Government Contracts

  • February 14, 2025

    Munger Tolles Gets $10M Retainer To Rep LA In Fire Litigation

    Munger Tolles & Olson LLP has signed a $10 million retainer agreement to represent the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power in a series of lawsuits alleging it irresponsibly left a local reservoir empty ahead of last month's devastating Palisades Fire.

  • February 14, 2025

    Feds Hit With Brady Claims As Implant Kickback Trial Looms

    Two defendants nearing trial on medical device kickback claims say Boston federal prosecutors are begrudgingly sharing mountains of exculpatory materials they should have provided years ago.

  • February 14, 2025

    Trump Fires Opening Salvos In Rematch With Sanctuary Cities

    Facing dozens of lawsuits looking to check the power of his administration, President Donald Trump has fired back recently with suits targeting so-called sanctuary cities, setting up a legal battle over the federal government's ability to induce state and local cooperation on immigration enforcement.

  • February 14, 2025

    DC Judge Orders Feds To Restore Foreign Funding

    A D.C. federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore foreign funding in connection with any grants or programs in place before the inauguration, saying aid organizations have made a sufficient showing that the pause threatens their very existence.

  • February 14, 2025

    Construction Groups, DOL Want Pause In DBA Rule Fight

    A challenge to the U.S. Department of Labor's final rule updating the math for Davis-Bacon Act prevailing wages needs to be paused while the department's top brass catches up on the litigation, the DOL and the groups suing told a Texas federal court Friday.

  • February 13, 2025

    House Dems Push Against GOP's Proposed Tax Cuts

    House Budget Committee Republicans on Thursday passed a resolution that would allow for the passage of up to $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and the repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act.

  • February 13, 2025

    Claims Court Won't Block $182M Army Corps Deal

    A Court of Federal Claims judge rejected a contractor's attempt to block a $181.5 million Army Corps of Engineers construction contract, saying the company provided little evidence to back its claim the agency erred in choosing a more expensive proposal. 

  • February 13, 2025

    Protestor Says Late Filing Must DQ €978M Contract Winner

    A Virginia company has asked a federal judge to scrap a €978.6 million ($1.02 billion) contract the U.S. Army awarded for security for government installations and personnel in Germany, arguing the Army ignored a "late is late" rule to steer the deal back to the incumbent.

  • February 13, 2025

    US Will Weigh In As Justices Consider $1.3B India Award Suit

    The Trump administration is going to get argument time in front of the justices when the corporate arm of India's space agency faces off against a satellite telecom over the enforcement of a $1.3 billion arbitration award at the nation's highest court.

  • February 13, 2025

    Exec Cops To Conspiring To Overbill Gov't In Station Project

    A former executive for a masonry contractor involved in the multimillion-dollar restoration of Philadelphia's historic 30th Street Station has admitted to a scheme that involved bribing an Amtrak employee to overcharge the federal government $2 million for the project, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia said Thursday.

  • February 13, 2025

    USAID Workers Sue Over Legitimacy Of Musk, DOGE Actions

    More than two dozen U.S. Agency for International Development workers sued billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his Department of Governmental Efficiency on Thursday, arguing that their actions taking control of various federal agencies are unconstitutional. 

  • February 13, 2025

    Boeing, DOJ Want More Time To Rework 737 Max Plea Deal

    The U.S. Department of Justice and The Boeing Co. told a Texas federal judge on Thursday that they need another month to rework a plea agreement in the American aerospace giant's 737 Max criminal conspiracy case, saying new senior DOJ officials are still being briefed on a potential new deal.

  • February 13, 2025

    2nd Circ. Trims Ex-NY County Official's Corruption Verdict

    The Second Circuit on Thursday undid part of the bribery conviction of a former Long Island county official accused of accepting kickbacks in return for helping a restaurateur secure a loan, saying his role as Nassau County executive did not make him an "agent" of a local municipality.

  • February 13, 2025

    Colo. Ends Deal With Medicaid Ride Co. Over Blown Deadline

    Colorado on Wednesday terminated a contract with a company that provides transportation for state Medicaid members after the company sued to invalidate its suspension from the program, with the state citing a failure to complete driver background checks and other requirements on time.

  • February 13, 2025

    Small But Mighty Busy: 1st Circ. A Hub For Anti-Trump Suits

    The Boston-based First Circuit will play an outsize role in litigation challenging the aggressive start to President Donald Trump's second administration, but the liberal stronghold's philosophic divergence with the U.S. Supreme Court may make any victories fleeting.

  • February 12, 2025

    Blind Vendors Fight Dismissal Of Military Retailer Dispute

    Vendors challenging a military retailer's alleged violation of a law requiring federal agencies to prioritize businesses owned by the blind have pushed back at a magistrate judge's recommendation to toss their suit, saying they shouldn't be made to exhaust administrative remedies first.

  • February 12, 2025

    Avangrid Unit's Counterclaim Cut From Plant Cleanup Fight

    The United Illuminating Co. cannot assert a counterclaim against the commissioner of Connecticut's energy regulator as they battle over the cleanup of the defunct and polluted English Station power plant in New Haven because the utility has not overcome the state's sovereign immunity, a state court has ruled.

  • February 12, 2025

    RI Judge Won't Pause Order To Unfreeze Funds Amid Appeal

    A Rhode Island federal judge refused Wednesday to pause a court order blocking a freeze on funding for federal grants and programs while the Trump administration appeals the ruling to the First Circuit.

  • February 12, 2025

    GAO Says Navy Mistake Can't Sink $82M Construction Deal

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office has denied a protest over an $82.2 million U.S. Navy construction order, saying the Navy's failure to comply with solicitation requirements when assessing the awardee's project labor agreement did not harm the protester.

  • February 12, 2025

    5th Circ. OKs Drop Of Litigation Over Biden-Era GHG Rule

    The Fifth Circuit has signed off on the Trump administration's decision to cease litigation over a Biden-era rule that required states to set targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions tied to federally funded highway projects.

  • February 12, 2025

    Trump Taps Wright Ally For Energy Dept. Post

    President Donald Trump on Tuesday submitted nominations for several key posts within the U.S. Department of Energy, including an official from Energy Secretary Chris Wright's former oilfield services company to lead the agency's renewable energy office.

  • February 12, 2025

    Connell Foley Can't Refute DQ Bid, NJ Investment Firm Says

    A Black-owned investment firm suing New Jersey for discrimination in federal court said the court must disqualify Connell Foley LLP from representing the state because of a conflict of interest, even though the supposedly conflicted attorney has denied any ethical breach.

  • February 12, 2025

    Ex-NYC Housing Worker Avoids Jail 1 Year After Mass Arrests

    A federal judge in Manhattan on Wednesday allowed a former public housing superintendent to avoid jail time after he admitted to taking $3,500 in bribes, imposing the sentence just over a year after the mass arrest of 70 city workers — 63 of whom now stand convicted.

  • February 11, 2025

    Trump Tells Agencies To Plan 'Large-Scale' Cuts With Musk

    President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday that directs agencies to prepare for "large-scale" cuts to the federal workforce and gives Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency the authority to approve the future hiring of career officials.

  • February 11, 2025

    Public Disclosure Shields US Cellular From Auction Fraud Suit

    The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday upheld a lower court's dismissal of long-running False Claims Act accusations against USCellular over alleged spectrum auction fraud, ruling that the relators acting on behalf of the government in the lawsuit lacked new information to bring to the case.

Expert Analysis

  • How New SBA Rule May Affect Small Government Contractors

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    By limiting competition from larger entities, the Small Business Administration's recently published final rule may help some small government contractors, but these restrictions on set-aside work following a merger, acquisition or sale may also deter small businesses' long-term growth, say attorneys at Akerman.

  • Opinion

    Confusing Injury-In-Fact Rules Hinder Federal Practice

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    A recent Third Circuit decision, contradicting a previous ruling about whether consumers of contaminated products have suffered an injury in fact, illustrates the deep confusion this U.S. Supreme Court standard creates among federal judges and practitioners, who deserve a simpler method of determining which cases have federal standing, says Eric Dwoskin at Dwoskin Wasdin.

  • Expect Continued Antitrust Enforcement In Procurement

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    The scope of federal antitrust enforcement under the second Trump administration remains uncertain, but the Procurement Collusion Strike Force, which collaborates with federal and state agencies to enforce antitrust laws in the government procurement space, is likely to remain active — so contractors must stay vigilant, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • 2 Anti-Kickback Developments Hold Lessons For Biopharma

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's Anti-Kickback Statute settlement with QOL Medical and a favorable advisory opinion from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provide a study in contrasts, but there are tips for biopharma manufacturers trying to navigate the vast compliance space between them, says Mary Kohler at Kohler Health Law.

  • In-House Counsel Pointers For Preserving Atty-Client Privilege

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    Several recent rulings illustrate the challenges in-house counsel can face when attempting to preserve attorney-client privilege, but a few best practices can help safeguard communications and effectively assert the privilege in an increasingly scrutinized corporate environment, says Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics.

  • How FAR Council's Proposal May Revamp Conflicts Reporting

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    The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council's recent proposal for updating organizational conflict of interest rules includes some welcome clarifications, but new representation and disclosure obligations would upend long-standing practices, likely increase contractors’ False Claims Act risks, and necessitate implementation of more complex OCI compliance programs, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • What Trump Admin's Anti-DEI Push Means For FCA Claims

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    President Donald Trump's recent rescission of a 60-year-old executive order imposing nondiscrimination requirements on certain federal contractors has far-reaching implications, including potential False Claims Act liability for contractors and grant recipients who fail to comply, though it may be a challenge for the government to successfully establish liability, say attorneys at Bass Berry.

  • What Companies Should Consider During FCPA Pause

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    While waiting for updated guidance on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act criminal investigations after a Feb. 10 executive order froze FCPA enforcement, companies should consider the implications of several possible policy shifts, rather than relaxing internal oversight of questionable business practices, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Series

    Collecting Rare Books Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My collection of rare books includes several written or owned by prominent lawyers from early U.S. history, and immersing myself in their stories helps me feel a deeper connection to my legal practice and its purpose, says Douglas Brown at Manatt Health.

  • Opinion

    Judge Should Not Have Been Reprimanded For Alito Essay

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    Senior U.S. District Judge Michael Ponsor's New York Times essay critiquing Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito for potential ethical violations absolutely cannot be construed as conduct prejudicial to the administration of the business of the courts, says Ashley London at the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University.

  • Navigating The Ins And Outs Of Gov't Contracting SAM Site

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Recent developments at the U.S. Government Accountability Office highlight the importance of government contractors knowing how to navigate the online System for Award Management and maintaining an up-to-date registration, says Matthew Moriarty at Schoonover & Moriarty.

  • What Day 1 Bondi Memos Mean For Corporate Compliance

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    After Attorney General Pam Bondi’s flurry of memos last week declaring new enforcement priorities on issues ranging from foreign bribery to diversity initiatives, companies must base their compliance programs on an understanding of their own core values and principles, says Hui Chen at CDE Advisors.

  • Lights, Camera, Ethics? TV Lawyers Tend To Set Bad Example

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    Though fictional movies and television shows portraying lawyers are fun to watch, Hollywood’s inaccurate depictions of legal ethics can desensitize attorneys to ethics violations and lead real-life clients to believe that good lawyers take a scorched-earth approach, says Nancy Rapoport at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

  • Ga. Tech Case Shows DOJ Focus On Higher Ed Cybersecurity

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    The Justice Department’s ongoing case against the Georgia Institute of Technology demonstrates how many colleges and universities may be unwittingly exposed to myriad cybersecurity requirements that, if not followed, could lead to False Claims Act liability, say attorneys at Woods Rogers.

  • Perspectives

    Accountant-Owned Law Firms Could Blur Ethical Lines

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    KPMG’s recent application to open a legal practice in Arizona represents the first overture by an accounting firm to take advantage of the state’s relaxed law firm ownership rules, but enforcing and supervising the practice of law by nonattorneys could prove particularly challenging, says Seth Laver at Goldberg Segalla.

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