Aerospace & Defense

  • August 08, 2024

    VC, PE Firm Says Chinese Co. Cost $150M SpaceX Investment

    A California-based venture capital and private equity firm has sued a Chinese company in California federal court, claiming Elon Musk's SpaceX rejected its planned $150 million investment after the Chinese company breached its promise to abide by strict confidentiality requirements and instead publicized its involvement in the planned investment.

  • August 08, 2024

    Rolls-Royce Removes 'Interim' From Unit GC's Title

    The new general counsel for the North American arm of United Kingdom-based defense aerospace company Rolls-Royce is a familiar face at the company, having most recently held the top lawyer position on an interim basis following the departure of the previous general counsel earlier this year.

  • August 07, 2024

    DOD Contractor Wants No Prison For Parts Sales From Turkey

    A Florida defense contractor who admitted to using a front company to supply critical military components that were made in Turkey asked Tuesday for a non-prison sentence, arguing that her participation in the scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Defense was driven by financial desperation and a misplaced trust in those who ran the operation.

  • August 07, 2024

    Insurer Wants Bad Faith Claim Tossed In Russian Planes Suit

    HDI Global and underwriters of insurance policies on airplanes stranded in Russia have asked a Florida court to toss a bad faith claim by aircraft leasing company Avmax, arguing that bad faith only applies to coverage denials without a reasonable basis and that in this case there has been no denial, and it is "fairly debatable" whether coverage applies.

  • August 07, 2024

    6th Circ. Backs 20 Years For Chinese Spy Who Targeted GE

    The Sixth Circuit upheld a 20-year prison sentence for a Chinese spy convicted of espionage for trying to steal trade secrets from General Electric's GE Aviation unit, noting in an opinion unsealed Wednesday the punishment was reasonable as he continuously pursued the confidential information using sophisticated tradecraft processes for several years.

  • August 07, 2024

    NTSB Hearing Probes FAA Review, Boeing Quality Control

    The Federal Aviation Administration maintained that it is appropriately overseeing Boeing even after years of audits revealed multiple instances of unauthorized work on the aircraft builder's production line, as the National Transportation Safety Board on Wednesday scrutinized company safety and quality control programs during an investigation of the 737 Max 9 jet door plug blowout.

  • August 07, 2024

    SpaceX Can't Stop Transfer Of NLRB Constitutionality Suit

    SpaceX can't stop its challenge to the constitutionality of the National Labor Relations Board's structure from landing in California, a Texas federal judge ruled, saying the company appealed to the Fifth Circuit months after the transfer order.

  • August 07, 2024

    Parts Co. Fights Bid To Pause Pratt & Whitney Antitrust Suit

    A parts supplier accusing RTX Corp. subsidiary Pratt & Whitney of using illegal agreements to monopolize the aftermarket supply of their turboprop engine components asked a Pennsylvania federal court to keep discovery moving while considering the possible dismissal of the $450 million lawsuit.

  • August 07, 2024

    Japanese Space Co. Slips Ex-Exec's $8M Stock Suit

    A Colorado federal judge threw out a lawsuit Wednesday that a former executive lodged against a Japanese space and robotics company accusing it of withholding from him stock options worth about $8 million, saying the dispute belongs in Japan.

  • August 07, 2024

    GAO Says Protest Over $865M Air Force Deal Premature

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office has tossed General Dynamics Information Technology Inc.'s protest over the U.S. Air Force's proposed corrective action on an $865 million communications contract, saying GDIT's allegations were largely premature, anticipating actions the agency has yet to take.

  • August 07, 2024

    7th Circ. Keeps 3M PFAS Pollution Suit In State Court

    The Seventh Circuit on Wednesday rejected 3M's bid to send back to federal court a lawsuit brought by the state of Illinois alleging that the company polluted local waters with toxic "forever chemicals," saying a federal government contractor defense would be "wholly irrelevant" to the state's case.

  • August 07, 2024

    Air Force Says Sanctions Bid In Contract Dispute Unwarranted

    The U.S. Air Force has hit back at a contractor's bid for sanctions over alleged late document production and document destruction in a contract dispute, saying the motion was unexpectedly sprung on it while the parties were negotiating discovery issues.

  • August 07, 2024

    Quinn, Jenner Attys Tapped For Trump Shooting Inquiry

    The Republican staff on the newly formed bipartisan task force to investigate the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump includes Capitol Hill and legal veterans, among them attorneys from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP and Jenner & Block LLP.

  • August 07, 2024

    11th Circ. Says Drivers Can Use Contracting Law For OT Math

    Three drivers for a company that provides medical transportation to veterans can base their calculation of overtime they're owed on a Service Contract Act prevailing rate that's higher than the wages they were paid, the Eleventh Circuit has ruled, partially flipping a lower court's ruling.

  • August 06, 2024

    From Vets To Labor: The Policies VP Pick Walz Has Backed

    Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Kamala Harris' pick of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her running mate pairs her with a state leader and former lawmaker who has advocated for veterans' rights and public education while also championing a more progressive agenda, from cannabis legalization to abortion care access to stronger union rights.

  • August 06, 2024

    Pakistani Man Plotted To Kill US Officials, Feds Say

    A Pakistani man with ties to Iran is in custody Tuesday as the U.S. Department of Justice says it foiled his plans to assassinate U.S. government officials, which one Republican House member said included former President Donald Trump.

  • August 06, 2024

    NTSB Door Plug Hearing Spotlights Boeing Production Gaps

    Boeing still hasn't pinpointed who removed and reinstalled the door plug that subsequently blew off a 737 Max 9 jet operated by Alaska Airlines in January, as the National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday examined what employees described as disjointed protocols and high-pressure production lines.

  • August 06, 2024

    DC Circ. Says CIA Can No-Admit, No-Deny Gitmo Docs

    The D.C. Circuit ruled Tuesday that the CIA could refuse to confirm the existence of documents related to its control of detainees at Guantánamo Bay, rejecting a military lawyer's arguments that those records were already public knowledge.

  • August 06, 2024

    NYC Prof Found Guilty Of Acting As A Secret Chinese Spy

    A Brooklyn federal jury on Tuesday unanimously convicted an academic and author of secretly acting as an agent of the Chinese government by feeding information about Chinese dissidents and pro-democracy activists to China's intel service, following a weeklong jury trial, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.

  • August 06, 2024

    Cable Biz Likely To Oppose Cybersecurity Reporting Rules

    Cable providers bristled at federal agencies' plans to impose new requirements aimed at beefing up network security, arguing that rules for reporting cyberattacks within certain time frames and sharing detailed security plans would be overly burdensome.

  • August 06, 2024

    Military Part Supplier Says Competitors Stole Equipment, Info

    A machining manufacturer that supplies parts for military aircraft said in a complaint filed in Michigan federal court on Monday that some of its former workers used their access to steal confidential information and equipment to start competing businesses.

  • August 06, 2024

    Amazon Seeks Early Exit From Military Service Bias Suit

    Amazon asked a Washington federal judge to end a proposed class action accusing it of demoting or terminating workers who take time off for military service, arguing that one of the plaintiffs was inadvertently fired while the other wasn't qualified for a promotion because he was "unprofessional."

  • August 06, 2024

    Defense Contractor Wants Maynard Nexsen DQed In Bias Case

    Defense contractor Parsons Corp. urged an Alabama federal judge to disqualify Maynard Nexsen PC from representing a former engineer in his unlawful termination case against the company, saying the firm was also representing Parsons when he filed his case.

  • August 06, 2024

    Ex-Army Contract Officer Gets 1 Year For GF's No-Show Job

    A former U.S. Department of Defense contracting officer has been sentenced to a year in prison for getting his girlfriend a high-paying, no-show job at a defense contractor, then taking multiple trips to Disney World and other vacation spots with her on taxpayers' dime.

  • August 05, 2024

    TikTok Tells DC Circ. That Feds Can't Keep Filings Secret

    TikTok told the D.C. Circuit on Monday that the U.S. government shouldn't be allowed to conceal its court filings in litigation over a federal law that could ban the popular social media platform in the United States.

Expert Analysis

  • In Memoriam: The Modern Administrative State

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    On June 28, the modern administrative state, where courts deferred to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes, died when the U.S. Supreme Court overruled its previous decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council — but it is survived by many cases decided under the Chevron framework, say Joseph Schaeffer and Jessica Deyoe at Babst Calland.

  • Opinion

    Trump Immunity Ruling Upends Our Constitutional Scheme

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s Trump v. U.S. decision elevates the president to imperial status and paves the way for nearly absolute presidential immunity from potential criminal prosecutions — with no constitutional textual support, says Paul Berman at the George Washington University Law School.

  • How High Court Approached Time Limit On Reg Challenges

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Corner Post v. Federal Reserve Board effectively gives new entities their own personal statute of limitations to challenge rules and regulations, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh's concurrence may portend the court's view that those entities do not need to be directly regulated, say attorneys at Snell & Wilmer.

  • How To Clean Up Your Generative AI-Produced Legal Drafts

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    As law firms increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence tools to produce legal text, attorneys should be on guard for the overuse of cohesive devices in initial drafts, and consider a few editing pointers to clean up AI’s repetitive and choppy outputs, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.

  • Series

    Boxing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Boxing has influenced my legal work by enabling me to confidently hone the skills I've learned from the sport, like the ability to remain calm under pressure, evaluate an opponent's weaknesses and recognize when to seize an important opportunity, says Kirsten Soto at Clyde & Co.

  • Fed. Circ. Percipient Gov't Contract Ruling Is Groundbreaking

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    The effects of the Federal Circuit's decision last month in Percipient.ai v. U.S. may be limited to commercial product and service suppliers, but it is significant for government procurement in opening the door to protests by suppliers who previously would have lacked standing and Court of Federal Claims jurisdiction, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

  • Opinion

    Industry Self-Regulation Will Shine Post-Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper decision will shape the contours of industry self-regulation in the years to come, providing opportunities for this often-misunderstood practice, says Eric Reicin at BBB National Programs.

  • 3 Ways Agencies Will Keep Making Law After Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court clearly thinks it has done something big in overturning the Chevron precedent that had given deference to agencies' statutory interpretations, but regulated parties have to consider how agencies retain significant power to shape the law and its meaning, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Roundup

    After Chevron

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    In the month since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Chevron deference standard, this Expert Analysis series has featured attorneys discussing the potential impact across 26 different rulemaking and litigation areas.

  • Opinion

    Atty Well-Being Efforts Ignore Root Causes Of The Problem

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    The legal industry is engaged in a critical conversation about lawyers' mental health, but current attorney well-being programs primarily focus on helping lawyers cope with the stress of excessive workloads, instead of examining whether this work culture is even fundamentally compatible with lawyer well-being, says Jonathan Baum at Avenir Guild.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Addressing Dispositive Motions

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    Stephanie Magnell and Bret Marfut at Seyfarth examine three recent decisions from the U.S. Court of Claims and the U.S. Civilian Board of Contract Appeals that provide interesting takeaways about the nuances of motion practice utilized by the government to dispose of cases brought under the Contract Disputes Act prior to substantive litigation

  • Series

    Skiing And Surfing Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I’ve learned while riding waves in the ocean and slopes in the mountains have translated to my legal career — developing strong mentor relationships, remaining calm in difficult situations, and being prepared and able to move to a backup plan when needed, says Brian Claassen at Knobbe Martens.

  • Unpacking The Circuit Split Over A Federal Atty Fee Rule

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    Federal circuit courts that have addressed Rule 41(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are split as to whether attorney fees are included as part of the costs of a previously dismissed action, so practitioners aiming to recover or avoid fees should tailor arguments to the appropriate court, says Joseph Myles and Lionel Lavenue at Finnegan.

  • 4 Steps To Repair Defense Credibility In Opening Statements

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    Given the continued rise of record-breaking verdicts, defense counsel need to consider fresh approaches to counteract the factors coloring juror attitudes — starting with a formula for rebuilding credibility at the very beginning of opening statements, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.

  • Bid Protest Spotlight: Mapping, Jurisdiction, Incumbency

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    In this month's bid protest roundup, Nicole Giles and Ethan Sterenfeld at MoFo discuss a decision from the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and two from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, which highlight how labor mapping, jurisdiction questions and incumbency bias can affect outcomes.

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