Government Contracts

  • July 16, 2024

    Claims Court Can Decide Follow-On Other Transaction Deal

    A Court of Federal Claims judge ruled that her court has jurisdiction to hear a dispute over a contract following on from a U.S. Army Other Transaction Authority agreement, but threw out the case anyway because the protester let a required federal registration lapse.

  • July 16, 2024

    Musk Says X, SpaceX Moving To Texas Over Calif. Gender Law

    Elon Musk took to X Tuesday to announce he will be moving the headquarters of the social media company and his astronautics company, SpaceX, out of California to Texas, after Golden State Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that bars policies mandating that teachers notify parents about students' gender identity.

  • July 16, 2024

    KBR Whistleblower Loses $1.1M Settlement Award At 5th Circ.

    The Fifth Circuit on Tuesday reversed a KBR Inc. whistleblower's $1.1 million share of a False Claims Act settlement over alleged Iraq War contract kickbacks, agreeing with the federal government that the now-deceased whistleblower's estate deserved nothing since none of his claims were settled.

  • July 16, 2024

    Ill. Judge Wants Expert Testimony Preview In Madigan Trial

    An Illinois federal judge said Tuesday that he needs to hear more about potential testimony from certain Chicago politics experts and a proposal to research potential jurors before he decides whether either are appropriate for former state House speaker Michael Madigan's corruption trial.

  • July 16, 2024

    DC Circ. Says Iraq Immune To $120M Contract Row

    A D.C. Circuit panel on Tuesday threw out a $120 million judgment levied against Iraq for its refusal to pay a Pennsylvania defense contractor for rebuilding the country's military equipment, ruling after more than a decade of litigation that Iraq is immune from the jurisdiction of the U.S. courts.

  • July 16, 2024

    Development Co. Says Chubb Unit Must Cover Defense Costs

    An economic development company told a Delaware federal court its insurer must cover the over $7.6 million it has incurred while facing a government agency's allegations that it violated the False Claims Act in connection with the agency's claim that one of its subcontractors overbilled the agency.

  • July 16, 2024

    Full 4th Circ. Won't Hear Student Loan Biz's Sealed Docs Case

    The Fourth Circuit on Tuesday declined to grant a full court rehearing to a student loan provider that wanted to shield court filings from a filmmaker after a panel found he had a First Amendment right to the information.

  • July 16, 2024

    Durbin Probes ICE Healthcare Measures After Death Reports

    Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., on Tuesday pressed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to explain its protections for medically vulnerable detainees after human rights organizations reported that the agency could have prevented most detainee deaths between 2017 and 2022.

  • July 16, 2024

    Columbia U. Aims To Keep $600M Patent Win Over Norton

    Columbia University has urged the Federal Circuit to preserve its $600 million willful patent infringement judgment against NortonLifeLock Inc., telling the court that Norton's "kitchen-sink" appeal "raises a slew of issues, hoping something will stick" and challenging Quinn Emanuel's appeal of a civil contempt ruling as "baseless and, ultimately, academic."

  • July 16, 2024

    Pentagon, GSA Seek 'Record-Setting' Clean Energy Projects

    The U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. General Services Administration say they are going for "record-setting federal purchases of clean energy" in a joint statement seeking contractors who will be able to get multiple federal facilities running entirely on carbon-pollution-free power by 2030.

  • July 16, 2024

    Miami-Dade Tries To Nix Seaquarium Operator's Eviction Suit

    Miami-Dade County has asked a federal judge to toss a lawsuit from the operator of the Miami Seaquarium, which claimed the county is evicting it after its CEO responded to a "disrespectful" email from an official concerned about manatees held at the aging facility.

  • July 16, 2024

    Vertex Pharma Widens War On Watchdog's Kickback Views

    A lawsuit from gene therapy-drug maker Vertex Pharmaceuticals over fertility treatment access is a new battle over enforcement kickback theories and health officials' interpretation of "inducement."

  • July 16, 2024

    The 2024 Diversity Snapshot: What You Need To Know

    Law firms' ongoing initiatives to address diversity challenges have driven another year of progress, with the representation of minority attorneys continuing to improve across the board, albeit at a slower pace than in previous years. Here's our data dive into minority representation at law firms in 2023.

  • July 16, 2024

    These Firms Have The Most Diverse Equity Partnerships

    Law360’s law firm survey shows that firms' efforts to diversify their equity partner ranks are lagging. But some have embraced a broader talent pool at the equity partner level. Here are the ones that stood out.

  • July 16, 2024

    Ex-Philly Charter School Exec Gets 7 Years For Embezzlement

    Abdur Rahim Islam, who ran famed R&B producer Kenny Gamble's Philadelphia-based housing and education nonprofit, was sentenced Tuesday to seven years in prison for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the organization and using the ill-gotten gains for Caribbean vacations.

  • July 15, 2024

    9th Circ. Won't Revive Challenge Of US Military Aid To Israel

    Palestinian human rights activists cannot revive their lawsuit challenging the Biden administration's support for Israel's military efforts in Gaza, the Ninth Circuit ruled Monday, saying the decision to provide military or other aid to a foreign nation is a political arrangement that does not belong in the courts.

  • July 15, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Rejects FEMA Contractor's Water Restocking Fees

    The Federal Circuit on Monday upheld the rejection of an embattled government contractor's claim for $13.5 million in restocking fees after the Federal Emergency Management Agency sharply reduced the amount of bottled water the agency ordered in response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

  • July 15, 2024

    Gov't Facing Sanctions Over Docs Withheld In Contract Row

    A Court of Federal Claims judge has ordered the federal government to explain why it shouldn't be sanctioned for wrongly asserting privilege and withholding documents in a dispute over the allegedly bad faith cancelation of a U.S. Air Force construction task order.

  • July 15, 2024

    Owner Of Bankrupt Gov't Contractor Charged With Perjury

    The owner of a bankrupt government water contractor has been indicted on perjury charges, accused of falsifying the company's bankruptcy filings by failing to report millions in assets transferred to her and other company insiders.

  • July 15, 2024

    School Counselor's FMLA Suit Should Be Tossed, Judge Says

    A Georgia school district should be allowed to escape a former counselor's lawsuit alleging she was terminated for requesting time off to care for her sick husband, a federal judge said Monday, finding she couldn't overcome the district's explanation that she'd failed to correct performance issues despite multiple opportunities.

  • July 15, 2024

    Airstrike Survivors Lose Bid To Block UAE's $23.4B Arms Sale

    A Washington, D.C., federal court dismissed an effort to block a $23.4 billion arms sale to the United Arab Emirates, saying the plaintiffs — survivors of a 2019 airstrike in Libya — hadn't shown a likelihood of getting attacked again.

  • July 15, 2024

    TitleMax Can't Nix Usury Claim, Ga. Woman Tells Judge

    A woman suing TitleMax over predatory lending to U.S. military members and their family members is urging a Georgia federal judge to keep her proposed class action alive, arguing the company's bid to have it thrown out must fail.

  • July 15, 2024

    Auditor Says City Forced Him Out For Raising Red Flags

    Officials in New Haven, Connecticut, have accused the city's internal auditor of misconduct in retaliation for his numerous reports of financial irregularities, safety concerns and potential violations of local ordinances, forcing him out of his position in April, according to a whistleblower suit filed in state court last week.

  • July 15, 2024

    11th Circ. Upholds UMiami's Win In Retaliation Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a Miami federal jury's verdict rejecting claims that the University of Miami fired a compliance officer for his refusal to close an investigation into the college's alleged Medicare overcharging, ruling that the officer had "invited" the jury instruction on which he based his appeal.

  • July 12, 2024

    Law360 Names 2024's Top Attorneys Under 40

    Law360 is pleased to announce the Rising Stars of 2024, our list of 158 attorneys under 40 whose legal accomplishments belie their age.

Expert Analysis

  • How High Court Approached Time Limit On Reg Challenges

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Expect The Unexpected: Contracts For Underground Projects

    Author Photo

    Recent challenges encountered by the Mountain Valley Pipeline project underscore the importance of drafting contracts for underground construction to account for unexpected site conditions, associated risks and compliance with applicable laws, say Jill Jaffe and Brenda Lin at Nossaman.

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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Justices' Bribery Ruling: A Corrupt Act Isn't Necessarily Illegal

    Author Photo

    In its Snyder v. U.S. decision last week, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a bribery law does not criminalize gratuities, continuing a trend of narrowing federal anti-corruption laws and scrutinizing public corruption prosecutions that go beyond obvious quid pro quo schemes, say Carrie Cohen and Christine Wong at MoFo.

  • 3 Ways Agencies Will Keep Making Law After Chevron

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Opinion

    Atty Well-Being Efforts Ignore Root Causes Of The Problem

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Bid Protest Spotlight: Mapping, Jurisdiction, Incumbency

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Gov't Contractors Shouldn't Skip Steps In Rush To Adopt AI

    Author Photo

    Government contractors that may be tempted to deploy artificial intelligence in day-to-day operations like billing and data protection should first take time to consider and address the specific risks that come with using AI tools, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Lower Courts May Finally Be Getting The Memo After Ciminelli

    Author Photo

    A year after the U.S. Supreme Court again limited prosecutors' overbroad theories of fraud in Ciminelli v. U.S., early returns suggest that the message has at least partially landed with the lower courts, spotlighting lessons for defense counsel moving forward, says Kenneth Notter at MoloLamken.

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!