Olivia Lynch

Olivia Lynch is an associate in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office, where she practices in the Government Contracts Group. She represents government contractors in bid protests before the Government Accountability Office and the Court of Federal Claims, as well as in civil litigation and arbitration. Her practice includes counseling on regulatory and compliance matters and advising on internal investigations. Olivia received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2011. During law school, Olivia interned for the Honorable Thomas C. Wheeler at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

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All Things Protest: Time for a Change – Important Updates on GAO Timeliness Rules and DoD Debriefings

Crowell & Moring’s “All Things Protest” podcast keeps you up to date on major trends in bid protest litigation, key developments in high-profile cases, and best practices in state and federal procurement. In this episode, your hosts break down GAO’s pre- and post-award timeliness rules, as well as recent changes to GAO’s regulations and DoD… Continue Reading

DoD Implements New Enhanced Debriefing Procedures from the 2018 NDAA

By Daniel R. Forman, Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan, John E. McCarthy Jr., Olivia Lynch and Christian Curran on March 28, 2018 Posted in Legal Developments

On March 22, 2018, the Department of Defense (DoD), Office of the Under Secretary of Defense issued a Class Deviation letter to the heads of all Department of Defense agencies requiring, effective immediately, that every DoD agency ensure that its contracting officers implement the recommendations for enhanced post-award debriefings set forth in Section 818 of… Continue Reading

All Things Protest: Organizational Conflicts of Interest

By Olivia Lynch, Rob Sneckenberg and Christian Curran on March 22, 2018 Posted in Bid Protest, Podcast

Crowell & Moring’s “All Things Protest” podcast keeps you up to date on major trends in bid protest litigation, key developments in high-profile cases, and best practices in state and federal procurement. In this episode, hosts Olivia Lynch, Rob Sneckenberg, and Christian Curran cover recent protest news and an organizational conflict of interest decision that… Continue Reading

GAO Lets Stand an Agency’s OCI Waivers in Face of a Multi-Prong Challenge

By Olivia Lynch, Daniel Wierzba and Payal Nanavati on March 14, 2018 Posted in Legal Developments, Organizational Conflict of Interest

In the face of an actual or potential organizational conflict of interest (OCI), the potential solutions are often limited. There are several options for contractors and the government that are broadly categorized as mitigation, avoidance, neutralization, limitations on future contracting, and exclusion. Although used sparingly, the FAR also provides that the government can “waive” actual… Continue Reading

Will the Procurement Process Change in 2018? Read “Government Contracts: Will Purchasing Be Streamlined?” – Part of Crowell & Moring’s 2018 Regulatory Forecast

By Robert Burton, Lorraine M. Campos, Olivia Lynch and Elizabeth Buehler on March 1, 2018 Posted in Legal Developments

Crowell & Moring has issued its “Regulatory Forecast 2018: What Corporate Counsel Need to Know for the Coming Year.” The section focusing on government contracts, “Will Purchasing Be Streamlined?” provides an overview of how the procurement process might be made more efficient, and this time, government contractors might be able to weigh in on the… Continue Reading

All Things Protest: The Inaugural Podcast

By Christian Curran, Olivia Lynch and Rob Sneckenberg on February 1, 2018 Posted in Bid Protest, Podcast

Crowell & Moring’s “All Things Protest” podcast keeps you up to date on major trends in bid protest litigation, key developments in high-profile cases, and best practices in state and federal procurement. In this inaugural episode, hosts Olivia Lynch, Rob Sneckenberg, and Christian Curran cover GAO’s FY2017 bid protest statistics, the RAND Corp.’s comprehensive report… Continue Reading

Fastest 5 Minutes, The Podcast Gov’t Contractors Can’t Do Without

By Peter J. Eyre, David B. Robbins and Olivia Lynch on August 4, 2017 Posted in Cybersecurity, Legal Developments, Podcast

Crowell & Moring’s “Fastest 5 Minutes” is a biweekly podcast that provides a brief summary of significant government contracts legal and regulatory developments that no government contracts lawyer or executive should be without. This latest edition is hosted by partner Peter Eyre and counsel Olivia Lynch and includes updates on GAO reports on cybersecurity, a… Continue Reading

Living in Harmony: Notable Changes to Synchronize the 8(a) and Small Business Mentor-Protégé Programs

By Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan, Olivia Lynch and Elizabeth Buehler on July 27, 2016 Posted in Small Business

In this second part of our blog series about the July 25, 2016 SBA final rule implementing numerous changes to multiple SBA regulations and establishing a new small business Mentor-Protégé Program (SB MPP), we address how such implementation impacts the parallel 8(a) Business Development mentor-protégé program (8(a) MPP). As the final rule points out, the… Continue Reading

SBA Opens the Floodgates: The Mentor-Protégé Program Expands to All Small Businesses

By Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan, Olivia Lynch and Elizabeth Buehler on July 26, 2016 Posted in Small Business

On July 25, 2016, the SBA published its final rule establishing a government-wide mentor-protégé program for the benefit of all small businesses as protégés. This widely-anticipated rule, implementing provisions of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, provides increased opportunity for small and large businesses… Continue Reading

The SBA Final Rule Implementing the FY2013 NDAA Part IV: New Recertification Requirement Following Mergers & Acquisitions

By Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan, Olivia Lynch and Joelle Sires on June 24, 2016 Posted in Small Business

In this part of our ongoing series (see Part I, Part II and Part III) on the Small Business Government Contracting and National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 Amendments implementing the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 (FY2013 NDAA) Amendments, we address the new recertification requirement that is triggered following the merger, sale, or acquisition… Continue Reading

The SBA Final Rule Implementing the FY2013 NDAA Part III: What You Need to Know About Affiliation and Joint Ventures

By Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan and Olivia Lynch on June 15, 2016 Posted in Small Business

As we have previously addressed, the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) final rule, Small Business Government Contracting and National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 Amendments, has implemented numerous changes to small business contracting contained in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 (FY2013 NDAA). Below we discuss an important change to one affiliation test as well… Continue Reading

The SBA Final Rule Implementing the FY2013 NDAA Part II: The Changes to Small Business Subcontracting Plans Have Immediate Impacts on Small and Large Businesses

By Olivia Lynch and Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan on June 9, 2016 Posted in Small Business

The Small Business Administration’s (SBA) final rule, Small Business Government Contracting and National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 Amendments, implements changes regarding small business subcontracting plans contained in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 (FY2013 NDAA). We discuss the key changes below. This rule becomes effective June 30, 2016, but as some of the… Continue Reading

The SBA Final Rule Implementing the FY2013 NDAA Part I: SBA Overhauls the Method for Calculating Compliance with the Limitation on Subcontracting Requirement

By Olivia Lynch and Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan on June 7, 2016 Posted in Small Business

The goal of the limitation on subcontracting requirement is to ensure that a certain amount of work is performed by a small business concern (SBC) when it qualifies for a small business program set-aside or sole source procurement due to its socioeconomic program status. SBA’s final rule, Small Business Government Contracting and National Defense Authorization… Continue Reading

Responsible Sourcing: New Tools for Contractors to Combat Human Trafficking

By Olivia Lynch and M. Yuan Zhou on May 17, 2016 Posted in Legal Developments

Last March, government contractors’ anti-human trafficking obligations were significantly expanded under FAR Subpart 22.17, Combating Trafficking in Persons, and its associated contract clause at FAR 52.222-50. Among other requirements, the amended FAR rule broadened the definition of trafficking in persons in government contracts, instituted new contractor reporting obligations, and implemented a number of additional compliance and… Continue Reading

Investors Beware: Minority Ownership Interests Can Create Affiliation and Defeat Small Business Size Status

By Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan and Olivia Lynch on March 7, 2016 Posted in Small Business

Far too often, investors, including venture capital companies, assume that as long as they do not retain the largest shareholder interest in a company, that they cannot create affiliation problems impacting what is a key to companies’ initial success in government contracting: small business status. Wrong. A recent U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of… Continue Reading

GSA Announces Changes in its Contractor Assistance Visits

By Angela B. Styles, Alan W. H. Gourley, Adelicia R. Cliffe and Olivia Lynch on March 19, 2015 Posted in GSA Schedule/Commercial Items

The General Services Administration (“GSA”) is rolling out two modifications to its Contractor Assistance Visits (“CAVs”), in-person or virtual meetings between GSA’s Industrial Operations Analysts (“IOAs”) and GSA Schedule holders to assess compliance, identify potential problems, and test the contractor’s system controls and processes. Tom Brady, the Director of the Supplier Management Division, GSA Office… Continue Reading

U.S. Access Board Proposes Update to Section 508 Standards

By Olivia Lynch on February 20, 2015 Posted in Legal Developments

On February 18, 2015, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (“Access Board”) released a proposed rule revising and updating the standards for electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained, or used by federal agencies covered by section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Why Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Matters to Contractors Section 508 of… Continue Reading

Significant Changes on the Horizon to Key SBA Regulations, Including the Limitations on Subcontracting

By Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan and Olivia Lynch on January 15, 2015 Posted in Small Business

On December 29, 2014, the Small Business Administration issued long overdue proposed amendments to its regulations (with 60 days for comments) to implement many of the provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 relevant to small business contracting. Most notable is the complete overhaul of the calculation of the limitations on subcontracting requirement.… Continue Reading

Ten FCA Decisions from 2013 That Contractors Need to Know

By Olivia Lynch on March 14, 2014 Posted in False Claims

In “Ten FCA Decisions From 2013 That Government Contractors Need To Know,” a feature comment published in The Government Contractor, C&M attorneys Andy Liu, Jonathan Cone, and Olivia Lynch count down 10 FCA decisions from last year that they predict will have the most significant legal and practical impact on government contractors. Read how the… Continue Reading

GAO Declines to Apply the Interested Party Rule in a Protest Filed under the Name of the Wrong Company

By Olivia Lynch on January 31, 2014 Posted in Bid Protest

(contributed to by Derek R. Mullins) When protesting to the Government Accountability Office, contractors must satisfy GAO’s “interested party” rule. In other words, a protester must be an actual or prospective bidder or offeror with a direct economic interest in the procurement. In post-award protests, it is expected that the entity that files a protest… Continue Reading

C&M Litigators Conduct Seminar on Bid Protest Procedure and Strategy

By Amy Laderberg O'Sullivan, Jonathan M. Baker and Olivia Lynch on September 16, 2013 Posted in Bid Protest

On September 19, 2013, bid protest attorneys Amy O’Sullivan, Jonathan Baker, and Olivia Lynch will once again be teaching the “Bid Protests: Practice, Procedure and Strategy” course for Federal Publications Seminars. This full-day, CLE-eligible, seminar focuses on practice, procedure, and strategy for protests litigated at the agency-level and before the U.S. Government Accountability Office and… Continue Reading

Trends and Developments in Bid Protests — Ounce of Prevention Seminar, May 15-16

By Olivia Lynch on April 18, 2013 Posted in Bid Protest

Crowell & Moring is hosting its annual Ounce of Prevention Seminar (OOPS) for government contractors on May 15-16, 2013 in Washington, D.C. For the past 28 years, OOPS has provided a forum for discussion of the latest developments in federal contracting. Thomas Humphrey, Daniel Forman, Derek Mullins, and I will be discussing Trends and Developments… Continue Reading

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