A cybersecurity firm certified to work on a $60 million Seattle City Lights contract filed a lawsuit Jan. 12 against Burns & McDonnell for “abusing” Seattle’s minority- and women-owned business hiring laws and instead reserving the work instead of awarding it to qualified subcontractors.
Certus Cybersecurity Systems’ complaint alleges that 1898 & Co.—Burns & McDonnell’s security and technology consultancy—said it would engage in “true partnerships” in a “seamless team” with WMBE companies working with it on a watchdog utility technology roadmap.
The lawsuit notes that in early January 2023, the city of Seattle recommended California-based Certus meet with Burns & McDonnell to help that firm win the contract, which was awarded in late March 2023.
After the contract was awarded, however, the complaint alleges that Burns & McDonnell “reneged on its commitments and has not included these businesses in any work.”
The lawsuit cites four cases to argue that Burns & McDonnell representatives “made false and defamatory statements and used unfair business practices” to tell city officials that none of the approved subcontractors had the capabilities for specific task orders, Certus claims. The company had remarkable related experience in each case, Certus says.
As a result, Certus claims that “personnel who had been hired to perform this work either resigned or were fired because there was not enough work.”
In a statement to ENR, Burns & McDonnell, referring to Certus as a “potential subcontractor,” says: “The claim does not accurately reflect the nature of the relationship between” the two companies.
“Burns & McDonnell has a long history of commitment to the companies owned by MBE and WBE and that commitment continues,” the firm’s statement added. “We look forward to the opportunity to tell our story about the nature of our relationship with Certus.”
