Trump Orders Overhaul Of Federal Contracting Rules

By Daniel Wilson

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.

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

By Hailey Konnath

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."

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

By Tom Lotshaw

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.

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DOL Blocked From Forcing Contractors To Swear Off DEI

By Patrick Hoff

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.

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DC Maintains, Expands Tax Exemptions For NBA, NHL Arena

By Zak Kostro

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.

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

By Chart Riggall

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.

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Brief

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

By Aaron Keller

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.

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

By Jake Maher

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.

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Journalists, Unions Fight VOA Shutdown In DC Federal Court

By Beverly Banks

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.

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

By Katryna Perera

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.

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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.

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E-Discovery Quarterly: The Perils Of Digital Data Protocols

Though stipulated protocols governing the treatment of electronically stored information in litigation are meant to streamline discovery, recent disputes demonstrate that certain missteps in the process can lead to significant inefficiencies, say attorneys at Sidley.

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DOJ Resists Perkins Coie Summary Judgment Bid In EO Case

By Emily Sawicki

The U.S. Department of Justice is continuing to defend President Donald Trump's March 6 order suspending security clearances held by Perkins Coie LLP attorneys, arguing on Wednesday that the BigLaw firm cannot take an early win, in part due to the firm's alleged "discriminatory employment activities" through participation in Mansfield Certification.

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Firms Mum As EEOC Deadline For Diversity Data Passes

By Vin Gurrieri

Tuesday marked the deadline for large law firms to answer the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's acting chair's request for detailed information about their diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and neither the firms nor the EEOC would confirm if or how the legal heavyweights had responded.

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DC Judge Mulls Contempt For Gov't Over 'Rushed' Removals

By Britain Eakin

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg found probable cause on Wednesday to hold the Trump administration in criminal contempt for willfully violating his order barring removals of Venezuelans under the Alien Enemies Act, despite the U.S. Supreme Court having vacated that order.

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Former McCarter & English Atty Fights Bid To Toss Firing Suit

By Jake Maher

A former McCarter & English LLP attorney and Navy SEAL has accused the firm in New Jersey state court of trying to "smear" him by claiming he was fired for his offensive social media posts rather than his advocacy for veterans.

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Jackson Walker Hits Back At Bankruptcy Court Standing Brief

By Catherine Marfin

Jackson Walker LLP told a federal judge that the CEO of a now-bankrupt barge company is improperly trying to relitigate the issue of standing in bankruptcy court with his suit over a former judge's secret romance with a firm partner.

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DC Judge Considers Bid To Block IRS Info Sharing With ICE

By Ali Sullivan

A D.C. federal judge on Wednesday questioned whether immigrant advocacy groups have standing to block a tax information-sharing agreement between the IRS and immigration enforcement agencies, but she also outlined concerns that the agreement could be abused.

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California Challenges Trump's Economic Emergency Tariffs

By Dylan Moroses

The California state government filed suit Wednesday challenging President Donald Trump's recent use of a law that has allowed him to unilaterally impose broad and aggressive tariffs on imports entering the U.S.

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Ed Martin Discloses Russia TV Spots, Coloring Books, Jan. 6

By Courtney Bublé

Ed Martin, President Donald Trump's nominee for U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, has disclosed dozens of additional media interviews with right-wing and Russian-state outlets, according to a letter obtained on Wednesday by Law360.

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Schumer Looks To Block Trump NY US Attorney Nominations

By Courtney Bublé

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced on Wednesday he is exercising his power to block two of President Donald Trump's nominations for U.S. attorneys, which could set up an early test for preserving the long-standing Senate blue slip tradition.

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