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Government Contracts
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July 24, 2024
Boeing, DOJ Finalize 737 Max Plea Deal
The Boeing Co. has finalized its agreement to plead guilty to conspiring to defraud safety regulators about the 737 Max 8's development, avoiding a criminal trial over a pair of deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019, according to a U.S. Department of Justice court filing Wednesday evening.
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July 24, 2024
Co. Wants Gov't Sanctioned For Late Docs In Contract Dispute
A contractor for the U.S. Air Force has urged the Court of Federal Claims to sanction the government after allegedly providing documents late and destroying other documents related to the company's suit alleging the Air Force wrongly terminated a support contract.
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July 24, 2024
Naval Engineers Urge 4th Circ. To Revive No-Poach Suit
A pair of former naval engineers have urged the Fourth Circuit to revive their proposed class action accusing military shipbuilding contractors and related firms of using secret "no-poach" agreements, saying their suit was wrongly ruled untimely amid a cover-up of the alleged scheme.
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July 24, 2024
Ex-US Army Worker Gets 15 Years For $109M Fraud Scheme
A former U.S. Army civilian employee will spend 15 years in prison for stealing nearly $109 million from a grant program meant for military dependents and their families to buy a fleet of luxury vehicles, jewelry and houses, federal prosecutors announced.
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July 24, 2024
Aerospace Co. Says Engine Buybacks Aren't Anticompetitive
RTX Corp.'s subsidiary Pratt & Whitney urged a Pennsylvania federal court to toss a $450 million antitrust lawsuit from a "middleman" for used aircraft engine parts, arguing that Pratt & Whitney's decision to deal directly with numerous shops that break down old engines did not harm consumers or freeze the plaintiff out of the market.
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July 24, 2024
Ex-Atlanta Official Asks 11th Circ. To Toss Bribery Conviction
A former Atlanta city commissioner sentenced to 4½ years in prison for taking bribes from a local contractor in exchange for steering millions of dollars to the contractor's company told the Eleventh Circuit Wednesday that her conviction must be reversed given the U.S. Supreme Court's recent holding in Snyder v. U.S.
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July 24, 2024
Newman Facing 2nd Suspension For 'Continuing Misconduct'
A panel of Federal Circuit judges on Wednesday recommended U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman remain suspended for another year based on her ongoing refusal to cooperate with an investigation into her health, or even acknowledge the court's concerns.
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July 24, 2024
ICE Contractor Hit With Class Action Over Family Separations
A father and son who were separated for six years under the Trump administration's policy of "zero tolerance" for unlawful border crossings have brought a proposed class action against the private contractor responsible for transporting children, seeking to make it pay for the emotional trauma families have endured.
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July 24, 2024
Ex-Pharma Exec Gets Jail For Insider Trading On Kodak Loan
A Manhattan federal judge sentenced a former pharmaceutical executive from South Carolina to three months in prison Wednesday for taking over $500,000 of illegal trading profit based on his advance knowledge that Kodak would get a massive pandemic-era government loan.
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July 23, 2024
Hogan Lovells Wants Afghanistan Atty Fee Award Enforced
Hogan Lovells US LLP has asked a New York federal court to enforce a more than $1.2 million award it secured against Afghanistan in arbitration over fees it says it's owed for the firm's work representing the country in various legal matters, including litigation over the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
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July 23, 2024
Construction Co. Protests Union Clause In Army Corps Deal
Hensel Phelps Construction Co. has protested over terms of an Army Corps of Engineers construction contract requiring bidders to enter into a project labor agreement, mandated by regulation, saying the PLA requirement violates a competitive contracting law.
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July 23, 2024
Ex-Raytheon Worker Asks High Court To Take Up Firing Suit
A former employee of defense contractor Raytheon asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse his ouster from the company, arguing that the Fifth Circuit's finding that he shouldn't be reinstated set up a circuit split.
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July 23, 2024
Colo. Judges Want Clarity On When Moot Cases Need Rulings
Colorado appellate judges on Tuesday pushed a popular ski town to define what makes a case of "great public importance," as a major resort company argued its land fight with the town is weighty enough that the judges should rule even if the actual dispute is now moot.
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July 23, 2024
$680M Allergan FCA Suit Tossed After High Court Revival
A Maryland federal judge on Tuesday again tossed a False Claims Act suit accusing an Allergan unit of overcharging Medicaid, previously revived by the U.S. Supreme Court, saying a whistleblower still hadn't shown any deliberate wrongdoing by the company.
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July 23, 2024
Oshkosh Says USPS Followed NEPA With New Vehicle Plan
Oshkosh Defense joined the U.S. Postal Service in firing back at environmentalists and a coalition of 17 states' attempt to secure judgment in litigation protesting the agency's decision to replace its aging delivery fleet with only 62% electric vehicles, saying the group's challenge threatens to undermine such a significant transformation.
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July 23, 2024
Senate Dems Roll Out Bill To Codify Chevron Deference
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., led a group of Democratic senators Tuesday in introducing a bill to codify the now-defunct doctrine of Chevron deference after it was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court last month.
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July 22, 2024
No Injunction For Co.'s DQ From Habitat Restoration Deal
A U.S. Court of Federal Claims judge denied an Illinois-based construction company's emergency bid to halt the U.S. Army's procurement for a habitat restoration deal it was disqualified from, saying the protester failed to show it would be irreparably harmed.
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July 22, 2024
EPA Awards $4.3B In Grants For Climate Change Projects
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it's steering $4.3 billion in grant funding to 25 projects that promise to help curb greenhouse gas pollution, advance environmental justice and transition the country to clean power.
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July 22, 2024
State Street Sets Aside $4.2M To Address Wage Discrimination
Federal financial services provider State Street agreed to set aside $4.2 million to make wage adjustments in the future as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that it discriminated against some women managing directors with its base pay and bonuses, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Monday.
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July 22, 2024
Gov't Wants Protest Over $186M In DOD Fuel Deals Thrown Out
The Defense Logistics Agency has urged the Court of Federal Claims to dismiss a protest alleging it wrongly ignored misconduct by companies awarded $186 million in fuel delivery deals, saying it adequately investigated the claims and found nothing untoward.
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July 22, 2024
Claims Court Upholds JV's $15M Boiler Plant Contract
A Court of Federal Claims judge rejected a construction company's protest over a $14.7 million U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs contract for renovating a boiler plant at a VA medical center in Pennsylvania, saying the agency reasonably awarded the contract to a mentor-protégé joint venture based on "best value trade-off."
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July 22, 2024
Ex-Lobbyist Asks To Be Severed From Madigan RICO Case
The former Commonwealth Edison lobbyist on track to face a jury alongside former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan this fall asked a federal judge Friday to sever his corruption case from Madigan's, saying a joint trial would be unfair because Madigan's lawyers intend to act as "second prosecutors" against him.
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July 22, 2024
NY Judge Declares Migrant Challenge To Housing Policy Moot
A New York federal court swept aside asylum-seekers' challenge to county-level housing restrictions that they say were designed to bar them, agreeing with local officials that the case was moot after they issued new policies.
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July 22, 2024
CEOs Want To Separate Bribery Trial From Navy Admiral's
A pair of CEOs charged with bribing a retired four-star Navy admiral to potentially secure lucrative government contracts have asked a D.C. federal judge to sever their cases from the retired admiral's bribery trial, arguing that there's a "serious risk" they would be unfairly prejudiced by holding a joint trial.
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July 22, 2024
1st Circ. Hints At Higher Bar For Feds In Anti-Kickback Cases
The First Circuit on Monday questioned the government's assertion that Congress intended to broaden the standard for liability in False Claims Act kickback cases when it passed a key amendment in 2010.
Expert Analysis
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Unpacking The Interim Vet-Owned Small Biz Verification Rule
Government contractors that intend to bid for service-disabled veteran-owned small business set-aside contracts should immediately consider the potential impacts of a recently issued rule that specifies how contracting officers will verify that they have certified their status, say Derek Mullins and Beth Gotthelf at Butzel.
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The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals
Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.
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McKesson May Change How AKS-Based FCA Claims Are Pled
The Second Circuit’s analysis in U.S. v. McKesson, an Anti-Kickback Statute-based False Claims Act case, provides guidance for both relators and defendants parsing scienter-related allegations, say Li Yu at Dicello Levitt, Ellen London at London & Stout, and Erica Hitchings at Whistleblower Law.
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Series
Being An Equestrian Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Beyond getting experience thinking on my feet and tackling stressful situations, the skills I've gained from horseback riding have considerable overlap with the skills used to practice law, particularly in terms of team building, continuing education, and making an effort to reset and recharge, says Kerry Irwin at Moore & Van Allen.
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Opinion
Cyber Regulators Should Rely On Existing Sources Cautiously
New incident reporting rules proposed by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency illustrate how the use of definitions, standards and approaches from existing sources can create a complex patchwork of regulations, demonstrating that it is essential for agencies to be clear about expectations and not create unnecessary confusion, says Megan Brown at Wiley.
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DOE Funding And Cargo Preference Compliance: Key Points
Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the U.S. Department of Energy will disburse more than $62 billion in financing for innovative energy projects — and recipients must understand their legal obligations related to cargo preference, so they can develop compliance strategies as close to project inception as possible, say attorneys at White & Case.
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4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy
With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.
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Tips For Balanced Board Oversight After A Cyberincident
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's cybersecurity disclosure rules, as well as recent regulatory enforcement actions bringing board governance under scrutiny, continue to push boards toward active engagement in relation to their cyber-oversight role, despite it being unclear what a board's level of involvement should be, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.
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Breaking Down DOJ's Individual Self-Disclosure Pilot Program
The U.S. Department of Justice’s recently announced pilot program aims to incentivize individuals to voluntarily self-disclose corporate misconduct they were personally involved in, complementing a new whistleblower pilot program for individuals not involved in misconduct as well as the government's broader corporate enforcement approach, say attorneys at Paul Weiss.
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How To Prepare As Employee Data Reporting Deadlines Near
As filing deadlines approach, government contractors and private companies alike should familiarize themselves with recent changes to federal and California employee data reporting requirements and think strategically about registration of affirmative action plans to minimize the risk of being audited, say Christopher Durham and Zev Grumet-Morris at Duane Morris.
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Why Timely Gov't Contractor Registration Renewal Is Key
The U.S. Government Accountability Office's recent decision in TLS Joint Venture makes clear that a lapse in System for Award Management registration, no matter how brief, renders a government contractor ineligible for a negotiated procurement, so submit renewals with plenty of time to spare, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.
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Inside OMB's Update On Race And Ethnicity Data Collection
The Office of Management and Budget's new guidelines for agency collection of data on race and ethnicity reflect societal changes and the concerns of certain demographics, but implementation may be significantly burdensome for agencies and employers, say Joanna Colosimo and Bill Osterndorf at DCI Consulting.
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Series
Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.
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GSA's Carbon-Free Power Plan: Tips For Electricity Suppliers
The U.S. General Services Administration's recent request for information concerning its intent to acquire a large amount of carbon pollution-free electricity over the next decade in the PJM Interconnection region offers key insights for companies interested in becoming electric power suppliers to federal government agencies, say Shaunna Bailey and Nicholas Dugdale at Sheppard Mullin.
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Contract Disputes Recap: Interpretation And Jurisdiction
Edward Arnold and Sarah Barney at Seyfarth examine three decisions by the U.S. Court of Federal Claims that show the importance of knowing who your contracting partner is, addressing patent ambiguities in a solicitation prior to award and keeping basic contract principles in mind when evaluating performance obligations.