Protorae Law attorneys Rebecca Bricken Segal, John Hawthorne, Aaron Cummings, James Kinsel and Brian Chandler were recently recognized in Virginia Lawyers Weekly’s “Virginia’s Largest Verdicts of 2015” for their $4.864 million verdict in Tulynet FZ LLC v. Nemetisheva v. Barmawi, which was the second largest verdict in Virginia for 2015.
The business tort case, which was heard in the Fairfax County Circuit Court, involved a telecommunications company that alleged a business conspiracy and theft of trade secrets.
Virginia Lawyers Weekly compiles its annual list based on the following criteria: The verdict was for at least $1 million; the verdict was returned by a jury in Virginia, not a judge; and the verdict was returned in the calendar year 2015.
Protorae Law announced the relocation of it’s office to Tysons International Plaza on March 28th, 2016. The firm’s new headquarters, located at 1921 Gallows Road, is a Class A office project owned and operated by Tishman Speyer.
“We’re excited to begin this new chapter at the firm which will position us for continued growth, enabling us to better serve our clients. With the recent expansion of the firm’s Corporate and Business Litigation practices, in addition to the formation of our Trusts and Estates practice in 2015, expansion was on the horizon and we are pleased to be able to continue our legacy of service in the heart of Tysons where the firm was founded in 2010,” said Co-Managing Member, James Kinsel.
Protorae Law is a Northern Virginia based firm that provides strategic legal services to small, mid-tier, and large businesses throughout all stages of a company’s lifecycle. Designed around the needs of businesses, Protorae Law’s practice areas include Government Contracts, Corporate & Business Transactions, Employment Law, Litigation, Real Estate, Trusts and Estates, and Unfair Business Practices.
Telephone and email addresses for Protorae Law have not changed with the move. The new office address is 1921 Gallows Road, Suite 950 Tysons, Virginia 22182 and the main phone number is 703-749-8507.
Virginia Business magazine, in association with the Virginia Bar Association, has named eight Protorae Law partners across six practice areas to its 2015 Virginia Legal Elite listing.
Attorneys throughout the state were asked to nominate their peers in 18 practice categories.
“We are honored to have so many of our attorneys recognized by their peers as we know that providing quality legal service is never static, but something to strive for every day with every client,” said co-founding partner Jim Kinsel.
Devon Hewitt, partner in Protorae Law’s Government Contracts practice, was interviewed by Bloomberg BNA for an October 13th article about the recent National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (H.R. 1735) small business contracting changes regarding joint ventures and teaming arrangements.
The defense bill, which is said to help ensure small businesses receive proper consideration when joint venturing or teaming, will require agencies to evaluate the qualifications of all joint venture and team members.
Ms. Hewitt commented that the new provision, however, only applies to awards involving bundled or consolidated contracts and indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple-award contracts above the bundling threshold. It’s “not a giant leap for mankind” said Ms. Hewitt, but is a “step in the right direction.”
Mr. Kuhnsman brings with him over 25 years’ experience, most recently as a member of Enterprise Business Law Group, LLC, where he represented small businesses and their owners throughout the Washington, DC area. He has an extensive background representing clients, many of which are government contractors, in the fields of information technology; business and technical consulting; research and development; legal, accounting, and financial services; staffing services; real estate holding companies; and retail and consumer services.
His years of experience in corporate and limited liability company organization, include assisting entrepreneurs in growing their businesses from start-up to sale, including providing advice on structure and governance, corporate compliance programs, and mergers and acquisitions. In addition, Mr. Kuhnsman also has experience with legal issues pertaining to SBA 8(a), HUBZone, Service Disabled Veteran and Women Owned Small Business programs.
“We are thrilled to add David Kuhnsman’s wealth of experience in advising businesses on their myriad legal issues. David’s addition to our team furthers Protorae Law’s commitment to provide seasoned legal and practical advice to our clients,” said co-founding member James B. Kinsel.
Protorae Law PLLC, a Tysons Corner based business law firm, celebrated its 5th anniversary on September 1, 2015. This milestone marks the firm’s growth since opening its doors with four attorneys in 2010, and is now home to 13 attorneys in addition to its managerial and support staff.
Designed around the needs of businesses, Protorae Law was co-founded by members James B. Kinsel and Brian F. Chandler with a focus on “Teaming with Today’s Business,” which describes the firm’s approach with clients—to be their trusted advisor in navigating today’s business legal environment.
With its beginnings as a Business Litigation, Corporate, and Employment Law firm, Protorae Law has since expanded its services to nine practice areas including Government Contracts, Business Transactions, Business Breakups, Real Estate, Unfair Business Practices, and its newly added Trusts and Estates practice in 2015.
“We are pleased with the firm’s steady growth and diversity of practice over the past five years which enables us to provide strategic legal services throughout all stages of a company’s lifecycle,” said co-founding member Brian Chandler.
Reflecting on the firm’s history, co-founding member Jim Kinsel said, “We are honored to have had the opportunity to serve our clients over the past five years and look forward to continuing to build strong relationships with clients for many years to come.”
Devon Hewitt, partner in Protorae Law’s Government Contracts practice, was quoted by Bloomberg BNAin a July 24th article about the recently proposed legislation to increase small business contractor awards.
The Assuring Contracting Equity Act (HR. 3175, S.1859) could increase federal awards to small firms by nearly $10 billion, and would require officials to reevaluate compliance with small business subcontracting goals when awarding contracts.
Ms. Hewitt states, “I think this has been a big loophole in small business initiatives that needs to be closed and this bill is a start.” She noted there might be less resistance to increasing the governmentwide small business contracting goal now that the government has had some success in meeting the existing goal. However, doubling the goal for certain types of businesses “is really a stretch.”
Devon Hewitt, partner in Protorae Law’s Government Contracts practice, was quoted by Bloomberg BNAin an April 23rd article about possible new certification requirements in the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee’s proposed Small Business Fairness Act.
The Senate’s bill (S.958) would require contracting officers to certify that the “status” of the small business team or joint venture members is the same as it was when the team or joint venture was awarded the contract.
Hewitt expressed concerns stating, “What happens if the contracting officer does not certify that the status of the team or joint venture members is the same at some point during the contract term?”
She adds that currently, “a small business contract awardee can experience a change in size or status and still be entitled to person the small business contract. This changes the current landscape significantly.”
Devon Hewitt, partner in Protorae Law’s Government Contracts Practice, was quoted by Bloomberg BNA in a March 25th article about the House Small Business Committee’s recent approval of the Small Contractors Improve Competition Act of 2015 (H.R. 1481) (SCICA) which strives to increase competition for small businesses seeking federal contracts.
The new legislation addresses obstacles for small business contractors such as contract bundling, joint ventures and teaming agreements, and the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) non-manufacturer rule.
Hewitt told BNA’s Federal Contracts Report that the bill’s joint venture and teaming provisions were the most impactful and would require agencies to credit newly organized joint ventures with the past performance of its members. “Joint ventures are being used more and more by small businesses because procurements are getting bigger and including more complicated requirements. The requirements in these solicitations often cannot be met by one small business, and joint ventures are an excellent option in these circumstances,” said Hewitt.
Additionally, the legislation redefines the SBA’s non-manufacturer rule stating that it would not apply to contracts for services. “Service contracts are a small business’s bread and butter, and application of the non-manufacturer rule to that type of contract will greatly reduce the number of small businesses eligible to compete for small business set-aside services contracts,” said Hewitt.
Currently the bill has been endorsed by organizations such as The Associated General Contractors, The National Defense Industrial Association, Women Impacting Public Policy, National Electrical Contractors Association, American Institute of Architects, National Small Business Association, and Mid-Tier Advocacy.
