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View the PCL Annual Meeting Brochure

View the 2024 PCL Annual Meeting Attendance List - updated as of 7.15.24

How To Register

  1. Navigate to the ABA Annual Meeting Registration Page
  2. Select the ABA Limited Registration
  3. Sign up for the PCL Standard or Government/ Young Lawyer CLE Pass OR select individual PCL CLE Sessions

Register for the ABA Limited Registration at $125 ($325 non-members) and then proceed to the PCL Section programs and events listed on the ABA Registration page to order CLE program and event tickets. Individuals who purchase a PCL CLE Pass or an individual CLE program ticket will automatically receive (1) complimentary ticket to the Section Reception.

Event Sponsors will receive a separate email and form to request their complimentary luncheon and reception tickets.

Register Here

Hotel Reservations
Room block expires on Tuesday, July 2, 2024

PCL Section Headquarters:
Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
540 Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
ABA Group Rate: ROH - $245 + taxes

To take advantage of the ABA hotel rates, you must first register for the Annual Meeting. After completing registration, you will receive an email confirmation with a link to the ABA Hotel Room Block/ Special Rates.

Do not delay in registering or booking your hotel reservations!
The Room Block sells out quickly!

PCL Schedule of Events

Thursday, August 1, 2024

11:30 am – 1:30 pm

Ruth C. Burg Luncheon Honoring Women in PC Law TICKETED EVENT: $65

Osteria Via Stato – 620 N. State Street

The Section is grateful for the contributions and support from the luncheon sponsors.

2:00 pm–3:30 pm

Beyond the False Claims Act—What Else is on the Horizon?

While never the plan, noncompliance happens. In such cases, we all fear the crushing treble damages of the False Claims Act, but this is not the only issue that may be on the horizon for a contractor who finds itself out of line with the terms of its contracts. Suspension & debarment, M&A risks, poor CPARS scores, and agency-level penalties are all very real consequences that can have long-term effects on a company’s government contracting business. This session will discuss areas of exposure outside the False Claims Act that a contractor may face when something goes sideways during performance of government work.

MODERATOR: Sati Harutyunyan, Partner, Jenner & Block LLP, Los Angeles, CA

PANELISTS:

  • Vincent DiCianni, President and Founder, Affiliated Monitors, Inc., Boston, MA
  • Stephen Kiraly, Managing Director, LitCon Group, Washington, DC
  • Derek Santos, Deputy General Counsel (Acquisition Integrity), U.S. Air Force, Washington, DC

3:30 pm – 3:45 pm

Networking Break

3:45 pm- 5:15 pm

The Realities of FedRAMP—Selling SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS to the Government

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) is a complex and onerous set of rules that reaches many different types of contractors in the supply chain for some of industry’s leading technologies, including Software as a Service (SaaS), Platforms as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). A contractor’s approach to complying with FedRAMP may look different depending on whether the contractor is a channel partner/reseller, original equipment manufacturer (OEM), or a traditional subcontractor. This panel will explore the various FedRAMP controls that apply to different types of contractors, as well as the interactions among those contractors that may affect pricing, licenses, and services as those deliverables are passed up through the supply chain to the government.

MODERATOR: Zachary Prince, Partner, Haynes and Boone LLP, Washington, DC

PANELISTS:

  • Carl Anderson, Founder, Managing Partner, Rock Spring Law Group PLLC, Washington, DC
  • Tom Barrow, General Counsel, GovSmart, Inc. Charlottesville, VA
  • Holly Farrell, In-House Counsel, Trellix, Reston, VA

Friday, August 2, 2024

7:30 am – 8:00 am

Construction Program Continental Breakfast

This continental breakfast is included in the CLE Program Ticket used for the program that follows.

8:00 am – 9:00 am

Government Construction Contracts Program—Laying the Foundation for a Successful Mentor-Protégé Joint Venture

Changes to the SBA’s mentor-protégé program have sparked new interest in mentor-protégé joint ventures (MPJVs). But these relationships face pressures from within and without that can cause them to crack or even collapse. In this session, attendees will learn how an MPJV can be built to withstand these forces. In addition to the eligibility requirements for the program, panelists will outline methods to assess a prospective mentor or protégé partner, practical guidance for establishing an MPJV, and best practices to set up an MPJV to successfully win federal contracts and achieve the goals set out by the SBA’s mentor-protégé program. Panelists will also address the types of construction opportunities for which membership in an MPJV may be an advantage.

PANELISTS:

  • Laura Unger, Deputy General Counsel, Federal Contracts/Compliance, WSP, Lancaster, PA
  • Diana Lyn Curtis Shutzer, Partner, Fox Rothschild, Washington, DC

Thank You to Our Construction Program Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

  • Haynes and Boone LLP
  • HKA Global, Inc.

Silver Sponsor

  • LitCon Group LLC

9:00 am – 9:15 am

Networking Break

9:15 am – 10:45 am

Domestic Preferences: A Tangled Web

Modern supply chains are increasingly global and complex. Layer in the unique statutory domestic sourcing preferences and mandates imposed on government contractors—including under the Buy American Act, Buy America Act, Build America Buy America Act, and Trade Agreements Act, not to mention agency-specific rules such as the Department of Defense’s Buy American Balance of Payments programs—and it is no wonder that prime contractors and subcontractors quickly throw their hands up when trying to understand and comply with their supply chain management obligations arising under federal contracts. This session will provide an overview of these varying statutes and their regulatory implementations, discuss recent policy and developments involving issues relating to domestic-sourcing rules, and explore practical approaches to negotiating and complying with these requirements throughout the supply chain.

MODERATOR: Holly Roth, Senior Counsel, Holland & Knight, Washington, DC

PANELISTS:

Susan Lent, Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Washington, DC

Alejandro Sarria, Member, Miller & Chevalier Chtd, Washington, DC

Anthony Wysocki, Director, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC

10:45 am – 11:00 am

Networking Break

11:00 am – 12:30 pm

It’s Not Easy Being the Best: Recent Trends in Best-In-Class and Multiple Award Contracting

Recent years have seen a substantial shift in the way the government procures goods and services—with increased focus on “Best-In-Class” contract vehicles and other large multi-award IDIQs. This process has not been without its challenges, however. These contract vehicles have faced extended procurement timelines and delays, hundreds of protests, and myriad other complaints. And problems don’t end with contract award, as contractors sometimes find that winning actual task orders can be far more difficult than earning a spot on the IDIQ. These challenges are particularly acute when balancing the desire for Best-In-Class contracting against the need for meaningful small business participation both at the vehicle and task-order level. This session will address these challenges and their effects on the contractors that participate in this process.

PANELISTS:

Scott Johnson, Attorney Advisor, Army Sustainment Command, Rock Island, IL

Halimah Najieb-Locke, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience (invited),

U.S. Department of Defense, Arlington, VA (invited)

Matthew Schoonover, Managing Member, Schoonover & Moriarty, Olathe, KS

Evan Williams, Counsel, Mayer Brown, Washington, DC

12:45 pm – 2:15 pm

Section Luncheon Panel Presentation TICKETED EVENT: $65

SPEAKER: Jose Cora, Defense Logistics Agency, Alexandria, VA

The Section is grateful for the contributions and support from the Section Luncheon sponsors.

2:15 pm – 2:30 pm

Networking Break

2:30 pm – 4:00 pm

So I (May) Have Had a Cyber Incident … What Do I Do Now?

Ransomware attacks. Insider threats. Phishing scams. As companies face ever-increasing cyber-attacks affecting sensitive internal and customer data, U.S. federal agencies are responding by imposing a patchwork of incident reporting and disclosure obligations, many of which contain strict timelines but widely varying (and often vague) standards and criteria. In the immediate aftermath of discovering a cyber-attack, companies grapple with a multitude of questions: Who do I call? What do I tell my customers? Am I in breach of contract? Who pays for all this? Do I even HAVE a cyber incident? How will the government agency coordinate its response? In this session, the panel will analyze these questions from the perspective of defense and other government contractors and discuss recent developments and current trends in the government’s response and enforcement of the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape.

MODERATOR: Lyn Brown, Of Counsel, Wiley, Washington, DC

PANELISTS:

Randy Johnson, Principal Corporate Counsel, Microsoft, Fairfax, VA

Rick Rosenberry, Risk Consultant, USI, Portland, OR

Todd Rowe, Partner, Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete LLP, Chicago, IL

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Annual Section Reception

University of Chicago Gleacher Center – 450 Cityfront Plaza Dr.

Public Contract Law CLE ticket holders – one comp ticket

Tickets required. Tickets must be ordered in advance.

Adults (non-PLC CLE ticket holders) - $50

The Section is grateful for the contributions and support from the Annual Meeting Section Reception sponsors.

Saturday, August 3, 2024

8:00 am – 12:30 pm

Section Council Meeting and Annual Section Business Meeting

Open to all Section members. Includes election of Officers and Council Members for 2024–2025 and other Section business.

Annual Meeting Event Sponsors

Ruth Burg Luncheon Sponsors

  • Blank Rome LLP
  • Crowell & Moring LLP
  • Faegre Drinker
  • Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP
  • Haynes and Boone LLP
  • HKA Global, Inc.
  • K&L Gates LLP
  • Stinson LLP
  • Thompson Coburn LLP

Annual Section Luncheon and Alan E. Peterson Lecture Sponsors

  • Crowell & Moring LLP
  • Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP
  • Haynes & Boone LLP
  • HKA Global, Inc.
  • K&L Gates LLP
  • Stinson LLP
  • Thompson Coburn LLP

Annual Section Reception Sponsors

  • Arnold & Porter
  • Blank Rome LLP
  • Crowell & Moring LLP
  • DLA Piper U.S. LLP
  • Faegre Drinker
  • Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP
  • General Dynamics Corporation
  • Haynes & Boone LLP
  • Hogan Lovells
  • HKA Global, Inc.
  • Husch Blackwell LLP
  • K&L Gates LLP
  • Kelley Drye & Warren LLP
  • LitCon Group, LLC
  • Lockheed Martin Corporation
  • McAleese & Associates, P.C.
  • Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
  • Miles & Stockbridge, P.C.
  • Miller & Chevalier Chartered
  • Perkins Coie LLP
  • Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
  • Smith Currie Oles
  • Stinson LLP
  • Thompson Coburn LLP
  • Venable LLP
  • Victura Consulting LLC