Paul R. Hurst

Paul Hurst has significant experience in complex civil litigation and regularly represents government contractors in the defense, construction, and healthcare industry.

He litigates bid protests at the General Accountability Office, the Court of Federal Claims, the Small Business Administration, and state and local forums, as well as disputes involving contracts, fraud, construction-related claims, RICO, and intellectual property pending in federal courts and state courts across the nation.

Paul also has substantial experience with other government contracts-related litigation, ADR, and proceedings, including claims, internal investigations, government audits and investigations, reverse FOIA matters, and civil False Claims Act and qui tam actions.

He also counsels clients on matters relating to federal procurement statutes and regulations, including compliance, contract changes, the False Claims Act, the Anti-Assignment Act, Small Business contracting, federal procurement, procurement integrity, and corporate counseling for mergers and acquisitions involving government contractors.

Paul currently serves as the chair of Steptoe’s Government Contracts Group. He previously participated in the firm’s Legal Aid Loaned Associate Program. As a loaned associate, he gained a tremendous amount of trial experience representing indigent clients in matters pending before the Superior Court for the District of Columbia.

Government Contracts Experience:

• Represented clients in internal investigation and defense of False Claims Act violations alleged by the US Attorneys’ Office.
• Assisted clients in preparing multi-million dollar claims for differing site conditions, contract changes, variations in estimated quantities (VEQ), and other requests for equitable adjustments under Federal contracts.
• Assisted clients in responding to Inspector General audits of costs charged to Federal grants for performance of work in Iraq and Afghanistan, including challenges to costs charged for private security contractors.
• Represented clients in administrative appeals of disallowed costs under Federal grants.
• Represented client in responding to Government audit of the compliance with the contract’s terms for pricing items purchased under a prime vendor contract awarded by the Defense Logistics Agency.  This matter was resolved in mediation with the agency.

Education:

• J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School, 1995
• B.A., University of Delaware, 1992, Economics