Patrick K. Burns is Co-Chair of the firm’s Government Contracts Practice Group. His practice focuses on representing government contractors, Indian tribes, and other regulated entities in bid protests, claims, disputes, and complex regulatory compliance matters.

His experience includes representing contractors in protests before the U.S. Government Accountability Office and boards of contract appeals, as well as in related litigation in federal and state courts. He also assists clients with contract disputes, claims preparation, and risk mitigation arising throughout the procurement lifecycle.

He advises government contractors on regulatory compliance issues involving the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and agency supplements, including the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), as well as related labor and procurement requirements. This work includes advising clients on information technology and cybersecurity compliance requirements, including Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) and FedRAMP, organizational conflicts of interest, compliance with executive orders, and grant-related regulatory issues. He has also drafted procurement policies for quasi-governmental entities.

He represents Indian tribes and tribally affiliated entities in government contracting and procurement-related matters, including regulatory compliance and dispute resolution.

In addition to his government contracts practice, he represents clients in a range of commercial litigation matters, including disputes both within and outside the government contracting context.

Beyond client representation, Patrick is actively engaged in thought leadership within the government contracts community. He hosts The Essential GovCon Brief, a monthly podcast, available on Spotify, covering legal and regulatory developments affecting government contractors, and serves as editor of the firm’s monthly Government Contracts Legal Update.

  • Panelist, Festivus Grab Bag: Emerging Policy Gifts (or Coal) and Impacts to Government Contract Controversies, American Bar Association, Public Contract Law Section, Contract Claims and Disputes Resolution Committee, December 17, 2025
  • Presenter, President Trump’s Executive Orders: Navigating Compliance, Terminations, the False Claims Act, and Contractual Disputes, TRTCLE, May 22, 2025
  • Panelist, Navigating Federal Procurement: A Primer for Tech Entrepreneurs, The AI Expo for National Competitiveness, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C., May 8, 2024
  • Presenter, Contract Pricing and Price Analysis Fundamentals, Lorman Education Services, April 26, 2024

Admissions

  • District of Columbia
  • Virginia
  • Maryland
  • U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia
  • U.S. District Court, District of Maryland
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth District
  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit

Memberships

  • Fairfax Bar Association
  • Vice Chair, Contract Claims and Disputes Resolution Committee, Public Contract Law Section, American Bar Association (2024-Present)

Community Involvement

  • President, Fairfax Bar Association, Young Lawyers’ Section (2015-2016)
  • Member, Board of Directors of the Fairfax Bar Association, Young Lawyers’ Section (2012-2017)
  • Member, Board of Directors of the Fairfax Bar Association (2016-2017)
  • Member, Board of Directors of the Fairfax Law Foundation (2014-2015)
  • Member, Fairfax County General District Court Committee (2013-2015)

Education

  • J.D., cum laude, Michigan State University College of Law, 2010
  • B.A., Political Science, Pennsylvania State University, 2004

Honors

  • SuperLawyers® Rising Star, Washington D.C. and Virginia (2018-2021)
  • Arlington Magazine – Top Attorney (2022)
  • Virginia Legal Elite, Labor & Employment (2015) and Civil Litigation (2016)

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