Eric Aaserud

A government contracts attorney with more than 20 years of experience, Eric Aaserud advises companies on federal, state, and local procurement strategy, contract performance, and compliance. He is known for business-focused counsel and thought leadership on GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contracts, FAR and DFARS compliance, False Claims Act risk mitigation, data rights, and high-stakes negotiations.

Eric’s practice includes GSA MAS compliance and pricing strategy, commercial item contracting, audit defense, and pricing disclosure compliance, as well as intellectual property protection under federal contracts, including data rights and Bayh-Dole issues. He also advises on mergers and acquisitions involving government contractors, subcontracting and teaming agreements, bid protests and contract claims, grants and OTAs, and export control and domestic preference requirements relating to domestic content and country-of-origin qualification, including BAA and TAA compliance considerations. He helps clients manage risk across transactions, investigations, disputes, and high-stakes negotiations.

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Education

Seattle University School of Law, J.D.

Western Washington University, B.A., Political Science

Admissions

District of Columbia

Washington

Idaho

U.S. Court of Federal Claims

• Advise acquirers, sellers, investors, and government contractor and subcontractor targets on the government contracts aspects of mergers, acquisitions, investments, and reorganizations. Lead due diligence concerning contract portfolios, FAR and DFARS compliance, pricing and labor practices, flowdowns, federal data rights, cybersecurity, small business eligibility, and audit and enforcement exposure. Also advise on transaction structure, novation and change-of-name requirements, and Government notices and approvals.
• Represent contractors in GSA OIG audits involving pricing, disclosure, labor-category, and related MAS compliance issues. Guided a manufacturing firm through two complex audits over ten years, reducing exposure to a nominal amount after a $12 million settlement that predated the representation and securing five-year MAS extensions on favorable terms.
• Led a FAR compliance gap analysis for a public company, identifying material risk areas and recommending performance improvements in coordination with in-house compliance teams.
• Negotiate FAR flowdown terms for contractors, limiting clause acceptance to mandatory and necessary provisions, mitigating over-acceptance risk, and preventing future disputes.
• Represent a contractor in a high-stakes public procurement dispute arising from a pandemic-era termination by a state agency.
• Responded to a $2.5 million OIG audit finding with a persuasive submission that resulted in full relief from liability and favorable MAS pricing terms for the next five-year contract period.
• Advised a subcontractor on a USAID stop-work and termination, preparing cost submissions and supporting recovery negotiations with the prime contractor.
• Advised a natural resources company after technical submission issues threatened to exclude three federal grant applications from consideration. Persuaded the U.S. Forest Service to reconsider the applications on their merits, resulting in the client’s receipt of a substantial Wood Innovations Grant.

Publications

Press Releases

Professional

• Member, American Bar Association, Intellectual Property Law Section

Civic

• Member, Outdoor Writers Association of America