Joseph J. Summerill IV's practice at Piliero, Mazza & Pargament, PLLC includes representation of Federal and state government contractors, correction contractors, corporations, trade associations and individuals on a wide range of matters pertaining to general civil and commercial litigation, labor and employment, intellectual property and government contracts.
Prior to joining Piliero, Mazza & Pargament, PLLC, Mr. Summerill was the Chief of the Commercial Law Branch on the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisions (BOP), where he specialized in commercial litigation of multi-million dollar contracting appeals and protests involving the building and maintaining of penitentiaries, halfway houses, medical centers, and related correctional services. Mr. Summerill represented the BOP before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, various Boards of Contract Appeals and the General Accounting Office. Mr. Summerill was also the chief contract attorney for Federal Prision Industries, Inc. (UNICOR), providing legal advice to contracting officials and representing UNICOR in contract appeals and bid protests. Finally, Mr. Summerill played a critical role in the BOP's effort to privatize Federal prisons.
Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Mr. Summerill was Associate Counsel to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), where he counseled contracting officers on service and supply contracts and litigated appeals before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, as well as bid protests before the General Accounting Office. Mr. Summerill also assisted the DLA's Special Assistant for Contract Integrity in administering suspension and debarment proceedings, working closely with the Defense Contract Audit Agency and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Finally, Mr. Summerill worked in the Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Defense Procurement Fraud Unit on issues involving major fraud, conspiracy to defraud, false claims, mail fraud, wire fraud, voluntary disclosures and Qui Tam suits.
Mr. Summerill graduated from the George Washington University Law School with a Master of Laws in Government Procurement Law, and was the Associate Managing Editor of the Public Contract Law Journal.
He aslo received a J.D./Master of Intellectual Property Law in Joint Degree from the Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord, New Hampshire and a B.A. from Colby College in Waterville, Maine. He is a member of the Bars of the District of Columbia, United States Court of Federal Claims, and various Boards of Contract Appeals.