CHICAGO, Oct. 5, 2022 — Legal experts will examine emerging issues in the law and best practices for procuring or securing contracts from the government during the American Bar Association 2022 Public Procurement Symposium Oct. 13-15 in Austin, Texas.
This year’s symposium, the first held in-person since 2019, features panels and speakers from government, industry, private law practice and academia. Topics include the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, supply chain challenges, trends in procurement enforcement, recent Cost Accounting Standards developments and bid protests at the federal, state and local levels.
What:
2022 Public Procurement Symposium
Sponsored by the ABA Section of Public Contract Law
When:
Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 13-15
Where:
Hilton Austin
500 E. Fourth St.
Austin, Texas
Program highlights include (all times are CDT):
“Government Contracts Implications of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act” — In November 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which authorized $550 billion over fiscal years 2022 through 2026 for new federal investment in infrastructure, including roads, bridges, mass transit, water infrastructure, resilience efforts for climate change and natural disasters, and broadband infrastructure. This panel will provide an overview of additional compliance obligations related to projects funded by the IIJA.
Thursday, 2:30-4 p.m.
“Trends in Procurement Enforcement — Issues for Contractors to Watch” — In recent years, the U.S. Department of Justice has prioritized the enforcement of competition, award and performance statutes related to government procurements. It created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), an interagency partnership focused on antitrust crimes and related schemes that target government procurements, grants and program funding. In addition, the Department of Justice has prioritized the enforcement of the False Claims Act (FCA) and recently launched the Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative (CCFI) to combat cybersecurity related fraud by government contractors and grant recipients. This panel will discuss updates on PCSF and Antitrust Division efforts related to procurement, updates on CCFI and Civil Division efforts related to procurement, trends in cybersecurity enforcement and False Claims Act litigation and best practices for contractors and grant recipients to reduce risk of procurement enforcement actions.
Friday, 8:30-10 a.m.
A complete agenda, including speakers and panelists, can be found here.
This event is open to members of the press. For media credentialing and registration, please contact Jennifer Kildee at 202-662-1732 or [email protected]. Note: The ABA requires all attendees provide proof before entering the event that they are fully vaccinated and boosted OR have had a negative COVID test (within one day for antigen tests or two days for PCR tests) prior to entry.
The ABA is the largest voluntary association of lawyers in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.