What happens when acquisition reform meets legal reality?

In this episode of GovCon Unscripted, Chelsea Roberts is joined by Tom Barrow, counsel at Woods Rogers and a former Army JAG attorney, to dissect the FAR 2.0 rewrite. They unpack what reforms are possible and what’s simply untouchable by executive action.

This is the conversation federal contractors need right now to cut through the noise and focus on what really matters.

On this episode, we discuss:

• The critical difference between statutes and regulations
• What FAR 2.0 can’t touch—competition, payments, and small business goals
• Why commercial acquisition isn’t a silver bullet
• How cybersecurity requirements are reshaping "commercial" solutions
• What contractors should know when submitting claims or settlement proposals

[00:00] – Meet Tom Barrow: Army JAG to government contracts attorney

[05:15] – FAR 2.0 explained: What’s changing vs. what’s not

[08:04] – Statutes vs. regulations and who really has authority

[20:30] – Government payment obligations and contractor rights

[27:47] – Small business programs and the role of 8(a) awards

[33:10] – Commercial acquisition and cybersecurity compliance tension

[41:51] – Will FAR 2.0 reform actually work? Final thoughts

Links and Resources:

• Chelsea’s LinkedIn Profile
• Tom Barrow’s LinkedIn Profile
• Woods Rogers Law Firm