Government Contracts

  • March 21, 2024

    Government Contractor Wants Out Of Exit Pay Suit

    A government contractor said federal law doesn't cover its policy giving employees a bonus upon retirement, but workers lodging a lawsuit against the company weren't eligible for the payments anyway, urging a North Carolina court to toss the suit.

  • March 20, 2024

    Bridge Repair Workers Get Partial Cert. In Conn. OT Suit

    A Connecticut federal judge has conditionally certified a boat captain's federal wage claims against a government subcontractor specializing in bridge projects, reasoning he sufficiently pled a violation of overtime pay policy, while declining to greenlight sub-collectives under New Jersey and Pennsylvania laws.

  • March 20, 2024

    Philly Charter School Exec Convicted Of Embezzlement

    A nonprofit executive was convicted Wednesday in Pennsylvania federal court on all 18 counts of siphoning funds from a tax-exempt educational and housing organization to live lavishly, while the same jury found a colleague guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud but absolved him of other charges.

  • March 20, 2024

    Republican Bill Targets Colleges Hiring Unauthorized Workers

    Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., have introduced legislation to prevent universities that receive federal funding from hiring unauthorized immigrants.

  • March 20, 2024

    How The Supreme Court Could Narrow Chevron

    After hours of oral argument in a closely watched administrative law case, it appeared that some U.S. Supreme Court justices could be open to limiting the opportunities for lower courts to defer to federal agencies' legal interpretations in disputes over rulemaking — and legal experts said there are a number of ways they could do it.

  • March 20, 2024

    Breaking Down Each State's Climate Priority Policies

    Forty-five states have now completed climate action plans outlining how they'll advance federal climate goals through policy and programs in coming years, with most focusing at least in part on real estate development as a way to reduce emissions.

  • March 20, 2024

    Intel, Commerce Dept. Forge $8.5B Logic Chip Partnership

    A proposed $8.5 billion partnership between the federal government and Intel Corp. could yield thousands of jobs and up to $100 billion in logic chip facility expansion and modernization in four states.

  • March 20, 2024

    Senators Want More Scrutiny For Defense M&A Deals

    Two U.S. senators are calling on the Pentagon to shift the way it reviews defense industry mergers and dedicate more staff to the task, saying that contractor consolidation is jeopardizing national security and diminishing returns for taxpayer dollars.

  • March 20, 2024

    Law360 Announces The Members Of Its 2024 Editorial Boards

    Law360 is pleased to announce the formation of its 2024 Editorial Advisory Boards.

  • March 20, 2024

    US Chamber's Litigation Funding Concerns Spur 2 State Laws

    Amid concerns from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce about third-party litigation funding, including from potentially hostile foreign entities, state legislatures in Indiana and West Virginia have recently passed bills imposing restrictions on the practice.

  • March 19, 2024

    Texas Energy Co. Should Put Service Before Price, Court Hints

    Texas Supreme Court justices questioned an electricity provider about its argument that the Public Utility Commission of Texas' policy setting price caps during extreme events goes against state law, asking if the agency should prioritize competition over keeping "the lights on" during oral arguments Tuesday.

  • March 19, 2024

    Contractor Can't Refute GSA Audit Power, Gov't Tells DC Circ.

    The federal government urged the D.C. Circuit to uphold a lower court ruling that the General Services Administration had the authority to audit a Crowley Government Services Inc. military transportation contract, saying the ruling leaned on a clear interpretation of an underlying statute.

  • March 19, 2024

    LA Councilman's Wife Tells RICO Jury Of Vegas Cash Wads

    Former Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar's wife got into a disagreement with him once over a wad of cash he brought back from a trip to Las Vegas with a billionaire developer, she testified Tuesday to a federal jury considering racketeering charges against another former city official, Raymond Chan.

  • March 19, 2024

    GEO Fights Wash. Bid For State Inspectors' Entry Into ICE Jail

    GEO Group is pushing back against Washington state's request for a preliminary injunction forcing the private prison operator to let inspectors into a Tacoma-area immigrant detention facility, saying the suit is likely to flop, especially given a federal judge's recent decision to partially suspend the state law regulators have relied upon to get inside.  

  • March 19, 2024

    5th Circ. Won't Rehear Ex-Raytheon Worker's Firing Suit

    The Fifth Circuit on Tuesday refused to rehear an engineer's claims that he was fired by Raytheon for flagging issues with a defense system, keeping intact its ruling that national security concerns barred the retaliation case.

  • March 19, 2024

    Immunity Ruling Doesn't Apply To CACI, Iraqi Ex-Detainees Say

    Former detainees at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison fought to preserve their claims against a Virginia-based defense contractor they claim is complicit in their torture, saying the company's reliance on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to establish immunity lacks merit.

  • March 18, 2024

    'Brazen' Text By LA Pol Surfaces In Raymond Chan RICO Trial

    A former lobbyist received a "brazen" text from then-Los Angeles City Councilmember Jose Huizar in 2018 seeking a bribe from his developer client, according to testimony heard on Monday by a Los Angeles federal jury considering racketeering and bribery charges against another former city official, Raymond Chan.

  • March 18, 2024

    Philly Nonprofit Execs Lived Large On Co. Money, Jury Told

    Jurors should not believe arguments from two nonprofit executives who are former associates of City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson who said they simply made bookkeeping mistakes and didn't concoct an alleged scheme to spend company money on things like huge bonuses, lavish vacations and bribing a Milwaukee school official, federal prosecutors said Monday. 

  • March 18, 2024

    Claims Court Won't Let Army Out Of Contract Breach Claims Yet

    A U.S. Court of Federal Claims judge ruled that a clause in a U.S. Army training service deal allowed it to end a contractor's deal but said he couldn't yet rule on claims the Army breached the deal by not making full payments.

  • March 18, 2024

    Feds Call $45B Nuclear Deal Appeal Moot After New Award

    The federal government pressed the Federal Circuit to dismiss a contractor's appeal over registration issues with a $45 billion nuclear waste cleanup contract, arguing Monday the appeal was moot following the U.S. Department of Energy's reissuance of the deal.

  • March 18, 2024

    The Biggest Trade Secrets Awards In The Last 5 Years

    Trade secrets cases are having a moment in the spotlight, thanks to some gargantuan damages awards over the past five years and more flexibility for plaintiffs to argue for what they think they are owed.

  • March 18, 2024

    Judge Pauses Fla. Tribe's Suit Over Clean Water Act Program

    A Florida federal judge on Monday paused a lawsuit brought by the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians alleging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency improperly granted the state permitting authority under a Clean Water Act program, saying the case could be moot if an order in similar litigation is allowed to stand.

  • March 18, 2024

    High Court Doubts Feds Coerced Social Media Cos.

    A majority of the U.S. Supreme Court appeared unconvinced Monday that the Biden administration violated the First Amendment by working with social media platforms to combat the spread of misinformation, often chiding Louisiana's solicitor general for presenting confusing and overly expansive arguments.

  • March 18, 2024

    Feds, Tribes, Casinos Face Off Over Trust Land Request

    The Interior Department, Detroit-area casinos and two tribes are urging the D.C. Circuit to reject the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians' bid to compel the federal government to take land into trust for a casino venture several hundred miles away from its other trust lands on Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

  • March 18, 2024

    4th Circ. Preview: Airport Mishap, Inmate Pay Launch March

    The Fourth Circuit's spring session will task the court with refereeing a power struggle between Virginia regulators and the authority that runs Washington, D.C.'s airports — stemming from a workplace amputation — and delving into the "honest belief" doctrine's role in a Family Medical Leave Act case.

Expert Analysis

  • Fed. Circ. Ruling Helps Clarify When Gov't Clawback Is Timely

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    The Federal Circuit’s examination of claims accrual in a January decision that allows the Defense Contract Management Agency to pursue overpayment claims under a cost-reimbursement contract serves as a reminder that the government can lose such claims by waiting too long to file, say Evan Sherwood and Peter Hutt at Covington.

  • Preparing For DOJ's Data Analytics Push In FCPA Cases

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    After the U.S. Department of Justice’s recent announcement that it will leverage data analytics in Foreign Corrupt Practice Act investigations and prosecutions, companies will need to develop a compliance strategy that likewise implements data analytics to get ahead of enforcement risks, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Considering The Logical Extremes Of Your Legal Argument

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    Recent oral arguments in the federal election interference case against former President Donald Trump highlighted the age-old technique of extending an argument to its logical limit — a principle that is still important for attorneys to consider in preparing their cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • How 3 New Laws Change Calif. Nonprofits' Legal Landscape

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    Legislation that went into effect on Jan. 1 should be welcomed by California’s nonprofit organizations, which may now receive funding more quickly, rectify past noncompliance more easily and have greater access to the states’ security funding program, say Casey Williams and Brett Overby at Liebert Cassidy.

  • ChristianaCare Settlement Reveals FCA Pitfalls For Hospitals

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    ChristianaCare's False Claims Act settlement in December is the first one based on a hospital allegedly providing private physicians with free services in the form of hospital-employed clinicians and provides important compliance lessons as the government ramps up scrutiny of compensation arrangements, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Series

    Coaching High School Wrestling Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Coaching my son’s high school wrestling team has been great fun, but it’s also demonstrated how a legal career can benefit from certain experiences, such as embracing the unknown, studying the rules and engaging with new people, says Richard Davis at Maynard Nexsen.

  • Freight Forwarders And Common Carriers: Know Your Cargo

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    Freight forwarders and other nonprincipal parties involved in global cargo movement should follow the guidance in the multi-agency know-your-cargo compliance note to avoid enforcement actions should they fail to spot evasive tactics used in supply chains to circumvent U.S. sanctions and export controls, say attorneys at Venable.

  • SG's Office Is Case Study To Help Close Legal Gender Gap

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    As women continue to be underrepresented in the upper echelons of the legal profession, law firms could learn from the example set by the Office of the Solicitor General, where culture and workplace policies have helped foster greater gender equality, say attorneys at Ocean Tomo.

  • Opinion

    The PLUS Act Is The Best Choice For Veterans

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    Of two currently pending federal legislative proposals, the Preserving Lawful Utilization of Services Act's plan to diversify and expedite the processing of veterans' claims through an expanded network of accredited providers offers the better solution, say Michael Andrews at McGuireWoods and Matthew Feehan at Nearside Solutions.

  • Skirting Anti-Kickback Causation Standard Amid Circuit Split

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    Amid the federal circuit court split over the causation standard applicable to False Claims Act cases involving Anti-Kickback Statute violations, which the First Circuit will soon consider in U.S. v. Regeneron, litigators aiming to circumvent the heightened standard should contemplate certain strategies, say Matthew Modafferi and Terence Park at Frier Levitt.

  • What New Calif. Strike Force Means For White Collar Crimes

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    The recently announced Central District of California strike force targeting complex corporate and securities fraud — following the Northern District of California's model — combines experienced prosecutorial leadership and partnerships with federal agencies like the IRS and FBI, and could result in an uptick in the number of cases and speed of proceedings, say attorneys at MoFo.

  • Bid Protest Spotlight: Standing And A Golden Rule

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    In this month's bid protest roundup, Victoria Angle at MoFo examines one recent decision that clarifies the elements necessary to establish prejudice and federal claims court standing in multiphase protests, and two that exemplify a government procurements golden rule.

  • Reimagining Law Firm Culture To Break The Cycle Of Burnout

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    While attorney burnout remains a perennial issue in the legal profession, shifting post-pandemic expectations mean that law firms must adapt their office cultures to retain talent, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.

  • Grant Compliance Takeaways From Ga. Tech's FCA Settlement

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    Georgia Tech’s recent False Claims Act settlement over its failure to detect compliance shortcomings in a grant program was unique in that it involved a voluntary repayment of funds prior to the resolution, offering a few key lessons for universities receiving research funding from the government, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • Series

    Competing In Dressage Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My lifelong participation in the sport of dressage — often called ballet on horses — has proven that several skills developed through training and competition are transferable to legal work, especially the ability to harness focus, persistence and versatility when negotiating a deal, says Stephanie Coco at V&E.

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