Welcome

Welcome to the Contract Law Division (“CLD”). CLD assists the Department’s procurement operations located in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area and at several procurement offices around the country. See the Quicklinks section for brief biographies of staff attorneys, as well as contact and client information. We are also pleased to make available the Division’s publication “A Lawyer’s View,” which offers commentary and practical advice about Government procurement law and related issues. Our site also offers links to the principal Department procurement offices as well as to sites offering guidance to acquisition professionals and firms desiring to do business with the Government. Although we welcome inquiries relating to contracts between the Department and the private sector, please be advised that we do not provide advice on contracts between private citizens or between commercial entities.

Office Description

The Contract Law Division (CLD) of the Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Finance and Litigation is headed by Mark Langstein. Staffed by ten attorneys, CLD provides cradle-to-grave federal procurement legal advice and assistance supporting the Commerce Department’s many programs, such as predicting the weather, conducting the Decennial Census, strengthening minority entrepreneurship, and promoting technology innovation.

CLD attorneys assist in developing appropriate acquisition strategy, reviewing acquisition plans, statements of work and requests for proposals, examining limitations on competition, and assisting and reviewing all significant milestone events leading to contract award. CLD lawyers frequently serve on source selection boards, and participate in discussions and debriefings with Government contract offerors. The Division also provides procurement-related competitive sourcing advice.

CLD lawyers also play a prominent role administering the Department’s contracts, reviewing contract modifications, advising on contract interpretation, advancing the Department’s position when disagreement arises, and participating in negotiated dispute resolution. CLD attorneys also assist the Office of Acquisition Management in devising Departmental acquisition policy. Other areas on which CLD counsels Department offices include matters related to the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act, the Contract Disputes Act, the Competition in Contracting Act, the FAIR Act, the Service Contract Act, the Davis-Bacon Act, the Small Business Act, Section 508 requirements, the Brooks Act, the Federal Acquisition Regulation, the Commerce Acquisition Regulation and OMB Circular A-76.

CLD defends the Department’s procurement decisions before the General Accounting Office and the General Services Board of Contract Appeals. We also assist the Department of Justice’s defense of procurement actions filed in the United States Court of Federal Claims.