As we have all been scrambling to get our taxes completed this month, a new IRS requirement may have been overlooked that goes into effect on May 13, 2019. This new requirement impacts the process by which any new entity (including sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies, trusts, and corporations) can apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN), the 9-digit identification number assigned to entities for tax filing and reporting purposes. The new requirements will impact all of our clients engaged . . . Read More
Earlier this year, PilieroMazza co-sponsored “Block Kids Building Competition” with the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), DC Chapter. PilieroMazza’s Nichole Atallah co-chaired the committee responsible for organizing the event which introduces children to the construction industry in an effort to create awareness and promote careers in the industry. Please visit this LINK to view a video from the event. About NAWIC NAWIC was founded in 1953 to create a support network for women in construction. It has since become a national organization of women who own, or are . . . Read More
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING The Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a notification of the availability of a white paper regarding the revision of its size standards methodology and explaining how it establishes, reviews, or revises small business size standards. The revised white paper, entitled “SBA’s Size Standards Methodology (April 2019)” (Revised Methodology) is available on the SBA’s website, as well as on the Federal rulemaking portal . SBA intends to apply the Revised Methodology to the ongoing second five-year comprehensive review of size standards required . . . Read More
September 30, 2019, marks the newly announced deadline for employers who submit annual EEO-1 reports to report employee 2018 pay data to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC revealed the new deadline in a federal court submission last week. The judge in the case will still need to approve of the EEOC’s plan before it becomes the official cutoff date. Employers with 100 or more employees and federal contractors with 50 or more employees (and a contract or . . . Read More
The General Services Administration (GSA) recently expanded its cybersecurity service offerings for federal, state, and local governments. Specifically, GSA worked in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of Management and Budget to develop IT Schedule 70’s Highly Adaptive Cybersecurity Services (HACS) Special Item Number (SIN) 132-45 to make it easier for agencies to procure quality cybersecurity services. HACS SIN 132-45 on IT Schedule 70 is intended to provide agencies quicker access to support services from technically evaluated . . . Read More
We are pleased to announce the promotion of Matthew Feinberg to Partner in the firm’s Litigation Group and of Michelle Litteken to Counsel in our Government Contracts Group . Mr. Feinberg is an accomplished litigator with over a decade of experience in all aspects of state and federal civil and appellate litigation, in addition to alternative dispute resolution. His advocacy for corporate clients – from small businesses to publicly traded companies – gives him a unique perspective on successful litigation strategies for achieving the best possible outcome . . . Read More
On March 26, 2019, the General Services Administration (“GSA”) posted a notice on FedBizOpps that it was taking corrective action in response to the recent Court of Federal Claims (“COFC”) decision in the bid protest of Citizant, Inc. v. United States, No. 18-856C (Mar. 25, 2019). As part of that corrective action, GSA rescinded all 81 of the Alliant 2 Small Business (“A2SB”) contracts it awarded in February 2018. A2SB, issued under Solicitation No. QTA0016GBA0002 in June 2016, is a governmentwide . . . Read More
HEARING ON THE SMALL BUSINESS RUNWAY EXTENSION ACT PilieroMazza’s Megan Connor testified at the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure’s hearing on March 26, 2019, concerning the implementation of the Small Business Runway Extension Act (H.R. 6330) (the “Act”). The Act was signed into law in December 2018 and was designed to help small businesses successfully bridge the gap between competing in the small business space and the open marketplace against larger companies by changing the time period . . . Read More
Since last year, I have been writing about the increasing impact of cybersecurity on contract awards. DoD has issued guidance on how it will evaluate system security plans, and it has indicated that, along with cost, schedule, and performance, cybersecurity is the “ fourth pillar ” of its acquisitions. As a result, contractors need to shift their view of cybersecurity compliance as a cost center to a business driver and an increasingly important factor in gaining a competitive advantage. The momentum has continued . . . Read More
Nearly three years ago, the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) issued a final rule that standardized the limitations on subcontracting and the non-manufacturer rule (“NMR”) that apply to small business concerns, including participants in SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program. In a step toward regulatory conformity, the Department of Defense (“DoD”) is now proposing to implement the revised NMR for 8(a) participants that contract with DoD. These entities should familiarize themselves with the proposed rule (“Rule”), which is summarized below. As a brief background, the . . . Read More
