TEAMING AGREEMENTS 

John W. Chierichella is a partner in the D.C. office of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, specializing in Government Contracts-related counseling and litigation.  His practice includes prime contractor/subcontractor disputes, including the drafting of teaming agreements and the litigation/arbitration of teaming disputes; False Claims Act litigation; claims and appeals; audits and investigations, with a particular focus on cost accounting issues; and GSA's multiple award schedule contracting program. Mr. Chierichella graduated from Cornell University and the Columbia University School of Law, where he was selected as a James Kent Scholar and a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and where he served as an editor of the Columbia Law Review.  Before entering private practice, he served as an attorney/advisor to the Secretary of the Air Force on procurement matters.  He has been recognized by the Legal Times and by Chambers & Partners as a leading practitioner on a national level in the field of Government Contracts.  He currently holds a Top Secret security clearance.

David S. Gallacher is an associate in the Government Contracts and Regulated Industries Practice Group of Sheppard Mullin's Washington, D.C. office.  Mr. Gallacher's professional experience involves a wide variety of litigation, administrative, and counseling issues related to federal procurement laws. His experience ranges from complex litigation in federal court under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, to claims disputes before the Boards of Contract Appeals, to bid protests at the GAO or the Court of Federal Claims. He also conducts internal reviews to ensure to ensure compliance with a host of government regulations.  In 2007, he successfully arbitrated a dispute between two prominent government contractors relating to the validity and interpretation of a teaming agreement. He routinely counsels both foreign and domestic government contractors on a host of topics, including issues relating to teaming agreements, prime/sub-contractor relationships, cost accounting, suspension and debarment, and compliance with other regulatory requirements.  He currently holds a SCI security clearance.

Anne B. Perry is a partner in the Government Contract and Regulated Industries Group in the Washington, D.C. office of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP.  Ms. Perry concentrates in the areas of Government Contracts law and litigation and is a lecturer and author in the area. Her broad experience in Government Contracts includes, for example: bid protests before the U.S. General Accounting Office, and the United States Court of Federal Claims; complex litigation in connection with the False Claims Act; claims litigation before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, and the General Services Administration Board of Contract Appeals; counseling and litigation in the areas of: software and technical; data rights cost allowability and cost allocability; mergers and acquisitions; subcontracts and teaming agreements; Foreign Military Sales and Foreign Military Financing; Truth In Negotiations Act and defective pricing; suspension/debarment; appropriations and socioeconomic programs.

Before entering private practice, Ms. Perry worked for the U.S. General Accounting Office handling bid protests.  Ms. Perry earned a B.A., Dickinson College, 1986 and J.D., George Washington University, 1989. She is admitted to the bar in the District of Columbia, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

ADVANCED SUBCONTRACTING

W. Bruce Shirk is special counsel in the Government Contracts and Regulated Industries Practice Group in the Washington, D.C. office of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP. Mr. Shirk focuses his practice in the areas of government and construction contract law and litigation, including cost accounting issues, defense and aerospace contracting, Medicare and Medicaid contracting and related areas of law including Medicare coordination of benefits and data sharing requirements. Mr. Shirk's litigation experience includes the conduct of trials and appeals, including bid protests and other complex litigation and related discovery proceedings, before Boards of Contract Appeals, various federal administrative tribunals and state courts, Federal District courts, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

 Mr. Shirk has represented both state and federal government entities in litigation and has served as an arbitrator in a number of construction arbitration proceedings under the rules of the American Arbitration Association. His experience as a counselor includes review of contracts and provision of advice to clients in both the public and private sectors in negotiation and administration of contracts and grants; administrative prosecution of claims against the government and defense of civil claims and criminal proceedings brought or instituted by the government, including claims arising under the Medicare statutes and regulations; defense of claims against public sector entities; conduct of internal inquiries related to contract and regulatory compliance, the latter including government claims for reimbursement of Medicare payments. He has conducted assessments of the practical impact of the law on the conduct of business with the government for clients, working closely with experts in related fields such as cost accounting and data analysis to formulate recommendations for managers responsible for corporate decision-making and resolution of disputes; the establishment of compliance programs and advice and counsel to clients regarding pricing and cost accounting issues. Mr. Shirk has a special interest in the principles and implementation of internal controls in the context of performance of government contracts and grants.

Before joining Sheppard Mullin, Mr. Shirk was a partner at Powell Goldstein, where he was chair of Powell Goldstein's Government Contracts practice. Prior to joining Powell Goldstein, Mr. Shirk was a partner in the firm of Seyfarth, Shaw, Fairweather & Geraldson (1979-1996), concentrating in construction litigation, government contracts counseling and litigation and health care contracting. Mr. Shirk served as a Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps (Active Duty 1962 - 1966). Mr. Shirk received a  J.D., Harvard Law School and a B.A., Harvard College, cum laude.

Louis D. Victorino practices law in the Washington, D.C. office of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP. Mr. Victorino's practice involves both counseling and litigation in the Public Contract Law field, representing domestic and foreign concerns that sell products or services to Federal, State, or local government agencies. In his 38 year career, he has litigated in excess of forty matters before the Court of Federal Claims, the Boards of Contract Appeals, the Comptroller General, as well as various state and Federal District Courts. He is admitted to the bars of the District of Columbia, California, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and the Federal District Courts for the Northern and Central Districts of California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, Rhode Island, and Washington. Mr. Victorino is a graduate of Stanford University and the UCLA School of Law, where he was an Associate Editor of the UCLA Law Review. He is an author and lecturer on Government Contracts Law.