Topic: Federal Acquisition Regulations Update

Speaker: Edward T. DeLisle, Partner, Government Contracts Practice Group, Thompson Hine LLP

Presentation:
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is undergoing its most significant reform in more than 40 years following Executive Order 14275, “Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement.” This session will explore how this directive is reshaping federal procurement and the FAR, including efforts to streamline regulations, clarify language, and align acquisition practices with commercial‑style flexibility.

Attendees will gain an overview of the two‑phase implementation strategy, the current status of the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, the most recent FAR Part revisions, and practical considerations for contractors as well as legal and compliance teams adjusting to the new landscape.

Speaker's bio:

Ed focuses on federal contracting, construction law, construction litigation, and small business procurement and litigation. He drafts and negotiates construction contracts, teaming agreements and joint venture agreements for subcontractors, contractors, developers and owners. In addition, he litigates, arbitrates and mediates complex construction and procurement cases in various jurisdictions and forums.
 

Ed also provides guidance on small business procurement. He assists clients in obtaining certification as small and small disadvantaged businesses at the municipal, state and federal levels. He participates in bid protests involving Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned, HUBZone and 8(a) set-aside contracts and assists with responding to best-value procurements at the state and federal levels. Ed also assists government contractors in international disputes involving the federal government, with experience relating to Department of Defense and Department of State work in Germany, Lithuania, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and Somalia. 

Ed has testified before Congress and frequently lectures and writes on issues of concern to the construction and federal contracting industries. He has presented at the National 8(a) Association Conferences in Anchorage, AK, Orlando, FL, Nashville, TN and New Orleans, LA; the AGC Federal Contractors Conference in Washington, D.C., and at AGC’s national conference, where he discussed hot topics in federal government contracts. Ed has also lectured on how to appropriately team on federal projects, the SDVOSB verification process, changes in the SBA’s small business programs, effective project documentation, strategies to obtain payment on construction projects and the legal protections provided by the bond and lien laws of various states.

Education:

– Temple University Beasley School of Law, J.D., 1996

– Saint Joseph's University, B.A., 1992, cum laude

Publications: (list is too long to publish here)

– "FAR 2.0: The Big Overhaul That’s Changing How the Government Buys," Deltek Project Nation blog, June 16,

2025
– "FAR 2.0: More Than Just Revisions in FAR Part 10 Release," Thompson Hine Transition – A Presidential Change

Update, June 2025

Presentations: (list is too long to publish here)
– "2024: FAR Part 36 - Construction and Architect-Engineer Contracts," Jennifer Schaus & Associates, webinar series, May 29, 2024 
– Moderator, "OSDBU Insights For Government Contracting Success," National 8(a) Association, Winter Conference, Atlanta, GA, February 2024

Professional Associations:
– Society of American Military Engineers (SAME)
– The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) - FAR Committee Chairman
– American Bar Association (ABA) - Small Business Committee
– Washington Building Congress (WBC)
– Philadelphia Bar Association (PBA)