Speaker 06.17.25
Pillsbury’s Annual West Coast Government Contracts Summit
7:30AM - 3:00PM PDT
Alexandria at Torrey Pines
10996 Torreyana Road
San Diego, CA 92121
[Michael Rizzo] provides valuable and timely advice. He takes the time to understand clients’ business, objectives and goals. Mike makes himself available even upon short notice and is very responsive to requests.
Michael Rizzo is managing partner of the Los Angeles office. He regularly represents service contractors, defense contractors, transportation contractors and technology companies in high-stakes matters involving resolution of precedential issues.
A government contracts lawyer in Los Angeles, Michael prepares Contract Disputes Act certified claims; resolves contract disputes before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA), the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA), California federal and state courts, and in arbitration. He serves as lead counsel in termination disputes at the federal, state and local government levels. Michael is active in preparing termination settlement proposals. Presently, he has termination matters adverse to the Departments of Defense, Agriculture, Energy, HUD, Interior and the GSA. Michael has numerous engagements for real estate companies faced with potential and actual GSA lease terminations. He also leads Pillsbury’s California State and Local Government Contracts practice and has served as first chair in numerous high-profile California state and local matters. Michael co-authors the authoritative publication on California state and local government contracts, the “California Procurement Handbook.”
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In addition, Michael serves as lead counsel in corporate suspension and debarment matters before the Army, the Air Force, the Navy and the Defense Logistics Agency and defends lawsuits filed under the Civil False Claims Act. Michael presently serves as lead counsel in major False Claims Act investigations involving Buy American, counterfeit parts and cybersecurity legal issues He also crafts comprehensive government contracts compliance programs designed to reduce clients’ future exposure and legal expenditures, including counseling on supply chain risk management issues. He serves as outside counsel to a major defense company headquartered in Southern California on their hiring of former government employees to ensure compliance with “revolving door” statutes and regulations.
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Recommended by The Legal 500 U.S. for Government Contracts (2017 – 2025)
Recognized as a Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer – independently rated lawyers (2022 – 2025). This is a client-nominated listing that legal departments around the world use to search for peer-reviewed lawyers.
Michael has twice been named to the BTI Client Service All-Star Team, an annual list honoring attorneys who deliver incomparable levels of client service excellence in the United States.
Education
J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 1992
B.A., Georgetown University, 1989
Admissions
California