Aerospace & Defense

  • April 15, 2025

    Trump Cites U.S. Security To Investigate Critical Minerals Tax

    President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued an executive order launching a so-called Section 232 national security tariff investigation into the United States' reliance on imported processed critical minerals, citing his belief that "an overreliance ... could jeopardize U.S. defense capabilities."

  • April 15, 2025

    Whistleblower Says DOGE's NLRB Probe Exposed Data

    An employee with the National Labor Relations Board sent a whistleblower disclosure to members of Congress on Monday alleging that Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency harvested Americans' sensitive information and likely exposed the data to foreign adversaries.

  • April 15, 2025

    Md. Man Cops To Secretly Outsourcing Work To China

    A Maryland man pled guilty on Tuesday to allegations he secretly had someone in China perform his remote job as a software developer for a Virginia company the Federal Aviation Administration contracted for work involving national defense matters, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland announced.

  • April 15, 2025

    Trump Orders Overhaul Of Federal Contracting Rules

    President Donald Trump issued orders Tuesday aimed at simplifying and reducing the costs of federal contracting for both government and contractors, directing agencies to pare back the Federal Acquisition Regulation to only "essential" requirements and to prioritize commercial item purchases.

  • April 15, 2025

    Judge Ends 'China Initiative' Prosecution Of Ex-Ga. Tech Prof

    A federal judge has dismissed the last remaining criminal charges against a former Georgia Tech professor who was indicted more than four years ago over allegations he was helping Chinese tech workers come to the U.S. under the guise of being university-affiliated researchers.

  • April 15, 2025

    SpaceX Blasts GE Healthcare Effort To 'Slow Roll' Spectrum

    GE Healthcare Technologies has asked the Federal Communications Commission to hold off on issuing authorizations for space launch operations in a certain slice of spectrum used by the healthcare industry, and SpaceX is steaming mad about it.

  • April 15, 2025

    Judge Won't Hit Brakes On Army Helicopter Power Unit Award

    A U.S. Court of Federal Claims judge has rejected Hydraulics International Inc.'s attempt to block a sole-source award to Sun Test Systems Inc. for power units to service Army helicopters, saying the company failed to show it could deliver the equipment in question.

  • April 15, 2025

    Colo., Ala. Lawmakers Tussle Over Space Command Findings

    The U.S. Department of Defense's watchdog released on Tuesday its much-anticipated report on the selection process for the new U.S. Space Command headquarters, and lawmakers who represent the contending states — Alabama and Colorado — both are claiming victory.

  • April 15, 2025

    Plane Part Cos. Settle For $1.3M Over False Small Biz Claims

    Two airplane parts manufacturers will pay more than $1.3 million after disclosing under the False Claims Act that they no longer qualified for federal contracts set aside for small businesses, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut.

  • April 15, 2025

    Submarine Cable Rules Need To Follow NIST, Feds Told

    Companies that use undersea cables should have flexibility in how they develop their individual cybersecurity plans — as long as those plans comply with the framework laid out by the government's National Institute of Standards and Technology, a trade group is telling the Federal Communications Commission.

  • April 15, 2025

    DC Maintains, Expands Tax Exemptions For NBA, NHL Arena

    The District of Columbia maintained and expanded tax breaks for the property and airspace of Capital One Arena, home to the NBA's Washington Wizards and NHL's Washington Capitals, as part of legislation that became law, according to a notice published in the district's register.

  • April 14, 2025

    Judge Vacates €978M Army Security Services Contract

    A Court of Federal Claims judge scrapped a €978.6 million ($1.02 billion) contract awarded by the U.S. Army for armed security services for installations in Germany, saying the agency relied on unstated evaluation criteria for past performance.

  • April 14, 2025

    Judge Backs Air Force In Drone Pilot Contract Dispute

    A Court of Federal Claims judge said the U.S. Air Force reasonably excluded two companies from competing for a contract to train drone pilots, after they failed to certify themselves as women-owned small businesses in the system for award management as required.

  • April 14, 2025

    Calif. Board Says SpaceX Suit Should Be Grounded For Good

    The California Coastal Commission moved Friday for another dismissal of SpaceX's suit alleging the commission wrongly tried to block its plan to increase rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, saying because the commission's opposition was overridden by the U.S. Air Force, no harm was caused.

  • April 14, 2025

    UK Co. Says Ex-Sikorsky Atty Gave 'Inconsistent' Testimony

    A British company locked in a $64 million contract feud with Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft accused its former in-house counsel of giving testimony "blatantly inconsistent" with other evidence at a Connecticut trial, requesting the alleged transgressions be discussed after a Texas bankruptcy judge slammed the lawyer for providing "false statements" in a separate matter.

  • April 14, 2025

    Class Attys Seek $20.2M Fee For RTX No-Poach Deals

    DiCello Levitt LLP, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP and counsel at two Connecticut firms are seeking nearly $20.2 million in fees plus $2.65 million in expenses after hammering out $60.5 million in settlements with the Pratt & Whitney division of RTX Corp. and five contractors accused of illegally agreeing not to hire one another's aerospace engineers.

  • April 14, 2025

    Military Voters Say Ballots Should Count In NC High Court Race

    Military and overseas voters registered in North Carolina are mounting a constitutional challenge to a Republican judge's efforts to discount their ballots, filing a federal lawsuit Monday just as the Democratic incumbent lost her bid to halt the ballot corrections process.

  • April 11, 2025

    DOJ Issues Compliance Tips for New Data Security Program

    The U.S. Department of Justice published tips Friday on complying with the new national data security program — which was created under the Biden administration and took effect April 8 — to prevent China, Russia, Iran and other foreign entities from exploiting Americans' sensitive personal data through commercial transactions.

  • April 11, 2025

    GAO Backs Feds' Setback, Co-Location Terms In Lease Deal

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office said the General Services Administration reasonably set colocation and setback requirements in a request for lease proposals to house several agencies in one Wilmington, North Carolina, building, denying a protest that challenged the terms as unnecessary and overly restrictive.

  • April 11, 2025

    Feds Say Judge Should Limit Foreign Aid Freeze Injunction

    The Trump administration asked a D.C. federal judge on Friday to commit to dissolving part of a preliminary injunction requiring it to pay all grant recipients and contractors for foreign assistance work done prior to Feb. 13, in light of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

  • April 11, 2025

    Boeing Birth Defect Cases Paused Until Wash. Appeals Ruling

    Lawsuits seeking to hold Boeing liable for birth defects sustained by children of the company's factory workers were put on hold, after a Washington state judge ruled that an appeals court must first decide if companies have a duty of care for the "not-yet-conceived offspring" of their employees.

  • April 11, 2025

    3M Fights 4th Circ. Bid To Undo Removal Of PFAS Suits

    Lawsuits accusing 3M Inc. of "forever chemical" contamination of Maryland and South Carolina waterways should be kept in federal court, the company has argued, urging the Fourth Circuit to decline the states' request for full panel review.

  • April 11, 2025

    EchoStar Wants FCC To Cut Satellite Cos.' Political File Reg

    Dish Network parent company EchoStar Corp.'s wishlist to curb Federal Communications Commission regulations includes a proposal to drop a requirement that satellite providers keep tabs on paid political ads.

  • April 11, 2025

    Feds Seek Release Of Informant Who Falsely Accused Bidens

    California federal prosecutors are seeking the release of a former FBI informant who is serving a six-year prison sentence for falsely telling agents that former President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden had accepted bribes from a Ukrainian energy company.

  • April 11, 2025

    House Bill Would Fund Satellite, Fixed Wireless Broadband

    An Ohio Republican has introduced House legislation to use some of the funds from the $42.5 billion Congress set aside for broadband expansion in 2021 to help defray the costs of obtaining satellite or fixed wireless broadband equipment and service.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Lawsuits Shouldn't Be Shadow Assets For Foreign Capital

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    Third-party litigation financing amplifies inefficiencies from litigation and facilitates national exposure to foreign influence in the U.S. justice system, so full disclosure of financing arrangements should be required as a matter of institutional integrity, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

  • How To Accelerate Your Post-Attorney Career Transition

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    Professionals seeking to transition to nonattorney careers may encounter skepticism as nontraditional candidates, but there are opportunities for thought leadership and to leverage speaking and writing to accelerate a post-attorney career transition, say Janet Falk at Falk Communications and Evgeny Efremkin at Toronto Metropolitan University.

  • Tariffs And FCA Create Perfect Storm For Importers

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    The Trump administration's aggressive tariff policies pose a high risk to certain importation practices that are particularly likely to trigger False Claims Act enforcement, say attorneys at Jeffer Mangels.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Be An Indispensable Associate

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    While law school teaches you to research, write and think critically, it often overlooks the professional skills you will need to make yourself an essential team player when transitioning from a summer to full-time associate, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • What 2nd Trump Admin Means For Ship Pollution Compliance

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    As the second Trump administration's civil and criminal enforcement policies take shape, the maritime industry must ensure it complies with both national and international obligations to prevent oil pollution from seagoing vessels — with preventive efforts and voluntary disclosures being some of the best options for mitigating risk, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    Birding Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Observing and documenting birds in their natural habitats fosters patience, sharpens observational skills and provides moments of pure wonder — qualities that foster personal growth and enrich my legal career, says Allison Raley at Arnall Golden.

  • What Cos. Should Know About U.S. Minerals Executive Order

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    President Donald Trump's new executive order aimed at boosting U.S. mineral production faces challenges including land use and environmental regulations, a lack of new funding, and the need for coordination among federal agencies, but it provides industry stakeholders with multiple opportunities to influence policy and funding, say advisers at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Leadership To BigLaw

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    The move from government service to private practice can feel like changing one’s identity, but as someone who has left the U.S. Department of Justice twice, I’ve learned that a successful transition requires patience, effort and the realization that the rewards of practicing law don’t come from one particular position, says Richard Donoghue at Pillsbury.

  • Law Firm Executive Orders Create A Legal Ethics Minefield

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    Recent executive orders targeting BigLaw firms create ethical dilemmas — and raise the specter of civil or criminal liability — for the government attorneys tasked with implementing them and for the law firms that choose to make agreements with the administration, say attorneys at Buchalter.

  • Contractor Remedies Amid Overhaul Of Federal Spending

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    Now that the period for federal agencies to review their spending has ended, companies holding procurement contracts or grants should evaluate whether their agreements align with administration policies and get a plan ready to implement if their contracts or grants are modified or terminated, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • Firms Must Embrace Alternative Billing Models Or Fall Behind

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    As artificial intelligence tools eliminate inefficiencies and the Big Four accounting firms enter the legal market, law firms that pivot from the entrenched billable hour model to outcomes-based pricing will see a distinct competitive advantage, says attorney William Brewer.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Terminations Galore

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    Attorneys at Seyfarth examine three recent decisions in which the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals and the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals provide valuable insights into contract terminations, modifications and the jurisdictional requirements for claims.

  • How Attorneys Can Master The Art Of On-Camera Presence

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    As attorneys are increasingly presented with on-camera opportunities, they can adapt their traditional legal skills for video contexts — such as virtual client meetings, marketing content or media interviews — by understanding the medium and making intentional adjustments, says Kerry Barrett.

  • Series

    Baseball Fantasy Camp Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    With six baseball fantasy experiences under my belt, I've learned time and again that I didn't make the wrong career choice, but I've also learned that baseball lessons are life lessons, and I'm a better lawyer for my time at St. Louis Cardinals fantasy camp, says Scott Felder at Wiley.

  • Opinion

    Airlines Should Follow Treaty On Prompt Crash Payouts

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    In the wake of the recent crash of a Delta Air Lines flight during landing in Toronto, it is vital for air carriers and their insurers to understand how the Montreal Convention's process for immediate passenger compensation can avoid years of costly litigation and reputational damage for companies, says Robert Alpert at International Crisis Response.

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