Biography
Mark Blando has dedicated his career to pursuing all forms of litigation against government entities. He had the unique opportunity to act as counsel in both of the key U.S. Supreme Court cases involving attempts by the Federal government to avoid its contractual obligations through legislation, having represented subsidized housing owners in Franconia Associates v. United States, 536 U.S. 129 (2002), both before the Supreme Court and at trial, and thrift institutions in United States v. Winstar Corp., 518 U.S. 839 (1996). The Franconia case alone has yielded recoveries of nearly $800 million for Mark’s clients.
Mark also has litigated a wide variety of traditional government contract cases at the federal and state level, including False Claims Act litigation, bid protests, performance disputes, and termination actions. He also advises contractors and subcontractors on a wide range of transactional matters, including Federal Supply Schedules, asset purchases, intellectual property issues, and internal compliance investigations. Mark also has pursued numerous other types of government claims, including Fifth Amendment takings claims, Federal Tort Claims Act cases, and actions under the Administrative Procedures Act. He also has substantial trial experience in a number of other areas, including construction, subsidized housing, real estate, insurance defense, and general commercial litigation.
Mark graduated from Boston College, magna cum laude, in 1992, and from the George Washington University Law School, with honors, in 1995, where he served as Managing Editor of the Environmental Lawyer. He has been admitted to practice in Minnesota, Washington, D.C., Maryland, the United States Court of Federal Claims, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Public Contracts Law Section, and the National Contract Management Association, where he served as the President and National Director of the Twin Cities Chapter. Mark writes and lectures frequently on a variety of government contract topics.
Practice Areas
Bar Admissions
- Maryland, 1995
- District of Columbia, 1997
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 1999
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims, 1999
- Minnesota, 2000
- U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, 2000
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2002
Education
- George Washington University Law School, Washington, District of Columbia
- J.D. – 1995
- Honors: With Honors
- Boston College
- B.A. – 1992
- Honors: magna cum laude
- Major: English
Publications
- Guide to State Procurement: A 50-State Primer on Purchasing Law, Processes and Procedures, ABA Section of Public Contract Law (contributing author), 3rd ed., 2022
- Legal Focus: Government Contracts, Lawyer Monthly, 2016
- Guide to State Procurement: A 50-State Primer on Purchasing Law, Processes and Procedures, ABA Section of Public Contract Law (contributing author), 2nd ed., 2011
- Government Contractors & Environmental Liability, ABA Section of Environment, Energy & Resources, 2002
- E-Sign’s growing Impact on Government Procurement, Contract Management Magazine, 2001
- Attention Contractors: You Will Be Graded, Faegre & Benson, 2001
- Direct and Cross-Examination of Scheduling Experts, in Judging the Scheduling Experts, ABA Public Contract Law Section, Construction Claims Committee Conference, 1998
- International Arbitration in Bermuda, ABA Litigation Section, Insurance Coverage Committee, 1999
- Note, Land Exchanges Under the Federal Land Exchange Facilitation Act, 1 The Environmental Lawyer 327, 1994
Cases
U.S. Supreme Court
- Franconia Assoc. v. United States, 536 U.S. 129 (2002).
Appellate Courts
- Callaway Manor Apts. v. United States, 940 F.3d 650 (Fed. Cir. 2019).
- Airport Rd. Assoc. v. United States, 866 F.3d 1346 (Fed. Cir. 2017).
- Chancellor Manor v. United States, 331 F.3d 891 (Fed. Cir. 2003).
- Kvaerner ASA v. Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, 210 F.3d 262 (4th Cir. 2000).
- Eastover Ridge, L.L.C. v. Metric Constructors, Inc., 533 S.E.2d 827 (N.C. App. 2000).
Trial Courts
- BAE Sys. Land & Armaments, L.P. v. Ibis Tek, LLC, 192 F. Supp. 3d 978 (D. Minn. 2016).
- Ramona Inv. Grp. v. United States, 115 Fed. Cl. 704 (2014).
- Carpenter v. United States, 69 Fed. Cl. 718 (2006).
- Grass Valley Terrace v. United States, 69 Fed. Cl. 341 (2005).
- Chancellor Manor v. United States, 67 Fed. Cl. 434 (2005).
- Franconia Assoc. v. United States, 61 Fed. Cl. 718 (2004).
- Allegre Villa v. United States, 60 Fed. Cl. 11 (2004).
- Grass Valley Terrace v. United States, 51 Fed. Cl. 436 (2002).
- Cooley v. United States, 46 Fed. Cl. 538 (2002).
- Adams v. United States, 44 Fed. Cl. 772 (1999).
Unpublished
- Covanta Hennepin Energy Res. Co. v. County of Hennepin, No. 16-3086, 2016 WL 7155737 (D. Minn. 2016).
- Epiphany Studio Productions d/b/a Open Window Theatre v. Metropolis Minneapolis, LLC, No. 27-CV-16-14865 (Henn. Cnty. Dist. Ct. 2016).
- Ramona Inv. Grp. II v. United States, No. 12-652C, 2014 WL 7129717, (Fed. Cl. Dec. 15, 2014).
- Minneapolis Public Housing Authority v. United States of America, No. 14-170C (Fed. Cl. 2014).
- Computerized Assessments & Learning, LLC v. Data Recognition Corp., No. 27-CV-11-24418, 2013 WL 4658376 (D. Minn. 2013).
Presentations
- State and Local Bid Protests for Federal Practitioners, ABA Public Procurement Symposium (panel moderator), Austin, TX, 2022
- Suing the Sovereign: Claims and Disputes in Public Procurement, Minnesota CLE, 2022
- Claims, Disputes, and Protests in Federal Government Contracts, Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, Washington, DC, 2021
- Know Your “R & R”: Responsiveness and Responsibility in Government Contracts, Minnesota SADBOC Fair, 2021
- Commercial Item Contracting: A Simpler Way To Do Business
with the Government?, Minnesota PTAC, 2020 - Suing Uncle Sam: How to Win a Contract Claim Against the Government, Minnesota SADBOC Fair, 2020
- Fundamentals of Government Contract Law, Minnesota SADBOC Fair, 2019
- Commercial Item Contracting, Minnesota PTAC, 2019
- The False Claims Act: Past, Present and Future, University of Minnesota National Seminar on Government Contracts, Minneapolis, MN, 2018
- The False Claims Act, Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, Jacksonville, FL, 2018
- Government Contract Law 101, Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, San Diego, CA, 2017
- Past Performance in Government Contracting, NCMA World Congress, Orlando, FL, 2016
- Suing Uncle Sam, National Property Management Association, Minneapolis, MN, 2016
- Past Performance Information, Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, St. Louis, MO, 2016
- Government Contract Law 101, Minnesota SADBOC Fair, 2015, 2016, & 2017
- Commercial Item Acquisitions: 20 Years After FASA, NCMA World Congress, Dallas, TX, 2015
- Claims and Disputes in Government Contracts, Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, San Francisco, CA, 2014
- Lost Prepayment Rights: A Litigation and Settlement History, Wisconsin Council for Affordable Rural Housing, Madison, WI, 2012
- Claims, Disputes and Protests in Government Contracts, Minnesota CLE, Minneapolis, MN, 2011 & 2012
- Minnesota Procurement Technical Assistance Counsel, Advanced Contracting Series (various presentations), 2009 – 2012
- The False Claims Act: Past, Present and Future, University of Minnesota National Seminar on Government Contracts, Minneapolis, MN, 2018
- Government Contract Law 101, Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, San Diego, CA, 2017
- Past Performance in Government Contracting, NCMA World Congress, Orlando, FL, 2016
- Suing Uncle Sam, National Property Management Association, Minneapolis, MN, 2016
- Commercial Item Acquisitions, 20 Years After FASA, NCMA World Congress, Dallas, TX, 2015
- SADBOC Annual Government Procurement Fair (various presentations), 2014 – present
- Lost Prepayment Rights: A Litigation and Settlement History, Wisconsin Council for Affordable Rural Housing, Madison, WI, 2012
- Claims, Disputes and Protests in Government Contracts, Minnesota CLE, Minneapolis, MN, 2011 & 2012
- Minnesota Procurement Technical Assistance Counsel, Advanced Contracting Series (various presentations), 2009 – present
- NCMA Greater Iowa Spring Seminar (various topics), Cedar Rapids, IA, 2010
- Public Contracts and Procurement Regulations: Keeping Pace in the Federal Marketplace, Lormen Education, Bloomington, MN, 2008
- Litigation Against the Federal Government in the Court of Federal Claims, California Council for Affordable Housing, Lake Tahoe, CA, 2006
- Litigating a Regulatory Taking Claim: A Practitioner’s View, ALI-ABA, Boston, MA, 2005
- Prepayment Litigation: A Progress Report, National Leased Housing Association, Miami, FL, 2005
- E-Procurement: Electronic Contracting with the Federal Government, University of Minnesota, National Seminar on Government Contracts, St. Paul, MN, 2003
- Public Contracting in the Information Age, National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, Bloomington, MN, 2002
- Doing Business with the Federal Government, Faegre & Benson Construction Seminar, Minneapolis, MN, 2002
- Hot Topics in Government Contract Law, National Contract Management Association, Minneapolis, MN, 2001
- Past Performance: Past, Present and Future, University of Minnesota, National Seminar on Government Contracts, St. Paul, MN, 2000
- Government Contracts, Minnesota Project Innovation, Minneapolis, MN, 2000
- Commercial Pricing: Doing Business with the Federal Government, National Contract Management Association, Denver, CO, 2000
- Minnesota Construction Law: Payment and Performance Bonds, Lorman Education Services, Minneapolis, MN, 1999
Associations & Memberships
- American Bar Association, Sections of Public Contract Law and Administrative Law
- Association of the United States Army
- Hennepin County Bar Association, Representative to MSBA Assembly
- National Contract Management Association, Twin Cities Chapter
- National Director, 2003 to 2004
- Chapter President, 2002 to 2003
- V.P., Education, 2001 to 2002
- V.P., Education, 2006 to 2007
- Board Member, 2001 to 2007
- Member, 1999 to Present
- National Defense Industrial Association
Past Employment
- Faegre & Benson LLP, Minneapolis, MN, 1999 to 2004
- Spriggs & Hollingsworth, Washington, D.C., 1995 to 1999
- U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, 1994
- District of Columbia Court of Appeals, 1994
- Harvard Mediation program, 1991
Blogs Published
- To Classify or Not to Classify? – Demystifying the Declassification Process
- Department of Defense Offers Guidance to Contractors Battling Inflation
- Major Update to BAA Rules Promises to “Make Buy American Real”
- Minimum Wage Climbs to $15 for Federal Service Contractors
- A New Tool to Combat Cybersecurity Breaches: DOJ Opens Door for Whistleblowers to Report Cyber-Fraud on Federal Contractors
- SBA Proposes New Size Standards for Wholesale and Retail Trade Industries
- HUBZone Program Updates Bring Needed Efficiency to the FAR
- USML No More: 9th Circuit Ruling Moves 3-D Printed Weapons and Ammunition from the USML to the CCL
- Proposed DOD Rule Would Enhance Post-Award Debriefing Rights