Fox Rothschild Expands Presence in Washington, DC; Welcomes Eight Construction Law and Government Contracting Attorneys and Relocates Office
Philadelphia, PA – Sept. 1, 2011 – Fox Rothschild LLP is pleased to announce a major expansion of its Washington, DC, office and its capabilities in construction law and government contracting. Effective September 1, eight attorneys from the Washington, DC, and Atlanta offices of Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP will join Fox Rothschild. To accommodate this growth, the firm will relocate its DC office to Smith Currie’s former space situated blocks from the White House at 15th and K Streets.
Joining as partners are construction law and government contracting veterans Dirk D. Haire, Reginald M. Jones and Larry D. Harris. Haire will co-chair the firm’s Construction Law Practice and assume the role of managing partner of the firm’s DC office. Jones will chair the newly formed Government Contracts and Procurement Practice. Joining the firm as associates are Douglas P. Hibshman, Sean Milani-Nia, Jessica V. Perro, Alexa A. Santora and Farah A. Shah. The group is recognized for its extensive experience, construction industry and bar participation and focus on federal construction issues.
“This highly experienced, high-profile team will be an excellent complement to our existing construction practice and help us to meet the ever-growing needs of our clients in relation to government contracting,” said Mark L. Silow, firmwide managing partner of Fox Rothschild. “We opened our Washington office in November 2010, and the addition of this team is an important step in building our presence there.”
Haire, named one of the leading construction law attorneys in DC by Chambers USA, has a national construction and government contracts practice focused on federal construction. In addition to regularly assisting clients with procurement-related bid protests and claims litigation, he counsels contractors and owners on a variety of issues, including small business set-aside strategies and compliance, Public-Private Partnerships, Civil False Claims Act defense, federal procurement ethics and compliance, audits and investigations, lobbying restrictions and disclosures and Davis-Bacon Act compliance. A frequent speaker and author, Haire co-founded and currently chairs the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Committee and serves on AGC's National Executive Board as well as Maryland AGC’s Board of Directors.
Jones has a national government contracts and construction practice and regularly assists clients with bid protests, claims litigation and claims resolution on federal and other public projects. Jones is a recent co-chair of the Construction Division of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Public Contract Law Section and serves on the Washington Building Congress (WBC) Board of Governors. He actively advises contractors on issues such as teaming arrangements on federal small business set-asides, compliant federal small business subcontracting plans, Buy American Act compliance, past performance review challenges, False Claims Act defense, wrongful termination challenges and debarment proceedings. Jones frequently authors articles for construction industry publications and regularly writes and presents on government contracts and construction law issues for the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC).
Harris, also named as one of the leading construction law attorneys in the District of Columbia by Chambers USA, has a national construction and government contracts practice and is known as a leader in the construction bar. He is a former Chair of the ABA Forum on Construction and is a Fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers (ACCL) as well as a member of its Executive Board. Harris will become President of the ACCL in 2013. He frequently serves as a construction mediator and arbitrator, is a member of the American Arbitration Association’s (AAA) National Roster of Neutrals and is a frequent lecturer on AAA programs. In his legal practice, Harris assists contractors in construction, supply and service contract disputes arising out of federal, state, quasi-public and private projects and contracts. He also represents both public and private owners in construction disputes with general contractors and their subcontractors.
Hibshman advises clients with federal bid protests, size protests and claims litigation involving numerous federal agencies and departments, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Naval Facilities Command, Veterans Administration, U.S. Small Business Administration and General Services Administration. Having served nine years as an active duty judge advocate in the U.S. Marine Corps, Hibshman continues to serve as a member of the Marine Corps Reserve and is currently assigned as a Judge Advocate at the International and Operational Law Branch of Judge Advocate Division. Hibshman is actively involved in ABC's Virginia and Metro Washington Chapters.
Milani-Nia advises on a variety of construction law and government contracts issues, including bid protests, contract negotiation and disputes and litigation. While at Emory School of Law, he gained valuable experience through externships with the Federal Highway Administration and Department of Housing and Urban Development. Prior to his legal career, he worked for a large earthmoving contractor and was involved in grading, test pitting and support of excavation.
Shah counsels contractor and owner clients regarding contract negotiation, project administration and litigation involving a diverse variety of projects including commercial buildings, bridges and water treatment plants. She also handles matters involving the False Claims Act, Contract Disputes Act, Buy American Act, Miller Act, Davis-Bacon Act and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Shah routinely advises federal contractors on small business issues and counsels government contractors in connection with white-collar criminal matters such as false claims and antitrust violations. She is a Champion Liaison for AGC of Metropolitan Washington DC's Young Constructors Forum, serves on the WBC Membership Committee and is active in the National Association of Women in Construction, Design-Build Institute of America and Washington Board of Trade, among other organizations.
Perro and Santora, who will join the firm as associates upon their admission to the Bar, have both clerked with the team since 2010, during which time they have had wide exposure to construction law and government contracts issues. After a career as a civil engineer, Perro earned her J.D. from American University Washington College of Law in 2011. Santora received her J.D., cum laude, in 2011 from The George Washington University Law School, where she served on the Public Contract Law Journal and was a founding member and officer of the school's National Contract Management Association Chapter.
Fox Rothschild’s DC office, currently located at One Franklin Square on K Street NW, will be moving to Suite 380 East at 1030 15th Street NW, the former site of Smith Currie’s DC office.
About Fox Rothschild LLP
Fox Rothschild LLP (www.foxrothschild.com) is a full-service law firm built to serve business leaders. Over the past 100 years, we have grown to more than 500 lawyers in 16 offices coast to coast. Our clients come to us because we understand their issues, their priorities and the way they think. We help clients manage risk and make better decisions by offering practical, innovative advice.
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