Aerospace & Defense

Expert Analysis

• Cloud Computing Clearly The Future For Small Firms

  

  While in-house technology investments on the scale and complexity needed to compete with large firms remain cost prohibitive for small and midsize law firms, cloud-based services offer significant cost savings and productivity gains with little to no capital investment, says Holly Urban of Effortless Legal LLC.

• Opinion

  Separate The NSA And Cyber Command Now

  

  Since its inception in 2009, U.S. Cyber Command has been functioning concurrently and under the same leadership as the National Security Agency. In the beginning this may have been appropriate, but in today’s environment they should be conducting their missions independently, says Daniel Garrie of JAMS.

• Leveraging Today's Lateral Associate Market

  

  With the Milbank/Cravath pay scale once again equalizing compensation at many Am Law 100 firms, there is even more pressure for firms to differentiate themselves to top lateral associate candidates. This presents strategic considerations for both law firms and lateral candidates throughout the recruitment process, says Darin Morgan of Major Lindsey & Africa.

• New UK And US Regimes May Deter Foreign Investment

  

  Newly proposed U.K. rules and the amended regime for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States will radically change how the two governments review sensitive transactions, which will affect the likelihood of deal clearance, deal timing and the drafting of appropriate contractual provisions, say Robert Bell and Jennifer Mammen of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP.

• Q&A

  Back To School: Stanford's Jeff Fisher Talks Supreme Court

  

  In this series featuring law school luminaries, Stanford Law School professor Jeffrey Fisher discusses his motivation for teaching, arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court and what the court might look like if Judge Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed.

• Aviation Watch: Why The F-35 Has Struggled To Take Flight

  

  Seventeen years after the U.S. Department of Defense awarded Lockheed Martin the contract for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and 12 years after the first production aircraft flew in 2006, all versions of the plane remain far from combat-ready, or even fully operational. Recent concerns about cybersecurity have added to the project's woes, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and private pilot.

• Fed. Circ. Case Steers Agencies Toward Commercial Vendors

  

  The Federal Circuit's decision last week in Palantir v. U.S. breathed new life into the government’s obligations to prioritize the acquisition of commercial and nondevelopmental solutions. It may prove to be one of the most significant procurement precedents of the decade, say attorneys with Arnold & Porter.

• How A Hurricane Affects Gov't Contractors

  

  During and immediately after a catastrophic event such as Hurricane Florence, government contractors must prioritize protection of lives and property. But the work of promptly identifying and documenting the hurricane’s effects on contract schedules and costs must not be forgotten or ignored, say attorneys with Thompson Hine LLP.

• Calif.'s New Rules For Lawyers Move Closer To ABA Model

  

  The first comprehensive overhaul of California's Rules of Professional Conduct in nearly 30 years becomes operational on Nov. 1. Some of the new rules mirror the model language used by the American Bar Association, but many continue to reflect California’s unique approach to certain ethical questions, says Mark Loeterman of Signature Resolution LLC.

• Congressional Forecast: September

  

  The House and Senate are entering their respective final runs before the November midterm elections. The most pressing items of business are funding the government and the pending Senate confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. But several lower-profile issues remain as well — including a Republican push for further tax reform, says Layth Elhassani of Covington & Burling LLP.