Aerospace & Defense

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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. 

  • 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.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    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.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    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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