State and Local Procurement

Our expertise extends to state and local procurement matters. Jeff Eckland is a co-chair of the ABA Public Contract Law Section State Procurement Law Section Database Subcommittee. We have been requested to prepare concise, comprehensive summaries of the public procurement laws and regulations of several states throughout the Midwest. Recently, we completed such a review for the state of Minnesota.

Our lawyers regularly attend ABA’s state and local procurement law symposia and have been invited to participate in, and moderate, panel discussions on general state procurement law and state and local procurement ethics law.

If your company is planning on selling a product or service to a state or local government, our experienced procurement lawyers can assist your company with any of the following:

• Proposal submission. Responses to a solicitation should be drafted to avoid problems, including waiver of bid protest issues and contract performance and obligation issues.
• Contract negotiation. It is critical to have experienced legal counsel on your side during contract negotiation with a state or local government.
• Bid protests. When you respond to a request for bids or create a business proposal at the request of a government agency, you are entitled to fair and reasonable consideration as a potential supplier of goods or services. Bid protest litigation is a highly specialized area of the law with demanding timelines and exacting rules of decision.
• Contract and subcontract claims and disputes. States have established procedures to resolve disputes about the meaning of contract terms and the obligations of contracting parties. We advise government contractors on the available remedies and forums where relief can be obtained.
• Intellectual property rights. Our attorneys can work with you to develop a strategy to inventory and protect your intellectual property while performing government contracts.
• Compliance with state and local laws and regulations. As stated above, we have been requested to prepare concise, comprehensive summaries of the public procurement laws and regulations of several states throughout the Midwest.