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Government Contracts
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September 04, 2024
Cos. Tell High Court Biden Can't Hike Contractors' Min. Wage
The Tenth Circuit pushed the borders of the Procurement Act too much when it blessed President Joe Biden's decision to increase federal contractors' hourly minimum wage, two outdoor groups told the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that the law doesn't authorize wage increases.
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September 04, 2024
Concrete Co. Owes Workers $370K, Wash. Panel Says
A Washington appeals court refused to overturn a state agency's determination that a concrete company owes workers more than $370,000 in wages for working at a disposal site, saying the work was sufficiently related to a public works project to trigger the state's prevailing wage law.
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September 03, 2024
Teva Investors Get Go-Ahead To Resume Kickbacks Class Suit
A shareholder's certified class action against pharmaceutical company Teva can resume after being paused for two years, as the company says it is working towards a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice over related claims it used kickbacks to raise the price of its multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone, a Philadelphia federal judge has decided.
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September 03, 2024
KBR Relator Says 5th Circ. Loss Doesn't Affect Fee Motion
The estate of a whistleblower rebuffed KBR Inc.'s efforts to use a Fifth Circuit decision invalidating his share of a fraud settlement to avoid covering $826,000 in legal costs, arguing the settlement preserved his rights to a fee award.
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September 03, 2024
Judge Axes DoD Engineer's Release In 'Top Secret' Docs Case
A Virginia federal judge revoked a release order for a U.S. Department of Defense civilian employee accused of taking top secret and other classified documents from his workplace, saying instead that he should remain detained "pending disposition of this case."
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September 03, 2024
Lima Wants No Bond As It Appeals $200M Hwy Contract Case
The Peruvian city of Lima is urging a D.C. federal court not to force it to post a bond as it appeals a ruling enforcing arbitral awards now worth nearly $200 million following a dispute over a highway contract, saying that requiring a bond would be a waste of public funds.
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September 03, 2024
Judge Skeptical Navy Owes Millions For IP Infringement
A Federal Circuit judge appeared skeptical Tuesday about a software firm's demand for $85.9 million in damages for the Navy's unauthorized copies of its software, suggesting the company hadn't proven its eligibility for more than the $154,400 it was previously awarded.
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August 30, 2024
Flint Water Firm Wants To Keep PR 'Sideshow' Out Of Trial
One of the last remaining defendants in Flint water crisis litigation urged a Michigan federal judge to exclude from an upcoming bellwether trial evidence about its public relations efforts, which included an alleged smear campaign against the lawyer for Flint children that led to another attorney getting referred to the California bar.
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August 30, 2024
Army Can Overlook FCA Settlement For $86M Booz Allen Deal
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has denied a protest over an $86.3 million laboratory support deal, saying the U.S. Army hadn't improperly ignored a high-profile recent False Claims Act settlement when awarding the deal to Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.
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August 30, 2024
Judge Unsure Warehouse Antitrust Suit Belongs In Fed. Court
An Illinois federal judge appeared skeptical Friday that a warehouse developer could unravel a municipal contract with several real estate companies accused of violating antitrust laws, questioning if the plaintiff was truly harmed by the deal or a related judgment its rivals later won in state court.
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August 30, 2024
Ex-Detainee Can't Be Forced To Arbitrate Card Fee Suit
A Washington federal judge will not force arbitration in a proposed class action accusing a bank of charging former jail detainees debit card fees to regain access to their own money postrelease, saying the plaintiff never consented to an arbitration clause because the card was issued to him already activated.
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August 30, 2024
Navy Escapes Protest Over Modification To $50B Deal
A Court of Federal Claims judge has tossed a challenge over the U.S. Navy modifying a $50 billion professional services contract, despite the protester saying the changes gave an unfair advantage to mentor-protégé joint ventures and their members.
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August 30, 2024
Gov't Contracts Of The Month: Base Networks, Nuclear Power
In August, the U.S. Air Force named the 23 companies that will carry out its $12.5 billion network modernization effort, while a domestic nuclear company agreed to help build the first small modular reactor nuclear power plant in Africa. These are Law360's most noteworthy government contracts for August 2024.
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August 30, 2024
RTX Reaches $200M Deal Over Export Control Violations
RTX Corp. has reached a $200 million settlement with the U.S. Department of State to resolve violations of export control rules, including sending controlled defense items and data to China, the agency announced Friday.
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August 30, 2024
NJ Panel Unswayed By Cop Training Co.'s Political Bias Suit
A Garden State appellate panel on Friday declined to revive a police training company's civil rights suit against the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller, reasoning that the firm's claim that it was targeted for political reasons is not a cause of action.
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August 29, 2024
Texas' Anti-ESG Law Is Unconstitutional, Green Biz Org Says
A sustainability-focused business group on Thursday sued Texas state officials in federal court seeking to block a law that restricts state investments with financial firms and businesses that want to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.
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August 29, 2024
Sutter Health Kickback Fight Likely Headed To Nov. Trial
A California federal judge indicated Wednesday she's likely to send at least some claims in a whistleblower's kickback suit against Sutter Health and a surgical-practice group to a November trial, saying during a hearing there are disputes over the credibility of certain evidence and that's "the providence of the jury."
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August 29, 2024
Madigan Seeks To Block Ex-Alderman's Expert Testimony
Attorneys for ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his co-defendant on Thursday grilled a potential expert witness the government wants to call at their forthcoming racketeering trial, attempting to cast doubts on his knowledge of how Madigan's ward operated and highlighting his public opposition to Chicago's Democratic establishment.
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August 29, 2024
CFPB Fines NewDay $2.25M Over VA Home Loan Practices
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau levied a $2.25 million fine against NewDay Financial LLC on Thursday for allegedly deceiving active-duty service members and veterans seeking cash-out refinance loans on their home mortgages.
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August 29, 2024
GAO Backs VA Cancellation Of Air-Unit Installation Deal
The U.S. Government Accountability Office is supporting the Department of Veterans Affairs' decision to cancel a solicitation that lacked proper instructions to bidders, thereby denying a protest from a Maryland business that had its contract canceled.
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August 29, 2024
Court Orders GSA To Explain Cost Analysis For Rental Deal
The U.S. General Services Administration must explain how it identified the lowest-priced bid for a 15-year contract for office space in Ohio, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims ordered, after finding issues with the agency's calculations.
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August 29, 2024
Quinn Emanuel Seeks DC Circ. Rehearing In $486M Award Fight
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP has asked the D.C. Circuit to reconsider its ruling in a dispute over the firm's authority to represent a port operator in a long-running legal battle with the Republic of Djibouti.
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August 29, 2024
Former Ohio House Legal Chief Rejoins Barnes & Thornburg
Barnes & Thornburg announced Wednesday that it is welcoming back an Ohio-based attorney after his stint as chief legal counsel for the state House of Representatives.
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August 29, 2024
Judge Asked To OK Settlement For Halliburton CERCLA Suit
Halliburton and more than 30 companies seeking to recover costs associated with the cleanup of long-accumulated contamination at a Superfund site have struck a settlement in California federal court in an attempt to bring to a close a decade of litigation.
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August 29, 2024
Under-The-Radar Gov't Contracts Cases: Midyear Report
Alongside blockbuster rulings so far this year shaking up the federal contracting landscape are lower-profile decisions with noteworthy legal outcomes, addressing issues such as when late submissions matter, when they don't, and whether local wage requirements can affect federal contracts. Here are four lower-profile decisions from the first half of 2024 with significant legal findings that could impact federal contractors.
Expert Analysis
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Contract Disputes Recap: Facts Differ But Same Rules Apply
Zachary Jacobson and Sarah Barney at Seyfarth examine two decisions illustrating that reliance on a technicality may not save an otherwise untimely appeal, and that enforcement of commercial terms and conditions under a federal supply schedule contract may be possible.
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Series
Spray Painting Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My experiences as an abstract spray paint artist have made me a better litigator, demonstrating — in more ways than one — how fluidity and flexibility are necessary parts of a successful legal practice, says Erick Sandlin at Bracewell.
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Draft Pay Equity Rule May Pose Contractor Compliance Snags
The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council's recently proposed rule that would prohibit government contractors from requesting certain job applicants' salary history seems simple on the surface, but achieving compliance will be a nuanced affair for many contractors who must also adhere to state and local pay transparency laws, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.
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10 Areas To Watch In Aerospace And Defense Contracting Law
The near future holds a number of key areas to watch in aerospace and defense contracting law, ranging from dramatic developments in the space industry to recent National Defense Authorization Act updates, which are focused on U.S. leadership in emerging technologies, say Joseph Berger and Chip Purcell at Thompson Hine.
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Opinion
Judicial Independence Is Imperative This Election Year
As the next election nears, the judges involved in the upcoming trials against former President Donald Trump increasingly face political pressures and threats of violence — revealing the urgent need to safeguard judicial independence and uphold the rule of law, says Benes Aldana at the National Judicial College.
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Opinion
NIST March-In Framework Is As Problematic As 2021 Proposal
While the National Institute of Standards and Technology's proposed march-in framework on when the government can seize patents has been regarded as a radical departure that will support lowering prescription drug costs, the language at the heart of it is identical to a failed 2021 notice of proposed rulemaking, says attorney Kelly Morron.
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Series
Riding My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Using the Peloton platform for cycling, running, rowing and more taught me that fostering a mind-body connection will not only benefit you physically and emotionally, but also inspire stamina, focus, discipline and empathy in your legal career, says Christopher Ward at Polsinelli.
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Compliance Steps After ABA White Collar Crime Conference
Senior law enforcement officials’ statements this month at the American Bar Association's white collar crime conference suggest government enforcement efforts this year will increasingly focus on whistleblower incentives, artificial intelligence and data protection, and companies will need to update their compliance programs accordingly, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.
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Spartan Arbitration Tactics Against Well-Funded Opponents
Like the ancient Spartans who held off a numerically superior Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae, trial attorneys and clients faced with arbitration against an opponent with a bigger war chest can take a strategic approach to create a pass to victory, say Kostas Katsiris and Benjamin Argyle at Venable.
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What Recent Study Shows About AI's Promise For Legal Tasks
Amid both skepticism and excitement about the promise of generative artificial intelligence in legal contexts, the first randomized controlled trial studying its impact on basic lawyering tasks shows mixed but promising results, and underscores the need for attorneys to proactively engage with AI, says Daniel Schwarcz at University of Minnesota Law School.
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Understanding Fixed-Price Gov't Contracts And Inflation Relief
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Contractors party to fixed-price contracts should note the recent shift in the government’s approach to cost adjustments in light of inflation, and familiarize themselves with certain steps that could help mitigate economic losses arising from increased performance and delivery costs, says Craig Stetson at Capital Edge Consulting.
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BIPA's Statutory Exemptions Post-Healthcare Ruling
The Illinois Supreme Court's November opinion in Mosby v. Ingalls Memorial Hospital, which held that the Biometric Information Privacy Act's healthcare exemption also applies when information is collected from healthcare workers, is a major win for healthcare defendants that resolves an important question of statutory interpretation, say attorneys at Quinn Emanuel.
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Litigation Inspiration: A Source Of Untapped Fulfillment
As increasing numbers of attorneys struggle with stress and mental health issues, business litigators can find protection against burnout by remembering their important role in society — because fulfillment in one’s work isn’t just reserved for public interest lawyers, say Bennett Rawicki and Peter Bigelow at Hilgers Graben.
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Series
Skiing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
A lifetime of skiing has helped me develop important professional skills, and taught me that embracing challenges with a spirit of adventure can allow lawyers to push boundaries, expand their capabilities and ultimately excel in their careers, says Andrea Przybysz at Tucker Ellis.
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Practical Steps For Navigating New Sanctions On Russia
After the latest round of U.S. sanctions against Russia – the largest to date since the Ukraine war began – companies will need to continue to strengthen due diligence and compliance measures to navigate the related complexities, say James Min and Chelsea Ellis at Rimon.