Three Big Reasons to Incorporate in America’s Second Smallest State: Delaware
By Dana Livne When our clients decide to launch a business, they often ask us about the incorporation process. Business owners incorporate their business primarily to limit their personal liability for business debts and obligations. Choosing where to incorporate is an important decision, because the state your company calls home will continue to influence a number of aspects of your company’s lifecycle. Over 50 percent of the United States’ companies choose to incorporate in Delaware, even if they do not . . . Read More
New Partner Announcement
It is our pleasure to announce that Megan C. Connor has become a partner of the firm Ms. Connor is a talented advocate for the firm’s clients and her experience extends across all of the firm’s practice areas. She counsels clients on a wide-ranging span of government contracting and general business matters. Her litigation background includes representing contractors in state and federal courts concerning business and employment matters. She has been an associate with the firm since 2011.
The Weekly Update January 20, 2017
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS Recognition of Tribal Organizations for Representation of VA Claimants The Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) is amending its regulations concerning recognition of certain national, state, and regional or local organizations for purposes of VA claims representation. Specifically, this final rule allows the Secretary to recognize Tribal organizations in a similar manner as the Secretary recognizes state organizations. The final rule allows a Tribal organization that is established and funded by one or more Tribal governments to be recognized . . . Read More
Fair Opportunity Complaints on Task and Delivery Orders
Last week, the General Services Administration (“GSA”) issued a final rule amending the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (“GSAR”) to clarify that the ordering-agency task and delivery order ombudsman has jurisdiction and responsibility to review and resolve fair opportunity complaints on task and delivery orders placed against GSA multiple-award contracts (“MACs”). The final rule also requires the ordering agency to include contact information for their task and delivery order ombudsman when placing task or delivery orders against MACs. In addition, . . . Read More
Congress Makes Confusing Changes to the VA’s Verification Program – Julia Di Vito – Legal Advisor
New Pilot Program Will Give Certain Small Businesses New Option to Obtain Past Performance Ratings – Patrick Rothwell – Legal Advisor
It s a New Year, Are You Still a Small Business? – Michelle Litteken – Legal Advisor
FAR’s Signature Requirements Strictly Enforced
Though we live in the electronic age, the pen’s power endures in the government contracts world—at least when it comes to signatures for certified claims. The Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (“ASBCA”) recently held that it could not hear a contractor’s appeal under the Contract Disputes Act (“CDA”) for some of its claims worth over $100,000 because the certified claims that the contractor submitted contained typewritten names on the signature lines. Instead of putting pen to paper or affixing . . . Read More
The Weekly Update January 16, 2017
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2006-95 This Federal Acquisition Circular provides a summary presentation of final rules issued by the Department of Defense (“DOD”), the General Services Administration (“GSA”) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration and agreed to by the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council. The Small Entity Compliance Guide for these final rules can be found here . Item I – Uniform Use of Line Items (FAR Case 2013-014) This final rule . . . Read More
Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Cases Attacking Arbitration Agreements With Class Action Waivers
On Friday, January 13, 2017, the Supreme Court agreed to consider arguments over whether employer arbitration policies that prohibit employees from filing class or collective actions are violative of the National Labor Relations Act. Justices granted cert to three petitions – in National Labor Relations Board v. Murphy Oil USA, Ernst & Young LLP v. Morris, and Epic Systems v. Lewis – each dealing with arbitration agreements requiring individual arbitration to resolve employer-employee disputes. In recent years employers have used . . . Read More