Aerospace & Defense

  • July 17, 2026

    Top Gov't Contracting Decisions Of 2026: Midyear Report

    The U.S. Supreme Court and federal circuit courts decided several consequential cases impacting contractors this year, including weighing whether contractors can immediately appeal district court denials of their immunity claims and clarifying what a successful protester needs to challenge an agency's decision to continue a contract during a bid protest.

  • July 16, 2026

    Northrop's $75M LA Contamination Deal Gets Preliminary OK

    A California federal judge Thursday preliminarily approved a $75 million class deal struck mid-trial by Northrop Grumman and residents of a Los Angeles suburb who accused the aerospace company of contaminating their properties, a day after hundreds of the neighborhood's residents filed a similar lawsuit in state court.

  • July 16, 2026

    SAE Says Standards Fight Must Be Arbitrated In Belgium

    A standards-development association for the automotive and aerospace industries urged a D.C. federal court Wednesday to send a copyright feud over publishing rights for certain critical aerospace quality-management standards to arbitration in Belgium, accusing a global aerospace quality consortium of "gamesmanship."

  • July 16, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Asked Not To Shift Moderna Vax Patent Case To Gov't

    Drugmakers like Novartis, former federal judges, a startup group and others have urged the Federal Circuit to reject calls to shift liability in a COVID-19 vaccine patent suit against Moderna to the federal government, saying that doing so would undermine patent rights.

  • July 16, 2026

    Navy Airman Seeks Honorable Discharge After Marijuana Use

    A U.S. Navy sailor removed from the military for marijuana use has urged a Connecticut federal court to review his petition seeking to upgrade his discharge to honorable, arguing that a prior secretary of defense order requires "liberal consideration" for veterans with PTSD-related misconduct.

  • July 16, 2026

    Board Says Army Didn't Show Contract Ax Was Justified

    The U.S. Army failed to show that its termination of a roof-repair contract for default was justified, despite proving serious deficiencies in Jaxon Construction Inc.'s administration of the contract, the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals said.

  • July 16, 2026

    Air Force Lt. Col. Says Housing Sickened Him, Family

    U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Travis Allen and his wife are suing companies that provide privatized housing to military service members in Texas federal court, saying that despite being assured the housing was safe and properly maintained, their home had a host of problems that harmed Allen and his daughter's health.

  • July 16, 2026

    Wyden Urges Admin To Protect US From Canadian Spy Law

    Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., urged the Trump administration Thursday to protect national security and American citizens from a proposed backdoor surveillance bill from Canada.

  • July 16, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Vacates $12.7M Copyright Award Against Gov't

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday vacated a $12.7 million copyright award against the federal government over unauthorized copies of software for a project on military health records, holding that the trial judge improperly relied on the project's later cancellation and awarded enhanced damages for willful infringement against the government.

  • July 16, 2026

    Come Back Down To Earth, Tower Builders Tell D2D Fans

    While it's clear that direct-to-device satellite service can fill some gaps in wireless coverage, the growing technology cannot fully replace Earth-based systems that ensure connectivity on the ground, a pair of new industry reports say.

  • July 16, 2026

    More Than 200 MHz Could Open For Unlicensed Satellite Use

    The Federal Communications Commission's chief wants to make more than 200 megahertz of unlicensed spectrum available for satellites by opening frequencies across three spectrum bands, according to a proposal released Thursday.

  • July 16, 2026

    Lockheed Wins $10B Special Ops Contract, $1.6B Navy Order

    Lockheed Martin secured a $10.5 billion contract to provide global logistics support services for U.S. Special Operations Command for the next 12 years, in addition to a $1.6 billion Navy order to procure spare parts for F-35 aircraft. 

  • July 16, 2026

    USTR Broadens Exemptions Ahead Of 25% Brazil Tariff

    A 25% tariff on Brazilian goods will begin next week with an expanded exemption list following public comments on the action, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced.

  • July 16, 2026

    Chancery Lets Discovery Proceed In Bikini Atoll Trust Suit

    The Delaware Chancery Court has ruled that Fifth Third Bank must participate in discovery in litigation accusing Arden Trust Co. of mismanaging two congressionally created trust funds for displaced Bikini Atoll residents, while putting on hold Arden's separate claim seeking indemnification from the bank until the underlying case is resolved.

  • July 15, 2026

    Ex-Fed Adviser Gets 38 Months For Lying To Investigators

    A former senior adviser to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors was sentenced Wednesday to more than three years in federal prison for lying to investigators about sharing confidential information outside the agency, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.

  • July 15, 2026

    Circuit-By-Circuit Guide To The US Supreme Court's Term

    Federal appeals courts had wide-ranging successes and struggles during the U.S. Supreme Court's recently completed term: One had its best showing in years following its worst showing in years; one felt déjà vu after recently starting to find favor with the justices; and one saw its reputation for independence occupy a rare role in the Supreme Court spotlight.

  • July 15, 2026

    DOD's Cybersecurity Program Halt Reveals Compliance Gaps

    The Pentagon's decision to halt the next phase of its cybersecurity compliance program for defense contractors is likely motivated in part by businesses' difficulties to meet the already existing standards.

  • July 15, 2026

    Dems Probe Clayton's Independence, 2020 Election Views

    During a Wednesday confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump's pick for national intelligence director, Democratic lawmakers pressed Jay Clayton to explain whether predecessor Tulsi Gabbard should have traveled to Georgia to oversee a search warrant executed at a Fulton County election facility, which she testified the president asked for.

  • July 15, 2026

    Wireless Carriers Want FCC Changes To Space Reg Update

    Wireless trade group CTIA told the Federal Communications Commission it supports the agency's plans to slash satellite licensing regulations, but wants to ensure the rules protecting earth stations in shared bands are not cut in the process.

  • July 15, 2026

    11KBW Atty Says South China Sea Ruling Still Carries Weight

    Ten years after leading an effort that secured a historic win for the Philippines in a highly contentious dispute with China over maritime rights and entitlements in the South China Sea, 11 King's Bench Walk attorney Paul Reichler told Law360 that he believes international law remains as important as ever.

  • July 15, 2026

    Inventors, USPTO Agree On Scope Of Patent Program Suit

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and a pair of inventors have agreed that a review program referenced by Trump administration official Edward Martin was outside the scope of a proposed class action over the office's now-defunct program for flagging "sensitive" patent applications for extra review.

  • July 15, 2026

    Northrop Grumman Denied Calif. Workers Full Pay, Suit Says

    Northrop Grumman shorted California workers by rounding recorded time, automatically deducting 30-minute meal periods and requiring off-the-clock work, according to a proposed class action and California's Private Attorneys General Act suit lodged against the aerospace and defense contractor in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

  • July 15, 2026

    Biz, Benefits Groups Tell 4th Circ. To Nix 401(k) Forfeiture Suit

    A trio of business and benefits groups asked the Fourth Circuit to uphold the dismissal of a suit claiming Northrop Grumman improperly used forfeited 401(k) cash to fund its plan contributions, stating it would be "exceedingly odd" for the case to proceed against federal regulations allowing the practice.

  • July 15, 2026

    Russia Sanctions Bill Goes Too Far On Tariff Power, Dems Say

    A reworked version of a bipartisan bill aimed at sanctioning Russia over the war in Ukraine wrongly places too much tariff power in the hands of President Donald Trump, some leading congressional Democrats said.

  • July 15, 2026

    1st Circ. Says Sending GE PCB Suit To State Court Was Error

    A First Circuit panel has reversed an order remanding to state court a woman's suit over General Electric Co.'s alleged improper disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, saying the trial court wrongly concluded that GE couldn't take advantage of the federal officer removal statute.

Expert Analysis

  • AI Regulatory Gaps May Fuel FCA Enforcement Action

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    The intersection of artificial intelligence and False Claims Act enforcement presents legal risk for government contractors across several industries, particularly in the absence of a federal regulatory framework explicitly governing its development and use, say attorneys at O’Melveny.

  • Series

    Judges On AI: How Courts Can Survive The Tech Revolution

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    Colorado Supreme Court Justice Maria Berkenkotter and Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Lino Lipinsky de Orlov discuss how artificial intelligence has already fundamentally altered the legal system and offer tips for courts navigating deepfakes, hallucinations and a gap in access to AI tools.

  • 3 AI Adoption Mistakes GCs Should Avoid

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    The pressure in-house legal teams face to quickly adopt artificial intelligence tools, combined with budget constraints and the need to evaluate a crowded market of options, sets the stage for implementation mistakes that are often difficult to undo, says former 23andMe general counsel Guy Chayoun.

  • Series

    Playing Basketball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My grandfather used to say "I wear your jersey" as shorthand for wholly committing to support someone with loyalty and integrity — ideals that have shaped my life on the basketball court and in legal practice, says Tracy Schimelfenig at Schimelfenig Legal.

  • New Cuba Sanctions Raise Risks For Foreign Banks, Cos.

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    President Donald Trump's bold move leveling secondary sanctions against Cuba expands enforcement risk for foreign banks and companies with no U.S. nexus, signaling that non-U.S. businesses should reassess related transactions, counterparties and exposure as regulators test this broader authority, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • How Cos. Can Navigate Iran Sanctions Risks In China

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    For multinational financial institutions and other companies caught between the U.S. and China’s competing compliance regimes as they relate to Iranian oil, finding a path forward will require careful, jurisdiction-specific analysis, say attorneys at Perkins Coie and Ashurst.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Georgia Court Has Business On Its Mind

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    Thanks to recent legislation, the Georgia State-wide Business Court will soon offer business litigants greater access to the court than ever before, further enhancing the court's emphasis on efficiency, predictability and accessibility for sophisticated commercial disputes, says former GSBC judge Walt Davis at Jones Day.

  • DOJ's FCA Data-Miner Focus Raises Compliance Stakes

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    A new U.S. Department of Justice initiative aims to help its Civil Division better vet False Claims Act suits brought by data-mining whistleblowers, signaling that data-driven qui tam enforcement is a priority and making it increasingly important for attorneys and companies to bolster compliance, documentation and internal data monitoring, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Legal Risks Rise As Construction-Site Drone Use Soars

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    Construction companies using drones face mounting legal risks as Federal Aviation Administration compliance requirements tighten, remote identification capabilities expand and proposed rules move toward organizational accountability, making it crucial to update contracts, schedules, safety protocols and data-governance practices now to avoid future liability, say attorneys at Cozen.

  • 4 Emerging Approaches To AI Protective Order Language

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    Over the last year, at least five federal district courts have issued or analyzed specific protective order provisions restricting the use of generative artificial intelligence platforms with protected materials, establishing that proactive AI-specific provisions are now standard practice and demonstrating that no single model works for every case, says Joel Bush at Kilpatrick.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Notice, Timeliness, Jurisdiction

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    Three recent cases from the Armed Service Board of Contract Appeals provide insights about the impact of defects in a government notice of appeal rights, timeliness exceptions and limits on the board's jurisdiction to enforce a settlement agreement, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • Binance Win Shows Constraints On Anti-Terrorism Act Claims

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    The Southern District of New York's recent ruling in Troell v. Binance illustrates that the Second Circuit's earlier decision in Ashley v. Deutsche Bank is holding weight with courts, and companies facing aiding and abetting risk should thus monitor evolving case law and assess exposure based on nexus allegations, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • Understanding The Insider Trading Gap In Prediction Markets

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    While the first-ever insider trading indictment involving a prediction market — the recent prosecution of a service member involved in the capture of Nicolás Maduro — comprised extreme facts and straightforward legal theories, future cases will test the bounds of insider trading law, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Heppner Ruling Left AI Privilege Risk For Lawyers Unresolved

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    While a New York federal judge’s recent ruling in U.S. v. Heppner resolved a privilege question surrounding client-side artificial intelligence use, it did not address how to mitigate the risks that can arise when confidential information enters the operative context of an AI system used by an attorney, says Jianfei Chen at Quarles & Brady​​​​​​​.

  • Rightsizing Regulation To Usher In Next-Generation Nuclear

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    Next-generation nuclear seems to be having its moment as a recent flurry of Nuclear Regulatory Commission rulemaking aims to fast-track the licensing and deployment of such technologies, says Hilary Jacobs at Beveridge & Diamond.

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