Aerospace & Defense

  • October 16, 2024

    Airline Owner Can't Force Cravath To Give Docs, Court Says

    Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP doesn't have to turn over documents used in the prosecution of an airline owner accused in a scheme to defraud Polar Air Cargo Worldwide of millions of dollars, a New York federal judge ruled Wednesday, saying the defendant hasn't shown the firm was part of the prosecution.

  • October 16, 2024

    Justices Torn On Interpretation Of Veterans Benefits Law

    U.S. Supreme Court justices questioned Wednesday whether two veterans expected more than legally required from a lower court that only granted limited review of the denial of their disability benefits claims, while challenging the government's denial in equal measure.

  • October 16, 2024

    Sudanese Men Charged With Hacking Cedars-Sinai, Microsoft

    California federal prosecutors announced Wednesday that two Sudanese brothers have been charged with operating a prolific hacking group that orchestrated tens of thousands of politically motivated cyberattacks against worldwide government agencies, Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and companies including Microsoft, PayPal, Google and Netflix.

  • October 16, 2024

    SpaceX Says Calif. Board Taking Disdain Of Musk Out On It

    SpaceX hit the California Coastal Commission with a federal lawsuit claiming its board members are opposing the company's bid to launch more rockets from a military base in Santa Barbara County due to "naked political discrimination" against it and its outspoken billionaire CEO Elon Musk.

  • October 16, 2024

    9th Circ. Won't Rethink Reviving Airline Military Bias Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday rejected Alaska Airlines' bid for the court to reconsider its August opinion reinstating a class action accusing the airline of illegally denying accrued vacation and sick time to pilots on military assignments.

  • October 16, 2024

    'Fat Leonard' Faces 11 Years For Navy Bribery Scheme

    Federal prosecutors are seeking more than 11 years in prison for Leonard Francis, the Malaysian defense contractor and ex-fugitive known as "Fat Leonard" who led a sprawling bribery and corruption scheme that allegedly caused over $20 million in losses for the U.S. Navy.

  • October 16, 2024

    2 SDNY Terror Finance Cases Against Binance Stay Separate

    Two suits claiming Binance unlawfully fostered terrorist activity, filed in the wake of the cryptocurrency platform's $4.3 billion settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, will proceed separately in the Southern District of New York, a Manhattan federal judge said Wednesday.

  • October 16, 2024

    RTX To Pay $1B For Qatari Bribes And Defrauding US Gov't

    RTX Corp. and its Raytheon subsidiary have agreed to pay approximately $1 billion and enter into two separate deferred prosecution agreements in connection with a bribery scheme to secure Qatari military contracts, as well as separate ploys to defraud the U.S. government in deals for Patriot missile and radar systems.

  • October 15, 2024

    Boeing Judge Wants DEI Monitor Pick Info Before Plea Ruling

    The Texas federal judge overseeing prosecutors' criminal case against The Boeing Co. on Tuesday said he needs more information on a provision of the proposed plea deal regarding how the U.S. Department of Justice would select an independent monitor in compliance with the agency's diversity and inclusion policies.

  • October 15, 2024

    New Cybersecurity Rules Threaten Defense Industrial Base

    The Pentagon's stringent new cybersecurity rule for its contractors threatens to drive away companies that may struggle with the added costs of compliance, while exacerbating concerns about an already-shrinking defense industrial base.

  • October 15, 2024

    Kirkland-Led Boeing Seeks Up To $35B Amid Labor Strike

    Boeing notified regulators on Tuesday of plans to raise up to $35 billion through securities offerings and a credit agreement, guided by Kirkland & Ellis LLP, as the aviation giant seeks access to cash amid a prolonged strike and production cuts.

  • October 15, 2024

    DOD Upgrades Vets' Status After 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Review

    More than 800 LGBTQ+ veterans separated administratively from the military under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy have upgraded to an honorable discharge, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday.

  • October 15, 2024

    US Ups Energy Sanctions On Iran After Israel Missile Attack

    U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has unveiled expanded sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, including "new and significant measures to more effectively target Iran's energy trade," following its Oct. 1 missile attack on Israel.

  • October 15, 2024

    Aerospace Firm Must Hand Over Bank Accounts To Buyer

    A Colorado state judge entered an emergency order Monday forcing a Colorado aerospace company that sold its assets to California-based Interconnect Solutions Co. for $15 million to turn over its business accounts to ISC, which said the accounts are needed to perform work for customer Lockheed Martin.

  • October 15, 2024

    Law Firms Diverge As Anti-ESG Pushback Continues

    A continuing onslaught of legislation and litigation opposing corporate environmental, social and governance actions has created a fork in the road for law firms, with some choosing to scale back efforts and others pushing ahead with their internal ESG and diversity, equity and inclusion goals.

  • October 15, 2024

    The 2024 Law360 Pulse Social Impact Leaders

    Check out our Social Impact Leaders ranking, analysis and interactive graphics to see which firms stand out for their engagement with social responsibility and commitment to pro bono service.

  • October 15, 2024

    DHS Chief Privacy Officer Joins Frost Brown Todd In DC

    Frost Brown Todd LLP has hired the chief privacy officer and chief Freedom of Information Act officer for the Department of Homeland Security, who is joining the firm's practice focused on internet data and technology, the firm announced Tuesday.

  • October 15, 2024

    Justices Won't Hear Suit Over Marine Recruit Crash Death

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday denied a petition from a Marine recruit's family to review the dismissal of a suit over the recruit's death, leaving in place a Third Circuit decision finding that his recruiter had immunity for the claims.

  • October 11, 2024

    Boeing Cuts 17K Jobs, Hits Union With Bargaining Charges

    Boeing's new chief executive on Friday said the aerospace giant will cut its workforce by about 17,000 jobs as part of a restructuring effort as the company enters a new chapter of regulatory scrutiny and production delays, a day after accusing the union representing striking factory workers of bad-faith bargaining.

  • October 11, 2024

    Aerospace Firm To Pay SEC $1.1M Over India Bribe Claims

    Aerospace components manufacturer Moog Inc. will pay a $1.1 million civil penalty to resolve U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission claims that an Indian subsidiary of the company violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in connection with an alleged scheme to bribe Indian officials.

  • October 11, 2024

    Up Next At High Court: CBD Injuries & The Clean Water Act

    The U.S. Supreme Court will be closed Monday, but the justices will return to the bench Tuesday to hear arguments over whether the federal Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act allows litigants to pursue claims of economic harm tied to personal injuries, and how specific pollutant discharge limits have to be under the Clean Water Act.

  • October 11, 2024

    Judge Awards $2.4M For Crash Sparked By Military Explosives

    A Washington federal judge on Friday awarded $2.4 million to a couple who sued after the husband was seriously injured in a 2016 motorcycle accident in a thick cloud of smoke from a brush fire sparked by explosives detonated by National Guard soldiers on a training exercise.

  • October 11, 2024

    Challenge To $60.7B Deal's Award Cap Is Late, Judge Says

    Protesters to a $60.7 billion IT deal couldn't convince the U.S. Court of Federal Claims that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs arbitrarily limited spots to 30 companies, with a judge saying that argument should have been raised earlier.

  • October 11, 2024

    DOD Finalizes High-Profile Contractor Cybersecurity Rule

    The U.S. Department of Defense on Friday finalized a rule implementing its sweeping Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, which will attach a minimum cybersecurity requirement to nearly all DOD contracts.

  • October 11, 2024

    DOJ Tells Judge Boeing Plea Is 'The Best The Gov't Could Do'

    The federal government told a Texas federal judge Friday that its proposed deal with The Boeing Co. over allegations that it lied to safety regulators about the 737 Max 8's development is "the best the government could do," pushing back against vehement objection from crash victims' families, who called the deal "rotten" and "morally reprehensible."

Expert Analysis

  • FTC Drives Crackdown On Connected Cars' Data Privacy Risk

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    After the Federal Trade Commission's warning to automakers about data privacy, which continues to emerge as a national concern, automakers must carefully examine their data collection, use and retention practices, say Catherine Castaldo and Michael Rubayo at Reed Smith.

  • Lessons From Recent SEC Cyber Enforcement Actions

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    The recent guidance by the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance is helpful to any company facing a cybersecurity threat, but just as instructive are the warnings raised by the SEC's recent enforcement actions against SolarWinds, R.R. Donnelley and Intercontinental Exchange, say attorneys at O'Melveny.

  • How Cos. With Chinese Suppliers Should Prep For Biotech Bill

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    A proposed bill to prohibit government-affiliated life sciences companies from contracting with Chinese biotech companies of concern may necessitate switching to other sources for research and supplies, meaning they should begin evaluating supply chains now due to the long lead times of drug development, say John O'Loughlin and Christina Carone at Weil Gotshal.

  • Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Is My Counterclaim Bound To Fall?

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    A Pennsylvania federal court’s recent dismissal of the defendants’ counterclaims in Morgan v. Noss should remind attorneys to avoid the temptation to repackage a claim’s facts and law into a mirror-image counterclaim, as this approach will often result in a waste of time and resources, says Matthew Selmasska at Kaufman Dolowich.

  • DOJ Paths To Limit FARA Fallout From Wynn's DC Circ. Win

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    After the D.C. Circuit’s recent Attorney General v. Wynn ruling, holding that the government cannot compel retroactive registration under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, the U.S. Department of Justice has a few options to limit the decision’s impact on enforcement, say attorneys at MoFo.

  • Series

    Playing Dungeons & Dragons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing Dungeons & Dragons – a tabletop role-playing game – helped pave the way for my legal career by providing me with foundational skills such as persuasion and team building, says Derrick Carman at Robins Kaplan.

  • Bid Protest Spotlight: Misplaced Info, Trade-Offs, Proteges

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    James Tucker at MoFo examines three recent decisions concerning the consequences of providing solicited information in the wrong section of a bid proposal, the limits of agency discretion in technical merit, best-value trade-off evaluations, and the weight of the experience and capabilities of small businesses in mentor-protégé joint venture qualification.

  • Unpacking Executive Privilege, Contempt In Recent Cases

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    The U.S. House of Representatives’ recent move to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress is the latest example in a growing trend of executive privilege disputes, and serves as a warning to private citizens and corporate leaders who are in communication with the president, says Kristina Moore at Womble Bond.

  • 3 Leadership Practices For A More Supportive Firm Culture

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    Traditional leadership styles frequently amplify the inherent pressures of legal work, but a few simple, time-neutral strategies can strengthen the skills and confidence of employees and foster a more collaborative culture, while supporting individual growth and contribution to organizational goals, says Benjamin Grimes at BKG Leadership.

  • The OIG Report: DOJ's Own Whistleblower Program Has Holes

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    A recent Office of the Inspector General memo found that the U.S. Department of Justice’s whistleblower program failed to protect federal employees whose security clearances were allegedly suspended in retaliation — a serious cause for concern that could have a potential chilling effect on would-be whistleblowers, says Diana Shaw at Wiley.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents

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    Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.

  • What Cos. Should Note In DOJ's New Whistleblower Pilot

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    After the U.S. Department of Justice unveiled a new whistleblower pilot program last week — continuing its efforts to incentivize individual reporting of misconduct — companies should review the eligibility criteria, update their compliance programs and consider the risks and benefits of making their own self-disclosures, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Series

    Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    As a master scuba instructor, I’ve learned how to prepare for the unexpected, overcome fears and practice patience, and each of these skills – among the many others I’ve developed – has profoundly enhanced my work as a lawyer, says Ron Raether at Troutman Pepper.

  • SolarWinds Ruling Offers Cyber Incident Response Takeaways

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    The New York federal court's dismissal of all charges related to the 2019 Sunburst cyberattack is a devastating blow to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's cybersecurity case against SolarWinds, but the well-reasoned opinion provides valuable lessons that may improve companies' defensive posture in the wake of a major cybersecurity incident, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

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