Aerospace & Defense

  • December 20, 2024

    High Court Bar's Future: Williams & Connolly's Sarah Harris

    Sarah M. Harris of Williams & Connolly LLP never planned on being a U.S. Supreme Court advocate, or even an appellate one. She stumbled upon that career path after realizing her initial goal of becoming a national security or government lawyer wasn't the right fit.

  • December 20, 2024

    9th Circ. Orders Closer Security Review In Muslim Spying Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday partially revived a long-running putative class action over the FBI's alleged surveillance of Muslims in Southern California, saying more work needs to be done before determining whether the case is so tied to state secrets that it puts national security at risk.

  • December 20, 2024

    Top Under-The-Radar Gov't Contracts Cases Of 2024

    Here are four lower-profile decisions in 2024 with important legal findings for federal contractors, addressing issues such as when a contractor needs to press an agency for payment and when the government cannot claim sovereign immunity for COVID-19 response.

  • December 20, 2024

    Top Government Contracts Of 2024: Year In Review

    This year, the U.S. General Services Administration made dozens of awards for two massive, uncapped governmentwide deals, while the U.S. Department of Energy awarded more than $70 billion both for making nuclear weapons and cleaning up their legacy. Here, Law360 looks at seven of the biggest government contracts awarded in 2024.

  • December 20, 2024

    Camp Lejeune Toxic Water Litigants Cite EPA's Chemical Ban

    Veterans and family members who claim they were injured due to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune will use the Biden administration's final rule banning certain chemicals to prosecute their case over toxic water at the Marine base, according to a notice they filed in North Carolina federal court.

  • December 20, 2024

    NC Lawmaker Chosen To Lead House Communications Panel

    Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., has been selected as the next chair of the House Energy and Commerce panel with telecom jurisdiction.

  • December 20, 2024

    The Telecom Developments That Defined 2024

    The end of 2024 portends a sea change in telecom policy, as voters usher in a second Donald Trump term and with it a newly named GOP chief of the Federal Communications Commission who has pushed for a 180-degree turn at the agency.

  • December 20, 2024

    GAO Stands Firm On Bid Filing Deadline Despite Tech Trouble

    Three o'clock means three o'clock, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said, denying a company's claim that the Navy improperly excluded an electronically submitted project proposal that came through minutes late because of technological troubles.

  • December 20, 2024

    Honeywell Escapes Ex-Employee's 401(k) Forfeiture Suit

    Honeywell International defeated a proposed class action alleging it violated federal benefits law when it used ex-employees' forfeited 401(k) funds to offset its retirement plan contributions rather than cover administrative expenses, with a New Jersey federal judge finding the company's actions complied with the plan's terms.

  • December 19, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Seeks Denial Of Newman Bid To Unseal Documents

    The Federal Circuit judges asked the D.C. Circuit on Thursday to reject U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman's request to unseal documents about her suspension for refusing to participate in an investigation into her fitness, saying they are of "questionable relevance" and will be released soon anyway.

  • December 19, 2024

    Aviation Co. AAR To Pay $55M Over Alleged Bribery Schemes

    AAR Corp. has agreed to shell out $55 million to resolve allegations from both the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and U.S. Department of Justice that the aviation services provider bribed government officials in Nepal and South Africa, the agencies announced Thursday.

  • December 19, 2024

    Medical Supplies Giant, Drone Operator File Confidential IPOs

    Private equity-backed medical supplies giant Medline Inc. and drone operator Airo Group Holdings Inc. said Thursday that they confidentially filed plans for initial public offerings with regulators, joining a growing pipeline of IPO prospects for 2025.

  • December 19, 2024

    Top Gov't Contracts Cases Of 2024

    Courts and the U.S. Government Accountability Office have made several high-profile, consequential decisions for government contractors this year, addressing the constitutionality of the False Claims Act's whistleblower provisions and the limits of the president's authority over federal procurement.

  • December 19, 2024

    The Spiciest Quotes Heard In Mass. Courts In 2024

    Another year of hard-fought litigation was replete with quips, barbs, and both attorneys and defendants put on blast — plus one litigant who simply wished for the return of a nine-foot bedazzled grand piano.

  • December 19, 2024

    Feds Could Pay $1.1M To Settle WWII Refinery Waste Fight

    A Valero Energy Corp. unit is asking a Michigan federal judge to sign off on a deal that would have the U.S. government pay it $1.1 million for cleanup costs allegedly stemming from the government's wartime operations at a refinery in Houston.

  • December 19, 2024

    Top Gov't Contracts Policies Of 2024

    Lawmakers and federal agencies have introduced several consequential policy moves affecting government contractors this year, including a long-pending cybersecurity rule for defense contractors and a clarification to an unintendedly harsh interpretation of a federal registration requirement.

  • December 19, 2024

    Patent Office, NASA To Work On Tech Transfer Project

    Federal patent officials plan to work with experts at NASA to bring more of the agency's innovation to the commercial marketplace, which will include collaborating on a study on best practices, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has announced.

  • December 19, 2024

    FCC Chief Floats Spectrum Revamp For Space Launches

    The Federal Communications Commission is eyeing new rules to revamp the spectrum band running from 2360-2395 megahertz to make room for commercial space launches.

  • December 19, 2024

    GAO Says Army Can Stop Solicitation After Multiple Protests

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office has rejected a protest over the U.S. Army's decision to cancel a medical instructor support deal, saying the Army reasonably found it had to address changed circumstances after a string of related protests.

  • December 19, 2024

    Del. Justices Affirm Toss Of Co.'s Suit Against Gusrae Kaplan

    Delaware's Supreme Court has affirmed a trial court's dismissal of an Applied Energetics Inc. suit accusing Gusrae Kaplan Nusbaum PLLC and a former partner of launching a frivolous securities fraud suit in order to hobble other litigation against the laser weapons maker's former CEO.

  • December 18, 2024

    RTX Will Pay $34M To End Engineers' No-Poach Class Action

    A group of engineers asked a Connecticut federal judge Wednesday to greenlight a $34 million settlement resolving claims that RTX Corp.'s Pratt & Whitney division orchestrated an agreement among five aerospace engineering firms not to hire one another's employees, following the workers' $26.5 million settlement with the five other firms.

  • December 18, 2024

    OCC Orders 'Comprehensive' Remedial Action For USAA Bank

    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on Wednesday hit USAA Federal Savings Bank with curbs on new product additions and membership growth as part of a fresh consent order that follows prior enforcement actions against the military-focused bank.

  • December 18, 2024

    Lockheed, Air Force Agree To Ax $132M Contract Appeal

    The Federal Circuit dismissed an appeal on Wednesday by the Air Force challenging an Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals' ruling entitling Lockheed Martin to more than $131.8 million for excessive "over and above" work under a 2007 contract.

  • December 18, 2024

    Funding Bill Takes In Broadband, Ticketing, Privacy

    A congressional spending package that would fund the federal government through March is set to include a slew of bipartisan proposals aimed at digital security, online pricing transparency and rural broadband access.

  • December 18, 2024

    Congress Passes $3B Funding For FCC's 'Rip And Replace'

    The U.S. Senate cleared legislation Wednesday to fully fund the Federal Communications Commission's "rip and replace" telecom security program to the tune of $3.08 billion as part of a sweeping defense spending authorization.

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.

  • After Chevron

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    Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Chevron deference standard in June, this Expert Analysis series has featured attorneys discussing the potential impact across 37 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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