Panel Members:

Dismas Locaria

Dismas (Diz) Locaria is a member of Venable’s Government Contracts Group.  Mr. Locaria’s practice focuses on assisting government contractors in all aspects of working with the Federal government.

Government Contract and Grant Counseling and Compliance:  Mr. Locaria has a wealth of knowledge regarding applicable contract (e.g., the Federal Acquisition Regulation) and grant (e.g., OMB Circular A-110 and A-122) regulations, including the application of these regulations to both prime contractors/grant recipients and subcontractors/subgrantees.  This knowledge has enabled Mr. Locaria to assist both for-profit and nonprofit organizations with meeting the requirements for becoming a federal contractor or grantee, interpreting the implication of regulatory, contract and grant term to clients’ work and operations, evaluating and advising contractors and grantees on intellectual property issues and contract modifications, among many other issues.

Mr. Locaria also assists clients with their efforts to remain compliant with the myriad of applicable regulations and requirements.  This includes providing training on relevant regulations and contract and grant terms, as well as federal ethics laws and practices, conducting internal audits and investigations, making improvement and/or remedial recommendations, implementing such recommendations, making appropriate disclosures to cognizant federal and state agencies, and defending clients during federal and state audits and investigations.

Suspension and Debarment:  Mr. Locaria represents clients in suspension and debarment matters, as well as other eligibility and responsibility issues raised by federal and state agencies.  In this capacity, Mr. Locaria has represented clients before all the various defense agencies (e.g., Army, Navy, Air Force, Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)), as well as various civilian agencies, such as the General Services Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, as well as DHS’s sub-agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, as well as several others.

GSA Federal Supply Schedule Contracting:  Mr. Locaria is also well-versed in assisting clients with GSA Federal Supply Schedule matters, in particular advising clients on how best to structure proposals to avoid price reduction clause (PRC) issues, and addressing PRC, Trade Agreements Act and other compliance matters post-award.

Gunjan Talati

Gunjan, an experienced government contracts practitioner, regularly represents contractors in a variety of sectors including aerospace and defense, health care and IT. His practice is a mix of counseling, litigation and transactional work.

On the counseling side, he has particular experience advising clients on complying with various Federal Acquisition Regulations, navigating small business regulations and matters, addressing GSA and Federal Supply Schedule issues, and meeting ethics and compliance requirements.

Gunjan’s litigation work includes representing contractors in suspension and debarment proceedings. As part of his practice, he has helped contractors of all sizes through contentious suspension and debarment proceedings before multiple agencies including the U.S. Air Force, General Services Administration, U.S. Army and U.S. Agency for International Development. He was recognized in 2014 by the National Law Journal’s Legal Times as a 40 under 40 D.C. Rising Star for his suspension and debarment successes. His litigation practice also focuses on bid protests before the Government Accountability Office and Court of Federal Claims.

In addition to counseling and litigation, Gunjan has transactional experience that includes serving as lead government contracts counsel in contractor mergers and acquisitions. His transactional experience also encompasses drafting and negotiating joint venture and teaming agreements.