Jones Day Welcomes Government Contracts Partner

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- The global law firm Jones Day has announced that Fernand Lavallee has joined its Washington Office as a partner in the Government Regulation Practice focusing on government contracts. He was formerly a partner in DLA Piper's Washington office.

"Fern combines the broad range of experience with government contractors that you want in a counselor with the full range of litigation skills to resolve conflicts that arise," said Noel Francisco, chair of Jones Day's Government Regulation Practice. 

Mr. Lavallee has represented companies in all aspects of federal, state, and local procurement law matters, including counseling, litigating, and teaching contractors in all areas. He has litigated government contracts and other cases before various federal and state courts and brought bid protests and contract claims before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, various boards of contract appeals, and the Government Accountability Office, as well as size protests before the Small Business Administration. Mr. Lavallee presented on U.S. federal public procurement at the 1st Interdisciplinary Symposium on Public Procurement, co-sponsored by the University of Rome Tor Vergata and the Faculty of Law of the University of Copenhagen, held in Rome, Italy. He is widely recognized for expertise in connection with intellectual property rights under federal government contracts, and has been called as a testifying expert witness in trial on the subject. Mr. Lavallee works with companies providing products and services to both civilian and defense agencies. 

"The federal government shows no signs of getting smaller any time soon. As a result, our clients are increasingly interacting and contracting with governmental agencies and other entities here in Washington or finding themselves subject to the rules and regulations of those governmental bodies. This is also true at the state level. Expanding our government contracts practice group has therefore been a point of great emphasis for us, and with Fern's addition, we strengthen an already outstanding core of partners here in that group, namely, Pete Garvin, Andy Ness, Grant Willis, and Andy Jackson, who joined us just last year. We're thrilled Fern's now a part of our team," said Greg Shumaker, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day's Washington Office. 

Mr. Lavallee earned his J.D. from the College of William and Mary, where he was on the Law Review, and his A.B. from Georgetown University. He has served with the United States Department of Commerce, and as an infantry officer in the United States Army and in the Maryland Army National Guard. Mr. Lavallee is active in the community, and is involved with charitable organizations committed to excellence in education and special education.

Jones Day is a global law firm with 41 offices in major centers of business and finance throughout the world. Its unique governance system fosters an unparalleled level of integration and contributes to its perennial ranking as among the best in the world in client service. Jones Day provides significant legal representation for almost half of the Fortune 500, Fortune Global 500, and FT Global 500.