Jim Lay

Jim Lay is a noted authority on the law of government procurement. Leveraging twenty years of experience working as a government investigator, a government prosecutor, and a private attorney, Jim helps companies navigate the challenges of doing business with the federal government. He represents government contractors in the defense, intelligence, aerospace, health, construction, and information technology sectors. And his expertise covers all aspects of “Cradle to Grave” contracting, including capture, bidding, bid protests, pricing issues, contract negotiation, award, claims, amendments, equitable adjustments, performance, close-out, and litigation.

During the 102 Congress, a U.S. Senate special committee selected Jim for his investigative skills. And when the Committee issued its final report, it described his advocacy and insight as “tremendous.” He later served as a government prosecutor, attending the prestigious United States Department of Justice (DOJ) National Advocacy Center (NAC). The Editorial board of The Washington Post, an inside-the-Beltway institution, has described Jim as “impressive…thoughtful and articulate[.]”

A modern government contracts practice is global in scope, and Jim has developed his legal competence accordingly. Over his career, Jim has achieved a comfortable familiarity with the complexities of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the U.K. Bribery Act, and issues pertaining to Foreign Ownership Control or Influence (FOCI). Jim holds an M.A. in International Transactions from George Mason University’s School of Public Policy.

Jim has litigated cases, or provided counsel with respect to, the Procurement Integrity Act (PIA), the False Claims Act (FCA), and similar laws relating to integrity, labor time-charging issues, Cost Accounting Standards, and Cost Principles. And he has assisted with numerous internal and government investigations, as well as audits conducted pursuant to the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) Contract Audit Manual (CAM).

For both small and Fortune 500 companies, Jim has held a wide array of corporate offices and advisory roles. He has variously served as Government Contracts Counsel, General Counsel, Director, Secretary, Compliance Officer, Export Compliance Officer, and Chief Operating Officer.

A career trial lawyer, Jim has represented a wide range of contractors in Litigationin both state and Federal