Accounting, Cost and Pricing: Audit Trends, Recent Decisions and Update on Law and Regulatory Developments

Taylor M. Menlove, Esq. is an Attorney, Government Contracts at Ball Corporation where he supports Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. in government contract and export compliance matters.

Prior to working at Ball, Mr. Menlove was a Government Contracts Associate with McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP. Mr. Menlove received his Juris Doctorate from the Washington and Lee University School of Law. Mr. Menlove is an active member of the Public Contract Law Section of the American Bar Association where he currently serves as Co-Chair of the Accounting, Cost & Pricing Committee and an appointed member of the Standing Committee on Section Funds Policy.

Mr. Menlove also is an active member of the National Contract Management Association where he currently serves as Education Chair of the Denver Chapter.

Steven M. Masiello is the chair of the US Government Contracts practice and a leader of the firm's Global Government Contracts and Procurement group. Masiello serves as lead counsel in complex government contract matters across numerous industry segments concerning state, federal, and foreign military funded transactions and sales, as well as foreign direct commercial agreements in the US courts, agency boards and under domestic and international alternative dispute resolution procedures. His practice involves domestic and cross border protests, claims, corporate transactions and defense against contract default, fraud or corruption allegations. He has successfully resolved client matters involving high value contracts, protests, claims or corporate transactions. Masiello represents a variety of companies across diverse industries including aerospace and defense, construction and engineering services, information technology, health care, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and energy.

Steve has extensive experience assisting clients with government contract cost accounting, cost allowability and contract estimating and pricing matters. Specifically, he advises clients on resolving audit findings and disputes arising out of the Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), cost principles in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), agency regulation, circulars issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Truthful Cost or Pricing Data (f/k/a Truth in Negotiations Act (TINA)) requirements. Additionally, he handles client bid protest concerns, equitable adjustment or breach of contract claims, reverse-Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) cases, intellectual property (patents, software and data rights) matters and other contract and regulatory disputes.

Steve aids clients with the implementation of compliance policies and procedures, including Department of Defense (DOD) business and cybersecurity systems development, internal assessments and defense against adequacy challenges to such client systems. He further conducts internal domestic and cross border investigations and resolves allegations of contractor fraud under the False Claims Act (FCA), violations of laws or regulations, overpayments or other alleged contractor wrongdoing.

Steve is a certified management accountant (CMA) designated by the Institute of Management Accountants. Prior to joining Dentons, he served on active duty as an officer in the United States Air Force where he supported the award and administration of US Air Force aerospace systems contracts.

Sharon Parr joined the Office of General Counsel for the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA DL) in April 2007 and became the Senior Assistant General Counsel in June 2010. Her work entails furnishing written and oral advice on a variety of legal issues pertaining to cost allowability, allocability and reasonableness under the Government contract laws, statutes, and regulations. She is also responsible for coordinating Agency contract litigation.

Prior to joining DCAA, Sharon worked for the Navy and the Defense Contract Management Agency where she represented the Government before the Armed Services Board of Contract appeals and supported the Department of Justice on litigation before the United States Court of Federal Claims on Cost Accounting Standards and FAR cost principle disputes. Sharon worked for DCAA and GAO as an auditor. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.

Sharon received her Bachelors of Science degree in Accounting from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and her Juris Doctor from George Mason University, School of Law.

Hamrick has led or been involved in numerous bid protests during his career. He will continue to represent clients in these matters, as well as in audits, contract disputes, False Claims Act litigation, and civil and criminal fraud investigations. He also will continue to counsel clients on their ever-changing cyber security and cost accounting compliance requirements— areas in which he has considerable experience.

Hamrick co-chairs the Accounting, Cost and Pricing Committee of the American Bar Association’s Public Contract Law Section. Under Hamrick’s leadership, and that of his fellow co-chairs, the committee monitors and comments on issues and developments in the legislative, regulatory, and disputes areas related to Cost Accounting Standards, cost allocation and allowability, Truth in Negotiations (defective pricing and exemptions from cost or pricing data requirements), and contract pricing generally.

He earned his J.D. from Duke University School of Law and his bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Duke University.