Aerospace & Defense

  • April 07, 2025

    USAA Wants Full Fed. Circ. To Hear PNC's Patent Board Wins

    A San Antonio-based bank that lost two of its patents covering technology used to deposit checks through smartphones — including one tied to a $218 million jury verdict against PNC Bank — is arguing that a Federal Circuit panel has allowed the patent board "to escape its obligation to explain itself."

  • April 07, 2025

    FAA, SpaceX Failed Adequate Review For Starship, Groups Say

    Conservation groups told a federal court Friday that there is "clear record evidence" that the Federal Aviation Administration and SpaceX failed to complete an adequate environmental review for SpaceX's Starship rocket launch program in Texas.

  • April 07, 2025

    OMB Issues Guidance On Agency Use, Purchasing Of AI

    The Office of Management and Budget issued a pair of memorandums last week that replaced the Biden administration's safeguards on the federal acquisition of artificial intelligence with a policy aimed at accelerating federal agencies' use and procurement of artificial intelligence.

  • April 07, 2025

    Judges Probe Greek Air Force Contract Dispute's Timeliness

    Skeptical Federal Circuit judges pushed Greece's Air Force on Monday to explain why its $21.75 million suit over faulty reconnaissance cameras wasn't untimely, saying it seemed to be aware of related issues years before suing the U.S. government.

  • April 07, 2025

    Trump Reopens Security Review Of US Steel-Nippon Deal

    President Donald Trump on Monday ordered a fresh national security review of Nippon Steel's proposed $14.9 billion takeover of U.S. Steel, reviving a deal blocked by his predecessor and giving the companies some of the relief they sought in court.

  • April 07, 2025

    GAO Says Defense Logistics Agency Can Buy Chinese Cloth

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office dismissed a textile manufacturer's protest of the Defense Logistics Agency's decision to buy silica glass cloth produced in China, saying nothing required the agency to eliminate the winning offer for quoting a foreign end product.

  • April 07, 2025

    Ex-Sen. Menendez May Be Called As Witness At Wife's Trial

    Nadine Menendez is considering calling her husband, convicted former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, to testify at her trial on charges that she facilitated bribe payments for him, filings showed as her trial resumed Monday with key prosecution witnesses.

  • April 07, 2025

    Woody Allen Resolves Private Chef's Military Leave Suit

    Woody Allen struck a deal with his former private chef to resolve his suit accusing the filmmaker of abruptly firing him after he took time off to participate in military exercises as a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, a filing in New York federal court said.

  • April 07, 2025

    Boeing Again Settles Ethiopian 737 Max Cases On Eve Of Trial

    Boeing has agreed to settle two wrongful death cases over the Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max crash just before a damages trial was scheduled to start in Chicago federal court on Monday.

  • April 08, 2025

    Justices Skip Fruit Art, Abandoned TM And Sentence Petitions

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined petitions regarding the standard for considering whether unregistered trademarks are abandoned in a case involving T-Mobile, a copyright dispute over fruit taped to walls as part of an art installation, and sentencing guidelines in the theft of trade secrets belonging to General Electric.

  • April 04, 2025

    Deutsche Bank Not Liable For ISIS Terror, Judge Finds

    A New York federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit accusing Deutsche Bank AG of facilitating the financing of the Islamic State, saying that the families of two journalists and an aid worker the terrorist group killed failed to sufficiently allege that the bank participated in a human trafficking venture.

  • April 04, 2025

    11th Circ. Revives Aircraft Co.'s Deal Suit Against Boeing

    The Eleventh Circuit on Friday revived a defunct aircraft maintenance company's trade secret case against Boeing amid a long-running contract dispute and allowed the company to pursue damages for unjust enrichment after finding it wouldn't be duplicative of the $2.1 million jury award it won at trial in 2020 for its breach of contract claims.

  • April 04, 2025

    Judge Allows Deposition Of Witnesses In Russian Exec's Suit

    A New York federal judge has ruled that the U.S. government can depose two men about a Russian bank executive's alleged effort to avoid economic sanctions following Russia's invasion and annexation of the Crimea region, saying it is necessary to "prevent a failure of justice."

  • April 04, 2025

    Inventor Gets Chance To Clear Up Infrared Detector IP Suit

    A Court of Federal Claims judge has found that an inventor's claims that the federal government infringed or authorized the infringement of infrared detector patents aren't sufficient at this point but gave him the opportunity to amend his case.

  • April 04, 2025

    No Basis To Upend Time Bar On Veterans' Claims, DOJ Says

    Veterans challenging a federal appeals court's ruling that a six-year statute of limitations applies to retroactive combat-related special compensation that Congress has authorized can't show lawmakers intended otherwise, the federal government told the U.S. Supreme Court.

  • April 04, 2025

    FCC To Look At Updating 'Workhorse' Satellite Bands

    The Federal Communications Commission will look late this month at updating technical rules for two critical satellite bands, opening up more spectrum in the 37 gigahertz band and clarifying some foreign ownership rules.

  • April 04, 2025

    Ex-Prosecutor Opens Defense Shop From Former Firm Office

    Paul Murphy, a former federal prosecutor with more than three decades of experience, launched his own litigation shop out of his old law firm's New York office in an arrangement he said will afford him greater freedom over cases and clients.

  • April 04, 2025

    Trump Extends TikTok Sale Deadline Another 75 Days

    President Donald Trump announced an executive order Friday extending TikTok's sale-or-ban deadline for an additional 75 days, saying his administration needs more time to hash out a deal to keep the social media platform operating in the United States.

  • April 04, 2025

    Va. Contractor To Pay $2M To Settle False Claims Suit

    The U.S. Department of Justice said it reached a nearly $2 million settlement with a Virginia-based contractor, resolving claims it knowingly sold equipment to the Air Force that was not authorized under the contract and invoiced for undelivered products.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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."

  • 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.

  • 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.

Expert Analysis

  • What Insurers Need To Know About OFAC's Expanded FAQs

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    The Office of Foreign Assets Control's recently expanded insurance FAQs clarify how OFAC views insurance policies in a number of specific circumstances involving sanctioned parties, and make plain that sanctions compliance is the responsibility of all participants in the insurance ecosystem, including underwriters, brokers and agents, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    Gardening Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Beyond its practical and therapeutic benefits, gardening has bolstered important attributes that also apply to my litigation practice, including persistence, patience, grit and authenticity, says Christopher Viceconte at Gibbons.

  • How Trump's 2nd Term May Alter The Immigration Landscape

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    Rhetoric from Donald Trump's campaign and his choice of hardline appointees indicate that a more restrictive and punitive approach to immigration is in our immediate future, especially in areas like humanitarian relief, nonimmigrant visa processing, and travel and green card eligibility, says John Quill at Mintz.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review

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    For attorneys — new ones especially — there is much fulfillment to find in document review by reflecting on how important, interesting and pleasant it can be, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Inside The Appeals Board's 2024 Report To Congress

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    An in-depth examination of the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals’ annual report reveals ​a continuing decline in new cases, motions and hearings, a trend that may correspond with ​t​he increased use of alternative dispute resolution, and expedited or accelerated proceedings, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • How Boards And Officers Should Prep For New Trump Admin

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    In anticipation of President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs and mass deportation campaign, company officers and board members should pursue proactive, comprehensive contingency planning to not only advance the best interests of the companies they serve, but to also properly exercise their fiduciary duty of care, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • Implementing Human Rights Due Diligence

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    The Bureau of Industry and Security’s recent removal of a Canadian surveillance provider from its export blacklist, after just eight months, illustrates the importance of integrating human rights due diligence into the vetting process by asking a few targeted questions, say attorneys at Cravath.

  • DC Circ. Decision Opens Door To NEPA Regulation Litigation

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    A recent D.C. Circuit decision in Marin Audubon Society v. Federal Aviation Administration could open the door to more litigation over the White House Council on Environmental Quality's National Environmental Policy Act regulations, and could affect how many agencies conduct and interpret environmental assessments, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • How CFIUS' Updated Framework Affects Global Investors

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    The recent change to the monitoring and enforcement regulations governing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States will broaden administrative practices around nonnotified transaction investigations, increase the scope of information demands from the committee and accelerate its ability to impose mitigation on parties, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Perils Of Perfunctory Interpretation

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    Attorneys at Seyfarth examine three recent decisions in which the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals and the Federal Circuit ruthlessly dismantled arguments that rely on superficial understandings of different contract terms.

  • Series

    Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

  • Key Points From New Maritime Oil Price Cap Advisory

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    The Price Cap Coalition's updated advisory regarding the maritime oil industry's compliance with the Russian oil price cap highlights the role of governmental authorities, additional areas warranting due diligence and the need for training programs, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • Trump Patent Policy May Be Headed In Unexpected Direction

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    While commentators have assumed that the patent policy of President-elect Donald Trump's second administration will largely mirror the pro-patent policy of his first, these predictions fail to take into account the likely oversized influence of Elon Musk, says Jorge Contreras at the University of Utah.

  • Takeaways From Final Regulations For China Investment Ban

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    ​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.

  • Compliance Considerations Of DOJ Data Security Rule

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    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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