ALAN N. BELKIN
abelkin@saltmanandstevens.com

Alan N. Belkin is Of Counsel to Saltman & Stevens, P. C., specializing in matters related to federal appropriations law. Prior to joining Saltman & Stevens, Mr. Belkin was an attorney at the Government Accountability Office (GAO), where he worked in GAO’s Office of General Counsel for over 30 years until he retired in 2004. While employed at GAO, Mr. Belkin was an appropriations law specialist and, among other things, assisted in drafting portions of the GAO Redbook--the leading publication in the area of federal appropriations law. He also served as an instructor in the GAO Principles of Appropriations course. During his tenure at GAO, Mr. Belkin had responsibility for a multitude of appropriations law decisions regarding such matters as what constitutes a “bona fide need” of a federal agency, the availability of expired appropriations to make payments to federal contractors and other claimants, the interpretation of statutory earmarking language, the meaning and applicability of the Anti-Deficiency Act, how to reconcile conflicts between language in an authorization and an appropriations act, and many other appropriations related matters that can have a real world impact on federal contractors or others seeking payment from the federal government based on a claim of contractual or statutory entitlement.

In addition to his extensive work on appropriations law matters while employed in GAO’s Office of General Counsel, in 1994 Mr. Belkin was appointed Assistant General Counsel for the General Government Division where he was involved all manner of legal issues related to government contracting, regulatory and managerial reform, oversight of the General Services Administration and the Postal Service, and related areas. In 2000, Mr. Belkin became the Assistant General Counsel for Physical Infrastructure where he worked until he retired in 2004 on legal issues involving transportation law, including oversight of the FAA and the federal highway administration, federal housing law, government property and facilities, and telecommunications law. During his service at GAO, Mr. Belkin received a myriad of General Counsel and GAO-wide awards for outstanding performance and achievement.

Professional Memberships

Mr. Belkin is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Education

Mr. Belkin received his B.A. from Temple University in 1967; a M. Ed. from Temple University in 1969; and a J. D. degree from Catholic University, Columbus School of Law in 1973.