Aerospace & Defense

  • October 07, 2024

    3 Firms Guide Apollo, Barnes Group On $3.6B Take-Private

    Barnes Group said Monday that funds managed by Apollo Global Management will acquire the aerospace parts maker in a deal valued at $3.6 billion, with Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz advising Barnes and Latham & Watkins LLP and Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP guiding Apollo.

  • October 04, 2024

    Top 5 Supreme Court Cases To Watch This Fall

    The U.S. Supreme Court will hear several cases in its October 2024 term that could further refine the new administrative law landscape, establish constitutional rights to gender-affirming care for transgender minors and affect how the federal government regulates water, air and weapons. Here, Law360 looks at five of the most important cases on the Supreme Court's docket so far.

  • October 04, 2024

    Navy Identifies Faulty Welds On 3 In-Service Vessels

    The U.S. Navy told lawmakers it has identified three in-service vessels with faulty welds after contractor Newport News Shipbuilding raised concerns about potentially deliberate problems with ships built or repaired at its shipyard, but said there were no related safety concerns.

  • October 04, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Revives Boeing Contractual Cost Accounting Case

    The Federal Circuit on Friday revived Boeing's suit claiming the Defense Contract Management Agency wrongly adjusted contractual cost claims using a regulation that clashes with a federal cost accounting statute, finding the case was essentially a contract dispute and not a disallowed regulatory challenge.

  • October 04, 2024

    There May Not Be Life On Mars, But There Could Be IP

    The rapidly expanding space tourism industry is raising a vast universe of potential intellectual property issues. Experts say most of the laws governing extraterrestrial IP are as unexplored as space itself.

  • October 04, 2024

    Justices Take Up Fight Over $1.3B Failed Satellite Deal

    The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Friday to hear a pair of cases asking it to clarify the analysis of a highly technical jurisdictional question, as shareholders of an Indian satellite communications company look to enforce a $1.3 billion arbitral award against a state-owned division of India's space agency.

  • October 03, 2024

    Hogan Lovells Can Serve Taliban Via X And Email, Judge Says

    A New York federal judge Thursday allowed Hogan Lovells to use alternative means to serve the Taliban, either by way of social media, publication or email, in the firm's effort to enforce a $1.2 million arbitration award against the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan over unpaid legal fees.

  • October 03, 2024

    DOJ, Microsoft Disrupt Russian Hacking Group's Efforts

    The U.S. Department of Justice and Microsoft Corp. announced Thursday the seizure of more than 100 websites allegedly used by Russian intelligence agencies and their proxies to orchestrate hacking campaigns aimed at stealing valuable information from federal government agencies, journalists, think tanks and other organizations.

  • October 03, 2024

    GOP Senators Slam NY Fed Over Iraq Money-Laundering Report

    Two Republican senators, including the ranking member of the Senate banking committee, have slammed the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for allegedly failing to act on money-laundering concerns with the Central Bank of Iraq, allowing funds to flow to Iran as a result.

  • October 03, 2024

    Boeing Says Amended NASA Tech IP Suit Is An Overreach

    Boeing is seeking to ground an engineering company's updated complaint accusing the aerospace giant of stealing protected technology, arguing that new intellectual property claims exceed a Washington federal judge's prior authorization to amend the case.

  • October 03, 2024

    12 Lawyers Who Are The Future Of The Supreme Court Bar

    One attorney hasn't lost a single U.S. Supreme Court case she's argued, or even a single justice's vote. One attorney is perhaps "the preeminent SCOTUS advocate." And one may soon become U.S. solicitor general, despite acknowledging there are "judges out there who don't like me." All three are among a dozen lawyers in the vanguard of the Supreme Court bar's next generation, poised to follow in the footsteps of the bar's current icons.

  • October 03, 2024

    Swiss Man Should Fight Sanctions Case In DC, Judge Says

    A D.C. federal judge said a Swiss man accused of skirting sanctions in connection with a 255-foot luxury yacht owned by Russian tycoon Viktor Vekselberg should be required to come to Washington, D.C., to fight the charges.

  • October 03, 2024

    Soldiers Urge DC Circ. Not To Revive DOD Naturalization Rule

    Immigrant soldiers urged the D.C. Circuit to affirm a lower court's order that wiped away a Pentagon requirement to serve for one year before becoming eligible for citizenship, saying lawmakers wanted military personnel enlisting during wartime to reap the benefits of citizenship.

  • October 03, 2024

    Md. Woman Gets House Arrest For No-Show Contractor Job

    A Maryland woman will spend six months on home confinement for accepting nearly $500,000 in salary for a no-show job arranged by her boyfriend, a U.S. Army contracting officer, a Massachusetts federal judge has ordered.

  • October 03, 2024

    White House Directs Agencies On Responsible AI Acquisition

    The White House has issued guidance to agencies on responsible purchases of artificial intelligence, addressing issues such as mitigating associated privacy and performance risks, ensuring the market for AI remains competitive, and enabling related collaboration across the government.

  • October 03, 2024

    Aerospace Co. Says Conn. Town Wrongly Taxed $8M In Assets

    A unit of a U.K.-based aerospace manufacturer is claiming that a Connecticut town overvalued its taxable personal property by nearly $8 million after the company moved nearly $20 million worth of its property out of the jurisdiction, according to a suit filed in state court.

  • October 02, 2024

    Ex-Airline Exec Sentenced To 32 Months For $32M Scam

    A New York federal court has handed down a 32-month prison sentence to a businessman who confessed to a conspiracy to defraud his former employer, Polar Air Cargo Worldwide Inc., of more than $32 million.

  • October 02, 2024

    Sikorsky Must Face Chopper Crash Suit In US, Pa. Judge Says

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Tuesday ordered a lawsuit against Sikorsky Aircraft by the estates of Canadian military personnel who died in a helicopter crash to remain in the U.S., finding the allegedly defective copter was designed, developed and upgraded here and litigating it in Pennsylvania would expedite resolution.

  • October 02, 2024

    Lawyers Fail To Overturn EU Ban On Legal Services To Russia

    The European General Court on Wednesday dismissed an attempt by French and Belgian lawyers to overturn prohibitions on providing legal advice to Russia, clarifying that the ban only applies when the advice has no link to judicial proceedings.

  • October 02, 2024

    Bid-Rig Charges Irrelevant To $26M Base Award, GAO Says

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office has shot down a contractor's protest over a rival company being awarded a $26 million Army hospital maintenance contract, finding that the awardee's conviction for bid-rigging in Korea had no bearing on its track record of successful operations.

  • October 01, 2024

    Latham, Milbank Guide StandardAero's Upsized $1.4B IPO

    StandardAero Inc., a private equity-backed aerospace services provider, announced Tuesday it raised more than $1.4 billion in an initial public offering that's larger than the issuer first intended and is one of the year's largest offerings, with Latham & Watkins LLP advising the company and Milbank LLP serving as counsel for the underwriters.

  • October 01, 2024

    Novel FCA Decision Amplifies Voices Of Whistleblower Critics

    A Florida federal judge's characterization of whistleblowers as self-appointed "special prosecutors" when they file lawsuits on the federal government's behalf amplifies the voices of critics questioning the constitutionality of a key enforcement tool for fighting fraud, while threatening to create a circuit split.

  • October 01, 2024

    Military Contractor's Widow Can Continue Death Benefit Suit

    A widow's pursuit of $670,000 in benefits following her husband's death in Afghanistan while training the country's police force can continue, an Illinois federal judge ruled, trimming claims against the man's employers and benefits administrators but leaving her breach of contract claim against an insurer intact.

  • October 01, 2024

    Steward Can't Be Forced To Reassign Contract In Ch. 11

    While a government contractor was within its rights to end a subcontracting agreement with embattled hospital group Steward Health, the Bankruptcy Code's provisions for assignment of contracts mean the debtor can't be compelled to reassign the agreement while in Chapter 11, a Texas bankruptcy judge said Tuesday.

  • October 01, 2024

    Ex-DHS GC Returns To Sheppard Mullin As Nat'l Security Head

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's former general counsel Jonathan Meyer has bounced between the agency and Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP since 2016, and now after three years as DHS' top lawyer, the firm said Tuesday he's returning to lead its national security group in D.C.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    As a master scuba instructor, I’ve learned how to prepare for the unexpected, overcome fears and practice patience, and each of these skills – among the many others I’ve developed – has profoundly enhanced my work as a lawyer, says Ron Raether at Troutman Pepper.

  • SolarWinds Ruling Offers Cyber Incident Response Takeaways

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    The New York federal court's dismissal of all charges related to the 2019 Sunburst cyberattack is a devastating blow to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's cybersecurity case against SolarWinds, but the well-reasoned opinion provides valuable lessons that may improve companies' defensive posture in the wake of a major cybersecurity incident, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act

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    As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.

  • Pros And Cons Of 2025 NDAA's Space Contracting Proposal

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    The introduction of a Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve fleet in the pending 2025 National Defense Authorization Act presents a significant opportunity for space and satellite companies — despite outstanding questions, and potential risks, for operators, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market

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    Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • Series

    Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Preserving Payment Rights

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    Stephanie Magnell and Zachary Jacobson at Seyfarth examine three recent decisions that together illustrate the importance of keeping accurate records and adhering to contractual procedures to avoid inadvertently waiving contractual rights to cost reimbursements or nonroutine payments.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step

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    From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Recent Settlement Shows 'China Initiative' Has Life After Death

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    Though the U.S. Department of Justice shuttered its controversial China Initiative two years ago, its recent False Claims Act settlement with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation demonstrates that prosecutors are more than willing to civilly pursue research institutions whose employees were previously targeted, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • Opinion

    OFAC Sanctions Deserve To Be Challenged Post-Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper Bright decision opens the door to challenges against the Office of Foreign Assets Control's sanctions regime, the unintended consequences of which raise serious questions about the wisdom of what appears to be a scorched-earth approach, says Solomon Shinerock at Lewis Baach.

  • Congress Quietly Amends FEPA: What Cos. Should Do Now

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    Last week, Congress revised the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act — passed last year to criminalize demand-side foreign bribery — to address inconsistencies and better harmonize the law with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and companies should review their compliance programs accordingly, say Mark Mendelsohn and Benjamin Klein at Paul Weiss.

  • Bid Protest Spotlight: Standing, Prejudice, Conflicts

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    In this month's bid protest roundup, Caitlin Crujido at MoFo examines three recent decisions from the U.S. Government Accountability Office concerning whether a would-be protestor was an interested party with standing, whether an agency adequately investigated potential procurement violations and whether a proposed firewall sufficiently addressed an impaired objectivity organizational conflict of interest.

  • How Contractors Can Prep For DOD Cybersecurity Rule

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    The proverbial clock is ticking for defense contractors and subcontractors to strengthen their compliance posture in preparation for the rollout of the highly anticipated Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, so those affected should analyze their existing security standards and take proactive steps to fill in any significant gaps, say Beth Waller and Patrick Austin at Woods Rogers.

  • Avoiding Legal Ethics Landmines In Preindictment Meetings

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    U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez's recent bribery conviction included obstruction charges based on his former lawyer's preindictment presentation to prosecutors, highlighting valuable lessons on the legal ethics rules implicated in these kinds of defense presentations, say Steve Miller and Hilary Gerzhoy at HWG.

  • Series

    Being A Luthier Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    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.

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