Contract Claims & Disputes
Baker Tilly positions government contractors and their legal counsel for success, helping mitigate risk in the highly complex, regulated federal marketplace.
Contract Claims & Disputes
Our team understands the regulatory nuances and financial complexities involved in resolving cost accounting disputes, quantifying changes and settling terminations. We help our clients prevail by presenting complex accounting information in a manner easily understood by auditors and other key government decision makers.
Our solutions
Contract disputes with the government create challenges and consequences far beyond those encountered in the commercial business world. Unique, cumbersome and onerous terms and conditions make government contracts ripe for potential disputes. These terms often give rise to unique areas of contention such as tedious accounting rules, contract terminations, bid protests, the obligation to perform unilateral contract changes and False Claims Act actions.
Responding to a government contract dispute in the same manner as a commercial dispute may yield many unpleasant, costly surprises. Our government contracting professionals provide clarity to contractors and their legal counsel on cost accounting, pricing and other dispute issues. Our analyses are designed to withstand the intense scrutiny of government audit, negotiation, and, if necessary, litigation. When engaged early enough, we help clients and their contracting officers reach reasonable negotiated resolutions in government contract disputes. Additionally, we help clients:
- Develop persuasive change order proposals, termination settlement proposals, requests for equitable adjustment and claims that withstand government review and audit
- Investigate contract cost overruns to identify potential constructive changes
- Evaluate bid protest accounting, cost analysis, and cost realism issues
- Quantify allowable termination settlement costs and develop comprehensive settlement business proposals, including persuasive bases of estimate
- Investigate allegations of company misconduct from internal sources or arising under the False Claims Act
- Prepare damages analyses and support for self-disclosures when internal investigations reveal errors or irregularities
- Investigate defective pricing allegations arising under the Truth in Negotiations Act
- Ensure compliance with government contract accounting and pricing regulations
- Investigate and defend against subcontractor claims, including evaluating subcontractor termination settlement proposals
- Provide expert witness testimony before state and federal courts, boards of contract appeal, arbitrations and mediations, as necessary