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Government Contracts
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January 14, 2025
Justices Told 'Copyrightability' Issues Must Be Left To Judges
The justices have been asked by a defense contractor to wade into a split among circuit courts over "whether questions of copyrightability" should be decided by judges or juries.
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January 14, 2025
DOJ Says Software Co.'s $12.7M Copyright Win Is Sufficient
The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday defended a judge's decision to award a software developer $12.7 million after a federal contractor made unauthorized copies of its software, telling the Federal Circuit the award was correctly calculated.
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January 14, 2025
FAR Council Wants Uniform View Of Controlled Information
The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council on Tuesday issued a pair of long-awaited proposed regulations, seeking to define and protect controlled unclassified information across the government and to update rules related to conflicts of interest involving contractors.
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January 14, 2025
OIG Wants Corps' Overruns, Delays To Inform Future Projects
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regularly faced cost increases and delays on four military construction projects and should take steps to learn from and mitigate such problems, a federal watchdog said in a new report.
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January 14, 2025
Wynne Transportation Can Tap Some Of $6M DIP In Ch. 11
A Delaware bankruptcy judge said Tuesday she will allow transportation service provider Wynne Transportation to borrow $2 million in initial debtor-in-possession financing on an interim basis, clearing the way to fund a Chapter 11 case the company launched in the wake of a nearly $33 million arbitration judgment.
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January 14, 2025
MIT Bio Lab Can't Use Anti-SLAPP To Duck Defamation Suit
The Massachusetts Appeals Court on Tuesday ruled that the state's anti-SLAPP statute could not stop a suit brought by the former head of an MIT-affiliated biomedical research lab who stepped down amid a finding that he harassed a subordinate, though several of his claims were axed nonetheless.
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January 13, 2025
On Cross, Madigan Says He Merely Helped Job-Seekers
Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan distanced himself Monday from political allies who prosecutors say bribed him for jobs and other benefits, saying his recommendations were just that, and that he thought he was effective in shutting down a former alderman's quid pro quo suggestion.
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January 13, 2025
Judge Spikes Challenge To Ga. Utility Commish Elections
A federal judge on Monday tossed a lawsuit that challenged the extension of terms for members of Georgia's utility regulatory commission while its elections were suspended by voting rights litigation, clearing the way for its members to return to the ballot next year.
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January 13, 2025
Lincare Pays $1.15M To End Wash. Medicaid Fraud Probe
Lincare Inc. agreed to pay $1.15 million to resolve a Washington probe into allegations the medical equipment supplier overbilled Medicaid for rental payments for patients' oxygen equipment over a six-year period, the Washington State Office of the Attorney General announced Monday.
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January 13, 2025
Fla. Court OKs $6B Settlement Data Release In 3M's UK Case
A Florida federal court has authorized the release of certain information related to 3M's $6 billion multidistrict litigation settlement ending claims over allegedly faulty combat earplugs to a London arbitral tribunal, which was convened to determine if insurer AIG Europe Ltd. is refusing to pay its share of the deal.
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January 13, 2025
Justices Won't Review 11th Circ.'s Cancer Cluster Decision
The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that it won't review the Eleventh Circuit's affirmation of a favorable jury verdict for defense contractor Pratt & Whitney, which was found to have failed to exercise reasonable care when disposing radioactive materials, but also freed it from liability for the cancer cases that emerged in a Florida neighborhood.
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January 13, 2025
FHWA Ends 'Buy America' Waiver For Manufactured Products
The Federal Highway Administration on Monday finalized a rule ending a decades-long exception to "Buy America" domestic sourcing requirements for manufactured products used in federally funded highway projects, a change the agency said was intended to boost domestic manufacturing.
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January 13, 2025
NJ Groups Sue To Revoke Offshore Wind Farm Approvals
A group of environmental and business organizations are alleging in New Jersey federal court that federal approvals awarded to a Shell-backed developer's offshore wind projects violate a number of environmental statutes, and they are looking to halt the construction of two offshore wind facilities located just under nine miles off the Garden State coast.
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January 13, 2025
Ga. Waste Authority Sues To Block County's Audit Attempt
A Georgia county's solid waste authority, whose finances came under scrutiny from the Federal Bureau of Investigation last year, has sued its county's government to block an effort by the county to force inspections and audits of its waste facilities.
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January 13, 2025
Army Can Sole-Source $990M 'Critical Support' Deal
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has rejected a protest over a sole-source $990 million U.S. Army loitering munitions contract, saying the Army properly used temporary authority meant to provide critical support for Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel to award the deal.
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January 13, 2025
Wynne Transportation Files Ch. 11 After $32M Arbitration Loss
Transportation services company Wynne Transportation Holdings LLC filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware after an arbitrator said it must pay a former subcontractor $32.8 million because it severed their partnership after the state of Texas required it to bus migrants to Democratic-controlled areas.
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January 13, 2025
Justices Won't Hear Farm's Bid To Retake Denver Airport Land
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a Colorado farm company's petition arguing Denver can't hold onto land originally seized for the Denver International Airport now that the city plans to build a private commercial complex on the property.
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January 13, 2025
Justices Won't Review Biden's Contractor Wage Hike
The U.S. Supreme Court won't review President Joe Biden's authority to raise the minimum wage for federal contract workers, the high court said Monday, shutting down a bid to overturn a Tenth Circuit decision.
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January 10, 2025
4 Lessons For Contractors From The Bitmanagement Saga
A software company's damages award of just $150,000 after years of litigation over the U.S. Navy violating a licensing deal offers several lessons for federal software contractors about carefully negotiating contractual terms and making sure they can adequately enforce those terms.
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January 10, 2025
CACI Denied New Trial Over Abu Ghraib Torture
The defense contractor found liable for conspiring with the U.S. military to torture inmates at the Abu Ghraib military prison said it would appeal to the Fourth Circuit after a Virginia federal judge Friday ruled the company won't get a third crack at trial.
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January 10, 2025
Tech Co., Feds Seek Wins In Commercial Item Preference Row
A tech company is asking a federal judge to block the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from proceeding with solicitations that stand to replace so-called batCAVE and Signal software it developed that is already providing the desired functionality.
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January 10, 2025
FAR Council Pulls Proposed GHG Emissions Disclosure Rule
The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council on Friday withdrew a pending rule that aimed to require "major" federal contractors to publicly disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and to set emissions reduction targets, saying the Biden administration lacks sufficient time to finalize the proposal.
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January 10, 2025
9th Circ. Affirms Hearing Aid Co.'s Win Over Investor Suit
The Ninth Circuit on Friday handed a win to Eargo Inc. and affirmed the dismissal of a securities class action against the hearing aid company, which alleged that the company and its top brass acted with intent to commit insurance billing fraud.
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January 10, 2025
NJ Mayor Cops To Using Town Employees to Run Private Biz
A longtime New Jersey mayor is barred from ever holding public office or employment again after he admitted Friday to using township employees to help run a private business out of his mayoral office, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced.
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January 09, 2025
Other Bidders Can Intervene In Army Contract Protest
The U.S. Court of Federal Claims rejected an effort by Red River Science & Technology LLC to stop other bidders from intervening in its protest over the U.S. Army's decision to reopen contract-related discussions.
Expert Analysis
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Series
Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer
The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.
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GAO Decision Offers Insights On Verifying TAA Compliance
The U.S. Government Accountability Office's August decision in Matter of: HPI Federal LLC serves as a reminder of the importance of verifying Trade Agreements Act compliance — and of understanding the parameters of an agency's acceptance of an offeror's TAA representation, say Amy Hoang and Sarah Barney at Seyfarth.
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3 Takeaways From Navy Shipbuilder's Fraud Guilty Plea
Austal USA’s recent plea agreement over accounting fraud charges highlights for other companies the benefits of cooperating with government investigations, the challenges posed by senior executives’ involvement in misconduct, and the high stakes for defense contractors, say Michael DeBernardis and Shayda Vance at Hughes Hubbard.
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Opinion
Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits
With two weeks until the election, bar associations and courts have an urgent responsibility to warn lawyers about the consequences of filing unsubstantiated lawsuits claiming election fraud, says Elise Bean at the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy.
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How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program
During this year’s pro bono celebration week, companies should consider some key pointers to grow and maintain a vibrant in-house program for attorneys to provide free legal services for the public good, says Mary Benton at Alston & Bird.
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Series
Home Canning Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Making my own pickles and jams requires seeing a process through from start to finish, as does representing clients from the start of a dispute at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board through any appeals to the Federal Circuit, says attorney Kevin McNish.
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Next Steps For FCA Defendants After Fla. Qui Tam Ruling
Because a Florida federal court's recent decision in Zafirov v. Florida Medical Associates could eventually prove to be a watershed event for False Claims Act suits, defendants should consider potential next steps to ensure that their litigation benefits from the court's reasoning and further developments, says Scott Gallisdorfer at Bass Berry.
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Compliance Pointers For Amended Pa. Data Breach Law
Recent updates to the Pennsylvania Breach of Personal Information Notification Act include a requirement that organizations alert the state's attorney general of certain consumer data breach notifications, and several incident response and cybersecurity considerations will be necessary to ensure compliance, say Matthew Meade and Laura Decker at Eckert Seamans.
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Use The Right Kind Of Feedback To Help Gen Z Attorneys
Generation Z associates bring unique perspectives and expectations to the workplace, so it’s imperative that supervising attorneys adapt their feedback approach in order to help young lawyers learn and grow — which is good for law firms, too, says Rachael Bosch at Fringe Professional Development.
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Opinion
Congress Can And Must Enact A Supreme Court Ethics Code
As public confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court dips to historic lows following reports raising conflict of interest concerns, Congress must exercise its constitutional power to enact a mandatory and enforceable code of ethics for the high court, says Muhammad Faridi, president of the New York City Bar Association.
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Series
The Pop Culture Docket: Justice Lebovits On Gilbert And Sullivan
Characters in the 19th century comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan break the rules of good lawyering by shamelessly throwing responsible critical thought to the wind, providing hilarious lessons for lawyers and judges on how to avoid a surfeit of traps and tribulations, say acting New York Supreme Court Justice Gerald Lebovits and law student Tara Scown.
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Fla. Ruling May Undermine FCA Whistleblowers' Authority
A Florida federal court's decision in Zafirov v. Florida Medical Associates last month will deprive relators of their ability to bring suits under the False Claims Act, limiting their capability to expose and rectify wrongdoings and potentially affecting billions in FCA recoveries, say Matthew Nielsen and Lily Johnson at Bracewell.
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'Minimum Contacts' Issues At Stake In High Court FSIA Case
In CC/Devas v. Antrix, the U.S. Supreme Court must decide whether a "minimum contacts" requirement should be implied in the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, with the potential to dramatically change the legislative landscape through the establishment of a new and significant barrier to U.S. suits against foreign states, say attorneys at WilmerHale.
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State Of The States' AI Legal Ethics Landscape
Over the past year, several state bar associations, as well as the American Bar Association, have released guidance on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in legal practice, all of which share overarching themes and some nuanced differences, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law Group.
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11th Circ. Kickback Ruling May Widen Hearsay Exception
In a $400 million fraud case, U.S. v. Holland, the Eleventh Circuit recently held that a conspiracy need not have an unlawful object to introduce co-conspirator statements under federal evidence rules, potentially broadening the application of the so-called co-conspirator hearsay exception, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.