The Winds of Change: 

When state and local governments are faced with a disaster, it is imperative that they together with the federal government, have procurement tools in place to provide flexibility to facilitate and expedite the acquisition of necessary supplies and services, while safeguarding fundamental procurement principles, to the extent possible.  Devastation from the wind and water of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused significant changes in life along the Gulf Coast.  Four years of contracting efforts and oversight, from the initial response to reconstruction, have resulted in equally significant changes in how federal, state, and local governments and contractors will respond to future disasters.

This program will examine the lessons learned from the oversight of disaster contracting in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to provide participants what they need to know to maximize effective procurement best practices in regard to joint governmental responses to emergencies and disasters. 

The panel discussion will address:

• Who's in charge?
• Dealing with overworked or under-trained procurement personnel
• Unallowable or questioned costs
• Fraud and false claims issues
• What are the ethical issues that arise in emergencies?
• Preparing for more grant and contracting oversight and transparency

Stanley R. Soya (Moderator), Partner, Pepper Hamilton LLP, Washington, DC

Greg S. Bingham, Vice-President, The Kenrich Group LLC, Washington, DC

Bill Bryan, Assistant Attorney General, Louisiana Department of Justice, Baton Rouge, LA

$90 Section of Public Contract Law Members
$125 ABA Members
$160 General Public
$75 Each additional registrant using the same phone line

All participants must register for the program.

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