Government Contracts

April 25, 2025
Taxation With Representation: Dechert, Brown Rudnick

In this week's Taxation With Representation, Boeing sells parts of its digital aviation solutions business to Thoma Bravo, Baker Tilly and Moss Adams join forces, Mobico sells its U.S. school bus business to I Squared Capital, and Apollo commits to a joint venture with Bullrock Energy Ventures.
April 25, 2025
Calif. High Court Wants Answers On Bar Exam AI Use

Days after the State Bar of California revealed it utilized artificial intelligence to develop some questions included in its embattled February 2025 exam, the state's Supreme Court released a statement demanding the bar association provide additional details.
April 24, 2025
DC Circ. Fears Newman Atty Would Impeach Disabled Judges

The attorney fighting Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman's suspension alarmed the D.C. Circuit on Thursday when he argued that judges can only have their work taken from them if they voluntarily resign or are impeached.
April 24, 2025
DOT Drops SDNY Attys Who Accidentally Exposed Case Flaws

The U.S. Department of Transportation said Thursday it replaced its defense counsel after the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York's Southern District accidentally filed publicly a confidential memo advising the DOT it's "very unlikely" to win litigation challenging the DOT's bid to kill New York's congestion pricing.
April 24, 2025
Judge Presses Feds To Explain Int'l Students' Data Removal

A Georgia federal judge on Thursday considered extending an order to restore over 130 current and former international students to a U.S. Immigration and Customs database, but suggested it remains unclear whether the move would even guarantee the students' legal immigration status.
April 24, 2025
GAO Denies Protest Of $10.5M DOE Support Services Deal

A company protesting a $10.5 million National Nuclear Security Administration award for support services failed to show that the agency botched its best-value evaluation, or that the awardee had misrepresented the availability of its proposed program manager, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said.
April 24, 2025
ACLU Urges Court To Enforce Family Separation Settlement

The American Civil Liberties Union has called on a California federal judge to enforce provisions of a 2023 settlement requiring the government to provide legal services to thousands of immigrant families that were separated under the first Trump administration's "zero-tolerance" policy.
April 24, 2025
'Egregious' Delays Wipe Out Ga. Health Fraud Case

A Georgia federal judge on Thursday dismissed an eight-year-old case over alleged Medicaid fraud, calling the government's delays in bringing three healthcare executives to trial "egregious" and noting that the alleged criminal conduct took place between 12 and 25 years ago.
April 24, 2025
Feds Slam City's Challenge To ICE's Planned NJ Facility

The federal government unleashed sharp criticism against the city of Newark, New Jersey, lambasting its lawsuit to block GEO Group Inc.'s plans for an immigration detention facility and calling it an "admitted, aggressive, and legally unjustified" maneuver.
April 24, 2025
Tenn. Middle District Proposes Rule Change Amid Speech Suit

The four district judges of the Middle District of Tennessee have proposed an update to the local rules of court, including clarifying limits on what lawyers may tell the press amid civil proceedings, while a Nashville lawyer's free speech suit against the district is on appeal before the Sixth Circuit.
April 24, 2025
$78M Navy Repair Award Challenge Falls Short, GAO Says

The U.S. Government Accountability Office said a BAE Systems unit protesting a $78 million Navy award for repairs and alterations to the USS Russell should have been clearer about its capacity to dry-dock the destroyer if it wanted to land the job.
April 24, 2025
Harvard Seeks To Move 'Swiftly' In $2B Fund Freeze Suit

Harvard University is seeking to move as quickly as possible to get to the merits of its suit challenging the Trump administration's $2.2 billion funding freeze, asking a Massachusetts federal judge to expedite discovery and briefing.
April 24, 2025
4th Circ. Won't Rehear Health Data Access Order Challenge

The Fourth Circuit has declined an electronic medical records firm's request for the appellate court to rethink a panel's decision to dismiss its appeal of an order forcing the company to let a nursing data business access its patient information.
April 23, 2025
GAO Won't Rethink Denial Of Army Corps Contract Challenge

The Government Accountability Office has dismissed a Georgia-based construction contractor's request to reconsider its January decision rejecting its challenge to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' denial of its building repair contract proposal.
April 23, 2025
Ex-Rep Should Pay $25K For 'Sham' Lawsuit, Fla. Judge Told

A real estate holding company owner told a Florida state court judge Wednesday that he's owed about $25,000 in legal fees for defending against a "sham" contract breach lawsuit alleging he assisted officials investigating possible foreign agent crimes against a former congressman, saying the agreements at issue were declared invalid.
April 23, 2025
California Bar Says It Used AI To Craft Some Exam Questions

The State Bar of California used artificial intelligence to develop certain multiple-choice questions that were included in the February exam, a revelation that left one law school assistant dean "shocked" and a move that the state bar said was "not clearly communicated" to its own leadership.
April 23, 2025
GAO Denies Protest Of Scope Of Air Force's Corrective Action

The Government Accountability Office rejected an Ohio company's challenge to the scope of the Air Force's corrective action after its initial protest of a contract award decision, saying the agency wasn't required to embark on what would amount to an entirely new competition.
April 23, 2025
Fed. Circ. Won't Revive Minority Farmer COVID Debt Relief Suit

The Federal Circuit declined to revive claims by socially disadvantaged farmers who said the government owes them millions of dollars after repealing a coronavirus pandemic-era debt relief program, ruling Tuesday the farmers failed to show the government had a mutual intent to enter a binding contract.
April 23, 2025
Ex-CIA Official Cops To Secretly Lobbying For Foreign Clients

A former CIA official-turned-contractor pled guilty on Wednesday to surreptitiously using his high-level security clearance to lobby for foreign national clients, including an individual seeking a U.S. visa despite terrorism financing allegations, according to a U.S. Department of Justice announcement.
April 23, 2025
Airport Contractor Fails To Provide Breaks, Worker Says

An aviation services contractor fails to provide workers with mandatory 10-minute rest periods and declines to compensate them for this missed time, a proposed class action filed Wednesday in Colorado state court said.
April 23, 2025
DOJ Settles With Tow Co. Over Navy Officer's Car Auction

The U.S. Department of Justice reached a settlement Tuesday with a California towing company it alleges illegally auctioned a deployed Navy lieutenant's car in violation of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, with the officer receiving $7,500 in damages and the government collecting a $2,000 civil penalty.
April 23, 2025
FCA Suit Over Allergan's Alleged Kickbacks Trimmed

An Illinois federal judge on Wednesday pared down a lawsuit by former Allergan USA pharmaceutical sales reps claiming the company engaged in a scheme to provide kickbacks to doctors in exchange for prescribing more gastrointestinal drugs, saying they largely failed to show enough of a link between the alleged kickbacks and any false claims to the government for prescriptions.
April 23, 2025
US Sues Gas Co. That Overbilled Pa. Prison By $4M

The federal government is seeking more than $4 million in civil penalties after an El Paso, Texas, man pled guilty to defrauding the Federal Bureau of Prisons by inflating natural gas invoices to a Pennsylvania prison.
April 23, 2025
Investment Fund Insists On DQing Connell Foley From Bias Suit

A Black-owned investment company asked a New Jersey federal court to overturn a magistrate judge's decision denying its bid to disqualify a Connell Foley LLP attorney from representing the state in the investment firm's bias case.
April 23, 2025
Akerman Adds Womble Bond Renewable Energy Pro In NC

Akerman LLP has added a former Womble Bond Dickinson LLP partner to the firm's Charlotte, North Carolina, office for its corporate practice group, the firm announced Tuesday.

Editor's Picks

The Latest On Escobar's FCA Impact

Federal courts across the country are handing down important rulings interpreting the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision on False Claims Act liability in Universal Health Services v. Escobar. As the rulings keep pouring in, stay up to speed on Law360’s latest coverage and analysis of Escobar’s impact.

Expert Analysis

Series

Playing Football Made Me A Better Lawyer

While my football career ended over 15 years ago, the lessons the sport taught me about grit, accountability and resilience have stayed with me and will continue to help me succeed as an attorney, says Bert McBride at Trenam.
10 Arbitrations And A 5th Circ. Ruling Flag Arb. Clause Risks

The ongoing arbitral saga of Sullivan v. Feldman, which has engendered proceedings before 10 different arbitrators in Texas and Louisiana along with last month's Fifth Circuit opinion, showcases both the risks and limitations of arbitration clauses in retainer agreements for resolving attorney-client disputes, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin and Lodgen.
Contract Disputes Recap: Q&As, Gov't Claims, Pleading

Attorneys at Seyfarth examine decisions from the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims covering matters including superior knowledge, government claims and pleading standards.
Self-Disclosure Calculus Remains Complex Under Trump DOJ

Shifting policy focus under the Trump administration's Justice Department has created uncertainty for individuals considering voluntarily self-disclosing crimes that are no longer considered an enforcement priority, but there has been no indication that the administration intends on dialing back self-disclosure programs, say attorneys at Fox Rothschild.
Perspectives

The Benefits Of Aligning States On Legal Paraprofessionals

Texas' proposal to become the latest state to license paraprofessional providers of limited legal services could help firms expand their reach and improve access to justice, but consumers, attorneys and allied legal professionals would benefit even more if similar programs across the country become more uniform, says Michael Houlberg at the University of Denver.
11 Tips For Contractors Dealing With DOD Staff Reductions

Defense contractors should prepare for a wide range of disruptions related to procurement and contract administration that are likely amid federal workforce reductions, say attorneys at Covington.
Pay Cos. That Adapt Can Benefit As Gov't Ends Paper Checks

Recent executive orders, instructing the government to cease issuing paper checks and to modernize and fraud-proof federal payments, will likely benefit financial services providers that facilitate government disbursements — provided they can manage the challenges and risks of transitioning to fully digital payments, say attorneys at Davis Wright.
10 Soft Skills Every GC Should Master

As businesses face shifting regulatory and technological uncertainty, general counsel will need to strengthen certain soft skills to succeed, from admitting when they make a mistake to maintaining a healthy dose of dispassion, says Douglas Brown at Manatt.
Learning From COVID-19 Enforcement Against Nursing Homes

Five years after the COVID-19 outbreak caused a high number of deaths in nursing homes, an examination of enforcement actions against nursing homes in New York and elsewhere in the country highlights obstacles that may arise when bringing cases of this type, and ways to overcome them, says Kenneth Levine at Stone & Magnanini.
Reviving A Dormant Criminal Statute In Antitrust Prosecution

The U.S. Department of Justice is poised to revive a dormant misdemeanor statute to resolve bid-rigging charges against a foreign national, providing important context to a recent effort to entice foreign defendants to take responsibility for pending charges or face the risk of extradition, say attorneys at Axinn.
End May Be In Sight For Small Biz Set-Aside Programs

A Jan. 21 executive order largely disarming the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, along with recent court rulings, suggests that the administration may soon attempt to eliminate set-asides intended to level the award playing field for small business contractors that qualify under socioeconomic programs, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.
An Unrestrained, Bright-Eyed View Of Legal AI's Future

Todd Itami at Covington offers a bright-eyed, laughing-all-the-way, skydive look at what the legal industry could look like after an artificial intelligence revolution, which he believes may happen much sooner and more dramatically than we expect.
Tracking The Evolution In Litigation Finance

Despite continued innovation, litigation finance remains an immature market with borrowers recieving significantly different terms as lenders learn to value cases, which firms need a strong handle on to ensure lending terms do not overwhelm collateral value, says Robert Wilkins at Lightfoot Franklin.
Series

Volunteer Firefighting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

While practicing corporate law and firefighting may appear incongruous, the latter benefits my legal career by reminding me of the importance of humility, perspective and education, says Nicholas Passaro at Ford.
What The Minimum Wage Shift Means For Gov't Contractors

While President Donald Trump's recent executive order rescinding a 2021 increase to the federal contractor minimum wage is welcome relief to some federal contractors and settles continued disagreement about its legality, there remains significant uncertainty and pitfalls over contractor wage obligations, say attorneys at Polsinelli.