Doing Business with the Government and the Impact of COVID-19

The July 2020 issue of Lawyer Monthly features an article by PilieroMazza ‘s Managing Partner Pam Mazza on “ Doing Business with the Government and the Impact of COVID-19 .”  In the article, Pam explores why companies should consider doing business with the government and the possible pitfalls they should be aware of.  Pam also discuses the challenges COVID-19 has presented for government contractors and changes we should be on the lookout for.  Please visit this link to view the full article.

Juneteenth: A National Day of Reflection

It was on June 19, 1865, that Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were free—over two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. This year, the observance of Juneteenth takes on even greater significance as we all bear witness to injustices against people of color. Today, the PilieroMazza family pauses to reflect and take a collective breath in remembrance of this day in our country’s . . . Read More

ANNOUNCEMENT: Tony Franco Joins MCCC Board of Directors and Executive Committee as General Counsel

On June 10, 2020, the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce  (MCCC) announced the appointment of  Tony Franco  as a member of the Chamber’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee, where he will serve as general counsel.  “I’m honored to be working with MCCC’s visionary leaders Gigi Godwin and Barbara Ashe, amongst others, as I continue PilieroMazza’s enduring partnership with the Chamber,” said Tony. Tony brings over 30 years of legal experience to his role as general counsel.  As the Practice Group Chair for  PilieroMazza ’s  Government Contracts Group , Tony will . . . Read More

PilieroMazza Adds Attorneys to List of Super Lawyers®

PilieroMazza is pleased to announce that Kathryn Hickey, Lauren Brier , and Sara Nasseri are now among the Firm’s 13 attorneys distinguished with a listing in the 2020 edition of Super Lawyers® .  Attorneys from PilieroMazza’s four core practice areas—including Government Contracts , Business & Transactions , Labor & Employment , and Litigation & Dispute Resolution —are represented in this year’s list. Super Lawyer® Kathryn Hickey is a partner and the chair of PilieroMazza’s Business & Transactions Group, where she counsels commercial businesses and government contractors in matters involving general business concerns, including mergers and acquisitions, venture capital investments, . . . Read More

Jonathan Pomerance Comments on Defense Production Act and Meat Plant Production During COVID-19

The timing and substance of the next COVID-19 relief bill may hinge on the issue of liability. . . . The liability issue gathered steam with comments made by President Donald Trump before he signed  an Executive Order designed to keep meat and poultry plants operating. Trump said the E.O. would “solve any liability problems” those companies are facing. Issued using the authority of the Defense Production Act, the E.O. “clarifies which safety standards companies must follow — those found in the joint . . . Read More

JD Supra: PilieroMazza #1 for Government Contracts Legal Thought Leadership

For a third consecutive year, PilieroMazza ’s  Government Contracts  attorneys and their thought leadership take the #1 position in this year’s  JD Supra Readers’ Choice Top Firm 2020 Award . Recognized by readers as the Firm’s leading author for content on government contracts law is  Sam Finnerty , who earned the  JD Supra Readers’ Choice Top Author 2020 Award  as one of their top 10 authors.  To put this achievement in perspective, last year, more than 50,000 authors published their insights and commentary on JD Supra, and of those, over 1,500 published content pertaining to government contracting. “This is a great accomplishment . . . Read More

$484 Billion Relief Bill Signed Into Law, $310 Billion Allocated to Paycheck Protection Program

H.R. 266 , the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, was signed into law today. Appropriating $484 billion in relief for the COVID-19 outbreak, it provides additional funding for small business loans, healthcare providers, and COVID-19 testing. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has been unable to accept new applications for the Paycheck Protection Program or the COVID-19 related Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) assistance program (including EIDL Advances) because Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding was exhausted. The . . . Read More

Law360 Quotes Lauren Brier on Bad Faith and Allegations of Bias in JEDI Contract Award

The White House ‘s stonewalling of an investigation into the Pentagon’s JEDI cloud contract has prompted renewed allegations of bias from Amazon as it protests the deal, but experts say the company faces a steep climb to show the deal was unfair. . . . Showing bad faith effectively requires “very hard, clear facts” laid out in evidence such as internal communications, according to Lauren Brier , a PilieroMazza PLLC attorney who has written frequently about the JEDI procurement. Allegations that could be drawn from inferences about the . . . Read More

CARES Act Small Business Workshop Spotlights Cy Alba

Cy Alba  recently partnered with  Nitin Pradhan  of  ScaleUP USA for a workshop on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act). The workshop serves as a starting point for startups, small businesses, and mid-size businesses seeking to apply for CARES Act small business funding. Questions addressed include: What is the CARES Act? What loan programs are available to small businesses? What are the program requirements for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)? How are the EIDL . . . Read More