Claim for Legal Fees and Bid Preparation Costs

A protester's claim for lost profit and anticipated salary, due to the award of a contract to the low bidder, was denied for the following reasons: (1) the cost of pursuing a protest is not recoverable against the government; (2) legal expenses incurred in connection with a claim against the government are not recoverable unless authorized by statute or contract provision; and (3) the contracting officer's failure to consider the reasonable alternative interpretation of the low bidder's prebid-opening telegram was not arbitrary or capricious and award to the bidder was not in bad faith.