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.
Matthew Haws, Partner, Jenner & Block
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.
Presenters: TBD from Aprio
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 Debarment; and Reports (replete with case analyses, case summaries, and statistical data important 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
Updates on GSA’s initiatives related to Federal Contracting and Acquisition
2:00-2:45 pm
Navigating the New Subcontract Compliance Frontier: CPSR Readiness, CMMC, and Supply Chain Resilience in 2025
The government contracting landscape is undergoing rapid, disruptive change driven by aggressive cybersecurity mandates, supply chain focus, and renewed scrutiny from DCMA. For prime contractors, the risk associated with unapproved purchasing systems (CPSR) has never been higher, with mandatory payment withholdings and competitive disadvantage looming for non-compliant organizations. This session provides a critical, forward-looking analysis of the current state of subcontract compliance, equipping attendees with actionable strategies to maintain system approval and reduce risk across their supply chain.
Jeff White, President & CEO, J.A. White & Associates
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
4:00-4:15 pm Break
4:15-5:00 PM
Commercial Products and Services
With the new administration’s goal of expediting 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
DAY TWO
8:30-9:30 am
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Latest on developments and movement within the 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 Acquisition Disruption & Chaos - Understanding the Changing Landscape of Acquisition & Compliance
As a result of the changing regulatory and compliance landscape, this session will focus on how the government intends to acquire goods and services prospectively under the new administration, how the compliance landscape will change and require businesses to pivot towards commerciality and overlay old compliance with new compliance across their diverse contract platforms.
Chad Braley, CEO and National Managing Partner, Capital Edge Consulting
Paul Bailey, Partner, Capital Edge Consulting
10:30 - 10:45 am Break
10:45-12:00 pm
Developments in Data Rights & Intellectual Property: Preparing for Competitive Negotiations.
This session examines ongoing changes in regulation, guidance and practice, as reflected in DoD’s new Intellectual Property Guidebook and elsewhere, as the Government seeks competitive interest-based negotiations for data rights while implementing a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) and other goals.
Locke Bell, Partner, Morrison Foerster
12:00-1:00 pm Lunch
1:00-2:00 pm
Keynote - TBD
2:00-2:45 pm
Supply Chain Challenges and Changes
In FY26 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: FY25 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
Kirk Foster, Assistant General Counsel, Huntington Ingalls
Laura Semple, Assistant General Counsel, Amentum
5:00 pm
Adjournment
DAY THREE (Concurrent Sessions)
Choose one track.
Track 1 - Accounting/Finance Updates
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.
Kristin Torcasi - Senior VP Compliance, CACI
Matthew Popham - Senior VP Compliance, Leidos
Molly Robinson - Group Director of Contracts and Export Compliance, Crane Aerospace
9:30-10:15 am
Cost / Cost Accounting Standards / TINA Updates
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 - Construction and Labor/Employment
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
