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Government Contracts
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February 21, 2025
High Court Finds FCC's E-Rate Subject To False Claims Act
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously Friday that telecoms participating in the federal E-Rate program supporting school and library connectivity can be sued for excess payouts under the False Claims Act because the subsidy's funds are provided through the U.S. Treasury.
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February 20, 2025
Trump Admin Must Obey Order To Restore Aid, Judge Says
A Washington, D.C., federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to restore foreign assistance funding in accordance with his temporary restraining order, but stopped short of sanctioning the government officials.
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February 20, 2025
COVID Fraud Drove Record FCA Caseload, Gov't Officials Say
Federal officials said that the record-setting number of whistleblower False Claims Act cases filed in 2024 was likely driven by COVID-19-related fraud, with the use of data mining having an outsized role in those cases.
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February 20, 2025
Boston, Other Cities And MassBio Back Challenge To NIH Cuts
The city of Boston and 44 other cities, counties and elected officials around the country and, separately, the life sciences industry group Massachusetts Biotechnology Council asked a Massachusetts federal judge on Thursday to extend a temporary restraining order blocking steep cuts to National Institutes of Health reimbursement for research projects.
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February 20, 2025
DOD To Shift $50B To Trump Defense Spending Priorities
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the agency to shift $50 billion from its 2026 budget away from "Biden-legacy programs" to programs that align with President Donald Trump's "America first" agenda.
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February 20, 2025
Feds Say DC Judge Can't Bar 'Hypothetical' Spending Freezes
A Justice Department attorney argued before a D.C. federal judge Thursday that there is no basis to continue blocking the Trump administration from implementing a blanket suspension on federal spending, saying the court cannot bar "hypothetical" future freezes.
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February 20, 2025
Fed. Circ. Revives Claims Over Maui Bypass Work Delays
A Federal Circuit panel has directed the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to decide if the government flouted a construction contract after officials took nearly seven months to sign an agreement to relocate utilities and four months to obtain right of way for crews on a $38.7 million bypass relocation project in Maui.
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February 20, 2025
Guinea Fends Off Push To Enforce $22M Telecom Award
A D.C. federal court said it lacked jurisdiction to enforce a $22 million arbitration award against the Republic of Guinea stemming from a system enabling the country to tax international telecommunications traffic, saying the nation wasn't a party to the underlying arbitration agreement.
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February 20, 2025
Mich. Judge Won't Defer Atomic Bomb Waste Suit To Agency
A Michigan state judge on Thursday denied a Wayne County landfill's bid to dismiss claims from communities attempting to prevent the disposal site from accepting radioactive waste from the development of the first atomic bomb, finding that the court can hear the case rather than deferring to the state's environmental agency.
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February 20, 2025
Bell Textron Says Iran Is Refusing To Pay $1.7M Storage Costs
Helicopter manufacturer Bell Textron Inc. has sued the Islamic Republic of Iran in Texas federal court, claiming it is owed $1.67 million for its continued storage of equipment once owned by the pre-revolutionary Iranian government.
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February 20, 2025
DOJ Official Flags 'Aggressive' FCA Approach Under Trump
A senior U.S. Department of Justice official said Thursday that the Trump administration's focus on government efficiency will include "aggressively" enforcing the False Claims Act, including a strong focus on FCA enforcement of foreign trade issues amid recently imposed tariffs.
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February 20, 2025
RTX Unit Gets $1.5B F-22 Engine Deal Amid Fleet Uncertainty
RTX unit Pratt & Whitney was given a three-year contract worth up to $1.5 billion with the U.S. Air Force to maintain engines for F-22 fighter jets, while the government mulls when the next generation of jets will be rolled out to replace them.
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February 20, 2025
Mass. Man's Medicare Fraud Paid For Ferraris, Feds Say
Federal agents arrested a Massachusetts man Thursday for allegedly billing Medicare to provide orthotic braces to patients he'd never met who didn't need the devices, a nearly $30 million scheme that allowed him to purchase two Ferraris, a Mercedes-Benz and multiple luxury watches.
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February 19, 2025
Trump Is Defying Order To Unfreeze Foreign Aid, Groups Say
The Trump administration is "brazenly" defying an order to restore foreign assistance funding, a pair of aid organizations told a Washington, D.C., federal judge Wednesday, asking the court to enforce its temporary restraining order and to sanction the government officials until they comply.
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February 19, 2025
Contractors' Group Asks DC Judge To Halt Gutting Of USAID
A group representing U.S. citizen personal services contractors working for the U.S. Agency for International Development is the latest to ask a federal judge to step in and block the Trump administration's push to gut the agency and its operations.
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February 19, 2025
Tech Co.'s Software Doesn't Meet CMS Needs, Judge Says
A Court of Federal Claims judge denied IntelliBridge LLC's attempt to block the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from seeking bidders for its hybrid cloud product engineering and operations contract, finding on Tuesday the agency isn't trying to replicate its batCAVE software.
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February 19, 2025
Civil Rights Groups Move To Block Trump DEI, Gender Orders
Three civil rights organizations told a D.C. federal court in a lawsuit Wednesday against President Donald Trump and numerous federal agencies that three of the White House's recent executive orders discriminated against individuals with HIV as well as Black and transgender people.
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February 19, 2025
Cybersecurity Official Rejoins DOD After Contentious Exit
Former U.S. Department of Defense official Katie Arrington, a key figure in establishing its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program who previously left the Pentagon after a contentious suspension, announced she has rejoined the DOD as chief information security officer.
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February 19, 2025
GAO Says $185M Space Force Contract Was Reasonable
The Government Accountability Office rejected a Virginia contractor's protest of a $185 million financial services contract for the U.S. Space Force, denying the contractor's claims that the government's price and performance assessments were unreasonable.
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February 19, 2025
Pot Consultant Says Ex-Partner Breached NDA, Swiped Client
A Colorado-based cannabis consulting firm is suing one of its subcontractors, saying the other company breached a nondisclosure agreement and used confidential information to steal a contract with a California city.
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February 18, 2025
1st Circ. Backs Strict View Of Kickback Law In Blow To FCA
In an eagerly awaited ruling, the First Circuit on Tuesday said a major avenue for False Claims Act enforcement requires proof that kickbacks directly changed treatment decisions, a holding that creates a lopsided circuit split as well as significant challenges for the U.S. Department of Justice and the plaintiffs bar.
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February 18, 2025
Health Net Pays $11.25M To Settle Cybersecurity FCA Claims
Health Net and its parent Centene Corp. have reached an $11.25 million False Claims Act settlement to resolve allegations that the health plan administrator falsely certified compliance with cybersecurity requirements under a U.S. Department of Defense contract.
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February 18, 2025
Trump Exec Order Expands Control Over Independent Agencies
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday to limit the autonomy of independent agencies such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Federal Communications Commission by requiring them to submit draft regulations for presidential review.
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February 18, 2025
Convicted Pharma Exec Seeks Trial Redo, Citing Feds' Error
A former pharmacy executive convicted on criminal charges over a healthcare scheme that defrauded the government of $160 million has urged a Texas federal court to grant him a new trial, arguing an admission of error by the federal government necessitates a redo.
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February 18, 2025
DC Midair Collision Family Brings $250M Claims Against Gov't
The family of a passenger killed in last month's midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a military helicopter put the federal government on notice that they're pursuing $250 million in personal injury and wrongful death claims over the accident, attorneys for the family said Tuesday.
Expert Analysis
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When Innovation Overwhelms The Rule Of Law
In an era where technology is rapidly evolving and artificial intelligence is seemingly everywhere, it’s worth asking if the law — both substantive precedent and procedural rules — can keep up with the light speed of innovation, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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Imagine The Possibilities Of Openly Autistic Lawyering
Andi Mazingo at Lumen Law, who was diagnosed with autism about midway through her career, discusses how the legal profession can create inclusive workplaces that empower openly autistic lawyers and enhance innovation, and how neurodivergent attorneys can navigate the challenges and opportunities that come with disclosing one’s diagnosis.
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A Halftime Analysis Of DOJ's Compensation Pilot Program
The U.S. Department of Justice appears to consider the first half of its three-year pilot program on compensation incentives and clawbacks to be proceeding successfully, so companies should expect prosecutors to emphasize the program and other compliance-related considerations early in investigations, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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What To Expect From Trump's Deputy Labor Secretary Pick
President Donald Trump's nominee for deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, Keith Sonderling, has a track record of prioritizing clear guidance on both traditional and cutting-edge issues, which can provide insight into what employers can expect from his leadership, say attorneys at Littler.
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Top 10 Healthcare And Life Sciences Issues To Watch In 2025
Under the new Trump administration, this coming year may benefit some healthcare and life sciences stakeholders, while creating new challenges for others amid an increasingly complex regulatory environment, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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A Look At Order Ending Federal Contractor Affirmative Action
To comply with President Donald Trump's executive order revoking affirmative action requirements in the next 90 days, federal contractors should focus on identification of protected groups, responsibilities of "diversity officer" positions and annual compliance reviews, says Jeremy Burkhart at Holland & Knight.
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Series
Documentary Filmmaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Becoming a documentary filmmaker has allowed me to merge my legal expertise with my passion for storytelling, and has helped me to hone negotiation, critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are important to both endeavors, says Robert Darwell at Sheppard Mullin.
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Litigation Funding Disclosure Debate: Strategy Considerations
In the ongoing debate over whether courts should require disclosure of litigation funding, funders and plaintiffs tend to argue against such mandates, but voluntarily disclosing limited details about a funding arrangement can actually confer certain benefits to plaintiffs in some scenarios, say Andrew Stulce and Marc Cavan at Longford Capital.
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Series
Adventure Photography Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Photographing nature everywhere from Siberia to Cuba and Iceland to Rwanda provides me with a constant reminder to refresh, refocus and rethink the legal issues that my clients face, says Richard Birmingham at Davis Wright.
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FAR Update Harmonizes Suspension And Debarment Rules
Although the newly finalized rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation's suspension and debarment system does not bring it into complete alignment with the same processes under the nonprocurement common rule, it is still a welcome update that makes many needed changes, says Kara Sacilotto at Wiley.
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The 5 Most Important Bid Protest Decisions Of 2024
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Court of Federal Claims and the Government Accountability Office issued five noteworthy bid protest decisions in 2024 that will likely have a continuing impact on questions concerning standing, timeliness, corporate transactions and more, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.
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Politicized OIGs Could Target Federal Employees, Contractors
After President Donald Trump fired nearly 20 inspectors general last week, it’s worth exploring how the administration could use Offices of Inspectors General to target federal employees and contractors, why it would be difficult to fight this effort, and one possible bulwark against the politicization of these watchdogs, says Sara Kropf at Kropf Moseley.
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5 Ways To Create Effective Mock Assignments For Associates
In order to effectively develop associates’ critical thinking skills, firms should design mock assignments that contain a few key ingredients, from messy fact patterns to actionable feedback, says Abdi Shayesteh at AltaClaro.
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Takeaways From DOJ Fraud Section's 2024 Year In Review
Attorneys at Paul Weiss highlight notable developments in the U.S. Department of Justice Fraud Section’s recently released annual report, and discuss what the second Trump administration could mean for enforcement in the year to come.
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4 Employment Law Areas Set To Change Under Trump
President Donald Trump's second term is expected to bring significant changes to the U.S. employment law landscape, including the potential for updated worker classification regulations, and challenges to diversity, equity and inclusion that are already taking shape, say attorneys at Debevoise.