Government Contracts

  • September 04, 2024

    Groups Urge DC Circ. To Reject Pharma Terrorism Liability Claims

    Business and nongovernmental organization advocacy groups have urged the D.C. Circuit to rule that terrorism victims can't hold pharmaceutical companies liable for their injuries, citing a U.S. Supreme Court decision rejecting similar liability claims against technology companies.

  • September 04, 2024

    3M Earplug Plaintiffs Want Child Support Subpoena Blocked

    The plaintiffs' leadership group representing service members and others in multidistrict litigation against 3M Co. over injuries stemming from its Combat Arms Earplugs asked a Florida federal court Wednesday to block the state of Washington Division of Child Support from interfering in the $6 billion settlement reached earlier this year.

  • September 04, 2024

    Former Michelin Tire Factory Site Worth $30M, NJ Jurors Told

    The owner of a 22-acre former Michelin Tire factory in Milltown, New Jersey, told jurors Wednesday it should be paid at least $30 million by a borough redevelopment agency to acquire the property through eminent domain for the construction of a 350-unit mixed-use residential development.

  • September 04, 2024

    4th Circ. Says Trade Secrets Verdict Wrongly Based On Va. Law

    The Fourth Circuit wants a Virginia federal court to take another crack at a trade secrets dispute brought by an industrial equipment supplier against a former employee who founded and operated two competitors while working for it, concluding a jury's verdict was based on the wrong laws.

  • September 04, 2024

    Cos. Tell High Court Biden Can't Hike Contractors' Min. Wage

    The Tenth Circuit pushed the borders of the Procurement Act too much when it blessed President Joe Biden's decision to increase federal contractors' hourly minimum wage, two outdoor groups told the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that the law doesn't authorize wage increases.

  • September 04, 2024

    Concrete Co. Owes Workers $370K, Wash. Panel Says

    A Washington appeals court refused to overturn a state agency's determination that a concrete company owes workers more than $370,000 in wages for working at a disposal site, saying the work was sufficiently related to a public works project to trigger the state's prevailing wage law.

  • September 03, 2024

    Teva Investors Get Go-Ahead To Resume Kickbacks Class Suit

    A shareholder's certified class action against pharmaceutical company Teva can resume after being paused for two years, as the company says it is working towards a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice over related claims it used kickbacks to raise the price of its multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone, a Philadelphia federal judge has decided.

  • September 03, 2024

    KBR Relator Says 5th Circ. Loss Doesn't Affect Fee Motion

    The estate of a whistleblower rebuffed KBR Inc.'s efforts to use a Fifth Circuit decision invalidating his share of a fraud settlement to avoid covering $826,000 in legal costs, arguing the settlement preserved his rights to a fee award.

  • September 03, 2024

    Judge Axes DoD Engineer's Release In 'Top Secret' Docs Case

    A Virginia federal judge revoked a release order for a U.S. Department of Defense civilian employee accused of taking top secret and other classified documents from his workplace, saying instead that he should remain detained "pending disposition of this case."

  • September 03, 2024

    Lima Wants No Bond As It Appeals $200M Hwy Contract Case

    The Peruvian city of Lima is urging a D.C. federal court not to force it to post a bond as it appeals a ruling enforcing arbitral awards now worth nearly $200 million following a dispute over a highway contract, saying that requiring a bond would be a waste of public funds.

  • September 03, 2024

    Judge Skeptical Navy Owes Millions For IP Infringement

    A Federal Circuit judge appeared skeptical Tuesday about a software firm's demand for $85.9 million in damages for the Navy's unauthorized copies of its software, suggesting the company hadn't proven its eligibility for more than the $154,400 it was previously awarded.

  • August 30, 2024

    Flint Water Firm Wants To Keep PR 'Sideshow' Out Of Trial

    One of the last remaining defendants in Flint water crisis litigation urged a Michigan federal judge to exclude from an upcoming bellwether trial evidence about its public relations efforts, which included an alleged smear campaign against the lawyer for Flint children that led to another attorney getting referred to the California bar.

  • August 30, 2024

    Army Can Overlook FCA Settlement For $86M Booz Allen Deal

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office has denied a protest over an $86.3 million laboratory support deal, saying the U.S. Army hadn't improperly ignored a high-profile recent False Claims Act settlement when awarding the deal to Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.

  • August 30, 2024

    Judge Unsure Warehouse Antitrust Suit Belongs In Fed. Court

    An Illinois federal judge appeared skeptical Friday that a warehouse developer could unravel a municipal contract with several real estate companies accused of violating antitrust laws, questioning if the plaintiff was truly harmed by the deal or a related judgment its rivals later won in state court.

  • August 30, 2024

    Ex-Detainee Can't Be Forced To Arbitrate Card Fee Suit

    A Washington federal judge will not force arbitration in a proposed class action accusing a bank of charging former jail detainees debit card fees to regain access to their own money postrelease, saying the plaintiff never consented to an arbitration clause because the card was issued to him already activated.

  • August 30, 2024

    Navy Escapes Protest Over Modification To $50B Deal

    A Court of Federal Claims judge has tossed a challenge over the U.S. Navy modifying a $50 billion professional services contract, despite the protester saying the changes gave an unfair advantage to mentor-protégé joint ventures and their members.

  • August 30, 2024

    Gov't Contracts Of The Month: Base Networks, Nuclear Power

    In August, the U.S. Air Force named the 23 companies that will carry out its $12.5 billion network modernization effort, while a domestic nuclear company agreed to help build the first small modular reactor nuclear power plant in Africa. ​​​​These are Law360's most noteworthy government contracts for August 2024.

  • August 30, 2024

    RTX Reaches $200M Deal Over Export Control Violations

    RTX Corp. has reached a $200 million settlement with the U.S. Department of State to resolve violations of export control rules, including sending controlled defense items and data to China, the agency announced Friday.

  • August 30, 2024

    NJ Panel Unswayed By Cop Training Co.'s Political Bias Suit

    A Garden State appellate panel on Friday declined to revive a police training company's civil rights suit against the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller, reasoning that the firm's claim that it was targeted for political reasons is not a cause of action.

  • 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.

  • 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."

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

Expert Analysis

  • What Recent Study Shows About AI's Promise For Legal Tasks

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    Amid both skepticism and excitement about the promise of generative artificial intelligence in legal contexts, the first randomized controlled trial studying its impact on basic lawyering tasks shows mixed but promising results, and underscores the need for attorneys to proactively engage with AI, says Daniel Schwarcz at University of Minnesota Law School.

  • Understanding Fixed-Price Gov't Contracts And Inflation Relief

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Contractors party to fixed-price contracts should note the recent shift in the government’s approach to cost adjustments in light of inflation, and familiarize themselves with certain steps that could help mitigate economic losses arising from increased performance and delivery costs, says Craig Stetson at Capital Edge Consulting.

  • BIPA's Statutory Exemptions Post-Healthcare Ruling

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    The Illinois Supreme Court's November opinion in Mosby v. Ingalls Memorial Hospital, which held that the Biometric Information Privacy Act's healthcare exemption also applies when information is collected from healthcare workers, is a major win for healthcare defendants that resolves an important question of statutory interpretation, say attorneys at Quinn Emanuel.

  • Litigation Inspiration: A Source Of Untapped Fulfillment

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    As increasing numbers of attorneys struggle with stress and mental health issues, business litigators can find protection against burnout by remembering their important role in society — because fulfillment in one’s work isn’t just reserved for public interest lawyers, say Bennett Rawicki and Peter Bigelow at Hilgers Graben.

  • Series

    Skiing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    A lifetime of skiing has helped me develop important professional skills, and taught me that embracing challenges with a spirit of adventure can allow lawyers to push boundaries, expand their capabilities and ultimately excel in their careers, says Andrea Przybysz at Tucker Ellis.

  • Practical Steps For Navigating New Sanctions On Russia

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    After the latest round of U.S. sanctions against Russia – the largest to date since the Ukraine war began – companies will need to continue to strengthen due diligence and compliance measures to navigate the related complexities, say James Min and Chelsea Ellis at Rimon.

  • Bid Protest Spotlight: Conflict, Latent Ambiguity, Cost Realism

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    In this month's bid protest roundup, Markus Speidel at MoFo examines a trio of U.S. Government Accountability Office decisions with takeaways about the consequences of a teaming partner's organizational conflict of interest, a solicitation's latent ambiguity and an unreasonable agency cost adjustment.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Forget Everything You Know About IRAC

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    The mode of legal reasoning most students learn in law school, often called “Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion,” or IRAC, erroneously frames analysis as a separate, discrete step, resulting in disorganized briefs and untold obfuscation — but the fix is pretty simple, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Valeant Ruling May Pave Way For Patent-Based FCA Suits

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    The Ninth Circuit’s recent ruling in Silbersher v. Valeant marks a significant development in False Claims Act jurisprudence, opens new avenues for litigation and potentially raises the stakes for patent applicants who intend to do business with the government, say Joshua Robbins and Rick Taché at Buchalter.

  • How Firms Can Ensure Associate Gender Parity Lasts

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    Among associates, women now outnumber men for the first time, but progress toward gender equality at the top of the legal profession remains glacially slow, and firms must implement time-tested solutions to ensure associates’ gender parity lasts throughout their careers, say Kelly Culhane and Nicole Joseph at Culhane Meadows.

  • 7 Common Myths About Lateral Partner Moves

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    As lateral recruiting remains a key factor for law firm growth, partners considering a lateral move should be aware of a few commonly held myths — some of which contain a kernel of truth, and some of which are flat out wrong, says Dave Maurer at Major Lindsey.

  • Series

    Cheering In The NFL Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Balancing my time between a BigLaw career and my role as an NFL cheerleader has taught me that pursuing your passions outside of work is not a distraction, but rather an opportunity to harness important skills that can positively affect how you approach work and view success in your career, says Rachel Schuster at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Unpacking The New Russia Sanctions And Export Controls

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    Although geographically broad new prohibitions the U.S., U.K. and EU issued last week are somewhat underwhelming in their efforts to target third-country facilitators of Russia sanctions evasion, companies with exposure to noncompliant jurisdictions should pay close attention to their potential impacts, say attorneys at Shearman.

  • Args In APA Case Amplify Justices' Focus On Agency Power

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    In arguments last week in Corner Post v. Federal Reserve, the U.S. Supreme Court justices paid particular importance to the possible ripple effects of their decision, which will address when a facial challenge to long-standing federal rules under the Administrative Procedure Act first accrues and could thus unleash a flood of new lawsuits, say attorneys at Snell & Wilmer.

  • Mitigating Whistleblower Risks After High Court UBS Ruling

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    While it is always good practice for companies to periodically review whistleblower trainings, policies and procedures, the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent whistleblower-friendly ruling in Murray v. UBS Securities helps demonstrate their importance in reducing litigation risk, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

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