Burr & Forman Expands Its Reach, Opens Offices in D.C. and Chicago
Burr & Forman LLP is pleased to announce the opening of its Washington, D.C. and Chicago, IL offices and the expansion of its Government Contracts practice. The offices and practice will be helmed by leading government contracts and construction law attorneys and incoming partners Dirk Haire, Jessica Haire, and Sean Milani-nia in D.C. and Joseph Cohen in Chicago.
This team of federal government contract lawyers represents clients in connection with bid protests and claims litigation before the Court of Federal Claims, Boards of Contract Appeals, FAA Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition (ODRA), SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA), Government Accountability Office (GAO), U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and various U.S. District Courts. They also assist clients with federal contracts compliance as well as government and internal investigations.
Members of the practice hold active U.S. Secret security clearances and handle high-stakes litigation involving major infrastructure projects across the United States and around the world, including the Indo-Pacific, Europe, Middle East, and Africa.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for our firm to add excellent lawyers in a critical practice area,” said Ed Christian, Burr’s managing partner and Chief Executive Officer. “Establishing a strong presence in our nation’s capital will benefit our clients, and doing so with a team with such a strong reputation and skillset positions us for continued growth.”
The firm’s Washington, D.C. office is located in the 99 M Street building in the Navy Yard community. Its Chicago office is a temporary coworking space until the firm transitions to a permanent space later this summer.
Ranked as one of the leading construction law attorneys in the District of Columbia by Chambers USA, Dirk Haire’s national construction and government contracts practice is focused on bid protests and claims litigation relating to federal construction. He represents clients in connection with federal bid protests and construction litigation in the Boards of Contract Appeals, the Court of Federal Claims, the Government Accountability Office, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and various U.S. district courts. Dirk handles high-stakes litigation involving major construction projects across the United States and around the world, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Russia, and Africa. He offers guidance and representation in compliance matters, including past performance evaluations, defective specifications, the Build America, Buy America Act, the False Claims Act, the Buy American Act, and the Miller Act.
Jessica Haire represents clients in all aspects of government contracts and construction projects from negotiation of teaming agreements and subcontracts to claim litigation, negotiations and debarment proceedings. She focuses her practice on handling contract negotiations as well as federal and state claims litigation for changes, differing site conditions, delay damages, time extensions, defective specifications, cumulative impacts, and numerous federal government contracts issues under the Federal Acquisition Regulation and relevant statutes. Jessica regularly represents clients in various courts and boards of contract appeals including the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA), the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA), and the Maryland State Board of Contract Appeals (MSBCA).
Sean Milani-nia
Sean Milani-nia represents federal contractors in connection with Contract Disputes Act claims, bid protests, and compliance matters. Sean has extensive experience litigating complex claims before the Court of Federal Claims and Boards of Contract Appeals, bid protests before the GAO and Court of Federal Claims, and size protests before the SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals. Sean also assists contractors in connection with transactional matters, including government contracts focused diligence for mergers & acquisitions, novations, mentor-protege agreements, and joint venture and teaming agreements.
Sean's practice is geographically diverse, having represented contractors on projects throughout the United States and overseas, including Guam, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Qatar, Iraq, Norway, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, and Poland.
Joe Cohen is an experienced litigator and transactional attorney with a national practice that centers on construction, federal government contracting, and procurement. His clients include owners, design professionals, general contractors, and suppliers. Joe also has extensive experience in commercial and real estate-related litigation, particularly construction litigation and disputes involving mechanics liens. He represents a wide range of Chicago-based, national and international companies involved in construction-related businesses, drafting and negotiating agreements for construction projects and advising clients at every stage in the construction process. Joe also frequently represents and advises clients on corporate governance, regulatory and business issues. He was appointed by two different governors — Republican Bruce Rauner and Democrat J.B. Pritzker — to serve as a member of the Real Estate Board for Illinois. During his 3-year term, Joseph forged relationships both locally and nationally on both sides of the aisle.
