Aerospace & Defense

  • March 13, 2025

    Judge Trims Claims Of Botched Federal Savings Transition

    A D.C. federal judge trimmed a proposed class of federal employees and their family members' claims against two companies that manage workers' retirement plan and the plan's board Wednesday, tossing claims of negligence and breach of fiduciary duty but leaving breach of contract and unjust enrichment claims intact.

  • March 13, 2025

    Air Force Didn't Properly Assess Labor Rates On $121M Deal

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office has sustained a protest over a $121.4 million U.S. Air Force communications support task order, finding the Air Force unreasonably assessed whether the awardee's proposed pay rates were realistic.

  • March 13, 2025

    Drone-Maker Wants DOD Info On Listing As Chinese Military Co.

    Drone manufacturer DJI wants the U.S. Department of Defense to turn over classified information behind the decision to list it as a Chinese military company, claiming the materials are essential for its lawsuit contesting the designation.

  • March 13, 2025

    FCC Creates New Nat'l Security Arm Focused On China

    The Federal Communications Commission will operate a new organization within the agency focused solely on national security, particularly cybersecurity threats emerging from the Chinese government.

  • March 13, 2025

    Judge Hits 'Reset Button' In 3M, DuPont PFAS Cleanup Case

    New Jersey's environmental regulators have tried to force EIDP and DuPont Chemours to begin remediation efforts on "forever chemical" contamination at a former facility in Salem County — which is at the center of ongoing litigation — a move that seemingly undermined a federal judge's authority and put in jeopardy a looming May trial date.

  • March 13, 2025

    Who Is FCC Nominee Olivia Trusty? Here's What We Know

    Republicans on the five-seat Federal Communications Commission need a critical third vote to push through many of the changes they envision for the nation's telecom policies, and the White House has chosen longtime Capitol Hill aide Olivia Trusty for the role.

  • March 13, 2025

    Navy Escapes Civilian Mechanic's Race Bias Suit

    The U.S. Navy defeated a Black civilian mechanic's suit claiming he was denied training opportunities and humiliated by a racist video in front of white and Hispanic colleagues, with a California federal judge finding the actions didn't negatively impact his employment.

  • March 13, 2025

    Judge Orders Reinstatement Of Many Fired Federal Workers

    A California federal judge on Thursday ordered the immediate reinstatement of certain probationary employees fired from six federal agencies, saying the Office of Personnel Management did not have the authority to direct those terminations, making the firings "unlawful."

  • March 12, 2025

    DC Judge Challenges DOD Over Trans Military Ban Policy

    A D.C. federal judge said at a hearing Wednesday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth either intends to ban transgender people from the military entirely or he's "sloppy" and says things on social media that contradict the policy he wrote.

  • March 12, 2025

    3M's $6B Deal In Earplug MDL Cut Federal Caseload 14%

    A single settlement produced a 14% decrease in the number of pending cases in federal district courts over fiscal 2024, and that was 3M's $6 billion deal to end multidistrict litigation over its combat earplugs, according to a Tuesday report by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

  • March 12, 2025

    'Delete, Delete, Delete': DOGE-Linked Effort Launched At FCC

    The nation's telecom rules will get a makeover to "delete" a lot of requirements the Federal Communications Commission has determined are no longer needed under an effort launched Wednesday by FCC Chair Brendan Carr.

  • March 12, 2025

    Binance Asks Judge To Rethink Upholding Terror Victims' Suit

    Cryptocurrency exchange Binance and its former CEO Changpeng Zhao have asked a New York federal judge to reconsider his ruling allowing a bulk of claims from a group of Hamas attack survivors to move forward, arguing that the survivors do not allege that Binance had a "close nexus" to the terrorist groups that allegedly used its platforms.

  • March 12, 2025

    Judge Says Air Force Had Duty To Pay $1.9M For Materials

    A Court of Federal Claims judge said the U.S. Air Force breached its contractual duty by failing to reimburse Centech Group Inc. $1.9 million for materials it approved for purchase, but stopped short of granting the company damages.

  • March 12, 2025

    Texas Urges Court Not To Let DuPont Out Of PFAS Lawsuit

    Chemical companies DuPont and Corteva are leaning on a "fraudulent transfer scheme" in order to exit a lawsuit accusing them of making and selling forever chemicals despite knowing about their toxic nature, the state of Texas said Tuesday, urging a federal court not to give them the out.

  • March 12, 2025

    As Perkins Coie Fights Order, How Will Other Firms Respond?

    Perkins Coie LLP, represented by Williams & Connolly LLP, is challenging President Donald Trump's executive order revoking its security clearance and launching investigations into its diversity efforts. But other firms have remained silent, raising questions about the order's potential effects on how firms handle public policy litigation, publicly support their right to defend all clients and pursue hiring initiatives.

  • March 12, 2025

    Boeing, Ex-Employee End Medical Leave Lawsuit

    Boeing and a Muslim former supply chain specialist told a Texas federal court Wednesday they've resolved the worker's lawsuit alleging he was fired for taking medical leave, less than two months after the aerospace giant got his religious bias claims nixed.

  • March 11, 2025

    Russian Can't Claim Seized $300M Superyacht, Judge Rules

    A New York federal judge ruled Monday that a Russian billionaire cannot claim ownership of a seized $300 million superyacht, saying the evidence shows he is a "straw" owner of the vessel in a ruling that moved the government closer to selling it at auction.

  • March 11, 2025

    Northrop Grumman Mishandled Benefits Plan, Ex-Workers Say

    Former Northrop Grumman employees on Tuesday lodged a proposed class action accusing the aerospace and defense giant of mishandling an employee retirement plan's assets, telling a Virginia federal court that the company failed to act in the best interest of the plan's beneficiaries by repeatedly prioritizing offsetting employer contributions to the plan.

  • March 11, 2025

    CFPB Says It Will Proceed With Another Military Lending Suit

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has told a Texas federal judge it intends to move forward with a Biden-era lawsuit accusing one of the largest U.S. pawn store operators of military lending violations, despite the agency's moves to scrap a bevy of enforcement actions since the Trump administration's policy shake-up.

  • March 11, 2025

    Perkins Coie Slams Trump's Executive Order Retaliation

    Perkins Coie LLP sued the Trump administration Tuesday over an executive order targeting the firm for its diversity-focused hiring efforts and its representation of certain political figures including former Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, calling the order "an affront to the Constitution" that aims to chill future representation of certain clients.

  • March 11, 2025

    NTSB Flags Helicopters Near DCA As 'Intolerable Risk'

    The National Transportation Safety Board recommended Tuesday that helicopter flights near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport be permanently restricted following January's deadly midair collision over the Potomac River, saying helicopter traffic in the vicinity of a key airport runway poses an "intolerable risk to aviation safety."

  • March 11, 2025

    Software Co. Tells Fed. Circ. It's Owed Over $12.7M In IP Dispute

    A software developer pushed back at the federal government's defense of a $12.7 million copyright infringement award on Monday, telling the Federal Circuit that the judgment should be based on the company's actual negotiations with the Defense Health Agency.

  • March 11, 2025

    VA Did Not Pre-Select Awardee For $257M Telehealth Contract

    A Court of Federal Claims judge has rejected a protest over a $256.8 million U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs telehealth program support contract, saying the protester hadn't shown the VA "pre-selected" the awardee before making a formal award decision.

  • March 11, 2025

    Space Tech Co. Pulls Suit Over Amazon Satellite Contract

    A Swedish space technology firm and an aerospace parts manufacturer it accused of hiking prices and potentially costing it a lucrative Amazon satellite contract have agreed to drop their dispute from Connecticut federal court, according to a joint stipulation from the parties.

  • March 10, 2025

    Warren Says Defense Nominee Has 'Clear Conflict Of Interest'

    Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren called out deputy defense secretary nominee Stephen Feinberg on Sunday for a "clear conflict of interest" due to his ties to Ligado Networks, which is suing the federal government for $40 billion, and urged him to agree to recuse himself from any decisions about the company.

Expert Analysis

  • Firms Still Have The Edge In Lateral Hiring, But Buyer Beware

    Author Photo

    Partner mobility data suggests that the third quarter of this year continued to be a buyer’s market, with the average candidate demanding less compensation for a larger book of business — but moving into the fourth quarter, firms should slow down their hiring process to minimize risks, say officers at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Preparing For The New Restrictions On Investment Into China

    Author Photo

    In light of a new regulatory program governing U.S. investments in China-related technology companies of national security concern, investors should keep several considerations in mind, including the rules' effect on existing and new investments, compliance hurdles, and penalties for noncompliance ahead of the rules' January implementation, say attorneys at Gunderson Dettmer.

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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

  • What Insurers Need To Know About OFAC's Expanded FAQs

    Author Photo

    The Office of Foreign Assets Control's recently expanded insurance FAQs clarify how OFAC views insurance policies in a number of specific circumstances involving sanctioned parties, and make plain that sanctions compliance is the responsibility of all participants in the insurance ecosystem, including underwriters, brokers and agents, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    Gardening Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    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.

  • How Trump's 2nd Term May Alter The Immigration Landscape

    Author Photo

    Rhetoric from Donald Trump's campaign and his choice of hardline appointees indicate that a more restrictive and punitive approach to immigration is in our immediate future, especially in areas like humanitarian relief, nonimmigrant visa processing, and travel and green card eligibility, says John Quill at Mintz.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

  • How Boards And Officers Should Prep For New Trump Admin

    Author Photo

    In anticipation of President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs and mass deportation campaign, company officers and board members should pursue proactive, comprehensive contingency planning to not only advance the best interests of the companies they serve, but to also properly exercise their fiduciary duty of care, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • Implementing Human Rights Due Diligence

    Author Photo

    The Bureau of Industry and Security’s recent removal of a Canadian surveillance provider from its export blacklist, after just eight months, illustrates the importance of integrating human rights due diligence into the vetting process by asking a few targeted questions, say attorneys at Cravath.

  • DC Circ. Decision Opens Door To NEPA Regulation Litigation

    Author Photo

    A recent D.C. Circuit decision in Marin Audubon Society v. Federal Aviation Administration could open the door to more litigation over the White House Council on Environmental Quality's National Environmental Policy Act regulations, and could affect how many agencies conduct and interpret environmental assessments, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • How CFIUS' Updated Framework Affects Global Investors

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Perils Of Perfunctory Interpretation

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

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 Aerospace & Defense 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!