Government Contracts

  • 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

    Big Banks Urge Panel To Toss NJ Bond Marketing Claims

    A New Jersey state judge erred when he applied a recent change in state law to deny a bid by JPMorgan Chase & Co. and other big banks to toss a suit accusing them of a scheme to inflate the interest rates of certain bonds, the banks argued Tuesday before a state appellate panel.

  • October 01, 2024

    Mass. Hospital To Pay Up To $6.5M In Sober Home Scheme

    A Massachusetts behavioral health hospital will pay up to $6.5 million to resolve claims it illegally steered Medicare and Medicaid patients to its outpatient substance abuse programs with a promise of free sober home housing, according to a settlement announced Tuesday.

  • October 01, 2024

    Nostrum Labs Hits Ch. 11 A Year After Medicaid Settlement

    Nostrum Laboratories, a New Jersey drugmaker that paid millions to settle allegations that it underpaid Medicaid drug rebates for its bladder infection drug after it hiked the price more than 400%, filed for Chapter 11 protection with nearly $68.3 million in debt.

  • October 01, 2024

    'Unsworn' Actors Sink Qui Tam Provision, Fla. Judge Rules

    A Florida federal judge on Monday ruled that the provision of the False Claims Act allowing whistleblowers to bring suits on behalf of the federal government is unconstitutional, dismissing a closely watched Medicare Advantage fraud case and potentially upending a key federal enforcement tool.

  • September 30, 2024

    Wheeling & Appealing: The Latest Must-Know Appellate Action

    The year's spookiest month is looking scary-good for appellate aficionados, as famed oral advocates joust in October over net neutrality and Uber's extraordinary bid to unravel multidistrict litigation — just two of the high-profile arguments previewed in this edition of Wheeling & Appealing. October also begins with former President Jimmy Carter turning 100, and we'll test your knowledge of his profound impact on the judiciary.

  • September 30, 2024

    Plane Parts Exec Loses Appeal In Honeywell Fraud Case

    The Second Circuit refused Monday to free the president of an airplane parts supplier from a seven-year prison sentence over a $15 million fraud on Honeywell International Inc., rejecting his protest over evidence admitted for consciousness of guilt.

  • September 30, 2024

    DC Judge Won't Allow Single Trial In Admiral's Bribery Case

    A D.C. federal judge Monday denied the government's motion to reconsider a decision severing a retired Navy admiral's bribery trial from that of the defense contractors he is accused of steering federal contracts toward, reiterating a previous ruling that the court can split the case if consolidation appears to prejudice the parties.

  • September 30, 2024

    DOE Plutonium Pit Plan Found To Violate Environmental Law

    A South Carolina federal judge on Monday backed antinuclear groups' challenge to a U.S. Department of Energy plan to boost production of plutonium cores used in nuclear weapons, saying the DOE hadn't properly considered the potential environmental impact of the plan.

  • September 30, 2024

    Feds Seek Prison In Tax Case Linked To 'China Initiative'

    Prosecutors have asked a Texas federal judge for an 18- to 24-month prison sentence for a Chinese-born engineer who pled guilty to tax crimes after being charged with export violations and fraud in a case the defense claims began as an espionage investigation under the U.S. Department of Justice's now-disbanded "China Initiative."

  • September 30, 2024

    $143M Seattle Tunnel Insurance Suit Settles Midtrial

    A Seattle construction contractor that claimed it was wrongly denied more than $143 million in coverage for damage to a massive tunneling machine has settled its case against insurers, the parties told a Washington state judge Monday on the second day of a jury trial.

  • September 30, 2024

    Red States Urge Justices To Take Up $15 Min. Wage Dispute

    Conservative-led states told the U.S. Supreme Court that President Joe Biden's administration misused the Procurement Act when it hiked federal contractors' hourly minimum wage to $15, throwing their support behind two outdoor groups hoping to overturn a Tenth Circuit ruling in favor of the federal government.

  • September 30, 2024

    Climate Analytics Co. Seeks Ch. 11 With Up To $50M In Debt

    BAWT Enterprises LLC, the New Hampshire-based parent company of climate data analytics firm Athenium Analytics, filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware in hopes of quickly confirming its prepackaged plan to hand ownership of the reorganized company to its creditors.

  • September 27, 2024

    New Orleans Inspector Indicted For Bribing Top City Official

    A New Orleans resident and his home inspection company were indicted in Louisiana federal court Friday on charges that he operated a yearslong scheme of taking bribes to let unlicensed electricians work on hundreds of homes and bribing top city officials to look the other way.

  • September 27, 2024

    Kappos' Bayh-Dole Warning To Clients Draws Debate

    An advocate for lowering drug prices squared off Friday against a former U.S. Patent and Trademark Office director about the potential risk of accepting government funds to develop drugs, as part of a discussion at New York University School of Law.

  • September 27, 2024

    Acadia To Pay $19.9M For Alleged Inpatient Billing Scheme

    Acadia Healthcare will pay $19.85 million to settle allegations it billed false claims to the federal government for medically unnecessary behavioral health services provided to patients who weren't even eligible for treatment, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.

  • September 27, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Urged To Block Gov't Bid To Rehear AI Deal Dispute

    An artificial intelligence company has asked the Federal Circuit not to revisit a high-profile decision reviving the firm's protest over its exclusion from a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency procurement, saying the original ruling fit within the circuit court's precedent.

  • September 27, 2024

    Sen. Says Contractors Trying To Block DOD 'Right-To-Repair'

    Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has chided defense contractors for seeking to "sabotage" efforts to require them to cough up parts and data allowing the U.S. Department of Defense to repair its own equipment, while urging the DOD to take action on related restrictions.

  • September 27, 2024

    Why Many Drugs Remain Pricey 40 Years After Hatch-Waxman

    In the four decades since Congress passed the Hatch-Waxman Act in an effort to make generic drugs more available, the pharmaceutical industry has used patent thickets, "evergreening" and pay-for-delay tactics to block competition and keep prices of life-saving specialty drugs astronomical, several legal experts told Law360, while the industry argues other parties shoulder more of the blame.

  • September 27, 2024

    GAO Says DOE Could Save Billions On Hanford Waste Plan

    A government watchdog said in a report Friday that the U.S. Department of Energy should heed experts who say the agency could save billions of dollars by distinguishing between high- and lower-level waste at the Hanford Nuclear Site in Washington, one of the biggest cleanups in the world.

  • September 27, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Won't Revive $5.9M CMS Contingency Fee Suit

    The Federal Circuit on Friday refused to revive a contractor's $5.9 million dispute over a Medicare recovery audit task order, saying the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reasonably terminated the deal and didn't owe the company any more money.

  • September 27, 2024

    Ex-Conn. Police Chief Drops Atty Fee Ask After Lawsuit Win

    The former police chief in Newington, Connecticut, dropped his demand for attorney fees after defamation claims against him were dropped and a state court judge ordered that, in order to collect, his lawyer may have to testify at an upcoming hearing.

  • September 27, 2024

    GAO Backs DOD Rebuke To Bidder's Spreadsheet Mistake

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office backed the Pentagon's decision to deny a spot on a $4 billion deal for combating weapons of mass destruction to a contractor that submitted an incorrect spreadsheet, saying the Pentagon wasn't required to fix the mistake.

  • September 27, 2024

    Disbarred Ex-DA Must Face Rival's Malicious Prosecution Suit

    A Colorado federal judge on Thursday declined to throw out a malicious prosecution claim by a former elected district attorney alleging his disbarred successor falsely charged him with felony embezzlement, concluding that the disbarred prosecutor is not entitled to absolute or qualified immunity.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Agencies Should Reward Corporate Cyber Victim Cooperation

    Author Photo

    The increased regulatory scrutiny on corporate victims of cyberattacks — exemplified by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's case against SolarWinds — should be replaced with a new model that provides adequate incentives for companies to come forward proactively and collaborate with law enforcement, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World

    Author Photo

    After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.

  • 5 Tips To Succeed In A Master Of Laws Program And Beyond

    Author Photo

    As lawyers and recent law school graduates begin their Master of Laws coursework across the country, they should keep a few pointers in mind to get the most out of their programs and kick-start successful careers in their practice areas, says Kelley Miller at Reed Smith.

  • Series

    Being An Opera Singer Made Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    My journey from the stage to the courtroom has shown that the skills I honed as an opera singer – punctuality, memorization, creativity and more – have all played a vital role in my success as an attorney, says Gerard D'Emilio at GableGotwals.

  • How Law Firms Can Avoid 'Collaboration Drag'

    Author Photo

    Law firm decision making can be stifled by “collaboration drag” — characterized by too many pointless meetings, too much peer feedback and too little dissent — but a few strategies can help stakeholders improve decision-making processes and build consensus, says Steve Groom at Miles Mediation.

  • Philly Project Case Renews Ongoing Fraud Theory Tug-Of-War

    Author Photo

    In its upcoming term, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear Kousisis v. U.S., a case involving wire fraud convictions related to Philadelphia bridge repair projects, and may once again further rein in prosecutorial attempts to expand theories of fraud beyond core traditional property rights, say Jonathan Halpern and Kyra Rosenzweig at Holland & Knight.

  • Opinion

    Litigation Funding Disclosure Key To Open, Impartial Process

    Author Photo

    Blanket investor and funding agreement disclosures should be required in all civil cases where the investor has a financial interest in the outcome in order to address issues ranging from potential conflicts of interest to national security concerns, says Bob Goodlatte, former U.S. House Representative for Virginia.

  • Whistleblowers Must Note 5 Key Differences Of DOJ Program

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice’s recently unveiled whistleblower awards program diverges in key ways from similar programs at other agencies, and individuals must weigh these differences and look first to programs with stronger, proven protections before blowing the whistle, say Stephen Kohn and Geoff Schweller at Kohn Kohn.

  • What NFL Draft Picks Have In Common With Lateral Law Hires

    Author Photo

    Nearly half of law firm lateral hires leave within a few years — a failure rate that is strikingly similar to the performance of NFL quarterbacks drafted in the first round — in part because evaluators focus too heavily on quantifiable metrics and not enough on a prospect's character traits, says Howard Rosenberg at Baretz+Brunelle.

  • Foreign Threat Actors Pose Novel Risks To US Tech Cos.

    Author Photo

    A recent bulletin jointly issued by several U.S. intelligence agencies warns technology startups and the venture capital community about national security risks posed by foreign threat actors, so companies interested in raising foreign capital should watch for several red flags, say Robert Friedman and Jacob Marco at Holland & Knight.

  • Replacing The Stigma Of Menopause With Law Firm Support

    Author Photo

    A large proportion of the workforce is forced to pull the brakes on their career aspirations because of the taboo surrounding menopause and a lack of consistent support, but law firms can initiate the cultural shift needed by formulating thoughtful workplace policies, says Barbara Hamilton-Bruce at Simmons & Simmons.

  • Planning Law Firm Content Calendars: What, When, Where

    Author Photo

    During the slower month of August, law firms should begin working on their 2025 content calendars, planning out a content creation and distribution framework that aligns with the firm’s objectives and maintains audience engagement throughout the year, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.

  • Series

    Playing Golf Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Golf can positively affect your personal and professional life well beyond the final putt, and it’s helped enrich my legal practice by improving my ability to build lasting relationships, study and apply the rules, face adversity with grace, and maintain my mental and physical well-being, says Adam Kelly at Venable.

  • Law Firms Should Move From Reactive To Proactive Marketing

    Author Photo

    Most law firm marketing and business development teams operate in silos, leading to an ad hoc, reactive approach, but shifting to a culture of proactive planning — beginning with comprehensive campaigns — can help firms effectively execute their broader business strategy, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • 3 High Court Rulings May Shape Health Org. Litigation Tactics

    Author Photo

    Three separate decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court's most recent term — Loper Bright, Corner Post and Jarkesy — will likely strengthen healthcare organizations' ability to affirmatively sue executive agencies to challenge regulations governing operations and enforcement actions, say attorneys at McDermott.

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 Government Contracts 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!