Bill Weisberg has practiced government contract law for over 35 years, while leading the Government Contract practice groups at large, international law firms for most of the last 15 years. Bill combines combine deep substantive knowledge, familiarity with the intersection of law and business, and an appreciation for both “textbook” and real world answers, with responsive service. A smaller firm setting makes it possible to deliver the quality expected from a large law firm with maximum efficiency for the client.
The “bench strength” of large law firms often remains on the bench. Much of the day to day work of a government contract lawyer, whether at large or small law firm, is really individual: providing advice, reviewing contracts, helping to interface with the Government. Even most of the larger, more complex engagements--writing a Trade Agreements Act opinion letter, most GAO bid protests, designing a FAR part 3.10 Compliance Program—need, at most, a small team. The “deep bench” that may be necessary for, say, multi-state litigation or a major cross-border securities offering, is often just overhead to a specialized practice area.
Certainly, some government contract matters, like more complex protests, larger compliance reviews and internal investigations, and major change order disputes, need a team with a particular mix of experience and skill sets.
The key is being able to quickly assemble the right team, choosing from a wide range of lawyers with specialized subject matter expertise and experience levels appropriate for the matter. When a client matter requires more resources, we draw on a roster of talented, experienced lawyers. Some of these lawyers are also practicing in specialized small or solo practices; some are niche specialists at larger firms, and some are highly skilled contract lawyers (but to call them “contract lawyers” in the document review sense doesn’t do justice to their years of specialized experience). Over the years, we have worked together, either in the same law firms, or as co-counsel, or, in some cases, as respected adversaries. Creating experienced, matter-specific teams maximizes cost efficiency while delivering top notch quality, resulting in an unbeatable combination.