Nowadays, many people are familiar with at least some types of protected information, whether in the form of personal health information or government-classified information. But, contractors working with the Department of Defense (“DoD”) must remember to protect another type of information: controlled unclassified information (“CUI”). Failure by government contractors to put processes in place that protect CUI could result in the loss of contracting opportunities or potential False Claims Act-related litigation. For more information about the far-reaching implications of cybersecurity requirements on government . . . Read More
Last year, Congress passed—and President Trump signed—the Small Business Runway Extension Act (the “Runway Extension Act” or the “Act”), which changed the time period for determining a company’s size based on average annual receipts from the previous three years to the previous five years. This summer, the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) finally published its proposed rule to amend its regulations and change the period of measurement for receipts-based size calculations from three years to five years. As my colleague Megan Connor noted . . . Read More
Relatively often in the government contracting industry a business finds itself in the position where, for one reason or another, it needs to split, fracture, or otherwise reorganize its operations by separating one line of business or division into a separate entity. When prime federal contracts are transferred from one entity to another, it often necessitates a novation agreement with the contracting government agency. Many government contractors discover the novation process to be relatively lengthy and burdensome, with the potential . . . Read More
Presented by Megan Connor and Peter Ford . Click here to view the recorded session. In the last year, the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) has issued a number of proposed rules that could have far-reaching impacts on small business government contractors. These include the long-awaited rulemaking implementing the new five-year receipts calculation, inflationary adjustments for receipts-based size standards, and clarifications on the limitations on subcontracting rule. SBA has also proposed major changes to the HUBZone, WOSB/EDWOSB, and 8(a) Programs. Join Megan Connor and . . . Read More
If you have questions concerning the content below, please visit this link . SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS & ADVISORY SERVICES General Services Administration – According to Law360, GSA is seeking up to $20 billion worth of information technology services from disadvantaged small businesses and has asked for feedback before issuing a final solicitation. The Streamlined Technology Acquisition Resource for Services (STARS III) deal would be an indefinite-delivery, indefinite quantity contract open to small businesses eligible for the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) . . . Read More
When Judge Eric Bruggink handed down his decision on Oracle’s protest of the Defense Department’s JEDI cloud contract on July 12, many government contracts lawyers were more than mildly surprised. And when the US Court of Federal Claims released the judge’s mostly unredacted decision 14 days later, the rationale behind the ruling in favor of the Defense Department strategy and against Oracle’s claims of conflicts of interest and arbitrary decisions didn’t quite put the case to rest. With the JEDI drama far from over, . . . Read More
If you have questions concerning the content below, please visit this link . GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS LAW This Project Is Behind Schedule – What Is a Contractor to Do?, August 6, 2019, Michelle Litteken Construction projects rarely, if ever, go precisely as planned. One of the most common issues government contractors face is falling behind schedule. A schedule is developed, and then the contractor is confronted with differing site conditions, changes, or a litany of other causes of delay. The contract completion date that seemed easily achievable . . . Read More
The Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA” or “the Act”) provides private citizens access to information in the possession of government agencies that is not otherwise publicly available.Unfortunately, an agency’s disclosure can potentially include confidential information of a government contractor, such as proposal content, pricing structures, and other proprietary material. Such disclosures are concerning because publicly disclosed information can be used by competitors to the great detriment of the contractor. Luckily for contractors, FOIA’s power is not unlimited. Indeed, Congress restricted . . . Read More
Construction projects rarely, if ever, go precisely as planned. One of the most common issues government contractors face is falling behind schedule. A schedule is developed, and then the contractor is confronted with differing site conditions, changes, or a litany of other causes of delay. The contract completion date that seemed easily achievable when performance began may now appear to be impossible to meet. What should a government contractor do to ensure they are compensated and to avoid liquidated damages? The . . . Read More
If you have questions concerning the content below, please visit this link . FALSE CLAIMS ACT / LITIGATION / CYBERSECURITY & DATA PRIVACY Have the Flood Gates Opened?: Cisco Settles First-Of-Its-Kind Cybersecurity False Claims Act Litigation, August 2, 2019, Matthew Feinberg On July 31, 2019, a False Claims Act matter pending in the United States District Court for the Western District of New York was unsealed, revealing an $8.6 million settlement that may have far-reaching implications for government contractors. The litigation, United States, et al., ex rel. James Glenn v. Cisco . . . Read More
