Carl L. Vacketta

B.S. with honors, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; J.D., University of Illinois. Professor Vacketta is a senior partner at DLA Piper US LLP, where he was formerly the Chair, Government Contracts Practice Group. He has more than 40 years of experience in government contracts law, including pre-award and post-award counseling on supply, service, and construction contracts with federal, state and local government agencies and public transit authorities. Professor Vacketta has extensive experience representing companies selling information technology, telecommunications equipment, and healthcare, professional and technical services to the government. He has gained particular expertise in GSA's Multiple Award Schedule Contract (MASC) program; due diligence reviews to support mergers and acquisitions; termination disputes; socio-economic obligations; and small business acquisition matters. Professor Vacketta also has led teams of attorneys, accountants, and engineers in the investigation and preparation of multimillion-dollar claims for major shipyards, aerospace, power generating, electronics, and telecommunication companies. Before entering private practice, Professor Vacketta served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate Corps as a Captain teaching Government Contract Law. He is cited in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business in the top tier nationally in the area of Government Contracts. He was also awarded Charles Fahy Distinguished Adjunct Professor Award for 2009 - 2010.   In addition, he is listed in Washington DC's Best Lawyers (2012 Edition), and in Washingtonian Magazine's Best Lawyers for 2011 December 2011 issue).