Small Business and Government Contract Lawyers

Legal Advice to Help Small Businesses Succeed.

Call our legal experts and business consultants at 1-866-601-5518 for a free initial consultation. 

 

Watson & Associates, LLC has earned the reputation as the go-to law firm for helping small businesses to navigate the challenges in government contracting. Our small business attorneys assist clients throughout the country with both proactive decision making and aggressive representation in the various procurement forums. We serve a variety of business industries in all states including Washington, DC.

 

At Watson & Associates, we help  small businesses to determine eligibility for the various SBA programs for small federal government contractors. This includes 8a certification, HUBZone, Small Disadvantaged Business, SDVOSB and others.  Our goal as small business attorneys is to help clients to increase their bottom line. Clients utilize our experience to structure teaming agreements, joint venture and mentor protégé relationships. Both small and large businesses consult with us on matters such as affiliation and size protests matters. When it comes to government contracts, our lawyers understand the rules and regulations and aim to keep our small business as a dominant factor in our country.

 

Experience Listing

• 8(a) Program
• HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zone) Program
• Limitations on Subcontracting
• Joint Ventures
• Mentor-Protégé Programs
• Minority Businesses
• NAICS Code Changes and Appeals
• Regulatory & Program Compliance Audits
• SBA Size Eligibility Protests & Appeals
• Subcontracting Plans
• Teaming Agreements & Subcontracts
• Tribally-Owned Businesses
• Veteran-Owned & Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses
• Women-Owned Small Businesses

 

 

Partnering with our small business clients  puts us at the forefront of competing law firms in the Washington, DC areas.  Some of our government contracts attorneys and consultants have spent years working for the federal contracting agencies. Therefore, we understand both sides and the difficult problems that small companies face. See examples of recent representative cases.

 

Our government contracting firm can address the following legal matters for small businesses:

• Contract and statutory interpretation
• Contractor claims
• Requests for equitable adjustments
• Breach of contract disputes and litigation
• Bid protests
• Litigation and appeals
• Prime/subcontractor disputes
• Compliance with small business contracting regulations (FAR 19)
• HUBZone contracting
• GSA schedule contracting
• Joint venture arrangements
• Davis Bacon and wage determination assistance
• Prime-subcontractor agreements
• Mentor Protégé and teaming agreements
• Terminations for convenience and default
• Mediation and arbitration
• Settlement agreements
• Contract and contractor compliance issues
• Payment and invoice collection problems

 

Are You Qualified?

Many businesses sometimes are confused as to what qualifies them a small business. The guidelines for each North American Industry Classification Code (NAICS) determine the criteria you must meet. At Watson & Associates, our lawyers also help small disadvantaged businesses to apply for special programs such as SBA 8a, HUBZone and Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Status (SDVOSB). These programs are sometimes abused and the possibility for fraud and misrepresentation lurks out there. Having a government contracts attorney on your team is well worth the time and expense.

 

Small Business Development

Small business development is a tough challenge for government contractors that do not quite get the results that want. As former government contracting executives, we understand the vague information that companies get during government training events and classes. You should concentrate on making decisions and business development based upon solid data. You have to know what federal small business market buys your services or products; you must locate potential opportunities before they reach www.fbo.gov; you must also know how to develop effective teaming arrangements and joint ventures. Our lawyers and consultants understand small business contracting and are available to provide sound guidance and direction. See our list of training classes.

 

Small Business Set-asides

As compared to most state and county programs, federal small business contracting has some teeth. Bidders have rights in the nodding and award stages; contractors have heavily regulated statutes throughout the performance and close-out phases. This why having a well thought-out small business development plan is critical. Rules governing the program are generally covered under FAR Subpart 19.

Under government procurement law, the contracting officer / agency must look at the possibility of a small business aside if there is a reasonable expectation that two or more small businesses could submit a proposal. For opportunities under the simplified acquisition threshold, general all requirements must be set-aside for small businesses.

 

 Before you execute your federal contract, please contact our law office to discuss how we can build a long-term relationship with your organization as a government contractor. Hiring attorneys that have actually worked for contracting agencies can produce a more substantive relationship that the typical inexperienced law firm.

 

Government small business opportunities are the survival mechanisms for thousands of small companies throughout the United States. The federal government buys just about any service or product in the commercial industry. Getting the specific guidance and advice to achieve success is the secret to existing successful small businesses. There is no secret that federal procurement carries with it many regulations and laws that are different from the commercial sector. The ‘red tape’ has disappeared over the years but there are still rules that you must understand in order to become successful. To do business with the federal government, you simply have to register at CCR and ORCA. See also our FAQs Section.

 

National Assistance

As a government small business contractor, you can now have a single point of contact for legal and consulting services. Our attorneys assist with federal procurement matters regardless of your state. This includes Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington, DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Our US firm also helps DOD contractors in Afghanistan and Iraq construction efforts.

Our government small business lawyers and consultants also help contractors in the following cities: Anchorage, AK; Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Chicago, IL; Colorado Springs, CO; Dallas, TX; Denver, Colorado; Indianapolis, IN; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Philadelphia, PA; San Antonio, TX; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; San Jose, CA; Santa Clara, CA; and Tampa, FL.

 

Contact us

When it comes to government small business matters, our lawyers help you to meet your goals, enjoy the benefits under the law, and minimize litigation. Contact us to schedule a consultation with an attorney in our law office. Please call toll free 1-866-601-5518.