Aerospace & Defense

  • November 19, 2024

    PE Firm Sells Defense Tech Co. BlueHalo In $4.1B Deal

    AeroVironment, a drone manufacturer advised by Latham & Watkins LLP, announced Tuesday it plans to buy BlueHalo, a private equity-owned defense firm represented by Goodwin Procter LLP, in an all-stock transaction valued at $4.1 billion that the companies said will make a more diversified leader in various areas of defense technology.

  • November 19, 2024

    DHS Says It Conducted Another Removal Flight To China

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it has conducted another chartered removal flight to China, marking the third time in six months that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has deported Chinese nationals via flight.

  • November 19, 2024

    Claims Court Says Air Force Contractor Knew Of Delay Risks

    The U.S. Court of Federal Claims shot down a flight simulation company's bid to recoup a $41.5 million loss from the Air Force for contractual delays on an aircraft project, ruling that the company assumed the risk of losses when it signed up for a fixed-price deal.

  • November 18, 2024

    Spacecraft Export Control Comment Period Pushed To Dec. 23

    The U.S. Department of Commerce and Department of State issued a 30-day extension for the public to give their input and comments on a set of rules seeking to ease controls on exports of spacecraft technology to U.S. allies intended for bolstering the U.S. commercial space industrial base.

  • November 18, 2024

    Menendez Calls Trial Evidence Flub 'Deeply Troubling'

    Former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez raised red flags Monday about "deeply troubling" recent revelations that Manhattan federal jurors accidentally received unredacted text messages before convicting him of bribery, slamming prosecutors for trying to brush aside the significance of this evidence.

  • November 18, 2024

    AECOM Calls FCA Suit Alleging False Army Billing 'Meritless'

    AECOM has pushed to end a False Claims Act suit alleging that it falsely billed the U.S. Army on a $1.9 billion support deal, saying the whistleblower who filed the suit hadn't shown that his remaining allegations were material to the government.

  • November 18, 2024

    Bannon's 'We Build The Wall' Trial Delayed Until 2025

    A New York state judge on Monday agreed to push to February the criminal trial of Steve Bannon over an alleged scheme to con donors seeking to fund new segments of the U.S. border wall, while also allowing prosecutors to introduce additional financial records at trial.

  • November 18, 2024

    Treasury Finalizes Tougher Foreign Investment Law Penalties

    The Treasury Department on Monday finalized a rule sharpening its enforcement authority to stop or demand additional information regarding foreign-investment deals that the U.S. deems potential threats to national security.

  • November 18, 2024

    5th Circ. Eyes Procedure In 1st NLRB Constitutionality Cases

    The Fifth Circuit appears poised to punt — for now — on the issue of the National Labor Relations Board's constitutionality after a panel questioned on Monday whether SpaceX and Amazon have valid challenges to "effective" denials of their efforts to thwart prosecution for alleged labor violations.

  • November 18, 2024

    Amazon Worker Can't Add Retaliation Claim To December Trial

    A federal judge in Washington state has rejected a worker's eleventh-hour bid to amend his lawsuit accusing Amazon of passing him up for a promotion after he took protected military leave, saying the operations manager cannot "ambush" the e-commerce giant with fresh retaliation allegations just weeks before a trial in December.

  • November 18, 2024

    PPG Says Manager Stole Sales Data In Incora Move

    PPG Industries Inc. hit its competitor Incora and a former sales manager who joined the latter company earlier this year with a trade secrets lawsuit Friday, alleging that its onetime employee absconded with PPG's "highly proprietary" pricing platform to help Incora move in on the company's markets.

  • November 18, 2024

    Blank Rome Attys Ask To Split Lawyer Retaliation Case

    A trio of Blank Rome LLP attorneys have asked a federal judge in Pennsylvania to bifurcate a lawsuit against them from another attorney alleging they facilitated a client's retaliation against her for switching to plaintiffs work, asking the judge to split punitive damages into a separate case.

  • November 18, 2024

    High Court Turns Away Ex-Volvo Worker's Military Bias Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to review a U.S. Army veteran's suit claiming Volvo fired her because of her military service and post-traumatic stress disorder, leaving in place a Seventh Circuit decision that refused to reinstate a $7.8 million jury verdict in her favor.

  • November 17, 2024

    Trump Names FCC's Carr As New Agency Chair

    President-elect Donald Trump has picked Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the agency's next chair, selecting a former general counsel of the agency and frequent critic of the current administration to lead the telecom regulator.

  • November 15, 2024

    Defense Policy Outlook Under The New Trump Administration

    Donald Trump's pending return to the White House is expected to bring significant changes to defense and national security policy, including a potentially larger but less diverse military, an increase in domestic sourcing and a more transactional relationship with allies.

  • November 15, 2024

    Texas Staffing Co. Sues State Over Minority Contract Program

    An aerospace staffing agency has sued Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the state's comptroller in federal court over a program that sets aside a certain percentage of contracts for minority-owned businesses, saying the program unfairly prevents the staffing agency from submitting bids because the company doesn't meet racial requirements.

  • November 15, 2024

    EPA Watchdog Flags Drinking Water Cybersecurity Risks

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's internal watchdog is sounding the alarm about cybersecurity weaknesses in the nation's drinking water systems, and said there are problems with the plans for reporting and coordinating responses to attacks.

  • November 15, 2024

    Sikorsky Stalling On Discovery In Fatal Crash Suit, Victims Say

    Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. is wrongfully withholding discovery until a Pennsylvania federal court hears a promised request to transfer a fatal Canadian military helicopter crash lawsuit to Connecticut, according to a Friday letter by attorneys for the estates of the six crash victims.

  • November 15, 2024

    Veterans Seek Class Certification In Burn Pit Injuries Suit

    A pair of veterans alleging the military misclassified their burn pit injuries as not combat-related have told a D.C. federal judge that they satisfied the criteria for size and common relief sought to proceed as a certified class.

  • November 15, 2024

    DEA Judge Nixes Vet Group's Bid To Take Part In Pot Hearings

    An administrative law judge with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on Friday denied a veterans group's bid to participate in upcoming hearings on a proposal to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana.

  • November 15, 2024

    FCC Passes New Satellite Spectrum Sharing Rules

    The Federal Communications Commission on Friday released new rules covering the sharing of spectrum by non-geostationary orbit fixed satellites that commissioners say will encourage industry growth but also protect existing systems.

  • November 15, 2024

    NASA Shopping For New DC-Area Headquarters

    NASA said it is assessing options for a new headquarters in the Washington, D.C., area, in anticipation of the 2028 expiration of its current lease.

  • November 15, 2024

    Secure Software Co. Investor Sues In Del. For Deal Docs

    An investor in a "public benefit" company that provides sensitive software to government agencies and allies sued the business Friday in Delaware Chancery Court, seeking documents on a stock purchase agreement and other moves purportedly made without required consents.

  • November 14, 2024

    Ex-DC Homeland Security Official Cops To $844K PPP Scam

    A former D.C. Homeland Security commissioner on Thursday pled guilty to a scheme in which prosecutors say she fraudulently secured about $844,000 in Paycheck Protection Program funds, according to a plea agreement filed in District of Columbia federal court.

  • November 14, 2024

    Ex-Ga. Rep. Doug Collins To Head Trump's Veterans Affairs

    President-elect Donald Trump announced Thursday that his administration's U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will be led by former Rep. Doug Collins, a Republican from Georgia and an attorney who steered Trump's defense during his impeachment by the House.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits

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    With two weeks until the election, bar associations and courts have an urgent responsibility to warn lawyers about the consequences of filing unsubstantiated lawsuits claiming election fraud, says Elise Bean at the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy.

  • How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program

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    During this year’s pro bono celebration week, companies should consider some key pointers to grow and maintain a vibrant in-house program for attorneys to provide free legal services for the public good, says Mary Benton at Alston & Bird.

  • Series

    Home Canning Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Making my own pickles and jams requires seeing a process through from start to finish, as does representing clients from the start of a dispute at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board through any appeals to the Federal Circuit, says attorney Kevin McNish.

  • An Update On Legal Issues In The Drone Market

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    Marialuisa Gallozzi and Alex Slawson at Covington examine recent developments in the legal issues surrounding the growing drone market, including possible First Amendment protections, Fourth Amendment surveillance, and litigation involving criminal and civil penalties, evidentiary pursuits, and insurance.

  • How To Avoid Risking Arbitration Award Confidentiality In NY

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    Though a Second Circuit decision last year seemed to create a confidentiality safe harbor for arbitration awards that had no ongoing compliance issues, a recent New York federal court ruling offers further guidance on the meaning of "ongoing compliance issues," says Matthew Iverson at Nelson Mullins.

  • Use The Right Kind Of Feedback To Help Gen Z Attorneys

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    Generation Z associates bring unique perspectives and expectations to the workplace, so it’s imperative that supervising attorneys adapt their feedback approach in order to help young lawyers learn and grow — which is good for law firms, too, says Rachael Bosch at Fringe Professional Development.

  • Opinion

    Congress Can And Must Enact A Supreme Court Ethics Code

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    As public confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court dips to historic lows following reports raising conflict of interest concerns, Congress must exercise its constitutional power to enact a mandatory and enforceable code of ethics for the high court, says Muhammad Faridi, president of the New York City Bar Association.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Justice Lebovits On Gilbert And Sullivan

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    Characters in the 19th century comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan break the rules of good lawyering by shamelessly throwing responsible critical thought to the wind, providing hilarious lessons for lawyers and judges on how to avoid a surfeit of traps and tribulations, say acting New York Supreme Court Justice Gerald Lebovits and law student Tara Scown.

  • To Report Or Not To Report Others' Export Control Violations

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    A recent Bureau of Industry and Security enforcement policy change grants cooperation credit to those that report violations of the Export Administration Regulations committed by others, but the benefits of doing so must be weighed against significant drawbacks, including the costs of preparing and submitting a report, says Megan Lew at Cravath.

  • 'Minimum Contacts' Issues At Stake In High Court FSIA Case

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    In CC/Devas v. Antrix, the U.S. Supreme Court must decide whether a "minimum contacts" requirement should be implied in the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, with the potential to dramatically change the legislative landscape through the establishment of a new and significant barrier to U.S. suits against foreign states, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • State Of The States' AI Legal Ethics Landscape

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    Over the past year, several state bar associations, as well as the American Bar Association, have released guidance on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in legal practice, all of which share overarching themes and some nuanced differences, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law Group.

  • How BIS' Rule Seeks To Encourage More Voluntary Disclosure

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    Updated incentives, penalties and enforcement resources in the Bureau of Industry and Security's recently published final rule revising the Export Administration Regulations should help companies decide how to implement export control compliance programs and whether to disclose possible violations, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • 8 Childhood Lessons That Can Help You Be A Better Attorney

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    A new school year is underway, marking a fitting time for attorneys to reflect on some fundamental life lessons from early childhood that offer a framework for problems that no legal textbook can solve, say Chris Gismondi and Chris Campbell at DLA Piper.

  • Opinion

    This Election, We Need To Talk About Court Process

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    In recent decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has markedly transformed judicial processes — from summary judgment standards to notice pleadings — which has, in turn, affected individuals’ substantive rights, and we need to consider how the upcoming presidential election may continue this pattern, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Series

    Playing Diplomacy Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    Similar to the practice of law, the rules of Diplomacy — a strategic board game set in pre-World War I Europe — are neither concise nor without ambiguity, and weekly gameplay with our colleagues has revealed the game's practical applications to our work as attorneys, say Jason Osborn and Ben Bevilacqua at Winston & Strawn.

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