Government Contracts

  • May 29, 2024

    FCC Chief Floats Plan To Cut Down On Orbital Satellite Debris

    The Federal Communications Commission's chair proposed new rules Wednesday aiming to reduce the chances of spacecraft explosions that leave debris in orbit.

  • May 29, 2024

    GAO Claims Jurisdiction And Denies Novel AI Protest

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office ruled it had the authority to hear a novel dispute over a company's exclusion from an Army prize competition for artificial intelligence technology because the competition could have eventually led to a contract, but ultimately rejected the protest.

  • May 29, 2024

    Texas Judge Bans Using $1.4B Border Wall Funds For Repairs

    A Texas federal judge on Wednesday permanently blocked the White House from using $1.4 billion of border wall construction funding for barrier repair, rejecting requests from landowners, contractors and environmental groups to reconsider the scope of the ban.

  • May 29, 2024

    Acting Boston US Atty Says Fraud Cases Still High Priority

    Prosecuting a range of fraud cases despite finite resources will remain a priority for Massachusetts acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy as he enters his second year in the job, he told reporters on Wednesday in a question and answer session at his office.

  • May 29, 2024

    Whistleblower Counsel Can't Get 'Exorbitant' $11.5M Fee

    A Boston federal judge slashed an "exorbitant" $11.5 million fee request made by counsel for a False Claims Act whistleblower in a case involving lab testing company Fresenius Medical Care, hammering the attorneys for inflated hourly rates, inflated time entries and a host of questionable billing practices.

  • May 28, 2024

    Orsted Inks $125M Deal With NJ Over Scrapped Wind Farms

    Orsted, a Danish wind energy company, has agreed to pay New Jersey $125 million to settle claims over the company's abrupt cancellation last fall of two offshore wind farms.

  • May 28, 2024

    White House Looks To Boost Carbon Credit Market Integrity

    The Biden administration on Tuesday released new guidelines for voluntary carbon markets, touting the measures as a foundation for "ambitious and credible climate action" that also attempts to address questions about the integrity of credits that companies use to show a greener footprint.

  • May 28, 2024

    States, Greens Want Judgment Over USPS' New Vehicle Plan

    Environmentalists and a coalition of 17 states called on a California federal judge to grant them judgment in litigation alleging the U.S. Postal Service violated the National Environmental Policy Act when it decided to replace its aging delivery fleet with "gas-guzzling vehicles."

  • May 28, 2024

    GSA Audit Authority Ruling Bars Crowley Suit Over DOD Deal

    A Court of Federal Claims judge has rejected Crowley Government Services Inc.'s protest over the terms of a U.S. Transportation Command solicitation for freight services, saying the company effectively attempted to relitigate an already decided dispute over the General Services Administration's audit authority.

  • May 28, 2024

    Conn. Judge Asks If 'Sham' Exception Saves Stadium Fight

    A Connecticut appellate judge asked Tuesday if a "sham" exception to limits on government contracting lawsuits can restore claims that the city of Hartford ran a fake bidding process for the redevelopment of Dillon Stadium, but counsel for several defendants pushed back and said it would not apply to the facts of the case.

  • May 28, 2024

    $3.1B Satellite Deal Needs Justices' Review, Co. Says

    A broker accusing Lockheed Martin and Airbus of cutting it from a $3.1 billion military satellite deal opposed the Biden administration's contention that a U.S. Supreme Court review isn't needed, saying the administration incorrectly focused on an underlying F-35 deal.

  • May 28, 2024

    Mich. Atty Can't Have Dominion Info, Pa. Court Told

    Dominion Voting Systems told a Pennsylvania state court Tuesday that information copied from election machines as part of a county's fraud probe was "fruit of the poisonous tree" and can't be shared with a Michigan attorney who has been in hot water for allegedly accessing other states' machine data and releasing the privileged information.

  • May 24, 2024

    SEC Hits Back At SolarWinds' 'Distortion' Allegations

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sent a letter to a New York federal judge Friday pushing back on SolarWinds Corp.'s accusations that it was overstating and distorting its case against the government contractor over a data hack, saying its complaint is "well-grounded in facts" uncovered during its investigation.

  • May 24, 2024

    Claims Court Won't Toss $1.1M Breach Suit Against Navy

    The U.S. Court of Federal Claims won't free the U.S. Navy from a $1.1 million breach-of-contract case from an engineering contractor, saying its handling of indirect and billing rates potentially amounted to a breach.

  • May 24, 2024

    Contractor Entitled To Share In Navy Savings, Board Rules

    The U.S. Navy must share with a construction contractor savings resulting from the contractor's changes to a design-build task order, after the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals ruled the Navy constructively accepted the contractor's proposal for the money-saving changes.

  • May 24, 2024

    HNTB's Liability Capped In Seattle Tunnel Delay Claim

    A contract clause caps engineering firm HNTB Corp.'s potential liability over a long-delayed Seattle highway tunnel project, a Washington state court judge ruled Friday, likely dashing a joint venture's bid to recover more than $700 million.

  • May 24, 2024

    Staff Squeeze May Be Limiting Small Biz Roles In Procurement

    The federal government has introduced several strategies over the last decade to help small businesses vie for procurement contracts, but overstretched acquisition staff may have limited capacity to deploy these strategies and reverse a downward trend in small business participation.

  • May 24, 2024

    Green Groups Lose In California Fish Protection Lawsuit

    The federal government properly considered the needs of fish protected under the Endangered Species Act when it approved water supply contracts for California's Central Valley Project, the Ninth Circuit said in a ruling rejecting environmental groups' claims to the contrary.

  • May 24, 2024

    Navy Owes Crane Contractor $5M After Refusing Proposed Fix

    The Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals ruled that the U.S. Navy must pay a Konecranes ABP unit roughly $4.9 million after the Navy wrongly refused to accept a proposed fix for problems discovered before delivery of a crane.

  • May 24, 2024

    Biden's Judicial Impact And What's Left On The Wish List

    President Joe Biden secured confirmation of his 200th federal judge Wednesday and has transformed the judiciary by picking more women and people of color than any other president. But the upcoming election season could derail his hopes of confirming many more judges.

  • May 24, 2024

    Union Carbide To Pay EPA $600K For Colo. Superfund Site

    Union Carbide Corp. and the federal government filed a $600,000 proposed settlement in Colorado federal court, resolving claims the company and its subsidiary owed more than $1.2 million in reimbursement costs connected to the cleanup of hazardous chemicals at a former uranium and vanadium processing facility.

  • May 24, 2024

    Biden Urges 1st Circ. To Find Debt Cap Challenge Moot

    The Biden administration asked the First Circuit to affirm a finding that a government workers' union lacks standing to challenge the debt ceiling's constitutionality and that its case was further rendered moot by passage of a deal to suspend the spending limit until January.

  • May 24, 2024

    CFPB Seeks $20M Penalty For Inaccurate Loan Data

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has urged a Florida federal court to hit Freedom Mortgage with a $20 million civil penalty for allegedly submitting error-filled government mortgage loan data.

  • May 24, 2024

    Insurer Owes Coverage For School Defect Claim, Builder Says

    A general contractor told a Washington federal court it is entitled to coverage under a subcontractor's commercial general liability policy with a Liberty Mutual unit for defects and damage that a school district alleges was caused by the subcontractor while working on a school expansion project.

  • May 23, 2024

    Feds Ask 5th Circ. To Weigh Highway GHG Rule Vacatur

    The Biden administration has asked the Fifth Circuit to review a Texas district court's recent decision vacating a Federal Highway Administration rule that would've required states to set targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from federally funded highway projects.

Expert Analysis

  • Lessons From Country Singer's Personal Service Saga

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    Recent reports that country singer Luke Combs won a judgment against a Florida woman who didn’t receive notice of the counterfeit suit against her should serve as a reminder for attorneys on best practices for effectuating service by electronic means, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • How US Companies Can Wield The New Foreign Bribery Law

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    U.S. companies operating in high-risk markets can use the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act that passed last month to their advantage both in preventing bribe demands and in negotiating with the Justice Department to prevent prosecution or to receive cooperation credit, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • A Potential Proactive Tool For Public-Private Joint Ventures

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    In the current environment of heightened antitrust enforcement, the National Cooperative Research and Production Act seems tailor-made for the collaborative work among competitors encouraged by the Biden administration's infrastructure and green energy funding legislation, say Jeetander Dulani and Susan Ebner at Stinson.

  • How Gov't Use Of Suspension And Debarment Has Evolved

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    A recent report to Congress about federal agencies' suspension and debarment activities in fiscal years 2021 and 2022 shows exclusion remains a threat to government contracting businesses, though proactive engagement with suspending-and-debarring officials and alternate forms of redress are becoming more common, says David Robbins at Jenner & Block.

  • Uncharted Waters Ahead For FCA Litigation In 2024

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    Following a year of significant court decisions, settlements, recoveries and proposed amendments, 2024 promises to be a lively year for False Claims Act actions and litigation, and one that will hopefully provide more clarity as FCA jurisprudence evolves, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • What's On Tap For Public Corruption Prosecutions In 2024

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    All signs point toward another year of blockbuster public corruption prosecutions in 2024, revealing broader trends in enforcement and jurisprudence, and promising valuable lessons for defense strategy, says Kenneth Notter at MoloLamken.

  • Series

    Baking Bread Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    After many years practicing law, and a few years baking bread, I have learned that there are a few keys to success in both endeavors, including the assembly of a nourishing and resilient culture, and the ability to learn from failure and exercise patience, says Rick Robinson at Reed Smith.

  • Federal Courts And AI Standing Orders: Safety Or Overkill?

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    Several district court judges have issued standing orders regulating the use of artificial intelligence in their courts, but courts should consider following ordinary notice and comment procedures before implementing sweeping mandates that could be unnecessarily burdensome and counterproductive, say attorneys at Curtis.

  • The 5 Most Important Bid Protest Decisions Of 2023

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    Attorneys at Bradley Arant discuss noteworthy 2023 bid protest decisions from the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and U.S. Government Accountability Office, offering perspectives on standing, document production, agency deference, System for Award Management registration requirements and mentor-protégé joint venture proposal evaluations.

  • 4 Questions On Groundbreaking New Foreign Bribery Law

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    The recently enacted Foreign Extortion Prevention Act will significantly alter the anti-corruption landscape under U.S. law by allowing prosecutors to pursue foreign officials for soliciting or accepting bribes, but it’s not yet clear how the statute will be used and by whom, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • OIG Report Has Clues For 2024 Healthcare Fraud Enforcement

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    A recent report from the Health Department's Office of the Inspector General reveals healthcare fraud and abuse enforcement trends that will continue in 2024, from increased telehealth oversight to enhanced policing of managed care, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • 7 E-Discovery Predictions For 2024 And Beyond

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    The legal and technical issues of e-discovery now affect virtually every lawsuit, and in the year to come, practitioners can expect practices and policies to evolve in a number of ways, from the expanded use of relevancy redactions to mandated information security provisions in protective orders, say attorneys at Littler.

  • DOD's Proposed Cyber Rule: What Contractors Must Know

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    A review of the U.S. Department of Defense's recently published Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification proposed rule, requiring independent third-party cybersecurity assessments for many defense contractors, suggests that there will be a competitive advantage to prompt demonstration of full compliance with the rule, says Robert Metzger at Rogers Joseph.

  • Tips For Contractors Preparing For Potential Gov't Shutdown

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    With elements of the Congress’ latest continuing resolution expiring on Jan. 19, companies that may be fatigued by preparing for potential shutdown after potential shutdown should consider the current political climate and take specific steps now, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • 2 FCPA Settlements Illuminate Self-Disclosure, Disgorgement

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    Two of last year’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act settlements — with biomedical company Lifecore and mining company Corsa Coal — suggest that the government will be much more flexible in negotiating disgorgement amounts if an entity voluntarily self-discloses misconduct, say Michael Gilbert and Lucas Amodio at Sheppard Mullin.

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