DONALD C. HOLMES,
(1943-2019)

Donald Holmes devoted his entire professional career to litigation and counseling in the specialty of government and commercial contracts. Our firm was founded based on his guidance and vision and we work each day to live up to the values he endorsed. While Donald Holmes has left us, we strive to maintain his professional legacy as the foundation of our firm.

Mr. Holmes was one of the 24 Section Chairmen who directed Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue’s practice, the largest centrally managed law firm in the world with 2000 lawyers in 16 national and international offices. He directed the 25 lawyers in the firm’s specialized litigation and counseling practice for government and commercial contracts.

Mr. Holmes was lead trial counsel on a number of significant state and federal cases including cases that led Congress to amend the Truth in Negotiation Act and the Brooks Act, commercial contract suits involving over $500 million in claims by Newport News Shipbuilding, El Paso Natural Gas and Shell Oil, $67 million worth of affirmative construction and supply extra work claims against the FAA, $4.5 million in latent defect claims by U.S. Air Force relating to the F-111 aircraft system, the prosecution of $25 million of equitable adjustment proposals pending before the U.S. Navy for a flight of seven nuclear attack submarines and the prosecution of $150 million equitable adjustment proposals for two Sealift pre-positioning ships.

Mr. Holmes had experience in arbitration and mediation from serving as a Special Master appointed by the United States Federal District Court for Cincinnati to resolve conflicting equitable adjustment construction claims in excess of $200 million. He also sat as an arbitrator/three judge panel for claims and counter-claims of $20 million regarding construction renovation of the United States Naval Ship Harry Martin. Lockheed Martin and the United States Air Force hired him as an independent technical expert to determine entitlement and quantum bases for $20 million of claims. Mr. Holmes resolved U.S. Justice Department civil claims of $12.5 million in competing claims by Government Agencies for refunds and he made presentations at multiple mediation sessions. 

He testified in court as an expert witness regarding government contract administration, trade practices and government contract termination. 

Mr. Holmes was a founding member of the Contract Research and Analytic Institute (CRAI), a non-profit institution that publishes research texts and monographs on topics involving commercial and government contracting. As a CRAI contributor, he produced nine texts concerning government contracts and litigation that amount to almost 2000 pages of literature. Additionally, he has published several law review articles. 

Mr. Holmes believed strongly in the need for practicing attorneys to provide competent, specialized representation to individuals and small businesses that cannot afford it. His pro bono activities included representation of numerous small businesses before federal agencies, the resolution of contract disputes, the defense of a mortgage foreclosure action against indigents’ homes in the District of Columbia and representation in connection with support payment and divorce for indigent women. 

Mr. Holmes sat as the Vice Chairman of Judicial Remedies Committee for the American Bar Association, Public Contract Law Section. He was a visiting lecturer of law for the George Washington University Law School Government Contracts Program and was an Adjunct Professor in Government Contract Law at the University of Iowa Law School. 

He received his J.D. from George Washington University Law School and a B.S. from the University of Maryland. He was licensed to practice law in California, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.

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