Melissa P. Prusock

Experience: Federal Compliance, Investigations, Audits, and Suspension & Debarment: Represented clients in investigations and settlements of False Claims Act allegations, including allegations related to federal healthcare and small business contracting programs.; Represented clients in challenging, overturning, and resolving debarment or suspension actions, including negotiating Administrative Agreements.; Represented individual employees of large government contractors in connection with civil and criminal investigations related to government contracts.; Performed internal investigations and represented clients in connection with mandatory disclosures.; Represented clients in Office of Inspector General audits and investigations related to federal assistance and contracting programs.; Assisted clients in developing compliance programs and internal controls for federal contracting and assistance programs.; Federal Assistance Programs: Provided training to current and potential federal assistance award recipients on compliance with the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) and other requirements for federal financial assistance.; Assisted clients with preparing subaward agreements and advised on flow down requirements and subrecipient monitoring obligations under federal assistance awards.; Represented governmental entities in connection with federal disaster relief grants, including advising on compliance obligations under awards from multiple agencies and procurements using federal grant funding and responding to Office of Inspector General audits and investigations.; Provided ongoing compliance advice related to federal assistance awards.; Advised federal award recipients and subrecipients on grant and cooperative agreement terminations, cost disallowances, Executive Order compliance, agency federal assistance reviews, and federal assistance program recission issues under the Impoundment Control Act.; Advised for-profit entities on CHIPS Act requirements.; Represented multiple clients in appeals related to SBA's Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program.; Claims, Disputes & Protests: Represented clients in the Court of Federal Claims and the Federal Circuit, challenging government's right of offset under contract and state law, resulting in $55 million judgment.; Represented clients as intervenors in defending FEMA award decisions in multiple procurements against protests filed at the U.S. Government Accountability Office and Court of Federal Claims.; Challenged agency's past performance evaluation in U.S. Government Accountability Office bid protest and obtained attorneys' fees for client.; Challenged agency's decision to exclude small business from competition due to an alleged disqualifying organizational conflict of interest and was awarded attorneys' fees for pursuing protest by U.S. Government Accountability Office.; Represented client as amici in ruling by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that FAR part 12's proscription against the use of terms inconsistent with customary commercial practice applies to task and delivery orders issued under Federal Supply Schedule contracts.; Represented government contractor in connection with dispute with government over intellectual property rights.; Represented client in connection with dispute over exercise of options under GSA Schedule Contract.; Internship: Intern, U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, 2013-2014