Akerman to Host Seminar on What Every Federal Contractor Needs to Know about Mandatory...

Akerman to Host Seminar on What Every Federal Contractor Needs to Know about
Mandatory Disclosures of Crimes and Fraud

TYSONS CORNER, Va., April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- New provisions of the Federal
Acquisition Regulation, effective December 12, 2008, create new dilemmas for
federal contractors. Under these new provisions, federal contractors must
timely self-report their own violations of federal criminal law, fraudulent
acts, and receipts of overpayments, or else face suspension or debarment from
federal contracting. The mandatory disclosure requirements apply not only to
future misdeeds but also to past ones.

To help contractors fully understand their obligations under the latest
mandatory reporting regime and avoid debarment - the federal contracting
'death penalty' - Akerman Senterfitt's Government Contracts group is hosting a
breakfast seminar in McLean, Virginia entitled, Mandatory Disclosures of
Crimes and Fraud - What Every Federal Contractor Needs to Know.

"This is a new and complex regulation for federal contractors, particularly
with respect to those violations that took place prior to December 12th that
remain unreported," said Claude P. Goddard, Jr., Akerman shareholder and Chair
of the firm's Government Contracts practice. "We hope this seminar will
provide valuable insight to federal contractors who must now understand,
adjust and comply with these new provisions."

"We at Akerman understand the implications these provisions will have for our
clients in the Virginia area," said Stephen Hurlbut, Office Managing
Shareholder for Akerman's Tysons Corner office. "This geographic region has a
high concentration of government contractors, making this seminar particularly
attractive and of critical importance to ensuring that federal contractors are
well-prepared."

Mr. Goddard will be joined by Akerman shareholder, J. Michael Littlejohn. Mr.
Goddard and Mr. Littlejohn, who have substantial experience in federal
contract law and business ethics in federal contracting, will discuss a range
of critical issues including:

-- When should contractors disclose a contract violation? What are the
requirements?
-- How do contractors deal with violations prior to December 12, 2008?
-- What are violations of the civil False Claims Act?
-- What constitutes "credible evidence" of a violation?
-- How do contractors make a report of violation and what specific
information must be disclosed?

-- How should contractors change their ethics/compliance programs in
light
of these new reporting requirements?

The seminar will take place at The Ritz Carlton in McLean, VA from 7:30 a.m.
to 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 28th.

Akerman's Government Contracts practice covers the full breadth of issues
encountered in federal and state procurement. The group has experience with
virtually every federal civilian and defense agency, and they have a specialty
in Postal Contracting. The Government Contracts practice group assists clients
in litigation and counseling on a wide range of matters, from contract
formation to contract termination, False Claims Act issues, bid protests,
foreign ownership and control, suspension and debarment, and related statutory
concerns.

To register for Akerman's upcoming seminar in Tysons Corner, please visit
www.akerman.com/events.

About Akerman Senterfitt
Akerman is ranked among the top 100 law firms in the United States by The
National Law Journal NLJ 250 (2008) in number of lawyers and is one of the
largest firms in Florida. With more than 500 lawyers and governmental affairs
professionals, the firm serves clients in major business centers throughout
the United States, including Miami, New York, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles.
For additional information, please visit the firm's Web site at
www.akerman.com.

Contact:
Ms. Bradley Wray
RF|Binder Partners, Inc.
(212) 994-7592
bradley.wray@rfbinder.com

Stephanie Robinson
RF|Binder Partners, Inc.
(212) 994-7532
stephanie.robinson@rfbinder.com

SOURCE Akerman Senterfitt

Ms. Bradley Wray, +1-212-994-7592, bradley.wray@rfbinder.com; or Stephanie
Robinson, +1-212-994-7532, stephanie.robinson@rfbinder.com