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Government Contracts
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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.
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August 28, 2024
CVS Can't Avoid Federal Claims In $200M FCA Suit
A former CVS Health compliance director can pursue claims the company and its subsidiaries pocketed more than $200 million in overpayments, after an Illinois federal judge on Monday tossed several other claims from a qui tam suit alleging various schemes by CVS to take money from the government.
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August 28, 2024
Contractor Drops Fed. Circ. Challenge To Registration Rule
The federal government and a joint venture on Wednesday agreed to end a Federal Circuit appeal that questioned whether the U.S. State Department unfairly disqualified the company from a security contract over its failure to register on the contracting database.
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August 28, 2024
Cooley, Latham Steer Defense Co.'s $80M VC Funding Round
Parry Labs announced Wednesday that the Virginia-based defense technology company, represented by Cooley LLP, has raised $80 million in its first institutional investment round fueled by Capitol Meridian Partners, represented by Latham & Watkins LLP, and other venture capital firms.
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August 28, 2024
Mont. Hospital Pays $11M In FCA Case For Doc's Fake Billing
Nonprofit healthcare center St. Peter's Health will pay nearly $11 million to settle alleged False Claims Act violations stemming from conduct by a former oncology doctor who submitted fraudulent claims to government programs for up-coded cancer treatment services and who double-billed office visits to boost his own salary, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Montana.
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August 28, 2024
Atlanta's Ex-CFO Gets 3 Years For 'Triple-Dipping' In Coffers
Atlanta's former chief financial officer became the latest city hall official to head to prison on corruption charges Tuesday, after getting hit with a three-year prison sentence for what prosecutors called a "triple-dipping" scheme into city coffers to pay for swanky vacations and illegal firearms.
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August 28, 2024
Conn. Dental Practices Settle False Claims Case For $1.7M
Three dental practices in Connecticut and their owners have paid a $1.7 million settlement after federal and state authorities accused them of using an illegal patient recruiting tactic and paying kickbacks that ripped off Medicaid.
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August 28, 2024
Top Gov't Contracts Cases To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2024
Federal courts in the latter half of 2024 are expected to scrutinize a strict federal registration requirement for contractors and decide whether whistleblower False Claims Act cases are constitutional, potentially affecting a key federal anti-fraud tool. Here, Law360 previews key disputes that government contractors should have on their radar in the second half of the year.
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August 27, 2024
Navy Shipbuilder Pleads Guilty To Accounting Fraud
A shipbuilder that contracts with the U.S. Navy pled guilty Tuesday to accounting fraud as part of a settlement to resolve criminal and civil investigations.
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August 27, 2024
Bank Seeks To End Claims It Mismanaged Treasury Program
A bank is seeking to permanently dismiss a suit accusing it of misleading an investor about its oversight of a U.S. Department of Treasury contract, saying despite amending its case three times, the investor hasn't connected any sustained stock loss to contract issues.
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August 27, 2024
Admiral Seeks Bribery Trial Separate From Contractors
A retired U.S. Navy admiral accused of accepting bribes from two contractors is pushing a Washington, D.C., federal court to sever his trial from theirs, saying the pair appeared poised to pin any alleged misconduct on him.
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August 27, 2024
Return Of Venezuela Sanctions Reignites Criminal Probes
Criminal investigations into Venezuela-related sanctions violations appear to be ramping back up since the U.S. government reimposed crushing trade penalties on the South American country's oil and gas sectors in response to an allegedly sham presidential election, according to experts.
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August 27, 2024
US Arrests Hungarian Suspected Of Sending Radios To Russia
The U.S. Department of Justice announced criminal charges against a Hungarian national suspected to have run a multinational procurement network designed to help Russia obtain U.S. military-grade communications technology.
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August 27, 2024
Top Gov't Contract Cases Of 2024: Midyear Report
Courts and appeals boards have decided several consequential cases impacting government contractors this year, including determining whether software end-user licenses are procurement contracts and weighing in on when companies can protest alleged violations of a federal preference for commercial items. Here, Law360 looks back at the top government contracts-related rulings in 2024 so far.
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August 26, 2024
LA To Pay $38.2M In FCA Suit Alleging Inaccessible Housing
The city of Los Angeles will pay $38.2 million to settle allegations it knowingly failed, for over a decade, to ensure federally funded affordable multifamily housing properties were accessible to people with disabilities, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday.
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August 26, 2024
Army Corps Looks To Trim Claims In Alaskan Gold Mine Row
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has told an Alaska federal judge that most of the claims asserted by a small village that's trying to thwart an open pit gold mine can't be supported and should be dismissed.
Expert Analysis
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9th Circ. Ruling Flags Work Harassment Risks Of Social Media
The recent Ninth Circuit ruling in Okonowsky v. Garland, holding an employer could be liable for a co-worker's harassing social media posts, highlights new challenges in technology-centered and remote workplaces, and underscores an employer's obligation to prevent hostile environments wherever their employees clock in, say Jennifer Lada and Phillip Schreiber at Holland & Knight.
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Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Is My Counterclaim Bound To Fall?
A Pennsylvania federal court’s recent dismissal of the defendants’ counterclaims in Morgan v. Noss should remind attorneys to avoid the temptation to repackage a claim’s facts and law into a mirror-image counterclaim, as this approach will often result in a waste of time and resources, says Matthew Selmasska at Kaufman Dolowich.
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Series
Playing Dungeons & Dragons Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Playing Dungeons & Dragons – a tabletop role-playing game – helped pave the way for my legal career by providing me with foundational skills such as persuasion and team building, says Derrick Carman at Robins Kaplan.
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Bid Protest Spotlight: Misplaced Info, Trade-Offs, Proteges
James Tucker at MoFo examines three recent decisions concerning the consequences of providing solicited information in the wrong section of a bid proposal, the limits of agency discretion in technical merit, best-value trade-off evaluations, and the weight of the experience and capabilities of small businesses in mentor-protégé joint venture qualification.
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Del. Dispatch: Director Caremark Claims Need Extreme Facts
The Delaware Court of Chancery recently dismissed Caremark claims against the directors of Centene in Bricklayers Pension Fund of Western Pennsylvania v. Brinkley, indicating a high bar for a finding of the required element of bad faith for Caremark liability, and stressing the need to resist hindsight bias, say attorneys at Fried Frank.
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Opinion
Time To Reimagine The Novation Process For Gov't Contracts
The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council, which recently extended a long-standing request for public comments on its novation procedures, should heed commenters' suggestions by implementing specific changes in its documentation requirements, thereby creating a more streamlined and practical novation process, say attorneys at Covington.
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3 Leadership Practices For A More Supportive Firm Culture
Traditional leadership styles frequently amplify the inherent pressures of legal work, but a few simple, time-neutral strategies can strengthen the skills and confidence of employees and foster a more collaborative culture, while supporting individual growth and contribution to organizational goals, says Benjamin Grimes at BKG Leadership.
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How Justices' E-Rate Decision May Affect Scope Of FCA
The U.S. Supreme Court’s eventual decision in Wisconsin Bell v. U.S., determining whether reimbursements paid by the E-rate program are "claims" under the False Claims Act, may affect other federal programs that do not require payments to be made by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, says David Colapinto at Kohn Kohn.
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents
Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.
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What Cos. Should Note In DOJ's New Whistleblower Pilot
After the U.S. Department of Justice unveiled a new whistleblower pilot program last week — continuing its efforts to incentivize individual reporting of misconduct — companies should review the eligibility criteria, update their compliance programs and consider the risks and benefits of making their own self-disclosures, say attorneys at Skadden.
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Motion To Transfer Venue Considerations For FCA Cases
Several recent decisions highlight the importance for practitioners of analyzing as early as possible whether a False Claims Act case warrants a change of venue, and understanding how courts weigh certain factors for defendants versus whistleblowers, say Ellen London at London & Stout, and Li Yu and Corey Lipton at DiCello Levitt.
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Series
After Chevron: New Lines Of Attack For FCA Defense Bar
Loper Bright has given defense counsel new avenues to overcome the False Claims Act elements of falsity and scienter, as any FCA claim based upon ambiguous statutory terms can no longer stand solely on agency regulations to establish the statute's meaning, which is itself necessary to satisfy the FCA's basic requirements, says Elisha Kobre at Bradley Arant.
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Series
Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer
As a master scuba instructor, I’ve learned how to prepare for the unexpected, overcome fears and practice patience, and each of these skills – among the many others I’ve developed – has profoundly enhanced my work as a lawyer, says Ron Raether at Troutman Pepper.
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SolarWinds Ruling Offers Cyber Incident Response Takeaways
The New York federal court's dismissal of all charges related to the 2019 Sunburst cyberattack is a devastating blow to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's cybersecurity case against SolarWinds, but the well-reasoned opinion provides valuable lessons that may improve companies' defensive posture in the wake of a major cybersecurity incident, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.