Government Contracts

  • January 09, 2025

    NASA Awards Calif. Co. $1.1B Engineering Support Contract

    NASA has selected California-based Columbus Technologies and Services Inc. to receive a five-year, up to $1.1 billion contract to provide electrical and electronic engineering support to the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

  • January 09, 2025

    Mich. City Fights Pot Co.'s Bid To Stop Adult Use Licensing

    The city of Pontiac, Michigan, is asking a federal court to deny a bid from a would-be cannabis retailer to halt the city's process of issuing recreational use cannabis licenses, saying the company's claims are premature and likely to fail.

  • January 08, 2025

    Whistleblower Attys Get $8.7M In Academy Mortgage FCA Suit

    Counsel representing a whistleblower will receive $8.7 million in fees and expenses — less than requested — for their role in reaching a $38.5 million deal with Academy Mortgage in a suit accusing the company of submitting false claims, according to a newly public order.

  • January 08, 2025

    Sierra Nevada Corp. Conversion Can't Derail $991M Army Bid

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office has rejected a protest over a $991.3 million contract for the U.S. Army's HADES spy plane, saying the Army reasonably rejected L3Harris' bid while keeping awardee Sierra Nevada eligible despite a corporate name change.

  • January 08, 2025

    Bankrupt Ligado Sues Over $1.7B Cooperation Deal Breach

    Satellite communications company Ligado Networks accused a satellite service provider of breaching a $1.7 billion cooperation deal aimed at facilitating Ligado's terrestrial network operations by failing to upgrade its own satellite terminals and deliver portions of its spectrum.

  • January 08, 2025

    GAO Backs DHS Picking Low Bidder For $107M Support Deal

    A federal watchdog swatted down a company's challenge of a $107 million task order that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued to another business, rejecting arguments that the government failed to fairly evaluate its own proposal.

  • January 08, 2025

    ExamSoft Wants Bar Taker's $2M Software Crash Suit Canned

    ExamSoft has asked a Connecticut federal judge to dismiss a bar examinee's $2 million software crash lawsuit, saying her claims of disability-based discrimination fail because she did not allege the software "poses an imminent threat of harm or is currently inflicting harm."

  • January 07, 2025

    Feds Defend FCA Whistleblower Constitutionality At 11th Circ.

    The federal government has called on the Eleventh Circuit to uphold the constitutionality of the False Claims Act's whistleblower provisions, saying a Florida district court ruling otherwise is an "outlier" that goes against U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

  • January 07, 2025

    Conn. AG, Feds Reach 3rd Dentist Kickback Settlement

    A joint investigation by state and federal law enforcement has netted its third settlement with a Connecticut dentist accused of using illegal patient recruiting tactics to rip off Medicaid.

  • January 07, 2025

    Trade Orgs. Fight DOL's Bid To Ax Prevailing Wage Rule Suit

    Two construction groups pressed a Texas federal court to grant them a win in their challenge to the U.S. Department of Labor's final rule updating how prevailing wage rates are calculated under the Davis-Bacon Act, rejecting the department's argument that they couldn't sue.

  • January 07, 2025

    DOJ Revamps Process For Federal Real Estate Deals

    The U.S. Department of Justice has replaced "outdated provisions" that guided how federal agencies acquired real property with 10 new federal provisions that have the goal of "promoting government efficiency and saving taxpayer funds," the DOJ said Tuesday.

  • January 07, 2025

    Most Recent Detainees In ICE Custody Lack Criminal Record

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained 39,152 individuals as of late December, with over half of those detainees lacking any criminal record, and a fifth of the population are held in detention facilities in Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana and California, a Syracuse University data research group said Tuesday.

  • January 07, 2025

    FAR Council Withdraws Proposed Contractor Pay Equity Rule

    The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council announced Tuesday that it will withdraw a pending rule barring federal contractors from considering a job applicant's salary history, to focus on other priorities in the waning days of the Biden administration.

  • January 07, 2025

    Quinn Emanuel Says NAFTA Case Irrelevant In DQ Bid

    A Mexican oil company and its subsidiaries cannot add "undisputedly irrelevant" supplementary information about former counsel Quinn Emanuel amid a disqualification bid, the law firm has told a Miami federal court, arguing that the requested documents, including the dismissal of a NAFTA arbitration Quinn Emanuel brought against Mexico, are either unrelated to the underlying litigation or duplicative.

  • January 07, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Rejects Software Co.'s Bid For $86M From Navy

    A Federal Circuit panel affirmed a decision holding that the U.S. Navy owes a software company just $154,000 for its infringing use of a 3-D virtual reality program, and not the nearly $86 million the company sought based on installations on more than 429,000 computers.

  • January 07, 2025

    GAO Calls Navy's Construction Deal Conditions 'Reasonable'

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office rejected an Indiana-based contractor's challenge of the U.S. Navy's requirement to register with the Spanish Ministry of Finance to be considered for a Spain-based explosive ordnance disposal facility contract, calling the extra step "reasonable."

  • January 06, 2025

    Trump Selects Long Island Judge For EDNY's Top Prosecutor

    President-elect Donald Trump, who was born in Queens, has picked a Long Island state court judge to serve as the next U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, according to an announcement made Monday on Truth Social.

  • January 06, 2025

    Athira Inks $4M FCA Deal Over Ex-CEO's Research Fraud

    Athira Pharma Inc. has agreed to pay $4 million to resolve allegations it used falsified academic research papers on neurological disorders like Alzheimer's to secure federal grants from the National Institute of Health, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday.

  • January 06, 2025

    $182M Army Corps Deal Protest Tripped Up By Employee Exit

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office has rejected a protest over a $181.5 million U.S. Army Corps of Engineers construction contract, saying a key staff member's departure meant the protester wasn't eligible for the deal even if its protest was otherwise valid.

  • January 06, 2025

    Boeing, DOJ Given More Time To Rework 737 Max Plea Deal

    The U.S. Department of Justice and The Boeing Co. have until mid-February to rework a plea agreement in the American aerospace giant's 737 Max criminal conspiracy case, a Texas federal judge ruled Saturday, ensuring that the incoming Trump administration will oversee final negotiations on any potential new deal.

  • January 06, 2025

    DOD Adds WeChat Owner, CATL To Chinese Military Co. List

    The U.S. Department of Defense added dozens of businesses Monday to its list of companies affiliated with the Chinese military, including electric-car battery maker CATL and Tencent Holdings Ltd. — owner of the popular text-messaging app WeChat — prompting Tencent to slam the designation as "clearly a mistake."

  • January 06, 2025

    Impossible Registration Requirement Protest Ruled Untimely

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office ruled that a protest over an impossible joint venture registration requirement in a U.S. Department of State architectural and engineering services deal was untimely, because the disputed requirement was clear in the contract solicitation.

  • January 06, 2025

    Space Biz Accused Of Gov't Satellite Contract Bait-And-Switch

    A subcontractor hit a Colorado space company with a $17.2 million breach of contract lawsuit in federal court Saturday, accusing Sierra Space of adopting a bait-and-switch strategy in which it dragged out subcontracting negotiations in order to win a lucrative federal satellite contract and then awarded the business to a rival subcontractor.

  • January 03, 2025

    Boeing, DOJ Say No Agreement Yet For Revised 737 Max Plea

    The Boeing Co. and the U.S. Department of Justice told a Texas federal judge Friday they have not yet reached an agreement on how to revise the aircraft manufacturer's plea agreement in the 737 Max criminal conspiracy case, after the judge last month rejected the initial deal.

  • January 03, 2025

    Vizgen Loses Antitrust Claims Against 10x In Biotech IP Fight

    A Delaware federal court on Friday dropped Harvard's business partners at 10x Genomics Inc. out of some of the antitrust counterclaims by a rival biotech developer that is targeted in a patent lawsuit set for trial next month.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Being A Luthier Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    When I’m not working as an appellate lawyer, I spend my spare time building guitars — a craft known as luthiery — which has helped to enhance the discipline, patience and resilience needed to write better briefs, says Rob Carty at Nichols Brar.

  • Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity

    Author Photo

    The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • Boeing Plea Deal Is A Mixed Bag, Providing Lessons For Cos.

    Author Photo

    The plea deal for conspiracy to defraud regulators that Boeing has tentatively agreed to will, on the one hand, probably help the company avoid further reputational damage, but also demonstrates to companies that deferred prosecution agreements have real teeth, and that noncompliance with DPA terms can be costly, says Edmund Vickers at Red Lion Chambers.

  • Justices' Criminal Law Decisions: The Term In Review

    Author Photo

    Each of the 11 criminal decisions issued in the U.S. Supreme Court’s recently concluded term is independently important, but taken together, they reveal trends in the court’s broader approach to criminal law, presenting both pitfalls and opportunities for defendants and their counsel, says Kenneth Notter at MoloLamken.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Bid Protest Litigation Will Hold Steady For Now

    Author Photo

    Though the substantive holding of Loper Bright is unlikely to affect bid protests because questions of statutory interpretation are rare, the spirit of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision may signal a general trend away from agency deference even on the complex technical issues that often arise, say Kayleigh Scalzo and Andrew Guy at Covington.

  • Opinion

    Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism

    Author Photo

    As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Piercing FEMA Authority Is Not Insurmountable

    Author Photo

    While the Federal Emergency Management Agency's discretionary authority continues to provide significant protection from claims under the Administrative Procedure Act, Loper Bright is a blow to the argument that Congress gave FEMA unfettered discretion to administer its own programs, says Wendy Huff Ellard at Baker Donelson.

  • 'Outsourcing' Ruling, 5 Years On: A Warning, Not A Watershed

    Author Photo

    A New York federal court’s 2019 ruling in U.S. v. Connolly, holding that the government improperly outsourced an investigation to Deutsche Bank, has not undercut corporate cooperation incentives as feared — but companies should not completely ignore the lessons of the case, say Temidayo Aganga-Williams and Anna Nabutovsky at Selendy Gay.

  • Series

    Serving In The National Guard Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    My ongoing military experience as a judge advocate general in the National Guard has shaped me as a person and a lawyer, teaching me the importance of embracing confidence, balance and teamwork in both my Army and civilian roles, says Danielle Aymond at Baker Donelson.

  • Big Business May Come To Rue The Post-Administrative State

    Author Photo

    Many have framed the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decisions overturning Chevron deference and extending the window to challenge regulations as big wins for big business, but sand in the gears of agency rulemaking may be a double-edged sword, creating prolonged uncertainty that impedes businesses’ ability to plan for the future, says Todd Baker at Columbia University.

  • A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates

    Author Photo

    Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.

  • Criminal Enforcement Considerations For Gov't Contractors

    Author Photo

    Government contractors increasingly exposed to criminal liability risks should establish programs that enable detection and remediation of employee misconduct, consider voluntary disclosure, and be aware of the potentially disastrous consequences of failing to make a mandatory disclosure where the government concludes it was required, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Opinion

    States Should Loosen Law Firm Ownership Restrictions

    Author Photo

    Despite growing buzz, normalized nonlawyer ownership of law firms is a distant prospect, so the legal community should focus first on liberalizing state restrictions on attorney and firm purchases of practices, which would bolster succession planning and improve access to justice, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.

  • Series

    Solving Puzzles Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Tackling daily puzzles — like Wordle, KenKen and Connections — has bolstered my intellectual property litigation practice by helping me to exercise different mental skills, acknowledge minor but important details, and build and reinforce good habits, says Roy Wepner at Kaplan Breyer.

  • Texas Ethics Opinion Flags Hazards Of Unauthorized Practice

    Author Photo

    The Texas Professional Ethics Committee's recently issued proposed opinion finding that in-house counsel providing legal services to the company's clients constitutes the unauthorized practice of law is a valuable clarification given that a UPL violation — a misdemeanor in most states — carries high stakes, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Government Contracts archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!