WASHINGTON - The Federal Facilities Council (FFC) of the National Research Council, and the National Academy of Construction are sponsoring a one-day forum titled "Reducing Construction Costs: Uses of Best Dispute Resolution Practices by Project Owners." The meeting will be held in the auditorium of the National Academy of Sciences in Washington on Sept. 23. Invited to attend are those who initiate, own, and manage construction projects, as well as architects, engineers, and contract officers.

The national forum is designed to bring together experts in academia and the legal profession, as well as dispute avoidance and alternative dispute resolution techniques.

Featured speakers include William W. Brubaker of the Smithsonian Institute; James G. Slaughter Jr., president of the National Academy of Construction; James P. Groton and Robert A. Rubin, both past presidents of the American College of Construction Lawyers; and Thomas J. Stipanowich, president and CEO of the CPR Institute of Dispute Resolution.

The speakers will highlight the costs and benefits of using dispute resolution best practices on construction projects and explore ways to encourage project owners to eliminate or quickly resolve disputes.

Attendees are asked to register by Sept. 9. There is no cost for staff from Federal Facilities Council sponsor agencies, but staff members are still asked to return a registration form. For others, there is a $100 registration fee. For more information, contact Pat Williams at 202-334-3376 or pwilliams@nas.edu.

Publication date: 08/30/2004