Federal contracting highlighted at ABA conference in Louisville

Legal experts will examine recent developments in the law, best practices for procuring or securing contracts and successful contract completion from the government and industry perspectives during the American Bar Association Section of Public Contract Law 2017 Fall Educational Program/Council Meeting, Nov. 2-4 at the Seelbach Hilton Hotel in Louisville, Ky.

Highlights of the program include:

- "Practicum: Jockeying for the Best Position-Contract Negotiation Skills in Government Contracting" Negotiating in the public contracts space is a challenge under the best of circumstances. This panel will focus on tactics and strategies to improve the negotiating process when dealing with an entity who under normal circumstances has more leverage than you and knows it.

- "Picking the Race, Sizing Upon the Competition and the Post Parade-Acquisition Planning and Pre-Solicitation Activities" This panel will feature a discussion of the important considerations that underpin acquisition and pre-solicitation planning activities. The discussion will address important issues from both the contractor and government perspectives as each side prepares for a new procurement.

- "From the Backstretch to the Finish Line and Contested Results-Bid Protests" This panel will feature an interactive and free-flowing discussion of all aspects of bid protests from the perspective of the Govern­ment Accountability Office, which decides protests; the government, which defends them; and private practitioners, who both bring and defend protests.

- "Winning the Race, But Risking the Prize-Contract Performance and Compliance Issues" This panel will feature a discussion of potential pitfalls contractors may encounter during contract performance. From understanding the "ins and outs" of Contract Disputes Act jurisdiction over claims, to getting caught in the crosshairs of state or federal false claims investigations, the panelists will shine a light on key issues in filing claims or responding to investigations that can trip up contractors and the government.

Published: Mon, Oct 30, 2017