Michael Rizzo

Michael R. Rizzo, Pillsbury’s Government Contracts & Disputes practice co-leader, has represented defense contractors, design/build firms, transportation and technology companies in multimillion-dollar, precedent-setting cases.

Michael defends lawsuits filed under the Civil False Claims Act; resolves contract disputes before the ASBCA, the CBCA, California federal and state courts, and in arbitration; and handles termination disputes at the federal, state and local government levels.

He crafts comprehensive government contracts compliance programs designed to reduce clients’ future exposure and legal expenditures. Additionally, Michael represents clients under investigation for alleged quality assurance and pricing improprieties and is experienced in handling internal investigations.

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE :

• Defended Rockwell Collins in a protest of its award by the California Department of General Services of a $300 million+ IT contract for an integrated public safety vehicle environment.
• Served as Lockheed Martin’s lead trial counsel in a successful motion to dismiss with prejudice for failure to state a third-party beneficiary or unfair business practices claim.
• Represented Hughes Aircraft Company in a 9th Circuit case that set the standard for the statute of limitations applicable to retaliation claims in California under the Federal False Claims Act.
• Successfully resolved an eight-figure Contract Disputes Act claim arising out of a design-build firm’s performance of infrastructure task orders in the Iraq reconstruction effort.
• Successfully resolved what are believed to be the two largest terminations for default stemming from the Iraq reconstruction effort, obtaining terminations for convenience on behalf of his client.
• Favorably resolved, as lead counsel, recent inquiries into whether his clients should be suspended or debarred, demonstrating their present responsibility and compliance with revised internal controls that Mr. Rizzo formulated.

Associations :

• American Bar Association (Litigation Section; Public Contract Law Section)
• State Bar of California
• Aerospace & Defense Forum
• National Contract Management Association

EDUCATION :

• J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 1992
• B.A., Georgetown University, 1989

ADMISSIONS : California