Aerospace & Defense

  • February 22, 2024

    Things To Watch As Boeing's 737 Max Crisis Grows

    Boeing is bracing for another round of government investigations, production pauses and mounting litigation in its enduring 737 Max crisis after last month's midair panel blowout, but experts say a leadership shakeup and promises to enhance inspections offer cold comfort to regulators, airlines and passengers.

  • February 22, 2024

    TitleMax Accused Of 'Usurious' Lending To Troops

    TitleMax was hit with a proposed class action in Georgia federal court Wednesday demanding the lender void thousands of allegedly illegal loans that saddled military members with skyrocketing debt thanks to prohibitively high interest rates.

  • February 22, 2024

    Judge Partially Tosses Suit Over Texas Beirut Bombing Suits

    A Texas federal judge has partially dismissed a lawsuit between two Houston attorneys and a Maryland firm they've accused of unfairly terminating a joint venture for litigation over the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing, writing that the firm can't face suit in the Lone Star State because the duo initiated and executed the representation agreement while on the East Coast.

  • February 22, 2024

    GAO Backs VA's Need For Licensed Contractor

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office backed the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' requirement for an Illinois company to be licensed in Oregon for a security guard service deal in the state, rejecting the company's contention that the requirement unduly restricted competition.

  • February 21, 2024

    DOJ Says Yakuza Boss Tied To Trafficking Nuclear Materials

    A Japanese national — who authorities allege is a leader of the Japanese Yakuza crime syndicate — conspired to traffic nuclear materials from Myanmar to other countries, including to a person he thought was an Iranian general, authorities alleged in New York federal court Wednesday.

  • February 21, 2024

    GAO Backs Army Rejection Of Unclear Bid For Deals In Korea

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office has agreed with the U.S. Army's decision to deem unacceptable an engineering firm's bid for construction deals in South Korea, as the watchdog found the bids unclear on who would perform certain quality control and safety activities.

  • February 21, 2024

    Gov't Says Camp Lejeune Litigants Must Show Specific Cause

    The federal government has said that Camp Lejeune plaintiffs need to show that their illnesses were specifically caused by their exposure to contaminated water at the Marine base, not just that they spent 30 days at the base and have an illness that can be caused by exposure.

  • February 21, 2024

    GAO Says IT Co. Challenging $79M Gov't Deal Wasn't Misled

    A Virginia information technology company lost its protest of a $79 million U.S. Special Operations Command deal for cybersecurity services after the U.S. Government Accountability Office rejected its contention that USSOCOM engaged in misleading and unfair discussions during procurement.

  • February 21, 2024

    PE Firm Can't Shake Ex-CEO's Retaliation Suit In NC

    A North Carolina federal judge has maintained the bulk of a former executive's suit accusing a private equity firm of duping him into accepting a top role at a defense supply unit and firing him when he refused to hide the company's financial reality from a major defense contractor client, reasoning that he satisfied pleading standards.

  • February 21, 2024

    FCC Commissioner To Meet With Indian Gov't On TikTok Ban

    FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr is finally getting the chance to chat with Indian officials about the country's decision to ban TikTok over concerns about the Chinese government's influence over the app, a decision he has pushed for here in the United States, during a visit to India.

  • February 21, 2024

    Boeing Ousts Head Of Embattled 737 Max Program

    Boeing on Wednesday replaced the chief of its 737 Max program as the American aerospace giant rejiggers the executive team overseeing its most popular line of jets after high-profile safety mishaps such as last month's midair panel blowout and two deadly crashes overseas five years ago.

  • February 21, 2024

    AT&T Says Satellite Cell Coverage Must Rely On Leases

    The Federal Communications Commission will soon vote on new rules allowing satellite companies to use spectrum to beef up mobile connectivity, helping eliminate "dead zones."

  • February 21, 2024

    How Trump's Hush Money Trial Helps Or Hurts Jack Smith

    Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's porn star hush money case against Donald Trump is set to be the first criminal trial of a former president in U.S. history, a development that carries potential risks and benefits for special counsel Jack Smith, especially as one expert characterized the New York case as "legally and factually weak."

  • February 21, 2024

    Judge Threatens Ex-Trump Aide With Contempt Over Records

    A D.C. federal judge threatened to hold a Trump-era White House aide in contempt for his continuing failure to turn over all the records covered by the Presidential Records Act to the U.S. government.

  • February 21, 2024

    Assange Extradition Not Political, US Gov't Says

    Julian Assange faces criminal charges in the U.S. for the "unprecedented" theft of military secrets that were published online rather than for his political views, lawyers for the American government said at his extradition appeal in London on Wednesday.

  • February 21, 2024

    White House Acts To Shore Up Cybersecurity At US Ports

    The Biden administration on Wednesday moved to boost cybersecurity at U.S. ports, announcing a series of actions that include new proposed rules to establish minimum data security safeguards and an executive order requiring transportation vessels and facilities to report cyber incidents.

  • February 20, 2024

    Liberal Justices Hint Chevron Deference Hanging By A Thread

    In the U.S. Supreme Court's latest battle royal over administrative powers, left-leaning justices at oral arguments Tuesday openly suggested that the landmark legal doctrine underpinning modern rulemaking might soon shrivel up, clearing the way for industry-led challenges to regulations on the books for decades.

  • February 20, 2024

    SEC Zeroes In On SolarWinds Exec In Revised Complaint

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has doubled down on its case accusing software provider SolarWinds Corp. of failing to warn the public about the cybersecurity vulnerabilities that gave rise to a 2020 hack, providing a New York federal court with more detail about the involvement of the company's chief information security officer in the alleged cover-up.

  • February 20, 2024

    GAO Says Army Was Fair In Awarding $169M IT Upgrade Deal

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office has denied a Maryland company's protest of a $169 million information technology infrastructure modernization deal for the U.S. Army, rejecting its claim that the Army assessed a competitor's strengths while overlooking the company's despite them having similarities.

  • February 20, 2024

    Amentum Can Claim Some COVID Leave Costs From Air Force

    The Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals has ruled that Amentum Services can partially claim increased costs under an Air Force contract based on California's COVID-19 sick leave laws but that sovereign immunity bars claims based on a military quarantine requirement.

  • February 20, 2024

    GOP, Democratic Reps. Team Up To Decry Punted FISA Vote

    The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act's controversial Section 702, which gives the government a backdoor to intercept American communications without a warrant, is set to expire soon, and a bipartisan group of lawmakers says it's time they be allowed to vote on a version of the reauthorization that would add privacy protections.

  • February 20, 2024

    Justices Deny 9/11 Widows' Challenge to Damage Distribution

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to revive a lawsuit from the widows of two 9/11 victims alleging a district court improperly allowed all immediate relatives to claim wrongful death damages despite state laws allowing relief only to heirs.

  • February 20, 2024

    Akin Hires Top BIS Commerce Department Counsel In DC

    Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP has hired the former U.S. Department of Commerce's chief counsel for the Bureau of Industry and Security, who has joined the firm as a partner in Washington, D.C., the firm announced Tuesday.

  • February 20, 2024

    Fox Rothschild AI Chief Talks 'Terrifying' Deepfakes, Biased AI

    Mark McCreary, the chief artificial intelligence and information security officer at Fox Rothschild, leads his firm's internal AI strategy and provides counsel to other law firms trying to bushwhack their path through the often murky AI legal landscape, rife with hallucinated case law citations and disturbingly real deepfakes.

  • February 20, 2024

    5th Circ. Pauses Transfer Order In SpaceX, NLRB Dispute

    The Fifth Circuit pressed pause on a Texas district court's order to transfer SpaceX's suit over the constitutionality of the NLRB's structure to California, staying the lower court's decision while the appeals court considers the company's petition for writ of mandamus.

Expert Analysis

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Nonmonetary Claims, Timeliness

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    Bret Marfut and Stephanie Magnell at Seyfarth look at recent decisions from the U.S. Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims that shed light on the jurisdictional contours of the Contract Disputes Act and provide useful guidance on timely filings and jurisdiction over nonmonetary claims.

  • Aviation Watch: Osprey Aircraft May Face Tort Claims

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    A recent U.S. Marine Corps Command report found that the cause of a 2022 Osprey crash was a problem known to the manufacturer and the military for over 10 years — and the aircraft may now be on its way to a day of reckoning in the tort liability arena, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

  • 4 Business-Building Strategies For Introvert Attorneys

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Introverted lawyers can build client bases to rival their extroverted peers’ by adapting time-tested strategies for business development that can work for any personality — such as claiming a niche, networking for maximum impact, drawing on existing contacts and more, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.

  • Opinion

    FinCEN Regs Must Recognize Int'l Whistleblower Realities

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    In drafting regulations to implement an anti-money laundering whistleblower program, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network must follow the mandates laid out in the White House’s global anti-corruption strategy to protect and compensate whistleblowers in extreme danger worldwide, says Stephen Kohn at Kohn Kohn.

  • Opinion

    3 Ways Justices' Disclosure Defenses Miss The Ethical Point

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    The rule-bound interpretation of financial disclosures preferred by U.S. Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas — demonstrated in their respective statements defending their failure to disclose gifts from billionaires — show that they do not understand the ethical aspects of the public's concern, says Jim Moliterno at the Washington and Lee University School of Law.

  • FAA Drone Guidance Clears Air On Scope Of Authority

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    The Federal Aviation Administration's new guidance outlines robust federal preemption in aviation safety and airspace efficiency, including drones, while delineating roles for state and local governments, and this fact sheet will likely be a helpful resource for state and local lawmakers, industry, courts and others, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • How US Investment Regulation May Shift Under Biden Order

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    Attorneys at Ropes & Gray explore potential prohibitions, notification requirements and covered transactions under President Joe Biden's recent executive order, which marks an unprecedented expansion of U.S. regulation of investment activity.

  • 5 Compliance Mistakes To Avoid When Entering A New Market

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    As many companies move their value chains out of China or expand to new markets for other reasons, they should beware several common compliance pitfalls — such as insufficient due diligence and one-size-fits-all training — to avoid reputational, financial and legal damage, says Alexandra Wrage at TRACE International.

  • Where Biden's Outbound Investment Effort May Be Headed

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    The president’s recent executive order on outbound investment describes prohibited transactions and a notification process, but the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s actions suggest upcoming regulations will leave investors with the risky determination of whether investments are prohibited or require notification, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Caregiver Flexibility Is Crucial For Atty Engagement, Retention

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    As the battle for top talent continues post-pandemic, many firms are attempting to attract employees with progressive hybrid working environments — and supporting caregivers before, during and after an extended leave is a critically important way to retain top talent, says Manar Morales at The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance.

  • Strike Force Actions Underscore Foreign Risks For Tech Cos.

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    As recent prosecutions demonstrate, a multiagency strike force is ramping up enforcement of trade secret theft and export control violations, and companies will need to be proactive in protecting their sensitive technologies from foreign adversaries, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

  • Questions To Ask Before Drafting Proposals With AI

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    Before federal contractors adopt AI tools to simplify their proposal writing, they should ask questions about how a given AI tool’s model was developed, and consider the procedures they will need to avoid cookie-cutter submissions and ensure accuracy, privacy and security, among other practical and legal considerations, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Even Without US, Deep-Sea Mining Rules Likely To Prevail

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    While the U.S. was absent from the International Seabed Authority's recent meeting in Jamaica, and has not ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, it seems increasingly clear that the ISA's forthcoming deep-sea mining regime will become a global framework of reference, say Louise Woods and Elena Guillet at V&E.

  • In-Office Engagement Is Essential To Associate Development

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    As law firms develop return-to-office policies that allow hybrid work arrangements, they should incorporate the specific types of in-person engagement likely to help associates develop attributes common among successful firm leaders, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.

  • SEC Focus On Perks Offers Insights On Cooperation

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent settlement with Stanley Black & Decker is the latest example of the SEC's continued focus on executive perquisites and highlights what type of cooperation may be required to avoid a civil money penalty, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

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