FPS proudly presents the 2025 Year in Review (YIR), December 9–11 at the Westin Hotel, Tysons Corner, Virginia.
This year’s event has been expanded to deliver more sessions and more subjects that matter to the Federal Contracting Community. Each 45–60 minute session features leading practitioners and corporate executives covering decisions, cases, actions, and activities shaping both industry professionals and government procurement officials.
FPS YIR offers a carefully curated collection of sessions packed with analysis on changes and directives spanning the outgoing administration through the new. While the focus is a review of FY25, many presenters will also explore the future impact of these shifts - whether driven by administration priorities, agency leadership, or director-level mandates. Each topic is robust enough to fill a week, yet distilled into sessions that deliver maximum value.
Join FPS, along with our partners, sponsors, and colleagues, for two and a half days of high-impact discussion on Federal Contracting. This is the “must-attend” event of the year for both government and industry. Whether you work in administration, compliance, legal, or business development, you’ll walk away with new insights - guaranteed.
DAY ONE 8:30-9:30 am Review and Update: Executive Orders Impacting Government Contracting Updates and analyses on the contracting-specific Executive Orders of importance to government contracting professionals in 2025. As of this writing, over 205 Executive Orders have been issued by the Trump Administration. Of those, several have a direct impact on federal contracting. This discussion will cover the more salient points as well as direct updates to the directives mentioned in the EOs.
Presenters: TBD
9:30-10:30 am Government Contract Mergers and Acquisitions from FY25 and into FY26 A review of major M&A Activity in the industry and the impacts they have (or will have) on contracting.
10:30 - 10:45 am Break
10:45-12:00 pm Developments in the False Claims Act, Suspension & Debarment, and Compliance This session focuses on three subjects of critical importance in Government Contract Litigation: The False Claims Act (Settlements and Developments); Suspension and Debarments; and Reports (that are replete with case analyses, case summaries, and statistical data of importance to Government Contract Practitioners). The False Claims Act Charts, for example, show breakout analyses of dollar recoveries by Agencies such as HHS (the Department of Health & Human Services) and DoD (the Department of Defense). Additional Reference materials include case summaries of interest from the Federal Courts-from SCOTUS (the U.S. Supreme Court) through the Federal Circuit Courts to the Federal District Courts throughout the U.S. This module has a treasure trove of information on these subject areas. Matthew Carter, Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
12:00-1:00 pm Lunch
1:00-2:00 pm KEYNOTE: GSA’s Larry Allen, Associate Administrator (INVITED) Updates on GSA’s initiatives related to Federal Contracting and Acquisition
2:00-2:45 pm TBD
2:45-3:00 pm Break 3:00-4:00 pm The Contract Disputes Act: Jurisdictional Issues, Performance Problems, and Termination Developments In 2025 we saw several cases impacting the industry in the areas of Statute of Limitations, Claims Submission and the Contract Disputes Act. We will cover a number of key cases impacting contracts and some lessons learned.
Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
4:15-5:00 PM Commercial Products and Services With the new administration’s goal of expediating procurement and being more efficient, agencies are seeking to streamline procurement with commercial products and services. This session will discuss changes and challenges from FY25 and what the future may hold for FY26 Phillip Seckman, Partner, Dentons
5:00 pm Networking Reception DAY TWO 8:30-9:30 am Artificial Intelligence (AI) Latest on developments and movement within federal government on harnessing the power of AI including a look at agency directives. Ryan Bradel, Partner, Ward & Berry 9:30-10:30 am DCAA/DCMA Activity in FY25 Around April 2025, DCAA and DCMA started to change a number of priorities. This session will discuss those changes and their impact on contractors.
Chad Braley, CEO and National Managing Partner, Capital Edge Consulting Paul Bailey, Partner, Capital Edge Consulting
10:45-12:00 pm
Developments in Data Rights & Intellectual Property: Getting Ready for What's Coming? This session starts with a review and update on the FAR and DFARS Data Rights Clauses in Government Contracts. With the introduction to MOSA (a Modular Open Systems Approach), mandated by Congress as a new approach to Weapons Systems Component Contracting, we will update on it’s progress.
Locke Bell, Partner, Morrison Foerster
1:00-2:00 pm Keynote - TBD 2:00-2:45 pm Supply Chain Challenges and Changes In 2025 we will continue to have challenges in securing critical supply chains internationally and domestically. This session will provide an update on those challenges as well as developments in rules and regulations.
Alex Major, Partner, McCarter & English Frankin Turner, Partner, McCarter & English
2:45-3:00 pm Break
3:00-3:45 pm Bid Protests: 2025 Developments, Trends, and Lessons for the Legal Department and Management A staple in the Year in Review program, Bid Protests give insights into what lies ahead for contractors when ambiguous contract language and misinterpretations can lead to confusion and cost both the buyers and sellers money. Annually, the GAO releases their report to Congress on protests heard by the GAO. But beyond GAO, the session will discuss other major protests from the COFC and other jurisdictions that have an impact on contractors.
Ryan Berry, Managing Partner, Ward & Berry 3:45-4:00 pm Break
4:00-5:00 pm Panel Discussion: A Corporate Counsel’s View of FY25 This lively interactive panel of three representatives from Corporate Counsel will discuss their POV of FY25 and looking forward to FY 26.
Chris Krafchek, W.W. Granger Krik Foster, Assistant General Counsel, Huntington Ingalls Laura Semple, Assistant General Counsel, Amentum
5:00 pm Adjournment DAY THREE Choose one track. Track 1 8:30-9:30 am Panel Discussion: A Corporate Compliance Executive’s View of FY25 This lively interactive panel of three representatives of corporate compliance executives will discuss their POV of FY25 and looking forward to FY 26.
Matthew Popham - Senior VP Compliance, Leidos Molly Robinson - Group Director of Contracts and Export Compliance, Crane Aerospace Kristin Torcasi - Senior VP Compliance, CACI 9:30-10:15 am Cost / Cost Accounting Standards / TINA The big news in this particular topic is that the CAS Board recommendations and changes to certain CAS Standards. Discussion on Costs, CAS and Truthful Cost & Pricing John Polcari, Partner, HKA Mike LaCorte, HKA Stephen Knight, Sr. Counsel, Haynes Boone Track 2 8:30-9:30 am Construction Law Update With a number of initiatives in government construction projects, new developments in FY25 and going into FY26 are underway.
James Newland, Partner, Dentons 9:30-10:15 am Labor & Employment Update New developments and legal decisions under the SCA (Service Contract Act); DBA (Davis-Bacon Act); and the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) of importance to Government and Construction Contracting Professionals, organizations, and employees at all levels of the organization. Subjects include Independent Contractor classifications under the FLSA; Restoring and Extending Overtime Protections; and other developments to watch such as Artificial Intelligence and Automated Systems in the Workplace. In summary, this module provides comprehensive coverage and an update / briefing on Executive Orders, Effective Dates, and Judicial Interpretations in the Labor Standards area.
Daniel Abrahams, Founding Partner of Abrahams Wolf-Rodda, LLC Shlomo Katz, Counsel, Brown Rudnick 10:30 - 10:45 am Break
Closing Keynote (general session) 10:45-12:00 pm CMMC Update and Cybersecurity 2.0 CMMC became a final rule at the start of FY25. Learn the current impact and how the government responds to industry and the challenges facing them to become certified.
Protiviti - TBD
12:00 pm Adjournment
