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Aerospace & Defense
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April 04, 2025
Pension Annuity Rulings Leave Attorneys Looking For Clarity
Benefits attorneys say they'll be watching the circuits, and perhaps the nation's highest court, for clarity after recent divergent decisions in cases accusing defense and aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin and aluminum giant Alcoa of violating federal benefits law by converting pension benefits into annuity insurance contracts.
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April 03, 2025
Helicopter Manufacturer Can't Nab Win In Mont. Crash Suit
A Montana federal judge on Thursday said that there's a genuine factual dispute about whether aircraft maker Kaman acted with malice or disregard of injury in a suit accusing it of defectively designing a helicopter that crashed and killed a pilot fighting a wildfire.
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April 03, 2025
Relator Can't Cut Gov't From DOD Price Gouging FCA Case
A Virginia federal judge has tossed a whistleblower False Claims Act case accusing several contractors of overcharging the military for replacement parts with the aid of the Defense Logistics Agency, after rejecting the relator's bid to cut the federal government as a plaintiff.
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April 03, 2025
Former Admiral Loses Bid To Escape Bribery Case
A D.C. federal judge refused to dismiss charges the U.S. government brought against former Navy Admiral Robert P. Burke for allegedly steering a contract to a company in exchange for a lucrative post-retirement position, calling his attempt to escape the charges "meritless."
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April 03, 2025
ATM Company Sanctioned For 'Objectively Frivolous' Claim
A Georgia federal judge on Wednesday tossed an attempt to relitigate a patent infringement suit brought by an ATM technology company against a competitor, and sanctioned its attorneys for bringing the "objectively frivolous" claim that the competitor defrauded the court in a previous suit.
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April 03, 2025
'No Serious Question' Federal Firings Broke Law, Justices Told
Federal employee unions and advocacy groups urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to reject the Trump administration's bid to pause a California court order reinstating tens of thousands of probationary workers fired from six agencies, arguing the government can't escape self-inflicted harms brought on by its allegedly unlawful actions.
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April 03, 2025
Nadine Menendez Trial Paused Due To Health Concerns
Nadine Menendez's trial on charges that she facilitated bribe payments for her husband, former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, was paused for the week Thursday morning after the defendant appeared to be in discomfort and expressed unspecified health concerns.
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April 02, 2025
5 Fed. Circ. Clashes To Watch This Month
The Federal Circuit will hear arguments this month in patent cases involving Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine and a blockbuster Johnson & Johnson schizophrenia drug, and the court will itself be the subject of a case at another appeals court as Judge Pauline Newman seeks to end her suspension.
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April 02, 2025
Transfer Of SpaceX NLRB Challenge To Calif. Paused For Now
A Texas federal judge has paused an order transferring SpaceX's lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the National Labor Relations Board's structure to California, saying he had mistakenly thought a Fifth Circuit mandate connected to the case had already been issued.
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April 02, 2025
Northrop Retirees Can Pursue Some Claims Against Committee
A California federal judge trimmed, but refused to throw out, proposed class action claims two Northrop Grumman Corp. retirees lodged against their former employer's pension plan administrator, saying the Employee Retirement Income Security Act is unclear if their claims fall outside its statute of limitations.
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April 02, 2025
Congress Demands VA Update Health Record System Costs
A bipartisan group of congressional leaders has sent a letter demanding that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs update its schedule and cost estimate for its problem-ridden, multibillion-dollar electronic health record modernization program, just as the VA announced it would roll out the system to nine additional sites in 2026.
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April 02, 2025
Boeing CEO Tells Senate Panel Safety Overhaul Progressing
Boeing's CEO told a Senate panel Wednesday that the company remains focused on overhauling its corporate culture and plugging safety gaps on production lines, as the plane-maker continues to stabilize its business after being rocked by two 737 Max 8 crashes and a door-plug blowout.
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April 02, 2025
CFPB's FirstCash Lending Suit Paused For Settlement Talks
A Texas federal judge has agreed to pause the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Biden-era lawsuit accusing a leading U.S. pawn store operator of military lending violations, a case the agency is now discussing settling after deciding last month to move forward with it.
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April 02, 2025
Signal Steals The Show At Cybersecurity Oversight Hearing
Democrats and Republicans faced off Wednesday morning at a House Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs hearing over how to prevent state-sponsored cyberattacks, crossing swords over whether Democrats were "politicizing" the hearing by bringing up the recent Signal app leak of plans to attack targets in Yemen.
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April 02, 2025
Fla. Man Gets 70 Months For Sending Aircraft Parts To Russia
An Arizona federal judge on Wednesday sentenced a Florida resident to nearly six years in prison for illegally exporting controlled aviation technology to Russia, and ordered the forfeiture of the $4.6 million in proceeds he earned through the scheme.
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April 02, 2025
DOD Must Justify Noncompetitive Commissary Food Deal
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has backed a food distributor's protest over a Defense Commissary Agency fresh food supply deal, finding the agency wrongly failed to justify its use of a noncompetitive award.
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April 02, 2025
Freshfields Guides Leggett & Platt On $285M Aerospace Sale
Freshfields US LLP is guiding Leggett & Platt on the sale of its Aerospace Products Group to Tinicum Inc. for $285 million, as the company seeks to better align its portfolio with its long-term vision, according to a Wednesday announcement from Leggett & Platt.
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April 02, 2025
Law Profs Back Cert. Reversal In Boeing Stock-Drop Fight
Law professors and former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission officials urged the Fourth Circuit to undo class certification for Boeing investors who accused the company of overstating the safety of its 737 Max fleet, calling the certification order a "master class" in misinterpreting precedent.
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April 01, 2025
Trump Admin Layoffs 'Probably Broke Laws,' Judge Says
A Maryland federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration "probably broke the laws that regulate en masse terminations of government employees," ordering the federal government to reinstate thousands of probationary employees who were abruptly fired from their jobs in 19 states and the District of Columbia.
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April 01, 2025
High Court Probes Jurisdiction In Terrorism Victims' Lawsuit
The U.S. Supreme Court during oral arguments Tuesday gave little indication of how it will rule in a case questioning the constitutionality of a 2019 law ending a jurisdictional hurdle for lawsuits stemming from terrorist attacks in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
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April 01, 2025
GAO Supports VA's Rejection Of Wheelchair Services Bid
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reasonably rejected a business's proposal to provide wheelchair transportation services at an Atlanta medical center for failing to include details about how much it would charge for wait times, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said.
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April 01, 2025
DOD Parts Maker To Pay $15.7M Over Non-Military Grade Parts
An electrical parts maker has reached a $15.7 million deal to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it falsely certified certain parts as military-grade when those parts weren't tested as required, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
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April 01, 2025
Trump Admin Fights Wash.'s Bid To Expand Layoff Injunction
The Trump administration has urged a California federal judge to reject the state of Washington's request to expand an injunction blocking federal agencies from firing probationary employees, saying the bid to broaden the order to other agencies is unnecessary and based on unfounded speculation of harm.
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April 01, 2025
Insurer Can't Escape Aerospace Co.'s $3.3M Claim Denial Suit
An insurer for an aerospace products manufacturer can't escape claims that it wrongfully denied coverage of an approximately $3.3 million loss from fund mismanagement after years of delay, an Oregon federal court ruled.
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April 01, 2025
GAO Faults Army's Experience Assessment On $544M Deal
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has sustained a protest over a $544.35 million U.S. Army communications support services deal, saying the Army did not assess the past performance of the contractor in line with its solicitation.
Expert Analysis
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Takeaways From Final Regulations For China Investment Ban
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s final rule banning U.S. investment in emerging Chinese technology clarifies some key requirements, includes additional exceptions for covered transactions and attempts to address concerns that the rule will put U.S. businesses at a competitive disadvantage, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.
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Compliance Considerations Of DOJ Data Security Rule
Under the U.S. Department of Justice's proposed rule aiming to prevent certain countries' access to bulk U.S. sensitive personal data, companies must ensure their vendor, employment and investment agreements meet strict new data security requirements — or determine whether such contracts are worth the cost of compliance, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.
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Series
Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer
Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.
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3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less
Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.
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Bid Protest Spotlight: Unclear Criteria, Data Rights, Conflicts
Liam Bowers at MoFo examines three recent decisions from the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims examining the use of unstated evaluation criteria, an agency's investigation of its own data rights and unequal access to information about an organizational conflict of interest.
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The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule
Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.
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In Terror Case, DC Circ. Must Weigh Justices' Twitter Ruling
When the D.C. Circuit hears oral argument in AstraZeneca UK v. Atchley, how the court interprets the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 ruling in Twitter v. Taamneh will have a significant impact on future claims brought under the Anti-Terrorism Act and Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, say attorneys at Lewis Baach.
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Series
Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.
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So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?
Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.
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DOD Cybersecurity Rule Will Burden And Benefit Contractors
The U.S. Department of Defense’s cybersecurity certification program, finalized in October, will pose tricky and expensive challenges for contractors, given its many requirements and the scarcity of third-party assessors who can provide certification, but companies may ultimately benefit from a narrower pool of competitors, say attorneys at Miles & Stockbridge.
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5 Areas Congress May Investigate After GOP Election Wins
With Republicans poised to take control of Congress in addition to the executive branch next year, private companies can expect an unprecedented uptick in congressional investigations focused on five key areas, including cryptocurrency and healthcare, say attorneys at Cahill Gordon.
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US Intellectual Property-Based Sanctions Could Be Imminent
A recent presidential delegation suggests that regulators may be ready to wield the sanctions authority found in the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act, which has been unutilized for the first 22 months of its life, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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Loper Bright Offers New Materiality Defense To FCA Liability
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Loper Bight Enterprises v. Raimondo, ending Chevron deference, may have created a new defense to False Claims Act liability by providing the opportunity to argue that a given regulation is not material to the government's payment decision, says Tanner Cook at Husch Blackwell.
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2nd Circ. Halkbank Ruling Shifts Foreign Immunity Landscape
Following the Second Circuit’s recent common law immunity ruling in U.S. v. Halkbank, foreign state-owned banks, wealth funds and other entities now must seriously consider the risk of criminal liability for commercial activity that violates U.S. laws, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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9 Considerations Around Proposed Connected Vehicle Ban
Stakeholders should consider several aspects of the U.S. Department of Commerce's recent proposal to ban U.S. imports and sales of vehicles incorporating certain connectivity components made in China or Russia, including exempted transactions and vehicle hardware imports, say attorneys at Blank Rome.