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2021 Legal Affairs Virtual Mini Seminar 616 - Program

This page is an overview of the conference schedule and subject to change.

All times listed are in Eastern Time.
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Wednesday, June 16   
 

Wednesday, June 16

Welcome

11 - 11:15 a.m.

Join us as we kickoff our day with remarks from leadership.

Remarks
  • Paul P. Skoutelas, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
  • Jeffrey A. Nelson, Past Chair, APTA; CEO/Managing Director, Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District (MetroLink), Moline, IL
  • Karen Landers, Immediate Past Chair, Legal Affairs Committee; General Counsel, San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), San Diego, CA

FTA's Chief Counsel Update

11:15 a.m. - 12 p.m.

FTA Chief Counsel, Subash Iyer, will join the seminar to discuss hot topics including the American Jobs Plan, implementation of the American Rescue Plan Act, and Biden Administration Executive Orders. He will also answer questions during a live question and answer session.

Presenter
  • Subash Iyer, Chief Counsel, Federal Transit Administration, Washington, DC

Privacy, Microtransit and Micromobility

12 - 1 p.m.

As services continue to expand, expectations about protecting the privacy of personal information continue to increase. This session will review trends in statutory protections for privacy and best practices in privacy compliance. This session will also discuss trends in use of data within the industry. Lastly, this session will identify practical steps that transit agencies can take to remain compliant with privacy laws as well as protect their brands to meet riders expectations for privacy.

Panelists
  • Ayana Free, Head of Litigation and Regulatory Compliance, Via Transportation, Inc., New York, NY
  • Greg Rodriguez, Mobility Policy Principal, Stantec , Arlington, VA
  • Jenifer M. Ross-Amato, JD, Senior Vice President, Alternative Delivery, WSP USA, Denver, CO
  • Camila Tobon, Of Counsel, Davis Graham & Stubbs, Denver, CO

BREAK

1 - 1:15 p.m.

Portal North Bridge: Lessons Learned from a Multi-agency Mega Rail Project

1:15 - 2:15 p.m.

The Portal North Bridge Project is an estimated $1.8 billion rail project being sponsored by NJ TRANSIT on the Northeast Corridor the rail line owned by Amtrak. Funding will be provided by the Federal Transit Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, local bond funds, and other New Jersey state entities.

In this session, panelists will identify and discuss key legal issues that arose in this project. The session will provide an overview of the project, compliance issues related to multiple federal and local funding sources, and development of interagency agreements, including those between two railroads using the same right of way.
  
Moderator
  • Suzanne Silverman, Partner, Kaplan Kirsch Rockwell, New York, NY
Panelists
  • Ayelet Hirschkorn, Esq., Partner, Kaplan Kirsch Rockwell, New York, NY
  • Marie A. Corrado, Senior Director, Gateway Program, AMTRAK, New York, NY
  • Dana Nifosi, Acting Chief Counsel, Federal Transit Administration, Washington, DC
  • Casey Mendez Symington, Attorney, Federal Railroad Administration, Washington, DC

Buy America 101

2:15 - 2:45 p.m.

Join us for a whirlwind overview of the Federal Transit Administration Buy America program, from construction projects, through manufactured products, to the unique FTA approach to measuring US content of rolling stock.  This session will provide a high level review of the program, key knowledge necessary for issue identification, and the research tools needed to solve Buy America issues.

Presenters
  • Natalie E. Cornell, Vice President Business Development, Hatch, Ambler, PA
  • James P. LaRusch, Chief Operating Officer and Corporate Counsel, Raul V. Bravo + Associates, Inc., Reston, VA

FTA Procurement 101 – Third Party Contracting

2:45 - 3:45 p.m.

This session will provide an overview of issues that a lawyer new to (or rusty on) FTA-funded procurements should be aware of when advising an agency on procurement procedures and contract requirements. We will also provide a list of relevant resources and authorities. If time allows, we will engage in a discussion with participants on these issues.

Presenters
  • Robin Reitzes, Deputy City Attorney, City Attorney's Office, San Francisco, CA
  • Robert K. Stone, Deputy City Attorney, City Attorney's Office, City & County of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

BREAK

3:45 - 4 p.m.

Rail 101: All (Rail) Roads Lead to the CFR

4 - 4:45 p.m.

 Are you dreaming of using that railroad right-of-way running through your city to build commuter or light rail?  Or are your dreams (and those of your elected officials) being disturbed by train horns? You have the money - wow, good for you! You have the willing railroad partner – wow, you must have a lot of money! But, do you have 49 CFR Chapters II and X?  Because friend, you are going to need them.  

This session will introduce you to the federal regulation of railroads and how that regulation impacts a public agency’s purchase (i.e., economic regulation) and use of railroad property (i.e., safety regulation). Understanding these regulations will be the first step in bringing your railroad dreams to reality.

Panelists
  • Charles A. Spitulnik, Partner, Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell LLP, Washington, DC
  • Michael N. Conneran, Partner, Hanson Bridgett LLP, San Francisco, CA
  • Justin J. Marks, Clark Hill PLC, Washington, DC

Closing Remarks

4:45 - 5 p.m.

Hear closing remarks from committee leadership and complete CLE credit survey.

Remarks
  • Karen Landers, Immediate Past Chair, Legal Affairs Committee; General Counsel, San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), San Diego, CA