Government Contracts

  • April 16, 2025

    Fed Circ. Affirms Greek Air Force Suit Was Untimely

    A Federal Circuit panel issued a one-word judgment upholding a Court of Federal Claims ruling that a $22 million suit the Greece air force brought over faulty reconnaissance cameras bought through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program was untimely.

  • April 16, 2025

    Mich. Exec Gets Prison As Judge Rips White Collar Wrist Slaps

    A Michigan federal judge said Wednesday that he couldn't offer probation to a former asphalt company executive, saying the $17 million his company received as part of a bid-rigging scheme with competitors warrants some prison time to deter white collar criminals from thinking they can escape with a more lenient sentence.

  • April 16, 2025

    GAO Backs Protest Of $68M DHS Task Order

    The Government Accountability Office said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services should reevaluate proposals for a $68.5 million task order to provide data strategy support services after having unreasonably evaluated technical proposals.

  • April 16, 2025

    Energy Dept. Blocked From Cutting School Research Grants

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked the U.S. Department of Energy from capping indirect costs for research grants while the court considers arguments from a group of universities that the policy shift will "devastate" scientific research.

  • April 16, 2025

    Helicopter Co. Can't Block Testimony In Crash Suit, Family Says

    The family of a helicopter pilot who died fighting a wildfire has told a Montana federal judge that the manufacturer shouldn't be allowed to exclude their experts' testimony, since the company already had a chance to ask them about their theories.

  • April 16, 2025

    Dems Ask GSA To Explain Federal Asset Disposal Plans

    Democrats on the House Oversight Committee urged the General Services Administration to explain its moves to list federal properties for disposal, expressing concern about how the agency has identified buildings for sale.

  • April 16, 2025

    Groups Urge Congress To Probe DC's Use Of Private Attys

    The American Tort Reform Association and two other groups called on Congress on Wednesday to investigate District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb for the office's use of outside counsel for litigation, which they say has issued millions in legal contracts with little transparency or accountability.

  • April 16, 2025

    GAO Won't Redo Decision On Cancellation Of VA Display Deal

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office denied a Virginia company's push to reconsider a decision affirming the Department of Veteran Affairs' choice to revisit a flawed solicitation for display monitors rather than award a contract to the company that didn't fully meet requirements.

  • April 15, 2025

    Trump Cites U.S. Security To Investigate Critical Minerals Tax

    President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued an executive order launching a so-called Section 232 national security tariff investigation into the United States' reliance on imported processed critical minerals, citing his belief that "an overreliance ... could jeopardize U.S. defense capabilities."

  • April 15, 2025

    Trump Orders Overhaul Of Federal Contracting Rules

    President Donald Trump issued orders Tuesday aimed at simplifying and reducing the costs of federal contracting for both government and contractors, directing agencies to pare back the Federal Acquisition Regulation to only "essential" requirements and to prioritize commercial item purchases.

  • April 15, 2025

    Judge Ends 'China Initiative' Prosecution Of Ex-Ga. Tech Prof

    A federal judge has dismissed the last remaining criminal charges against a former Georgia Tech professor who was indicted more than four years ago over allegations he was helping Chinese tech workers come to the U.S. under the guise of being university-affiliated researchers.

  • April 15, 2025

    Chase Says Fla. Biz Playing Games With NY 'Debanking' Suit

    JPMorgan Chase Bank NA wants a case accusing it of "debanking" a Florida company sent to the Sunshine State, arguing that it has already won at least one nearly identical suit there and that the company's attempt to bring the current action in New York is a transparent attempt at forum shopping.

  • April 15, 2025

    Judge Won't Hit Brakes On Army Helicopter Power Unit Award

    A U.S. Court of Federal Claims judge has rejected Hydraulics International Inc.'s attempt to block a sole-source award to Sun Test Systems Inc. for power units to service Army helicopters, saying the company failed to show it could deliver the equipment in question.

  • April 15, 2025

    Plane Part Cos. Settle For $1.3M Over False Small Biz Claims

    Two airplane parts manufacturers will pay more than $1.3 million after disclosing under the False Claims Act that they no longer qualified for federal contracts set aside for small businesses, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut.

  • April 15, 2025

    Journalists, Unions Fight VOA Shutdown In DC Federal Court

    A coalition of journalists, unions and a reporter advocacy group asked a D.C. federal judge not to disturb a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from dismantling the agency that oversees Voice of America, arguing the district court has jurisdiction to weigh in on the case.

  • April 15, 2025

    NJ Judicial Privacy Law Is Unconstitutional, 3rd Circ. Told

    A group of data brokers told the Third Circuit that the New Jersey judicial privacy measure, Daniel's Law, is facially unconstitutional and that a federal district judge effectively "rewrote" it when he found otherwise.

  • April 15, 2025

    DC Maintains, Expands Tax Exemptions For NBA, NHL Arena

    The District of Columbia maintained and expanded tax breaks for the property and airspace of Capital One Arena, home to the NBA's Washington Wizards and NHL's Washington Capitals, as part of legislation that became law, according to a notice published in the district's register.

  • April 15, 2025

    DOL Blocked From Forcing Contractors To Swear Off DEI

    The U.S. Department of Labor cannot force federal funding recipients to certify that they don't operate programs that violate recent executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, an Illinois federal judge held, saying President Donald Trump's directive likely violates the First Amendment.

  • April 14, 2025

    Judge Vacates €978M Army Security Services Contract

    A Court of Federal Claims judge scrapped a €978.6 million ($1.02 billion) contract awarded by the U.S. Army for armed security services for installations in Germany, saying the agency relied on unstated evaluation criteria for past performance.

  • April 14, 2025

    9th Circ. Says $24M Punitive Damages In Jail Death Too Steep

    A jury correctly determined that a healthcare contractor was liable for the death of a woman in custody in a Washington jail, a split Ninth Circuit panel ruled Monday, but its $24 million award for punitive damages was excessive.

  • April 14, 2025

    Judge Backs Air Force In Drone Pilot Contract Dispute

    A Court of Federal Claims judge said the U.S. Air Force reasonably excluded two companies from competing for a contract to train drone pilots, after they failed to certify themselves as women-owned small businesses in the system for award management as required.

  • April 14, 2025

    Calif. Board Says SpaceX Suit Should Be Grounded For Good

    The California Coastal Commission moved Friday for another dismissal of SpaceX's suit alleging the commission wrongly tried to block its plan to increase rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, saying because the commission's opposition was overridden by the U.S. Air Force, no harm was caused.

  • April 14, 2025

    Quinn Emanuel, King & Spalding Rep Harvard In Trump Letter

    Harvard University on Monday turned to a pair of high-powered lawyers from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP and King & Spalding LLP as the school pushed back on the Trump administration's policy demands linked to nearly $9 billion in federal funding — a move that prompted the government to freeze more than $2 billion in grants for the school.

  • April 14, 2025

    Top Court Ruling Dooms Suit Challenging Housing Grant Cuts

    A federal judge in Boston on Monday vacated an earlier ruling that had blocked the Trump administration from cutting $30 million in housing anti-discrimination grants, saying a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in a similar case involving teacher training grants likely strips the court of jurisdiction.

  • April 14, 2025

    V&E Makes Perkins Coie Atty Gov't Contracts Group Co-Head

    Vinson & Elkins LLP has hired a partner from Perkins Coie LLP who is joining V&E's litigation practice and will co-head the firm's government contracts practice, the firm announced Monday.

Expert Analysis

  • 5 Tools To Help Existing Gov't Contracts Manage Tariff Costs

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    Five pointers can help government contractors scrutinize their existing contracts for protections like equitable adjustment and duty-free entry clauses, which may help insulate them from tariff-related cost increases, say attorneys at Covington.

  • 4th Circ. Health Data Ruling Opens Door To State Law Claims

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    In Real Time Medical v. PointClickCare, the Fourth Circuit recently clarified that state law claims can rest in part on violations of a federal law that prohibits electronic health information blocking, expanding legal risks for health IT companies and potentially creating exposure to a range of competitive implications, say attorneys at BCLP.

  • Opinion

    Lawsuits Shouldn't Be Shadow Assets For Foreign Capital

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    Third-party litigation financing amplifies inefficiencies from litigation and facilitates national exposure to foreign influence in the U.S. justice system, so full disclosure of financing arrangements should be required as a matter of institutional integrity, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

  • How To Accelerate Your Post-Attorney Career Transition

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    Professionals seeking to transition to nonattorney careers may encounter skepticism as nontraditional candidates, but there are opportunities for thought leadership and to leverage speaking and writing to accelerate a post-attorney career transition, say Janet Falk at Falk Communications and Evgeny Efremkin at Toronto Metropolitan University.

  • Tariffs And FCA Create Perfect Storm For Importers

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    The Trump administration's aggressive tariff policies pose a high risk to certain importation practices that are particularly likely to trigger False Claims Act enforcement, say attorneys at Jeffer Mangels.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Be An Indispensable Associate

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    While law school teaches you to research, write and think critically, it often overlooks the professional skills you will need to make yourself an essential team player when transitioning from a summer to full-time associate, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • Series

    Birding Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Observing and documenting birds in their natural habitats fosters patience, sharpens observational skills and provides moments of pure wonder — qualities that foster personal growth and enrich my legal career, says Allison Raley at Arnall Golden.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Leadership To BigLaw

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    The move from government service to private practice can feel like changing one’s identity, but as someone who has left the U.S. Department of Justice twice, I’ve learned that a successful transition requires patience, effort and the realization that the rewards of practicing law don’t come from one particular position, says Richard Donoghue at Pillsbury.

  • Law Firm Executive Orders Create A Legal Ethics Minefield

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    Recent executive orders targeting BigLaw firms create ethical dilemmas — and raise the specter of civil or criminal liability — for the government attorneys tasked with implementing them and for the law firms that choose to make agreements with the administration, say attorneys at Buchalter.

  • Contractor Remedies Amid Overhaul Of Federal Spending

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    Now that the period for federal agencies to review their spending has ended, companies holding procurement contracts or grants should evaluate whether their agreements align with administration policies and get a plan ready to implement if their contracts or grants are modified or terminated, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • Firms Must Embrace Alternative Billing Models Or Fall Behind

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    As artificial intelligence tools eliminate inefficiencies and the Big Four accounting firms enter the legal market, law firms that pivot from the entrenched billable hour model to outcomes-based pricing will see a distinct competitive advantage, says attorney William Brewer.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Terminations Galore

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    Attorneys at Seyfarth examine three recent decisions in which the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals and the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals provide valuable insights into contract terminations, modifications and the jurisdictional requirements for claims.

  • How Attorneys Can Master The Art Of On-Camera Presence

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    As attorneys are increasingly presented with on-camera opportunities, they can adapt their traditional legal skills for video contexts — such as virtual client meetings, marketing content or media interviews — by understanding the medium and making intentional adjustments, says Kerry Barrett.

  • Series

    Baseball Fantasy Camp Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    With six baseball fantasy experiences under my belt, I've learned time and again that I didn't make the wrong career choice, but I've also learned that baseball lessons are life lessons, and I'm a better lawyer for my time at St. Louis Cardinals fantasy camp, says Scott Felder at Wiley.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From Fed. Prosecutor To BigLaw

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    Making the jump from government to private practice is no small feat, but, based on my experience transitioning to a business-driven environment after 15 years as an assistant U.S. attorney, it can be incredibly rewarding and help you become a more versatile lawyer, says Michael Beckwith at Dickinson Wright.

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