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Government Contracts
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March 14, 2024
Bechtel Missed Subcontractor Targets On Nuke Waste Project
Bechtel National Inc. failed its subcontracting obligations while building a federal nuclear waste plant at the Hanford site in Washington state, lapses that cost businesses up to $700 million in missed opportunities, according to a watchdog agency report released Thursday.
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March 14, 2024
Energy Dept. Floats $2.26B Loan For Nev. Lithium Project
The Biden administration is pitching a $2.26 billion loan to help fund lithium carbonate processing facilities at the controversial Thacker Pass mine in northern Nevada, saying they could support the production of as many as 800,000 electric vehicles a year.
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March 14, 2024
McDermott Eyes White Collar Growth With Orrick FCPA Pros
McDermott Will & Emery LLP announced Thursday the addition of a seven-partner team from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP that will focus on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the False Claims Act, saying it hired the team with an eye toward its white collar and government investigation capabilities.
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March 14, 2024
DOD's Weapons Monitoring In Iraq Fell Short, Watchdog Says
The U.S. Department of Defense failed to properly inspect and account for military equipment sent to Iraq to fight ISIS, raising the possibility of weapons going missing and falling into adversaries' hands, the department's internal watchdog said.
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March 13, 2024
GAO Backs $12.3M DISA Support Deal Despite Lower Quote
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has denied a business consultant company's protest of a $12.3 million Defense Information Systems Agency task order, backing the agency's decision not to choose the company despite its lower price quotation and same ratings as the awardee.
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March 13, 2024
Hospital Manager Cements $3.5M Gabon Arbitration Award
The Gabonese Republic must pay a $3.5 million arbitration award obtained by an Austrian healthcare management company, a D.C. federal judge ruled after the central African nation failed to appear in court.
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March 13, 2024
CoreCivic Beats Asylum-Seeker's Miscarriage Liability Suit
A California federal judge handed CoreCivic Inc. a win Tuesday in a negligence lawsuit filed by an El Salvadorian asylum-seeker who alleged she miscarried while detained at the prison giant's immigration detention center near the U.S.-Mexico border, finding there to be no triable factual dispute over whether she miscarried in custody.
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March 13, 2024
Hospital Operator Defends Releases In Ch. 11 Plan
California-based hospital operator Alecto Healthcare Services LLC asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge Wednesday to approve its small business Chapter 11 reorganization, saying it is not leaving money on the table by releasing potential clawback claims.
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March 13, 2024
Claims Court Lets $282M USPS Telematics Deal Protest Stand
A Federal Claims Court judge has refused to toss a fleet-tracking technology company's protest of a $281.8 million U.S. Postal Service deal for a vehicle telematics system, rejecting USPS' contention the company couldn't sue without first exhausting agency-level remedies.
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March 12, 2024
Lima Loses Bid To Duck $140M Arb. Awards In Highway Row
A D.C. federal judge on Tuesday refused to overturn $140 million in arbitral awards against the city of Lima, Peru, stemming from its dispute with a highway contractor, ruling that the contractor won those two awards "fair and square."
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March 12, 2024
Contractor Seeks Arbitration In $3M Guam Military Base Fight
An electrical contractor has petitioned a Guam federal court to order a California-Japanese joint venture that had hired it for a project to improve U.S. military facilities to arbitrate their dispute related to nearly $3 million in allegedly unpaid costs.
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March 12, 2024
Suncor Deal With Colo. Over Air Monitoring Gets Judge's OK
A Colorado state judge has approved a settlement agreement between Suncor and state air regulators over air quality monitoring around the oil and gas company's refinery near Denver.
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March 12, 2024
FEMA Claims Process Leaves NM Fire Victims Lost, Suit Says
Five New Mexico residents are suing the Federal Emergency Management Agency over its response to a massive 2022 fire, alleging it has created delay, confusion and ambiguity in the claims process for the fire's victims.
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March 12, 2024
2nd Circ. Revives Parts Of McKesson Whistleblower Suit
The Second Circuit on Tuesday revived parts of a lawsuit brought by a McKesson Corp. whistleblower who accuses the pharmaceutical company of a kickback scheme, finding that the lower court should reconsider the claims that were brought under state anti-kickback laws.
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March 12, 2024
Feds Cement Plea Deals In Ready-Mix Bid Rig Case
A Georgia concrete company and an executive accused of participating in a price-fixing and bid-rigging scheme have reached plea agreements with the federal government, according to notices filed Tuesday.
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March 12, 2024
TransUnion Unit Pays $37M On Credit Card Data Misuse Claim
TransUnion's data unit Argus Information & Advisory Services will pay $37 million to the federal government to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act by allegedly misusing anonymized credit card data it obtained from banks under contracts with federal regulators over a decade-long period, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
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March 12, 2024
Contractor Says Claims Over Nixed $18M Army Corps Deal Valid
An Army Corps of Engineers construction contractor told a Court of Federal Claims judge it had properly supported its arguments that the Corps waived a contract deadline before terminating an $18.1 million contract for default, and that the company had been entitled to a time extension.
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March 12, 2024
Court Bars Ex-Exec From Sharing Info On Co.'s Body Armor
A North Carolina federal court granted a defense contractor's request to stop a former sales executive from sharing confidential information and export-controlled data with a foreign rival, while the court reviews the contractor's allegations.
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March 12, 2024
Pharmacy Calls $11M False Claims Case A 'House Of Cards'
A compounding pharmacy and its president trashed the Connecticut attorney general's $11 million false claims and kickback allegations against them as a "house of cards" that awarded "a sweetheart cooperation deal" to an alleged co-conspirator and improperly benefited private attorneys, calling instead for a judgment against the state.
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March 12, 2024
Ex-Judge Loses Suit Over 'Tsunami Of Public Ridicule'
An appellate court has refused to revive a former New York state trial court judge's suit accusing a Democratic county committee and several related officials of releasing a "tsunami of public ridicule" against her, saying her breach of contract claims lacked legal standing and her defamation claim was untimely.
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March 12, 2024
No Jail Time For Brothers In NYC Mayor Straw Donor Case
Two brothers at the helm of a Queens construction safety company won't serve any prison time for their roles in a straw donor scheme that inflated public funding for New York City Mayor Eric Adams' 2021 campaign, a judge ruled Tuesday.
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March 11, 2024
Gov't Says Cost Trumps Return In Dish Spectrum Fraud Case
The U.S. Department of Justice asked a federal judge to dismiss a suit accusing Dish Network of trying to buy discounted spectrum through sham companies, saying the plaintiff hasn't shown that Dish hid its interest in the buyers and the companies never received Federal Communications Commission bidding credits anyway.
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March 11, 2024
DOD's $850B Budget Request For 2025 Prioritizes Readiness
The White House on Monday proposed an $849.8 billion discretionary budget for the U.S. Department of Defense for fiscal year 2025, focusing heavily on supporting readiness programs over other priorities.
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March 11, 2024
Navajo Says Funding Bid Backed By Self-Determination Act
The Navajo Nation urged a D.C. federal judge to grant it a quick win in its challenge to allegedly inadequate judicial funding, saying the federal government's arguments for why it shouldn't recoup a $15 million interest shortfall can't survive scrutiny under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.
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March 11, 2024
Feds Pitch Draft Plan For Contested Bears Ears Monument
The Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service are asking for public input on a draft resource management plan for the Bears Ears National Monument, prepared with input from partners including five tribal nations.
Expert Analysis
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5th Circ. Ruling Reminds Attys That CBP Can Search Devices
The Fifth Circuit’s recent Malik v. Department of Homeland Security decision adds to the chorus of federal courts holding that border agents don’t need a warrant to search travelers’ electronic devices, so attorneys should consider certain special precautions to secure privileged information when reentering the U.S., says Jennifer Freel at Jackson Walker.
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Avoiding The Ethical Pitfalls Of Crowdfunded Legal Fees
The crowdfunding of legal fees has become increasingly common, providing a new way for people to afford legal services, but attorneys who accept crowdsourced funds must remember several key ethical obligations to mitigate their risks, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.
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3 Action Items For Contractors Facing A Gov't Shutdown
Federal contractors can help ensure they are well situated to endure a potential government shutdown by reviewing project funding levels and contractual stop-work clauses, and communicating with contracting officers and subcontractors about their respective obligations, says Derek Mullins at Butzel Long.
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What Large Language Models Mean For Document Review
Courts often subject parties using technology assisted review to greater scrutiny than parties conducting linear, manual document review, so parties using large language models for document review should expect even more attention, along with a corresponding need for quality control and validation, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Checking In On How SuperValu Has Altered FCA Litigation
Four months after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in U.S. ex rel. Chutte v. SuperValu, the decision's reach may be more limited than initially anticipated, with the expansion of the scienter standard counterbalanced by some potential defense tools for defendants, say Elena Quattrone and Olivia Plinio at Epstein Becker.
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Tossed FIFA Bribery Convictions May Spur New DOJ Offense
After a New York federal court vacated the bribery convictions of two defendants in the U.S. Department of Justice’s sprawling FIFA probe, prosecutors may continue to pursue foreign commercial corruption through other means, albeit with some limitations, say attorneys at Cleary.
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Series
Participating In Living History Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My role as a baron in a living history group, and my work as volunteer corporate counsel for a book series fan association, has provided me several opportunities to practice in unexpected areas of law — opening doors to experiences that have nurtured invaluable personal and professional skills, says Matthew Parker at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
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Opinion
Private Equity Owners Can Remedy Law Firms' Agency Issues
Nonlawyer, private-equity ownership of law firms can benefit shareholders and others vulnerable to governance issues such as disparate interests, and can in turn help resolve agency problems, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.
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Contract Disputes Recap: Avoid Pleading Errors' Harsh Effects
Zachary Jacobson and Stephanie Magnell at Seyfarth examine three recent cases that illustrate the severe consequences different pleading errors may have on a government contractor's ability to pursue a contract dispute, sometimes forever precluding relief regardless of the merits of a claim.
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Not To Be Outpaced: How The 2024 NDAA Addresses China
Both the House and Senate versions of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act include numerous provisions aimed at strengthening U.S. deterrence and competitive positioning vis-à-vis China, while imposing significantly more disruptive burdens on government contractors and their suppliers than in prior years, say attorneys at Covington.
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How To Protect Atty-Client Privilege While Using Generative AI
When using generative artificial intelligence tools, attorneys should consider several safeguards to avoid breaches or complications in attorney-client privilege, say Antonious Sadek and Christopher Campbell at DLA Piper.
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How New Lawyers Can Leverage Feedback For Growth
Embracing constructive criticism as a tool for success can help new lawyers accelerate their professional growth and law firms build a culture of continuous improvement, says Katie Aldrich at Fringe Professional Development.
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Bracing For Rising Cyber-Related False Claims Act Scrutiny
Two recent cyber-related False Claims Act cases illustrate the vulnerability of government contractors, including universities, obliged to self-attest compliance with multiple controls, signal the importance of accurate internal controls and underline the benefits of self-disclosure, say Townsend Bourne and Nikole Snyder at Sheppard Mullin.
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Corporate Compliance Lessons From FirstEnergy Scandal
Fallout from a massive bribery scheme involving Ohio electric utility FirstEnergy and state officeholders — including the recent sentencing of two defendants — has critical corporate governance takeaways for companies and individuals seeking to influence government policymaking, say attorneys at Wilson Sonsini.
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Twitter Legal Fees Suit Offers Crash Course In Billing Ethics
X Corp.'s suit alleging that Wachtell grossly inflated its fees in the final days of Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition provides a case study in how firms should protect their reputations by hewing to ethical billing practices and the high standards for professional conduct that govern attorney-client relationships, says Lourdes Fuentes at Karta Legal.