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Richard P. Rector

Partner

richard.rector@dlapiper.com

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500 Eighth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004
United States
T: +1 202 799 4400 F: +1 202 799 5400

Rich Rector chairs DLA Piper's Government Contracts practice and focuses his practice on federal, state, and local procurement issues. He has litigated contract actions and bid protests before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Court of Federal Claims, federal district courts, state and federal boards of contract appeals, and the US Government Accountability Office. He also has represented prime contractors and subcontractors in breach-of-contract and protest actions in state and federal courts, as well as prepared contract claims and requests for equitable adjustment.

Mr. Rector regularly counsels clients on a broad range of federal and state procurement matters, including IT contracts and transactions, infrastructure projects, state procurement laws and issues, commercial-item contracting, terminations for convenience, US Postal Service procurement, and compliance with procurement integrity and ethics laws.

Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Rector worked for Litton Industries, Inc. for eight years in a variety of business development and legal positions. During that period, he gained valuable experience in the preparation and management of new business proposals, as well as in the review and preparation of subcontracts and teaming agreements.

The respected English research firm Chambers & Partners has cited Mr. Rector in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business since 2006 when it first ranked Government Contracts practitioners. In 2007, it termed him "an expert on the process" and "strategic thinker" and commented that "clients dubbed him 'as good as a crystal ball'"; in 2008, it noted his "numerous successes" and called him "knowledgeable and highly proficient"; in 2009, it said he delivers "reasonable and creative solutions to tough issues" and "excels at anticipating the other side's next move and deconstructing their arguments" and in 2010, it said clients regard him as "a thorough, precise litigator and an all-around superstar" and in 2011, Chambers noted, "Clients were quick to praise Rich Rector's proficiency in the government contracts field. 'He's brilliant, and he enjoys the work,' remarked one client, 'his negotiation skills and working knowledge of drafting, interpretation and expertise in disputes and procurement protests really make him invaluable.'"

In 2007 and 2008, Mr. Rector was named to Washington SmartCEO's Legal Elite.

Admissions

District of Columbia
Maryland
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
United States Court of Federal Claims
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
United States District Court for the District of Maryland

Memberships

Board of Governors, US Court of Federal Claims Bar Association (2005-present)
Member, State-Vendor Communication Work Group, National Association of State Procurement Officials (2011)
Co-chair, State and Local Legislative & Regulation Coordination Committee, ABA Section of Public Contract Law (2010-present)
Council Member, ABA Section of Public Contract Law (2004-2007)
Vice Chair, Homeland Security Committee, ABA Section of Public Contract Law (2002-2011)
Co-chair, Emerging Issues Committee, ABA Section of Public Contract Law (2003-2004)
Chair, Regulatory Coordinating Committee, ABA Section of Public Contract Law (2000-2003)
Co-chair, Fall Program – “Homeland Security: Challenges, Changes, and Emerging Issues,” ABA Section of Public Contract Law (November 2002)
Co-chair, Contract Claims and Disputes Resolution Committee, ABA Section of Public Contract Law (1997-2000)
Managing Editor, Public Contract Law Journal (1994-1997)
Member, Board of Contract Appeals Bar Association
Member, Maryland State Bar Association

Publications

"New DOD Rule Authorizes Withholding of Payments for Deficiencies in Business Systems," Contract Management, with C. Bradford Jorgensen (August 2011)
"International Best Practices in Defence Acquisition: Legal Considerations," International Seminar for Defence Acquisition, New Delhi, India (July 2011)
"Q&A with DLA Piper's Richard Rector," Government Contracts Law360 (September 29, 2010)
"Open Access for All: A Strategy to Preserve Procurement Integrity While Getting the Best Value from Suppliers," Government Procurement (April/May 2010)
"Agencies Don't Always Play by the Rules on Commercial-item Contracts," Washington Technology (June 2008)
"A Word of Caution on Global Contracting," Washington Technology (April 2008)
"Acquisition Reforms Ring in The New Year," Washington Technology (January 2008)
"Prepare Now to Avoid Conflicts," Washington Technology (September 2007)
"DOD Limits Subcontract Pass-Through Charges," Washington Technology (August 2007)
"Acquisition Reforms Would Give Auditors Upper Hand," Washington Technology (June 2007)
"Time Has Come to Update Ethics Programs," Washington Technology (May 2007)
"It’s Pretty Tough to Beat Home-Cooked Contracting," Washington Technology (March 2007)
"Fixed-Price Contracting Makes Unwelcome Return," Washington Technology (February 2007)
"Domestic-Preference and Domestic-Source Laws: An Overview of 'Home Cooking' Issues in State Procurement," ABA Section of Public Contract Law, First Annual State and Local Procurement Symposium (May 2006)
"States Grow More Inflexible on Contract Terms," Washington Technology (March 2006)
"Druyun Fallout Will Be Felt Long and Hard," Washington Technology (November 2005)
"Europe Ponders New Competition Policy For Defense Procurement," Washington Technology (October 2004)
"Acquisition Goes Commercial," ABA Journal, October 2004, with David A. Drabkin
"DOD to Scrutinize Subcontractor Choices by Primes," Washington Technology(August 2004)
"Putting the ‘Share’ In Share-In-Savings Rules," Washington Technology (July 2004)
"Time May Tick Against You When Adding to FSS Contracts," Washington Technology (June 2004)
"Now, Why Can’t Foreigners Work on Fed IT Deals?," Washington Technology (April 2004)
"Homeland Security-The New Acquisition Regulations and Guidelines," The Government Contractor, with William J. Crowley (February 2004)
"Savvy Contractors Brush Up on Procurement Integrity Laws," Washington Technology (February 2004)
"New York To Keep Close Eye On Contractor Lobbying," Washington Technology (October 2003)
"Homeland Security Contracting: What We’ve Learned," Washington Technology (July 2003)
"Federal IT Schedule Opens to State, Local Governments," Washington Technology (June 2003)
"Consequential and Punitive Damages: Should Federal Contractors Be Worried?" Washington Technology (April 2003)
"Homeland Security: Who Pays for Protecting Critical Infrastructure," Washington Technology (March 2003)
"Homeland Security Act of 2002," The Government Contractor (December 2002)
"Homeland Security Bills Provide Special Procurement Authority," Washington Technology (November 2002)
"Homeland Security Policy Expands Corporate Liability," Washington Technology (October 2002)
"Homeland Security – Ten Things You Should Know," Washington Technology (August 2002)
"Proposed Procurement Authority of Homeland Security Department Needs Clarification," The Government Contractor (July 2002)
"When It Comes to Paying Interest, Government Fails Fairness Test," Washington Technology (June 2002)
"Protect Intellectual Property Rights in Unsolicited Proposals," Washington Technology (April 2002)
"Government Sets Defense Priorities Under DPAS," Washington Technology (March 2002)
"Procurements Aren’t Urgent Unless the Law Says So," Washington Technology (November 2001)
"The Procurement Challenges Ahead," Washington Technology (October 2001)
"Some Room to Breathe in New IT Services Regs," Washington Technology (July 2001)
"Who Owns a Company's Past Performance?," Washington Technology (June 2001)
"Maximizing Recovery of Claims and Requests for Equitable Adjustments," Washington Technology (March 2001)
"Good Faith, Bad Faith in Government Contracts," Washington Technology (January 2001)
"Contract Profit and Incentives: Surviving in a Thin Market," Washington Technology (November 2000)
"Rules of the Revolving Door," Legal Times (November 2000)
"Contractor Responsibility Regulations: A Solution Worse Than the Problem," Washington Technology (October 2000)
"Standing Guard at the Revolving Door," Washington Technology (August 2000)
"As E-Buying Hits Fed World, Time to Draw Lines," Washington Technology (May 2000)
"Defense Study Backs Fixed-Price Contracts, Past Performance," Washington Technology (April 2000)
"Quelling Disputes May Key on Contract Proposals," Washington Technology (February 2000)
"Protecting Confidential Data from FOIA Scrutiny," Washington Technology (September 1999)
"Source Selection: Lessons Learned From Bid Protests," Washington Technology (August 1999)
"Past Performance: Protecting the Corporate Reputation," Washington Technology (July 1999)
"Phase II of FAR Part 15 Rewrite Proposes Organizational and Other Changes to Pricing Provisions," The Government Contractor, with Gregory A. Smith (May 1997)
"Disclosure and Receipt of Procurement Information Under the Revised Procurement Integrity Act," The Government Contractor (February 1997)
Contributor, Construction Claims Deskbook, John Wiley & Sons (1996)

Seminars

Mr. Rector lectures frequently for clients, bar groups, and professional associations on contract litigation, state and local contracting, organizational conflicts of interest, procurement integrity and ethics laws, and emerging issues in government procurement.

He has been a lecturer for the American Bar Association's Program on Trial Preparation and Advocacy in Federal Procurement, and he lectures annually on "Commercial Item Contracting" for the Government Contracts Year-In-Review Conference sponsored by Federal Publications, Inc./West Group.