Alston & Bird partner Chris Roux had his article, “Building Blocks: Everyone Agrees U.S. Infrastructure Is in Lamentable Shape,” published in the 2019 “Best Law Firms” edition of U.S. News–Best Lawyers. The article evaluates the current condition of infrastructure in the United States and the extent to which Congress and the Trump administration can and/or will take action to remedy the problems. Although there were high hopes, Congress has failed to pass major infrastructure legislation. Roux evaluates the potential impact of public-private partnerships as a possible delivery model for various infrastructure projects as he notes that the United States is the world’s largest emerging market for public-private partnerships.
The Trump administration originally proposed a little-detailed plan which targeted $200 billion in federal funding toward infrastructure projects. However, the plan did not pass Congress due to partisan disagreement. However, with new House leadership and Congress, there may be more money for public-private partnerships. There also may be increased funding for more traditional government procurement projects, whether in grants to state DOT’s, or direct federal procurement by US government departments (GSA, DOT, Interior, etc.). These changes could have significant impacts on spending for government procurement projects.
Ultimately, Roux explains, the federal government must take action—which has proven to be difficult due to partisan politics—however, such action is necessary to restore American infrastructure to its place among the best in the world.
This article was published in conjunction with U.S. News–Best Lawyers naming Alston & Bird’s Construction group the “Law Firm of the Year” in Construction Law. The press release on this award can be found here.
Our Government Contracts team includes some of the most respected construction lawyers in the country and our public construction work spans a wide range of projects and industries. Our team is also uniquely positioned to address the investigation risks that are associated with public construction. Key professionals involved in public construction include Chris Roux, Andy Howard, John Hanover, and John Spangler.
Read the full article.
Chris Roux is a partner in Alston & Bird’s Construction & Government Contracts Group.