Tara D. Hopkins

Tara has significant experience representing contractors in government contracts litigation, including bid protests, contract disputes and claims before the Boards of Contract Appeals, disputes between prime contractors and subcontractors, and wrongful termination disputes and related administrative proceedings before the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, as well as appellate proceedings before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit acting for both protestors and intervenors. She handles pre-award and post-award bid protest challenges, with a focus on achieving clients’ desired outcomes, whether securing contract awards, defending awards under protest, or preserving competitive positioning in time-sensitive procurements subject to heightened scrutiny. Tara also represents contractors in commercial litigation arising from teaming agreements, subcontract disputes, and joint venture disagreements, bringing a deep understanding of the regulatory context that shapes these commercial relationships.

Tara regularly advises corporate and private equity clients on mergers and acquisitions involving government contracts, including diligence, risk assessment, regulatory and compliance gap analysis, novations, and post-closing integration. She helps buyers and sellers assess program risk, identify compliance issues that may affect transaction value, and understand the operational implications of government contracts in mission-critical and regulated businesses. Tara works closely with corporate, litigation, and investigations teams to provide coordinated support throughout the transaction lifecycle.

A core component of Tara’s transactional practice is compliance and operational counseling. She advises contractors on FAR and DFARS compliance, procurement ethics, and False Claims Act risk, with an emphasis on front-end risk mitigation and operational readiness. Her work includes drafting, reviewing, and enhancing company policies, procedures, and internal controls to support a well-rounded compliance program and ongoing contract performance.

Tara advises contractors and grant recipients on compliance with domestic preference regimes, including the Buy American Act (BAA), the Trade Agreements Act (TAA), the Berry Amendment, and the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA). Her work in this area encompasses country-of-origin determinations, substantial transformation analyses, compliance with FAR domestic preference provisions (including FAR 52.225-1, 52.225-5, and 52.225-11), waiver requests, and strategies for managing supply chain risk in light of evolving domestic content requirements. Tara counsels clients in the defense, manufacturing, construction, and clean energy industries on structuring procurement and sourcing decisions to satisfy applicable domestic preference obligations while maintaining operational flexibility.

Tara also counsels clients navigating internal and external investigations, audits, and government disclosures, including voluntary and mandatory disclosures with an emphasis on identifying and addressing compliance issues early to minimize business disruption and reduce enforcement risk.

Licensed in the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Ohio. Not admitted in North Carolina.