Government Contracts

  • December 20, 2024

    Senate Passes 3-Month Funding Bill, Avoiding Shutdown

    The U.S. Senate on Saturday passed a three-month temporary government funding deal after the removal of a contentious proposal to suspend  the federal debt ceiling, staving off a government shutdown.

  • 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

    DC Circ. Backs Dismissal Of Energy Co.'s $1.1B Angola Suit

    The D.C. Circuit refused Friday to revive an energy company's lawsuit against Angola over $1.1 billion worth of nixed power plant contracts, agreeing with courts in New York that the dispute must be litigated in the African country.

  • 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

    FTA Proposes Buy America Waiver For Electric Minibuses

    The Federal Transit Administration has asked for public feedback on whether it should grant a temporary nonavailability waiver from domestic sourcing requirements for battery electric minibuses, saying it had received related requests from multiple transit operators.

  • 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

    NJ Atty Says RICO Case Only Alleges He Acted As Lawyer

    New Jersey attorney William Tambussi has slammed the Garden State's response to his bid to toss charges against him in the state's sweeping indictment against power broker George E. Norcross III, claiming it does not show how his routine legal work constitutes a crime.

  • 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

    House Rejects 3-Month Funding Bill Despite Trump Support

    The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday rejected a three-month temporary funding deal that would have staved off a government shutdown and had been hastily introduced after President-elect Donald Trump criticized an earlier proposed continuing resolution.

  • 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

    $1.1B Diablo Canyon Award Challenge Meets Skeptical Judge

    A California federal judge appeared skeptical Thursday that an environmental group has standing to challenge the U.S. Department of Energy's award of $1.1 billion to help Pacific Gas & Electric Co. continue operating the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant.

  • 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

    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

    New Jersey Power Broker Says RICO Case Isn't Fit For Jury

    Defendants dubbed the "Norcross Enterprise" are fighting back against New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin's assertion that their bid to toss a criminal indictment accusing them of engaging in a sprawling racketeering scheme is out of place, claiming the state misunderstands the roles of judge and jury.

  • December 19, 2024

    Addiction Group Pays $2M In Mass. AG False Billing Probe

    An addiction treatment physician group with offices across western Massachusetts will pay $2 million to settle allegations that it overcharged for visits and billed for tests that were not medically necessary, the state's attorney general said Thursday.

  • December 19, 2024

    Cos. Press Justices To Review Contractors Min. Wage Dispute

    Opposite opinions over the scope of the president's authority "cry out" for the U.S. Supreme Court intervention in a case challenging President Joe Biden's increase of the federal contractors' hourly minimum wage, two outdoor groups said, pointing to a Ninth Circuit's decision axing the wage hike.

  • 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

    Ex-Fla Rep. Charged Again For Foreign Agent Violations

    Former Florida Rep. David Rivera, who is battling an indictment in Miami over lobbying work for Venezuela, faces additional criminal charges in D.C. federal court, after a grand jury indicted him on charges he failed to register as a foreign agent when he lobbied on a Venezuelan businessman's behalf.

  • December 18, 2024

    CVS Fueled Opioid Epidemic In Rush For Profits, Feds Say

    The U.S. Department of Justice unveiled a suit Wednesday accusing CVS, the nation's largest pharmacy chain, of knowingly filling invalid prescriptions for powerful opioids and ignoring internal pleas from its pharmacists as it allegedly put profits over safety. 

  • December 18, 2024

    SBA Wants To Speed Up Late Subcontract Payments

    The U.S. Small Business Administration on Wednesday proposed a rule intended to speed up payments to federal small business subcontractors, requiring prime contractors to more promptly report late payments to agencies and cooperate to resolve the issue.

  • December 18, 2024

    States, Green Groups Drop Suits Over USPS Vehicle Plan

    A coalition of states and cities and several environmental groups moved to dismiss their lawsuits challenging the U.S. Postal Service's multibillion-dollar plan to acquire its next-generation delivery vehicles.

  • December 18, 2024

    Texas Says Border Wall Panel Sales May Violate Injunction

    Missouri and Texas asked a federal judge to probe whether the Biden administration is violating an order to use $1.4 billion of congressional funds to build the southern border wall, pointing to media reports that wall materials are being sold off.

  • December 18, 2024

    Senate Sends $895B Defense Bill To Biden's Desk

    The U.S. Senate on Wednesday easily passed an $895.2 billion defense policy and budget bill for 2025, despite criticism over a contentious clause effectively barring gender-affirming healthcare coverage for service members' transgender children.

Expert Analysis

  • Think Like A Lawyer: 1 Type Of Case Complexity Stands Out

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    In contrast to some cases that appear complex due to voluminous evidence or esoteric subject matter, a different kind of complexity involves tangled legal and factual questions, each with a range of possible outcomes, which require a “sliding scale” approach instead of syllogistic reasoning, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Note 3 Simple Types Of Legal Complexity

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    Cases can appear complex for several reasons — due to the number of issues, the volume of factual and evidentiary sources, and the sophistication of those sources — but the same basic technique can help lawyers tame their arguments into a simple and persuasive message, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Series

    Gardening Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Beyond its practical and therapeutic benefits, gardening has bolstered important attributes that also apply to my litigation practice, including persistence, patience, grit and authenticity, says Christopher Viceconte at Gibbons.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review

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    For attorneys — new ones especially — there is much fulfillment to find in document review by reflecting on how important, interesting and pleasant it can be, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Inside The Appeals Board's 2024 Report To Congress

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    An in-depth examination of the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals’ annual report reveals ​a continuing decline in new cases, motions and hearings, a trend that may correspond with ​t​he increased use of alternative dispute resolution, and expedited or accelerated proceedings, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • Navigating 4th Circ.'s Antitrust Burden In Hybrid Relationships

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    The U.S. Supreme Court recently declined to review the Fourth Circuit's Brewbaker decision, a holding that heightens the burden on antitrust prosecutors when the target companies have a hybrid horizontal-vertical relationship, but diverges from other circuits, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • How CFIUS' Updated Framework Affects Global Investors

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    The recent change to the monitoring and enforcement regulations governing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States will broaden administrative practices around nonnotified transaction investigations, increase the scope of information demands from the committee and accelerate its ability to impose mitigation on parties, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Health Policy Predictions For Trump's Second Administration

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    As President-elect Donald Trump's nominations for health policy and enforcement heads work their way through the confirmation process, healthcare organizations can look at nominee backgrounds, campaign statements and actions from Trump's previous presidency to predict incoming priorities, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Perils Of Perfunctory Interpretation

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    Attorneys at Seyfarth examine three recent decisions in which the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals and the Federal Circuit ruthlessly dismantled arguments that rely on superficial understandings of different contract terms.

  • Series

    Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

  • Opinion

    Justices Should Squash Bid To Criminalize Contract Breaches

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    In Kousisis v. U.S., the U.S. Supreme Court should reject the sweeping legal theory that breaches of contract can satisfy the property element of the mail and wire fraud statutes, which, if validated, would criminalize an array of ordinary conduct and violate basic constitutional principles, say attorneys at The Norton Law Firm.

  • What Trump's Next Term May Mean For Biz Immigration

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    Leonard D'Arrigo at Harris Beach discusses the employment-based immigration policies businesses can potentially expect during President-elect Donald Trump’s second term, based on policies enacted during his first administration, statements made during his campaign and proposals in Project 2025.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • Opinion

    Weak Reasoning Underlies Fla. Judge's Bold Qui Tam Ruling

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    U.S. District Judge Kathryn Mizelle's groundbreaking decision in U.S. ex rel. Zafirov v. Florida Medical Associates LLC, holding that qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act are unconstitutional, relies on weak logic to reach a conclusion that differs from every other court that has ruled on the issue, says Ethan Greenberg at Anderson Kill.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

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