Counsel

Evan C. Williams

Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Government Contracts, Aviation

Overview

Evan Williams is counsel in the firm’s government contracts practice. With an emphasis on aerospace, technology, and defense sectors, he represents clients in a large variety of complex government contracting matters. Evan counsels contractors in regulatory, policy, transactional, litigation, and investigative matters involving federal and state agencies.

Before joining Mayer Brown, Evan was an attorney with the Office of General Counsel at the US Government Accountability Office (GAO). As a bid protest hearing officer at GAO, he adjudicated hundreds of challenging and sophisticated bid protests within the strict 100-day Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) statutory deadline. Evan was promoted to Assistant General Counsel for Procurement Law. In this role, he supervised a team of five GAO bid protest hearing officers, guiding all aspects of the adjudication of bid protests; including written decisions, hearings, alternative dispute resolution, and disputes over document production and protective orders. Evan’s protest experience includes the full spectrum of legal issues involving the award of a contract or the terms of a solicitation; such as technical evaluation challenges, cost realism/price concerns, restrictive specifications, and organizational conflicts of interests. During his time at GAO, Evan was also a member of the GAO Contract Appeals Board, which resolves appeals of decisions by contracting officers from various legislative branch agencies.

Before GAO, Evan was a contract litigation attorney at the US Army Legal Services Agency. As a trial attorney, he defended bid protests before GAO and the United States Court of Federal Claims, involving the procurement of construction, services, and supplies. Evan also represented the Department of the Army in all aspects of Contract Disputes Act litigation before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals; including motions practice, depositions, alternative-dispute resolution sessions, and hearings. Earlier in his career, Evan served on active duty in the US Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG), where he performed duties such as criminal prosecutor and legal assistance attorney. While on active duty, Evan was hand-selected to serve as a Special Assistant US Attorney to prosecute criminal offenses committed on Fort Cavazos, Texas. Also, in his reserve capacity, Evan has served as an adjunct professor at the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, where he provided lecture and seminar instruction in federal procurement to government attorneys.

Evan is active in the American Bar Association Public Contract Law Section where he continues to hold a leadership position as a Vice Chair of the Bid Protest Committee.

Education

  • Seattle University, BA, cum laude
  • Seattle University School of Law, JD, cum laude

Admissions

  • District of Columbia
  • Washington

Courts

  • US Court of Federal Claims
  • US Supreme Court

Professional & Community Involvement

  • American Bar Association, Public Contract Law Section
    • Vice Chair, Bid Protest Committee
    • Member, Contract Claims and Dispute Resolution Committee
  • Court of Federal Claims Bar Association
  • Judge Advocates Association
  • Boards of Contract Appeals Bar Association
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