VERTEX is a Gold Sponsor of the ABA Public Contract Law Section 2025 Fall Forum, taking place November 13–15, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Reston in Reston, Virginia.
Representing VERTEX’s Commercial Damages & Investigation team are:
- Kelsey Bonner, CFE
- Christopher Foux, CPA, ASA, ABV
- Garrett Gustafson
- Erin O’Shea Haneman
- Joel Lesch, CPA, CFE, CFF
- Michael Martin, Jr., CPA, CFF, CFE
Hosted by the American Bar Association’s Public Contract Law Section, this year’s Fall Forum—Contracts, Compliance, and Change: Legal Perspectives in Shifting Times—brings together leading government contract attorneys, in-house counsel, compliance officers, and industry professionals to examine the evolving landscape of public contracting and procurement law.
As regulatory scrutiny intensifies and contract disputes become increasingly complex, counsel and contracting professionals rely on objective, defensible analysis to inform their strategies. VERTEX’s Commercial Damages & Investigations Government Contracts experts deliver comprehensive financial, accounting, and forensic analyses in evaluating disputes and compliance issues, quantifying damages, and assessing performance and causation issues. Drawing on decades of litigation and expert witness experience, our professionals support clients across all phases of the dispute process – from early case assessment through expert testimony – helping ensure decisions are grounded in evidence and backed by technical precision. .
Connect with VERTEX
To learn more about VERTEX’s Government Contracts services or to speak with an Expert, call 888.298.5162 or submit an inquiry.
For more information about the event, visit: https://events.americanbar.org/event/DFCA075D-DD55-4839-89E4-19823168456E/summary
The Author
Kelsey Bonner
CFE
Senior Director, Commercial Damages & Investigation
Kelsey Bonner is a Certified Fraud Examiner with experience across multiple industries. She has provided expert testimony with opinions on changed work, disruption, bid reasonableness, and forensic data analysis. She provides expertise in cost and pricing issues on U.S. Government contracts.
The Author
Christopher W. Foux
CPA, ASA, ABV
Subject Matter Expert, Commercial Damages & Investigation
Mr. Foux specializes in valuation, forensic accounting, and damage claims analysis across industries like construction, defense, and healthcare. He has expertise in government contract compliance, bid protests, and financial disputes, providing litigation support and expert analysis.
The Author
Garrett Gustafson
Managing Consultant, Commercial Damages & Investigation
Mr. Gustafson is a Managing Consultant specializing in construction disputes, bid protests, and government contracts. He analyzes cost data, contractor claims, and indirect rates, providing litigation support and financial assessments across multiple industries.
The Author
Erin O’Shea Haneman
Director, Commercial Damages & Investigation
Ms. O’Shea Haneman has over 18 years of experience in damages and cost analysis for commercial and government contracts. She specializes in bid protests, FAR compliance, forensic accounting, and contract disputes, assisting clients with claims, pricing analysis, and litigation support.
The Author
Joel E. Lesch
CPA, CFE, CFF
Director, Commercial Damages & Investigation
Joel Lesch specializes in damages analysis, government contracts, fraud investigations, and financial assessments for troubled companies.
The Author
Michael R. Martin, Jr.
CPA, CFF, CFE
Subject Matter Expert, Commercial Damages & Investigation
Michael R. Martin, Jr. is a Subject Matter Expert at LitCon Group, LLC, a Vertex Company (LitCon). Mr. Martin has more than 25 years of experience specializing in the preparation and defense of damage claims, investigations, forensic accounting and compliance issues for clients in the construction and government contracting industries. He has developed and rebutted damages analysis in litigation and other forums, assisted clients in responding to Government inquiries and participated in negotiations with various Government entities such as DCAA, DCMA and multiple Offices of Inspector General. Mr. Martin has been qualified and testified as an expert related to government cost accounting, incurred costs, and damages issues.