{"id":358009,"date":"2016-04-04T10:46:18","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:46:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/hirealawyer\/choosing-the-right-lawyer\/government-contracts-law.html"},"modified":"2024-04-10T07:59:10","modified_gmt":"2024-04-10T12:59:10","slug":"government-contracts-law","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/hirealawyer\/choosing-the-right-lawyer\/government-contracts-law.html","title":{"rendered":"How an Attorney Can Help Your Business Win Government Contracts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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How an Attorney Can Help Your Business Win Government Contracts<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By Susan Buckner, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Melissa Bender, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Government contracts law governs how federal agencies buy goods and services and ensures the process is fair, competitive, and compliant with strict regulations. Businesses often work with government contract attorneys to navigate these regulations, bid on contracts, and resolve issues that arise during the contracting process.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. Government is the world’s largest consumer. It buys and sells everything from everyone. Because it is a government agency, there are laws about how it must do business with other government agencies and businesses.<\/p>\n

Government contracts law ensures that the government, companies, and other agencies comply with specific laws, such as the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act<\/a> (FASA), which encourages the government to buy existing products. The U.S. Small Business Administration<\/a>\u00a0(SBA) helps small companies become federal contractors.<\/p>\n

Becoming a government contractor can be profitable for large and small businesses. But dealing with the regulations is difficult. This is\u00a0because federal contracting comes with strict rules, detailed bidding requirements, and complex compliance obligations that businesses must follow to win and keep government work.<\/p>\n

This article explains the rules government contractors must follow and the types of contracts federal agencies use. You’ll also learn how a government contracts attorney<\/a> can help your business prepare and win competitive bids.<\/p>\n

Government Procurement Laws<\/h2>\n

Government procurement laws limit the government’s ability to procure goods and services in ways that benefit American companies. The Buy American Act of 1921<\/a> requires that materials bought within the U.S. be manufactured within the U.S. from U.S. raw materials. Later laws added to the Buy American Act. The most recent Build America Buy America Act of 2021 adds construction materials to the products.<\/p>\n

The procurement process involves a competitive bidding process designed to avoid favoritism and nepotism and ensure fairness to all bidders. A company must register as a federal contractor before it can bid on a contract. This is when you may need a government contracts attorney<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Prime Contractors and Subcontractors<\/h3>\n

Because government contracts are often large and complex, big companies or agencies bid on and win the contracts. These are prime contractors or general contractors. Smaller companies provide specialized services or products to the contract as subcontractors. Subcontracting can be equally lucrative and as demanding as prime contracting.<\/p>\n

All contractors must follow federal regulations when doing business with the government. These rules can include:<\/p>\n