Partner, Los Angeles
444 South Flower Street
8th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90071-2901

TEL: 213.243.6193
FAX: 213.243.6330
EMAIL: mrizzo@mckennalong.com

PROFILE

Michael Rizzo works to resolve contract disputes in both the public and private sectors, ranging from federal defense contractors to clients in the transportation and information technology industries who perform local government or private contracts. He has appeared before the Comptroller General of the General Accounting Office, the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, federal and California trial courts, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, as well as participating in mediation and arbitration proceedings.

In addition to representing commercial clients pursuing private contract claims, Michael has prepared successful claims against the Department of Defense and NASA for contract changes, delay and disruption arising from the government's administration of major weapon systems. He worked to secure equitable adjustment of a contract with the Canadian government for development of Canada's air traffic control system. Michael frequently represents clients facing criminal investigation for alleged quality assurance improprieties and defective pricing. He is experienced in developing and managing internal investigations into allegations of wrongful conduct by corporate personnel. He has also defended lawsuits filed pursuant to the Civil False Claims Act. Michael also has litigated claims against the State of California and local government agencies within the state. He serves as the head of the firm's state and local government subspecialty group.

Michael counsels clients on a wide variety of federal and local government contracts issues, including proposal preparation, contract negotiation, suspension, debarment and cost accounting. He also develops corporate compliance systems which meet both state and federal regulatory requirements. He is a frequent lecturer on parallels between the Uniform Commercial Code and the Federal Acquisition Regulations. He has also been invited to speak on the federal contract criminal investigation process.