SBA’s Mentor Protégé Program – Joint Venturing and Teaming to Achieve  Business Development Goals:  This program will provide an overview on how to effectively participate in joint ventures under SBA’s mentor-protégé program, including coverage of due diligence for effective teaming, background on SBA’s affiliation rules, and advice on negotiating and preparing successful joint venture agreements.

Instructor Patrice Z. Howard focuses on representing, advising, and advocating on behalf of government contractors, industry associations, and non-profits across critical industries including renewable energy, healthcare, and manufacturing. Prior to her legal career, Patrice was a Contracting Officer and Social Science Research Analyst at the US Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) where she managed a multi-million-dollar portfolio of federal grants to state, local and tribal police departments across the United States.

Instructor Patrick Samsel focuses his practice on government contracts, regulatory compliance, government relations, and business operations. He is experienced in providing strategic legal counsel across the full lifecycle of federal contracts.  Prior to joining the firm, Patrick served as General Counsel for Fors Marsh where he led the legal, contracts, compliance, and industrial security teams.

Womble Bond Dickinson – The Government Contracts and Procurement Team at WBD guides companies through government contracts and federal procurement processes, using their broad industry knowledge and government experience. They also successfully defend clients in government investigations, bid protests, and other disputes.