Aerospace & Defense

  • January 15, 2025

    Retired Admiral's Bribery Trial Postponed To May

    A D.C. federal judge on Wednesday postponed a bribery trial for a retired Navy admiral accused of steering a government contract to two executives of a New York company, finding the volume of discovery material in the case justified the delay.

  • January 15, 2025

    SpaceX Suit Must Fail, Calif. Coastal Commission Tells Judge

    The California Coastal Commission urged a federal judge to throw out a SpaceX lawsuit alleging it has unlawfully tried to stymie the company's rocket launches and engaged in "naked political discrimination" against CEO Elon Musk, arguing the company's claims don't pass muster.

  • January 14, 2025

    FBI Deletes China-Backed Malware From Windows Computers

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and French law enforcement and security partners have deleted malware used by Chinese government-backed hackers from thousands of computers worldwide, including home computers in the U.S., the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced Tuesday.

  • January 14, 2025

    BofA Says Military Interest Law, Not Bank, To Blame In Suit

    Bank of America has hit back at a class action suit accusing the financial giant of violating an interest cap law for military service members, arguing that the suit fails to allege any actual violations of the law and that Congress considered and decided against the interest rate requirement that the plaintiffs seek to impose.

  • January 14, 2025

    DOJ Says Software Co.'s $12.7M Copyright Win Is Sufficient

    The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday defended a judge's decision to award a software developer $12.7 million after a federal contractor made unauthorized copies of its software, telling the Federal Circuit the award was correctly calculated.

  • January 14, 2025

    FAR Council Wants Uniform View Of Controlled Information

    The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council on Tuesday issued a pair of long-awaited proposed regulations, seeking to define and protect controlled unclassified information across the government and to update rules related to conflicts of interest involving contractors.

  • January 14, 2025

    Biden Order Outlines Steps For Bolstering AI Infrastructure

    President Joe Biden issued an executive order Tuesday that aims to shape the country into an artificial intelligence infrastructure leader by working with the private sector to build data centers.

  • January 14, 2025

    OIG Wants Corps' Overruns, Delays To Inform Future Projects

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regularly faced cost increases and delays on four military construction projects and should take steps to learn from and mitigate such problems, a federal watchdog said in a new report.

  • January 14, 2025

    Biden Finalizes Ban On Chinese, Russian Connected Car Tech

    The Biden administration on Tuesday finalized a rule banning the import and sale in the U.S. of passenger vehicles with certain connectivity components made in China or Russia that the administration says could pose national security risks to American infrastructure and consumers.

  • January 14, 2025

    DOD Chief Nom Pledges 'Lethality' Focus Amid Dem Criticism

    Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth promised Tuesday that he would refocus the military on "lethality," as Democratic senators hammered him on issues such as his criticism of women serving in the military and an alleged lack of relevant management experience.

  • January 14, 2025

    Lockheed, CNA Pause Coverage Suit Amid Settlement Talks

    A Maryland federal court agreed Tuesday to continue pausing a dispute between Lockheed Martin Corp. and a CNA Financial unit over coverage for lawsuits accusing the aerospace and defense giant of environmental contamination, as the parties negotiate a potential coverage settlement.

  • January 14, 2025

    Nadine Menendez Trial Might Be Longer Than Ex-Senator's

    Prosecutors and attorneys for Nadine Menendez told a Manhattan federal judge that her trial might last longer than that of her husband, former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, with the parties still at odds over stipulations about evidence.

  • January 13, 2025

    Fla. Court OKs $6B Settlement Data Release In 3M's UK Case

    A Florida federal court has authorized the release of certain information related to 3M's $6 billion multidistrict litigation settlement ending claims over allegedly faulty combat earplugs to a London arbitral tribunal, which was convened to determine if insurer AIG Europe Ltd. is refusing to pay its share of the deal.

  • January 13, 2025

    Bannon Must Explain Atty Swap As NY Wall Fraud Trial Looms

    A New York state judge on Monday ordered Steve Bannon to appear in court to explain why he switched counsel a month before he faces trial on charges of defrauding donors to a fundraiser to build a U.S. southern border wall.

  • January 13, 2025

    Shift4 To Pay SEC $750K For Undisclosed Family Payments

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said payment processing firm Shift4 Payments Inc. will pay $750,000 to settle allegations it failed to report over $4 million in payments it made to immediate family members of the company's executives and directors.

  • January 13, 2025

    Justices Won't Review 11th Circ.'s Cancer Cluster Decision

    The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that it won't review the Eleventh Circuit's affirmation of a favorable jury verdict for defense contractor Pratt & Whitney, which was found to have failed to exercise reasonable care when disposing radioactive materials, but also freed it from liability for the cancer cases that emerged in a Florida neighborhood.

  • January 13, 2025

    GPS Backup Would Serve Larger 'Ecosystem,' FCC Told

    A public safety tech company is throwing its weight behind a plan to license a chunk of the lower 900 megahertz band to launch a network that would back up the Global Positioning System, calling on the Federal Communications Commission to "advance this critical initiative."

  • January 13, 2025

    White House Sets Framework For AI Technology Exports

    The Biden administration on Monday took its latest step toward securing artificial intelligence technology, issuing a rule aimed at easing the sale of U.S.-made chips and models to allied countries while restricting access to foreign adversaries that it said could use the systems to threaten national security.

  • January 13, 2025

    Special Counsel's Report On Trump's DC Case Released

    With a Florida federal judge's permission on Monday, U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland released the first volume of former special counsel Jack Smith's report regarding his now-abandoned election-interference case against Donald Trump in D.C.

  • January 13, 2025

    Army Can Sole-Source $990M 'Critical Support' Deal

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office has rejected a protest over a sole-source $990 million U.S. Army loitering munitions contract, saying the Army properly used temporary authority meant to provide critical support for Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel to award the deal.

  • January 13, 2025

    Wife Of Ex-Sen. Menendez Can't Delay Bribery Trial

    Nadine Menendez, former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez's wife, has lost her bid to postpone her Feb. 5 trial on bribery charges, as a Manhattan federal judge rejected her contention that her husband's sentencing on similar charges just a week prior would taint her jury.

  • January 13, 2025

    CFIUS Grants Nippon, US Steel Extension To Abandon Deal

    The government committee that reviewed Nippon Steel's proposed $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel before President Joe Biden blocked the deal earlier this month has granted an extension until June for the companies to abandon the deal, according to a U.S. Steel securities filing Monday.

  • January 13, 2025

    Justices Mull Petition Over FSIA Terrorism Exception

    The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday it wanted the U.S.'s perspective as it considers a case relating to whether the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act's terrorism exception extends jurisdiction to claims arising from a terrorist attack that seriously injures but does not kill its intended victims.

  • January 13, 2025

    Justices Won't Hear Farm's Bid To Retake Denver Airport Land

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a Colorado farm company's petition arguing Denver can't hold onto land originally seized for the Denver International Airport now that the city plans to build a private commercial complex on the property.

  • January 10, 2025

    4 Lessons For Contractors From The Bitmanagement Saga

    A software company's damages award of just $150,000 after years of litigation over the U.S. Navy violating a licensing deal offers several lessons for federal software contractors about carefully negotiating contractual terms and making sure they can adequately enforce those terms.

Expert Analysis

  • Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Is My Counterclaim Bound To Fall?

    Author Photo

    A Pennsylvania federal court’s recent dismissal of the defendants’ counterclaims in Morgan v. Noss should remind attorneys to avoid the temptation to repackage a claim’s facts and law into a mirror-image counterclaim, as this approach will often result in a waste of time and resources, says Matthew Selmasska at Kaufman Dolowich.

  • DOJ Paths To Limit FARA Fallout From Wynn's DC Circ. Win

    Author Photo

    After the D.C. Circuit’s recent Attorney General v. Wynn ruling, holding that the government cannot compel retroactive registration under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, the U.S. Department of Justice has a few options to limit the decision’s impact on enforcement, say attorneys at MoFo.

  • Series

    Playing Dungeons & Dragons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Playing Dungeons & Dragons – a tabletop role-playing game – helped pave the way for my legal career by providing me with foundational skills such as persuasion and team building, says Derrick Carman at Robins Kaplan.

  • Bid Protest Spotlight: Misplaced Info, Trade-Offs, Proteges

    Author Photo

    James Tucker at MoFo examines three recent decisions concerning the consequences of providing solicited information in the wrong section of a bid proposal, the limits of agency discretion in technical merit, best-value trade-off evaluations, and the weight of the experience and capabilities of small businesses in mentor-protégé joint venture qualification.

  • Unpacking Executive Privilege, Contempt In Recent Cases

    Author Photo

    The U.S. House of Representatives’ recent move to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress is the latest example in a growing trend of executive privilege disputes, and serves as a warning to private citizens and corporate leaders who are in communication with the president, says Kristina Moore at Womble Bond.

  • 3 Leadership Practices For A More Supportive Firm Culture

    Author Photo

    Traditional leadership styles frequently amplify the inherent pressures of legal work, but a few simple, time-neutral strategies can strengthen the skills and confidence of employees and foster a more collaborative culture, while supporting individual growth and contribution to organizational goals, says Benjamin Grimes at BKG Leadership.

  • The OIG Report: DOJ's Own Whistleblower Program Has Holes

    Author Photo

    A recent Office of the Inspector General memo found that the U.S. Department of Justice’s whistleblower program failed to protect federal employees whose security clearances were allegedly suspended in retaliation — a serious cause for concern that could have a potential chilling effect on would-be whistleblowers, says Diana Shaw at Wiley.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents

    Author Photo

    Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.

  • What Cos. Should Note In DOJ's New Whistleblower Pilot

    Author Photo

    After the U.S. Department of Justice unveiled a new whistleblower pilot program last week — continuing its efforts to incentivize individual reporting of misconduct — companies should review the eligibility criteria, update their compliance programs and consider the risks and benefits of making their own self-disclosures, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Series

    Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

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!