Aerospace & Defense
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November 13, 2018
GAO Urges Defense Dept. To Clarify Lowest Price Deal Criteria
The U.S. Department of Defense needs to clarify its requirements around using the lowest price, technically acceptable contracting model, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said Tuesday, claiming the DOD wasn’t yet consistently following lawmakers’ mandates for LPTA deals.
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November 13, 2018
Texas Contractor CEO Didn't Rip Off NASA, Jury Says
A Texas federal jury has delivered an acquittal in a criminal fraud case accusing the CEO of a NASA contractor of falsely representing hours worked and costs, according to the executive’s lawyer.
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November 13, 2018
Lebanese Residents Held On Gun Smuggling Charges
The federal government arrested two residents of Lebanon in Seattle last week on gun smuggling charges after they tried to pack a sport utility vehicle full of firearms and ship it back to their home country.
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November 13, 2018
DOD Research Chief Signals More Laser Weapons Funding
The U.S. Department of Defense will spend more on developing directed-energy weapons in coming years to make them a viable part of its missile defense plans, alongside trying to keep up with rapid developments in hypersonic weapons by U.S. rivals, the department's research chief said Tuesday.
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November 13, 2018
US, China Still At Odds Over Trade As G-20 Summit Looms
As President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping prepare for their high-stakes sitdown at next week's G-20 summit in Argentina, the two governments remain at odds over a slew of trade issues, chiefly the White House's various moves to restrict trade with China on the basis of national security.
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November 13, 2018
High Court Won't Touch Honeywell Retiree Benefits Battle
The U.S. Supreme Court said Tuesday it won't hear a group of retirees' challenge to a Sixth Circuit opinion that found Honeywell International Inc. didn't owe them lifetime health care benefits.
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November 9, 2018
Fed. Circ.'s Bond Ruling Likely To Affect State-Level Contracts
The Federal Circuit’s ruling that federal law required a government contractor to provide bonds prior to starting two U.S. Army construction projects will likely have nationwide ramifications, as each state’s courts consider how similar statutes apply to state contracts, lawyers said.
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November 9, 2018
8th Circ. Says Gov't Exempt From Army Priest Sex Abuse Suit
The dismissal of a sexual abuse lawsuit against a U.S. Army hospital was upheld by the Eighth Circuit on Friday after it determined that the federal government is immune to claims that the hospital should have known of a priest’s history of sexual abuse allegations.
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November 9, 2018
Fed. Circ. Hands GE Another Win Over Jet Engine Patents
The Federal Circuit on Friday affirmed Patent Trial and Appeal Board decisions that invalidated claims in three United Technologies Corp. patents covering aircraft engines, handing another win to General Electric Co. in the rivals’ patent fight.
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November 9, 2018
DOD's Chief Management Officer Steps Down
The U.S. Department of Defense's chief management officer stepped down Friday, following two months of speculation that he was on the way out over an alleged failure to sufficiently identify cost savings, the key focus of his role.
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November 9, 2018
US Foreign Arms Sales Increase To $192B In 2018
International sales of U.S. arms and defense equipment hit $192.3 billion in fiscal 2018, marking a significant leap from the previous year, the U.S. Department of State announced, suggesting that the Trump administration’s recent changes to arms export policy were behind the boost.
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November 9, 2018
2 Indicted In $400M Army Base Contract Kickback Scheme
Two employees of SK Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd. stand accused of being part of a scheme to defraud the U.S. government via fraudulent subcontracts as a vehicle to conceal bribes to a public official in exchange for over $400 million in construction contracts for a U.S. Army base in South Korea, according to prosecutors in Tennessee federal court Thursday.
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November 8, 2018
Contractor Charged With Hiring Unqualified Army Interpreters
A former recruiter for an interpretation services company was indicted in Maryland federal court Wednesday and accused of fraudulently hiring unqualified interpreters to work alongside the U.S. military in Afghanistan.
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November 8, 2018
DOD Must Plan Better For Corrosion Mitigation: GAO Report
The effects of corrosion cost the U.S. Department of Defense billions of dollars each year, but the DOD is not properly determining the appropriate level of funding needed to address the issue, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said Thursday.
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November 8, 2018
Deals Rumor Mill: Home Partners, Denel, Wells Fargo
Home Partners of America is considering going public, Saudi Arabia lobbed a $1 billion offer to ink a partnership with Denel, and Wells Fargo is considering selling off its retirement plan services unit.
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November 8, 2018
FCC, NASA To Push Private Communications Partnerships
The Federal Communications Commission and NASA are looking to make it easier for satellite and communications companies to expand in the airwaves by deregulating agency rules and heightening interest in private aerospace-industry contracts, officials told an audience at the Hudson Institute on Thursday.
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November 8, 2018
Iranian Man Pleads Guilty To Violating US Export Laws
An Iranian citizen pled guilty in D.C. federal court to charges that he conspired to illegally export technology and other products from the U.S. to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Thursday.
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November 8, 2018
NJ Justices Won't Review Malpractice Suit In Contract Row
The New Jersey Supreme Court has declined to review a state appellate court decision against reviving a legal malpractice case that accused Starr Gern Davison & Rubin PC of not turning over discovery materials to a former client’s new counsel during a breach of contract suit over $2 billion in defense contracts.
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November 7, 2018
7th Circ. Denies Vet's Challenge To VA Fraud Sentence
A Wisconsin veteran who defrauded the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs of more than $400,000 by overstating the effects of his service-related injuries cannot appeal the loss amount guiding his prison sentence because he raised the issue too late, the Seventh Circuit held Tuesday.
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November 7, 2018
Dem House Takeover Means Closer Oversight For Defense
The pending Democratic takeover of the House sets up several significant changes in its approach to defense issues, including closer oversight of U.S. Department of Defense actions and budgets, and pushback against Trump administration priorities for the military like the pending U.S. Space Force. Here, Law360 looks at three key issues to watch under the new chairmanship.
Expert Analysis
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It’s Time For Law Firms To Start Talking About Gen Z
Since the oldest members of Generation Z aren’t even finished with law school yet, law firm management is in a unique position to prepare for their entrance into the legal workforce, says Eliza Stoker of Major Lindsey & Africa.
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Guest Feature
The Many Lives Of Michael Chertoff
Randy Maniloff begins his interview with the nation’s second secretary of homeland security by saying he wants to go over his resume. The look on Michael Chertoff's face: “Bring it on.”
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What To Expect From New Democratic Investigation Efforts
The new Democratic House majority is expected to direct much of its attention to executive branch oversight and accountability. Companies and their legal counsel should be prepared for a dramatically changed collateral environment as investigations cover a wide range of topics, say attorneys at WilmerHale.
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Q&A
Back To School: Yale's Linda Greenhouse Talks Journalism
In this series featuring law school luminaries, Yale Law School lecturer and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Linda Greenhouse discusses her coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court, the conservatives' long game and trends in journalism.
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Opinion
Celebrate Veterans By Improving Their Access To Justice
Attorneys should think beyond the Veterans Day parades and use their time and talents to help the many veterans facing urgent legal issues, says Linda Klein of Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC.
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Iran Sanctions Reimposed: 5 Key Questions
With this week's reimposition of the final tranche of U.S. sanctions against Iran, foreign subsidiaries of U.S. companies must ensure they have concluded all Iran-related business. The addition of more Iranian individuals and entities to the specially designated nationals list means additional compliance risks, say attorneys with Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
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Opinion
Time To Reclaim Wellness For All Lawyers
The decision last month by Baker McKenzie’s global chairman to step down due to exhaustion indicates that the legal profession needs to mount a broader wellness effort to address long hours, high stress, frequent travel and the daily demands of practice, says Leesa Klepper, director of Thrivewell Coaching.
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The Challenge Iran Sanctions Pose For EU Operators
On Nov. 5, the United States will reimpose economic sanctions that target Iran but will also impact many European companies. The interaction between U.S. and EU sanctions regimes will create novel legal issues and compliance challenges for European companies with ties to the U.S., say attorneys at Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
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Hospitality Rules And Risks: Considerations For Defense Cos.
New guidelines from the International Forum on Business Ethical Conduct establish general principles for aerospace and defense companies on acceptable practices related to providing business courtesies and hospitalities. In our experience, companies fall into three broad groups on this issue, say Howard Weissman and Lina Braude of Baker McKenzie.
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Protecting Law Firm Talent At Both Ends
By 2030, it is possible that 75 percent of lawyers practicing in the U.S. will be millennials. A broadened focus on retention and advancement of all young lawyers is therefore a logical step forward but it fails to address another major retention issue that law firms should explore, says Susan Smith Blakely of LegalPerspectives LLC.