Government & Regulatory Relations
Dealing with government can be a complex landscape of criminal, civil, and administrative proceedings. Our lawyers, with decades of combined experience in government practice, can help you navigate these matters. Schertler & Onorato’s government practice, led by former D.C. Attorney General Robert Spagnoletti, is often the first choice for clients. In addition to defending against criminal, traffic, and juvenile delinquency charges, our lawyers represent clients in hearings before boards, commissions, and debarment panels; handle matters before the Office of Administrative Hearings and the Department of Motor Vehicles; negotiate employment and service contracts with various agencies; represent client interests before the Council of the District of Columbia; and interpret complex District laws and regulations for clients doing business with the District. We also assist clients who have claims against the District of Columbia by negotiating with, or litigating against, the city.
Schertler & Onorato is also a leader in the federal arena, with unique expertise in challenging the U.S. General Services Administration’s Excluded Parties List System (EPLS). The EPLS is an electronic, web based system that maintains a listing of persons and entities prohibited from receiving federal government contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain types of federal financial and non-financial assistance and benefits. The economic consequences of having your business improperly or mistakenly maintained on the EPLS, and therefore excluded from receiving government contracts, can be devastating. Schertler & Onorato has represented numerous clients in their successful EPLS challenges. We can help your organization navigate the administrative hurdles and ensure that parties are not wrongfully excluded from receiving federal government contracts, federal subcontracts, and other benefits. We encourage you to review the GSA’s website on the EPLS for more information: https://www.epls.gov
We are also experienced in assisting health care professionals with issues pertaining to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), implemented and directed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The NPDB is intended to be a central, national depository of information pertaining to incompetent performance by physicians, dentists, and other health care professionals. Adverse actions taken by professional and licensing boards are reported to the NPDB, and the NPDB in turn provides notice of adverse actions to hospitals, health care entities with formal peer review, professional societies with formal peer review, State licensing authorities, health care practitioners (self–query), researchers (statistics only), and in limited circumstances, plaintiffs’ attorneys. Schertler & Onorato can assist health care professionals with NPDB dispute resolution matters in order to ensure the fairness and accuracy of NPDB reports. See the HHS NPDB website for more information: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/dqa