Expert Analysis

• Contract Disputes Recap: Timeliness, Evidence, Fact-Finding

  

  Edward Arnold and Bret Marfut at Seyfarth Shaw look at three recent opinions from three stages of government contract claims litigation about avoiding untimeliness by ticking procedural boxes, supporting factual positions at the summary judgment stage and how the appellate boards review default terminations.

• Perspectives

  Mallory Gives Plaintiffs A Better Shot At Justice

  

  Critics of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Mallory v. Norfolk Southern claim it opens the door to litigation tourism, but the ruling simply gives plaintiffs more options — enabling them to seek justice against major corporations in the best possible court, say Rayna Kessler and Ethan Seidenberg at Robins Kaplan.

• Why Justices' SuperValu Ruling Wasn't Quite A 'Seismic Shift'

  

  Notwithstanding an early victory lap by the relators' bar, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in U.S. v. SuperValu Inc. was a win for both whistleblowers and sophisticated companies, but unfortunately left “subjective belief” to be interpreted by lower courts and future litigants, say attorneys at Baker Donelson.

• Gov't Contractors Should Prep For Increased AI Scrutiny

  

  As the U.S. Department of Defense considers how artificial intelligence development can be helpful or harmful to U.S. national defense, government contractors and industry actors can prepare for emerging guidance and requirements by looking at lessons learned from prior cybersecurity measures, say attorneys at Wiley.

• Courts Can Overturn Deficient State Regulations, Too

  

  While suits challenging federal regulations have become commonplace, such cases against state agencies are virtually nonexistent, but many states have provisions that allow litigants to bring suit for regulations with inadequate cost-benefit analyses, says Reeve Bull at the Virginia Office of Regulatory Management.

• Tales From The Trenches Of Remote Depositions

  

  As practitioners continue to conduct depositions remotely in the post-pandemic world, these virtual environments are rife with opportunities for improper behavior such as witness coaching, scripted testimony and a general lack of civility — but there are methods to prevent and combat these behaviors, say Jennifer Gibbs and Bennett Moss at Zelle.

• A Midyear Review Of EEOC's Gender-Related Priorities

  

  The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s 2023-2027 strategic enforcement plan focuses on various gender-related issues such as the enactment of pregnancy discrimination and pay transparency laws, and now, more than halfway through the fiscal year, the EEOC's enforcement of such laws is set to surpass previous years, say attorneys at Proskauer.

• Tide May Be Turning On Texas Two-Step Bankruptcy Strategy

  

  Recent developments in several high-profile bankruptcy cases suggest that the use of the Texas Two-Step to shield solvent companies from tort claims may be falling out of favor, but until the U.S. Supreme Court hears one of these cases the strategy will remain divisive and the subject of increased scrutiny, say attorneys at Rivkin Radler.

• Bid Protest Spotlight: Errors, Experience, Corrective Action

  

  In this month's bid protest spotlight, Krista Nunez at MoFo looks at three recent decisions from the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the U.S. Government Accountability Office considering the resolution of proposal inconsistencies through clarifications, the importance of reading solicitations in full and the scope of an agency’s corrective action.

• Level Up Lawyers' Business Development With Gamification

  

  With employee engagement at a 10-year low in the U.S., there are several gamification techniques marketing and business development teams at law firms can use to make generating new clients and matters more appealing to lawyers, says Heather McCullough at Society 54.

• Mallory Ruling Leaves Personal Jurisdiction Deeply Unsettled

  

  In Mallory v. Norfolk Southern Railway, a closely divided U.S. Supreme Court recently rolled back key aspects of its 2017 opinion in Daimler AG v. Bauman that limited personal jurisdiction, leaving as many questions for businesses as it answers, say John Cerreta and James Rotondo at Day Pitney.

• 5 Ways Firms Can Rethink Office Design In A Hybrid World

  

  As workplaces across the country adapt to flexible work, law firms must prioritize individuality, amenities and technology in office design, says Kristin Cerutti at Nelson Worldwide.

• Opinion

  Bar Score Is Best Hiring Metric Post-Affirmative Action

  

  After the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling striking down affirmative action admissions policies, law firms looking to foster diversity in hiring should view an applicant's Multistate Bar Examination score as the best metric of legal ability — over law school name or GPA, says attorney Alice Griffin.

• Joint Ventures Given More Edge In Set-Aside Contract Awards

  

  The recent Court of Federal Claims decision in SH Synergy prompted the General Services Administration to remold proposal evaluation schemes to favor mentor-protégé joint ventures, a business structure that has taken over the world of set-aside governmentwide acquisition contracts, say Roger Abbott and Stephen Ramaley at Miles & Stockbridge.

• Ghosting In BigLaw: How To Come Back From Lack Of Feedback

  

  Junior associates can feel powerless when senior colleagues cut off contact instead of providing useful feedback, but young attorneys can get back on track by focusing on practical professional development and reexamining their career priorities, says Rachel Patterson at Orrick.