Ariel E. Debin Collinsworth

Ariel Debin Collinsworth is an associate in the Governmental Practice in the firm's Washington, D.C. office. She is a member of the Practice’s Supply Chain Management, Commercial Products and Services, and False Claims Act teams, and the Firm’s Organizational Integrity Group.

Areas of Practice

Ariel’s practice focuses primarily on assisting traditional and non-traditional government contractors of all sizes and across all industries – including aerospace, defense, telecommunications, and retail – understand risks and obligations when taking money from the Federal Government; whether through traditional procurement mechanisms or through Federal grant and assistance programs. Ariel specializes in various government investigation, litigation, and counseling matters, including those involving:

• False Claims Act litigation before the U.S. district courts and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims;
• Country of origin requirements, including under the Buy American Act, the Trade Agreements Act, Build America, Buy America (“BABA”) requirements, and domestic content tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA”);
• Supply chain related issues, including subcontract and reseller management, and prohibited sources;
• Internal investigations;
• Mandatory disclosures to the General Services Administration (GSA) Office of Inspector General;
• Civil and criminal subpoena responses to both federal and state enforcement agencies, including representing clients in Department of Justice (DOJ) and inspector general investigations;
• Compliance programs, including drafting policies and assisting in implementing compliance programs;
• Audits;
• Contract Dispute Act (CDA) claims and litigation before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims;
• Small business issues under the Small Business Administration’s (“SBA”) regulations, including issues of size status and affiliation;
• Bid protests before the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims;
• Suspension and debarment proceedings; and
• Bribery, gratuities and kickbacks.

Ariel also advises clients on issues relating to federal grant law, including counseling clients on applicability of, and compliance with, requirements under the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (the Uniform Guidance, 2 C.F.R. part 200), related Agency regulations, and program-specific statutory and regulatory conditions imposed by Federal grant programs. 

Ariel is a member of Sheppard Mullin’s Pro Bono Committee, committed to promoting opportunities and encouraging pro bono participation within the Washington, D.C. office and across the Firm.

Honors

Top Read Article, "Domestic Content Requirements of the Inflation Reduction Act: Basic Requirements, Qualification Analysis, and Lingering Questions," JD Supra Readers' Choice Awards, 2024

Articles

• Co-Author, "Fraud, Debarment & Suspension Conference Briefing Paper," West Government Contracts Year In Review Conference, Washington, D.C., February 23, 2018.
• Co-Author, "Feature Comment: Weathering The Storm: Forecasts For FCA Enforcement In The Trump Era," The Government Contractor, Vol. 58, No. 44, November 22, 2016

Government Contracts and Investigations Blog Posts

• "FAR Council Releases Rulemaking on Prohibitions for Semiconductors," June 3, 2024

• "Paid in Full: GSA Approves Advance Payment for SaaS Licenses," March 27, 2024

• "New Year, (Potentially) New Definition for 'Subcontract'," December 19, 2023
• "It’s the Most Wonderful Time for New DOD Flow Down Policies: Flowing Down Too Many Clauses Will Get Prime Contractors More Than a Lump of Coal," December 19, 2023

• "Interim Rule Effective in December Establishes Requirements for Contractors to Remove Identified Products and Services from the U.S. Government Supply Chain," October 11, 2023
• "Top 10 Takeaways from OMB’s “Build America, Buy America” Guidance for Infrastructure Projects," September 18, 2023
• "Hot off the Presses: Sheppard Mullin Publishes its “Federal Grants Survival Guide” for Commercial, For-Profit Companies," September 18, 2023

• "Treasury Issues New Proposed Guidance on Domestic Content Requirements of the Inflation Reduction Act – Updated Qualification Analysis and (Still) Lingering Questions," June 28, 2023

• "Another Piece to the Puzzle: OMB Issues Proposed Guidance on “Build America, Buy America” Requirements," February 21, 2023

• "Domestic Content Requirements of the Inflation Reduction Act: Basic Requirements, Qualification Analysis, and Lingering Questions," February 1, 2023

• "“Build America, Buy America” – New Guidelines Issued for U.S. Infrastructure Projects," April 20, 2022
• "The Impact of DOD’s Enhanced Debriefings Rule on Bid Protest Timeliness," March 30, 2022
• "Few Surprises – New Rule Implementing Biden’s “Made in America” Changes the Buy American Act Effective October 2022," March 9, 2022

• "The Future of COTS Procurement: Top 10 Questions from GSA’s Section 846 Phase 2 Report," May 29, 2019

Media Mentions

Speaking Engagements

• “Country of Origin and Buy America” 9-Part Series, Public Contracting Institute, 2024
• “2023 GovCon Commercial Products and Services Roundtable: Supply Chain Hot Topics,” Washington, D.C., November 1, 2023
• “Country of Origin and Buy America” 9-Part Series, Public Contracting Institute, Spring 2023
• “Inflation Reduction Act: Domestic Content Bonus Credit Overview,” Energy Storage North America 2023 Conference, February 14, 2023
• “May the Clause Be With You: FAR 52.243-1 & 52.12-4(c),” Public Contracting Institute, December 7, 2022
• “May the Clause Be With You: FAR 52.244-6, Subcontracts for Commercial Products & Commercial Services,” Public Contracting Institute, October 19, 2022
• “Identifying Emerging Risks in Your Foreign Supply Chain: Trade Agreements Act,” Public Contracting Institute, September 20, 2022
• “GovCon Commercial item Roundtable: Supply Chain Hot Topics 2022,” Washington, D.C., September 19, 2022
• “Identifying Emerging Risks in Your Foreign Supply Chain: Buy American Act Requirements,” Public Contracting Institute, August 16, 2022
• “Internal Investigations: Best Practices for Mitigating False Claims Act Risk,” Public Contracting Institute, June 23, 2022
• “Supply Chain Hot Topics: Domestic Sourcing and Domestic Manufacturing Requirements,” Public Contracting Institute, December 8, 2021
• “Government Contracting Executive Briefing Series: Internal Investigations & How to Avoid False Claims Act Violations,” Public Contracting Institute, October 21, 2021
• “Identifying Emerging Risks in Your Foreign Supply Chain,” Public Contracting Institute, May 3, 2021

Events