Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Government Contracts
-
June 26, 2024
Claims Court Says USAID Wrongly Cut JV From $800M Deal
The U.S. Court of Federal Claims has ruled that the U.S. Agency for International Development was wrong to rescind a joint venture's slot on an $800 million support services procurement after one of its members was suspended from federal contracting.
-
June 26, 2024
Moms For America Sues Biden Admin Over Vax Liability Law
Conservative nonprofit Moms for America has sued the Biden administration over a law that shields companies from COVID-19 vaccine injury lawsuits, saying the law is unconstitutional because it circumvents judicial review and violates fundamental rights, including due process and trial by jury.
-
June 26, 2024
Justices Chide 5th Circ. In Biden Social Media Case
The Fifth Circuit relied on "clearly erroneous" facts and an overgeneralized view of standing when it ordered the Biden administration to stop working with social media platforms to combat COVID-19 and election misinformation, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday as it threw out a challenge to the government's actions.
-
June 26, 2024
After Covering For Ex, Man Gets 53 Months For PPP Scheme
A Georgia man who pled guilty to being a key player in an $11 million pandemic loan fraud ring was hit with a 53-month prison term Wednesday, a sentence that wasn't helped after a federal judge found he lied on the stand testifying for his ex-wife and co-conspirator at her trial earlier this year.
-
June 26, 2024
Julian Assange Freed After Judge Accepts US Plea Deal
Julian Assange returned to his native Australia on Wednesday hours after a federal judge in the Northern Mariana Islands accepted his plea deal with the U.S. Department of Justice and sentenced him to time served for conspiring to disclose national security information.
-
June 26, 2024
GAO Backs BAE Protest Over $12B Missile Support Deal
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has backed a BAE Systems unit's protest over a $12 billion contract to support the U.S. Air Force's nuclear missile office, saying the Air Force didn't properly assess whether awardee Guidehouse's labor plans were realistic.
-
June 26, 2024
Supreme Court Bribery Ruling Limits Government's 'Arsenal'
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision Wednesday limiting the reach of a federal bribery law has removed a "novel" tool that prosecutors employed in a wide range of public corruption cases and could result in fewer prosecutions of state and local officials, experts say.
-
June 26, 2024
Fed. Circ. Says No Fees For HID Global In Patent Suit
The Federal Circuit has backed a U.S. Court of Federal Claims finding that HID Global Corp. can't have attorney fees after being let out of patent litigation brought by Giesecke & Devrient, but it affirmed on different grounds.
-
June 26, 2024
Judge Won't Free Texas Officials From Lengthy Detention Suit
A Texas federal judge refused to toss four migrants' claims that state officials detained them for longer than allowed, saying they have pled enough misconduct that, if true, would show the officers were aware they were holding detainees for weeks past their release date.
-
June 26, 2024
Miami-Dade Cites Animal Harm In Aquarium Eviction Action
Miami-Dade County has sued to evict an aquarium from a government-owned waterfront site following reports that the operator didn't clean and maintain the 70-year-old facility well enough and repeatedly failed to care for dolphins, manatees and other animals held at the theme park.
-
June 26, 2024
Fed. Circ. Denies Contractor's $37M Tax Reimbursement Bid
A U.S. State Department armed security contractor is not entitled to $37 million in reimbursement tied to tax payments to the Afghan government because the contractor's parent company, not the company itself, incurred the costs associated with the payments, the Federal Circuit said Wednesday.
-
June 26, 2024
Justices Say Bribery Law Doesn't Criminalize Gratuities
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday narrowed the scope of a federal bribery law frequently used in corruption cases against local officials, in a 6-3 ruling in favor of a former Indiana mayor who argued the law only criminalizes quid pro quo bribery and not rewards given after an official act.
-
June 26, 2024
High Court Axes Challenge To Biden Admin's Social Media Work
The U.S. Supreme Court wiped out a Fifth Circuit order prohibiting the Biden administration and several federal agencies from working with social media platforms to combat the spread of misinformation Wednesday, finding the states and individuals challenging the collaboration don't have standing to sue.
-
June 25, 2024
Judge Likely To Block Medical Record Co.'s Anti-Bot CAPTCHAs
A Maryland federal judge appeared ready to enjoin electronic medical records company PointClickCare from restricting nursing home analytics company Real Time Medical Systems' automated access to its online repositories Tuesday, potentially taking an early crack at defining the 21st Century Cures Act's data sharing provisions.
-
June 25, 2024
Pappas Restaurants 'Invented' Causes In Houston Airport Suit
The city of Houston told a state appeals court Tuesday that it should be shielded from a suit filed by Pappas Restaurants that alleges its procurement process caused Pappas to unfairly lose a 2023 contract with the William P. Hobby Airport because the contract for airport concessions did not require the city to spend any money.
-
June 25, 2024
Texas Appeals Court Reverses Dallas Transit Contractor's Win
A Texas appeals court has revived a subcontractor's lawsuit against a company that oversees the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority's services for people with disabilities, saying this week the subcontractor's allegations were strong enough to withstand a motion to dismiss.
-
June 25, 2024
Dems Seek 'Honest Evaluation' Of New ICBM Program
Thirteen Democrats, including the co-chairs of the Congressional Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, are calling for an "honest evaluation" of the U.S. Air Force's new intercontinental ballistic missile program due to cost overruns.
-
June 25, 2024
Ex-SEPTA Surveillance Unit Head Gets 37 Months For Bribery
A former director of video surveillance for a Pennsylvania transportation authority was sentenced Monday for his role in a bribery and extortion scheme in which he exchanged inside information for thousands of dollars, concert tickets and a future job.
-
June 25, 2024
GAO Won't Hear Protest Over Canceled DOD Sole-Source Deal
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has rejected a protest over the Defense Health Agency canceling a company's contract to instead seek competitive bids, saying the company ultimately sought the award of a sole-source deal, a position the watchdog won't support.
-
June 25, 2024
IRS Apologizes To Hedge Fund Founder Over Leaked Tax Data
The IRS issued an extraordinary public apology Tuesday to hedge fund founder and billionaire Ken Griffin for the leak of his and others' tax information to the media by a former contractor who admitted to stealing the returns of thousands of wealthy individuals, including former President Donald Trump.
-
June 25, 2024
Fed. Circ. Revives Class Action Against Feds' Visa Fraud Sting
The Federal Circuit on Tuesday revived an Indian citizen's proposed class action to recover tuition payments to a fake university the U.S. Department of Homeland Security set up to catch visa fraudsters, saying the lower court wrongly determined it lacked jurisdiction.
-
June 24, 2024
Julian Assange To Plead Guilty To US Charge, Feds Say
Julian Assange will plead guilty to a single count of conspiring to disclose national security information, the U.S. Department of Justice told a federal court in the Northern Mariana Islands on Monday, likely ending the WikiLeaks founder's long-running battle to avoid a U.S. prison sentence.
-
June 24, 2024
NYC Pharmacy Owners Get Jail Time For $18M Med Fraud
Two brothers who own several New York pharmacies will each have to pay over $18 million in restitution in addition to serving jail time for submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare for pricey cancer medication and funneling illicit proceeds through several shell companies, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday.
-
June 24, 2024
Billionaire Drops Case Against IRS Over Tax Info Leak
Billionaire hedge fund founder Ken Griffin dropped his case Monday seeking to hold the IRS accountable for the leak of his tax return information in a data breach that affected thousands of wealthy and powerful taxpayers, including former President Donald Trump.
-
June 24, 2024
Architect Wants Roofer's Claim Nixed Over $17.6M School Fires
Connecticut architectural firm Silver Petrucelli & Associates Inc. asked a state judge on Monday to strike a cross-claim by a builder it accused of impermissably using blowtorches to attach flashing to a school roof, setting fires in December 2021 and July 2022 that caused an alleged $17.6 million in damage.
Expert Analysis
-
How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season
Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
-
5 Gifts That May Run Afoul Of Government Ethics Rules
As the holiday season ramps up, it’s essential to keep in mind that government officials and employees are all subject to specific gift rules, and related violations can lead to consequences far worse than coal in one’s stocking, say Mark Renaud and Rob Walker at Wiley.
-
What DOD Commercial Product Rule Means For Contractors
A recent amendment to the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, along with forthcoming changes to the definition of what constitutes a subcontract, will offer some relief for commercial products and services contractors, but the U.S. Department of Defense should do more to reduce regulatory burdens, say Daniel Ramish and Jonathan Shaffer at Haynes Boone.
-
Series
Children's Book Writing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Becoming a children's book author has opened doors to incredible new experiences of which I barely dared to dream, but the process has also changed my life by serving as a reminder that strong writing, networking and public speaking skills are hugely beneficial to a legal career, says Shaunna Bailey at Sheppard Mullin.
-
Inside New Classified Contract Guidance For Joint Ventures
A recent Information Security Oversight Office notice clarifies the interplay between small business joint-venture rules and eligibility determinations for U.S. Department of Defense classified contracts, but it's still unclear how this should be interpreted for non-DOD procurements, says Todd Overman at Bass Berry.
-
Opinion
Giving The Gov't Drug Patent March-In Authority Is Bad Policy
The Biden administration's recent proposal to allow government seizure of certain taxpayer-funded drug patents is a terrible idea that would negate the benefits of government-funded research, to the detriment of patients and the wider economy, says Wayne Winegarden at Pacific Research Institute.
-
How Clients May Use AI To Monitor Attorneys
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Artificial intelligence tools will increasingly enable clients to monitor and evaluate their counsel’s activities, so attorneys must clearly define the terms of engagement and likewise take advantage of the efficiencies offered by AI, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.
-
When Patients Have Standing For Hospital Antitrust Suits
Brown v. Hartford Healthcare Corp., recently decided by a Connecticut state court, provides a useful examination of how antitrust standing issues may be analyzed when patients directly sue a healthcare system for anti-competitive conduct, says Charles Honart at Stevens & Lee.
-
Lessons From This Year's Landmark Green Energy IP Clash
In this year's Siemens v. General Electric wind turbine patent dispute, a Massachusetts federal court offers a cautionary tale against willful infringement, and highlights the balance between innovation, law and ethics, as legal battles like this become more frequent in the renewable energy sector, say John Powell and Andrew Siuta at Sunstein.
-
Series
The Pop Culture Docket: Judge D'Emic On Moby Grape
The 1968 Moby Grape song "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" tells the tale of a fictional defendant treated with scorn by the judge, illustrating how much the legal system has evolved in the past 50 years, largely due to problem-solving courts and the principles of procedural justice, says Kings County Supreme Court Administrative Judge Matthew D'Emic.
-
Inside DOD's Final Commercial Products And Services Rule
The recently released final amendment of a Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement provision will help streamline negotiations over subcontracts that provide commercial products and services, but its failure to address certain key questions means government contractors must still await further guidance, say Alex Sarria and Connor Farrell at Miller & Chevalier.
-
Series
Performing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer
The discipline of performing live music has directly and positively influenced my effectiveness as a litigator — serving as a reminder that practice, intuition and team building are all important elements of a successful law practice, says Jeff Wakolbinger at Bryan Cave.
-
Bid Protest Spotlight: Bias, Unequal Discussions, Timeliness
In this month's bid protest roundup, James Tucker at MoFo offers takeaways from three bid protests in the U.S. Government Accountability Office relating to the high standard for protests that allege agency bias, seeking revised proposals from just one offeror, and untimely objections to solicitation terms.
-
Breaking Down High Court's New Code Of Conduct
The U.S. Supreme Court recently adopted its first-ever code of conduct, and counsel will need to work closely with clients in navigating its provisions, from gift-giving to recusal bids, say Phillip Gordon and Mateo Forero at Holtzman Vogel.
-
A Gov't Contractor's Guide To Davis-Bacon Prevailing Wages
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
In light of shifting federal infrastructure priorities and recent updates to U.S. Department of Labor regulations, employers should take the time to revisit the basics of prevailing wage requirements for federal contractors under the Davis-Bacon Act and similar laws, says Timothy Taylor at Holland & Knight.