction, defense, engineering services, health care, insurance, logistics, operations and maintenance, pharma, professional services, technology services and software, as well as grant and cooperative agreement recipients in the not-for-profit and international development industries.   She specializes in assisting Federal contractors and commercial companies adapt their processes, structure, and accounting for the unique requirements associated with government contracts and grants.

Ms. Wills’ experience covers a vast range of government contract accounting, administration and compliance related matters, including initial go-to market strategy development to complex cost accounting matters and to contractor litigation and investigation support.  She has served as a cost and pricing expert on multiple bid protests at the GAO and the Court of Federal Claims throughout her career.