Attorney Profile:

William B. Barton is a founding partner of the McLean, Virginia, law firm of Barton, Baker, Thomas, & Tolle, now Baker, Cronogue, Tolle & Werfel, LLP, where he specializes in all aspects of Government contracts, corporate counseling, mergers and acquisitions, commercial/corporate transactions and corporate finance; he also assists clients with commercial transactions, corporate strategy, board counseling and has presented numerous cases in civil litigation. He began his career as an attorney for the Federal Government working first with The Department of Air Force for five years followed by The Department of Navy where he litigated complex shipbuilding and weapon systems claims.

Since 1976 Mr. Barton has been in private practice where he devotes the principal part of his time to representing Government contractors from a variety of industries (including commercial products) in all aspects of their contractual relations with the Federal Government including, GSA schedule contracts, cost and pricing issues, pre- and post award audits, compliance reviews, labor issues, IG investigations, rights in data, teaming agreements, size protests, performance disputes, claims, suspensions and debarment. He has litigated disputes before all of the major Boards of Contract Appeals (including protests at the General Services Board of Contract Appeals), the U. S. Court of Federal Claims and U. S. District Courts, the Small Business Administration Office of Hearings and Appeals and has appeared frequently before the General Accounting Office on bid protests. He served for 10 years as a member of the panel of arbitrators for the American Arbitration Association and continues to serve on several Boards of Directors and is outside counsel for a number of corporations.

Mr. Barton has most recently been focused on assisting companies with their growth and restructuring which has included a variety of tasks such as working with the principals in the location of asset based financing and private equity investors, introductions to venture capital and other early stage financing, aiding companies in the sale of their business and identification of potential buyers, positioning for equity markets, equity restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, development of acquisition strategies, terms of sale and due diligence in the purchase of acquisition candidates. Mr. Barton has worked especially closely with early and mid stage companies in the technology, services and telecommunications industries.

Mr. Barton has published extensively in the field of Government contracts and has lectured for professional seminars sponsored by groups such as Federal Publications and has taught sections of a course on GSA Schedule Contracts for the University of Virginia. A list of some of Mr. Barton's Articles and Lectures is contained below. Mr. Barton is an active member of the American Bar Association Public Contract Law Section - commercial products and claims committees - and is past President of the McLean Bar Association.

Mr. Barton has also served as Chairman of the Program Committee and Membership Committee for the National Capital Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth and is currently serving as Vice Chairman of the Sibley Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees, part of the John's Hopkins Health System. In 2014, Mr. Barton transitioned to Of Counsel status with the firm and currently engages in special projects.

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