Bio
Lauren represents commercial businesses in a variety of government contracting and litigation matters. A highly skilled practitioner, Lauren offers clients guidance on bid protests, terminations, constructive change claims, multiple award schedule (MAS) contracts, and solicitation reviews. She is adept at counseling clients on suspension and debarment proceedings, mandatory disclosures, alternative dispute resolution, base debarments, False Claims Act (FCA) actions, and other issues under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Contract Disputes Act (CDA). Lauren’s practice at the Firm—where she Co-Chairs PilieroMazza’s Government Contract Claims & Appeals Team—extends to requests for equitable adjustment (REAs), claims, and appeals.
Government contractors benefit from Lauren’s substantial experience assisting them with their contracts on military bases in Afghanistan and abroad. Her work in this area includes representing defense contractors against unjustifiable terminations for default resulting from government interference on base and against base suspensions and debarments from various DOD installations overseas. Lauren has also assisted contractors in navigating the complex nature of Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs) and host nation laws applied to contractors supporting missions in the Middle East and Europe.
Prior to joining PilieroMazza, Lauren was an attorney at a DC-based law firm and served as a law clerk for the Honorable Thomas G. Parisi of the Berks County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania.
During law school, Lauren was an active participant in the Widener Law Review, where she served as the Articles Editor. Lauren also participated in the Widener Law – Judicial Externship Program, where she served as a student law clerk for the Honorable R. Barclay Surrick of the United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Related Practice Areas
Representative Matters
Representative Experience
- Successfully defended a contractor from being debarred for alleged negligent supervision of a subordinate who mischarged hours of personal time to the government.
- Successfully negotiated and settled construction claims, including delays, change in concrete inspection procedures, and government breaches of the duties to cooperate and not to hinder and the duty of good faith and fair dealing.
- Successfully represented a government contractor who the government had unjustifiably terminated for default from a commercial item supply contract for the delivery of fuel to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. On appeal, the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals found the government had not met its burden to demonstrate a prima facie case of the contractor’s default. The termination was converted from a termination for default to a termination for convenience.
- Successfully represented a government contractor on appeal before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals. On appeal, Ms. Brier claimed that the contractor was entitled to compensation for delivery fees and invoices left outstanding on its delivered orders. After a summary proceeding before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, the Administrative Judge issued a binding decision sustaining the contractor’s appeal of all four orders and granting the contractor full payment on its invoices, plus interest.
- Successfully represented a client in a request for remission or mitigation of funds seized as a result of an asset forfeiture matter from 2010. Ms. Brier was able to demonstrate to the U.S. Postal Inspector Service that the funds seized seven years earlier were, in fact, traceable to a legitimate source and were remitted back to the client.
- Successfully represented an unsuccessful offeror in a bid protest of a subcontract award before the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Within days of filing the protest, the government issued a notice of corrective action, which inter alia, identified irregularities in the award, acknowledged that errors were made in the assignment, and ultimately resulted in the termination of the subcontract award.
- Successfully represented a contractor on the appeal of a base debarment from certain Department of Defense installations overseas. After review of the surrounding facts and circumstances examined in Ms. Brier’s written appeal, the Department of the Army approved the appeal and reinstated the contractor’s access to all previously barred installations. The contractor has since returned to working overseas on behalf of the United States military.
Credentials
Education
- Widener University, Delaware Law School, J.D., 2013, Magna Cum Laude
- Pennsylvania State University, B.A., History, 2008, High Distinction
Admissions
- District of Columbia
- Pennsylvania
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
Honors
Honors
District of Columbia Super Lawyers® Rising Star, Government Contracts, 2020-Present