Your Expert on Affirmative Action and Contract Compliance

Legal Counsel and Consulting Services

Colette Holt provides legal counsel and consulting services to governments and businesses on procurement and contracting; employment discrimination; regulatory compliance; organizational change; program development, evaluation and implementation; and issues relating to inclusion, diversity and affirmative action. Ms. Holt is a nationally recognized expert in designing, implementing and defending affirmative action programs. She has concentrated her practice in these areas for over 25 years, after serving in senior legal and management government positions. Colette Holt & Associates was founded in 1994 and has become the nation’s premier law and consulting firm on these issues. Licensed to practice law in Illinois.
In particular, she provides expert witness testimony and consultations in suits involving public and private procurement and employment policies. Ms. Holt evaluates the effectiveness of employment and contracting policies and processes and proposes solutions to support leadership’s commitment to improvement and innovation. She has served as co-consultant with and counsel to economics consulting firms in conducting numerous studies of contracting and employment discrimination. In addition to work for public sector clients, the firm counsels government vendors on compliance with federal employment and procurement regulations, including serving as a court appointed compliance monitor for firms entering into consent decrees with prosecutors.
Ms. Holt is General Counsel to the American Contract Compliance Association, the national organization of officials responsible for minority, women and disadvantaged business initiatives. Ms. Holt is a frequent author and media commentator on affirmative action, and employment topics. She is the former Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association's Public Contract Law Section. Ms. Holt was appointed an Adjunct Professor at the Loyola University School of Law and The John Marshall Law School.