Weekly Update for Government Contractors and Commercial Businesses – March 4, 2022

If you have questions concerning the content below, please visit this link . Upcoming Events: Register to attend PilieroMazza’s upcoming events here . Recent Thought Leadership: Check out PilieroMazza’s recent client alerts and blogs here . GovCon Live! Podcast: Listen to PilieroMazza’s latest episodes and follow us to hear more here .   LABOR & EMPLOYMENT Federal Agencies Can Relax Their Mask and Testing Requirements Government Executive reported that federal agencies can relax their mask and testing protocols in the wake of new public health guidance. The . . . Read More

Weekly Update for Government Contractors and Commercial Businesses – February 24, 2022

If you have questions concerning the content below, please visit this link . Upcoming Events: Register to attend PilieroMazza’s upcoming events here . Recent Thought Leadership: Check out PilieroMazza’s recent client alerts and blogs here . GovCon Live! Podcast: Listen to PilieroMazza’s latest episodes and follow us to hear more here .   BUSINESS & TRANSACTIONS Pentagon: Contractor Mergers Hurt National Security, Economy The Associated Press reported that the Department of Defense (DOD) released a report, which says mergers and consolidation among its contractors pose risks to . . . Read More

Weekly Update for Government Contractors and Commercial Businesses – February 17, 2022

If you have questions concerning the content below, please visit this link . Upcoming Events: Register to attend PilieroMazza’s upcoming events here . Recent Thought Leadership: Check out PilieroMazza’s recent client alerts and blogs here . GovCon Live! Podcast: Listen to PilieroMazza’s latest episodes and follow us to hear more here .   GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS SBA HUBZone “Legacy Employee” Grace Period Ends: 3 Changes Affecting Recertification in 2022, February 14, 2022, Jon Williams As part of sweeping changes to the HUBZone rules in the 2019 Final Rule , SBA implemented the . . . Read More

SBA HUBZone “Legacy Employee” Grace Period Ends: 3 Changes Affecting Recertification in 2022

As part of sweeping changes to the HUBZone rules in the 2019 Final Rule , SBA implemented the so-called HUBZone “legacy employee” rule.  This new rule was welcomed by HUBZone firms because it permits them to continue counting an employee as a HUBZone employee even after the employee moves out of a HUBZone, as long as certain requirements are satisfied.  Specifically, to qualify as a HUBZone legacy employee, the rule requires that an employee (i) reside in a HUBZone for at least 180 . . . Read More

Weekly Update for Government Contractors and Commercial Businesses – February 9, 2022

If you have questions concerning the content below, please visit this link . Upcoming Events: Register to attend PilieroMazza’s upcoming events here . Recent Thought Leadership: Check out PilieroMazza’s recent client alerts and blogs here . GovCon Live! Podcast: Listen to PilieroMazza’s latest episodes and follow us to hear more here .   GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS House Passes Stopgap Bill to Prevent Shutdown The Hill reported that the House passed a stopgap measure to extend federal government funding until March 11, 2022, to prevent a shutdown next . . . Read More

Weekly Update for Government Contractors and Commercial Businesses – February 3, 2022

If you have questions concerning the content below, please visit this link . Upcoming Events: Register to attend PilieroMazza’s upcoming events here . Recent Thought Leadership: Check out PilieroMazza’s recent client alerts and blogs here . LITIGATION & DISPUTE RESOLUTION DOJ Recovers Over $5.6 Billion From Fraud and False Claims Act Matters in FY 2021: 6 Key Takeaways, February 3, 2022, Matt Feinberg and Jackie Unger On February 1, 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)  announced  that it had recovered more than $5.6 billion in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 settlements and . . . Read More

DOJ Recovers Over $5.6 Billion From Fraud and False Claims Act Matters in FY 2021: 6 Key Takeaways

On February 1, 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it had recovered more than $5.6 billion in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 settlements and judgments from civil cases involving fraud and the False Claims Act (FCA). This total represents the second-largest government haul for such matters ever and the largest recovery since FY 2014. The over $5.6 billion also far outpaces DOJ’s approximately $2.25 billion in FY 2020 recoveries. The announcement showcases DOJ’s heightened focus on fraud in government . . . Read More

Weekly Update for Government Contractors and Commercial Businesses – January 31, 2022

If you have questions concerning the content below, please visit this link . Upcoming Events: Register to attend PilieroMazza’s upcoming events here . Recent Thought Leadership: Check out PilieroMazza’s recent client alerts and blogs here . LITIGATION & DISPUTE RESOLUTION Non-Compete Agreements: What Employers and Healthcare Providers Should Know, January 25, 2022, Sara Nasseri and Matthew Kreiser Non-compete clauses are a common component in employment agreements for many businesses, including healthcare providers. Employers and healthcare providers, ranging from Fortune 500 companies and large public hospitals to small businesses and . . . Read More

Three’s Company: Court Decisions Clarify Company’s Role in FOIA Litigation Over Possible Release of Confidential Information

Two recent appeals court decisions highlight a company’s role in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation challenging the government’s decision to withhold the company’s information from public release. These types of FOIA lawsuits arise when the government refuses to release a company’s confidential information after a FOIA request and the requester challenges the action in federal court. In federal court, the government bears the burden of proving that the withheld information falls within a FOIA exemption, but the company that . . . Read More

PPP Loan Fall-Out: Expect More Audits and Investigations

Unfortunately, the PPP Loan fall-out is far from over.  As we noted in the last blog on PPP issues , we are seeing a number of PPP Forgiveness denials for a number of different reasons, and, along with that, we are seeing the first audits and investigations as well.  Specifically, companies that already received forgiveness for loans over $2M are being audited and investigated by SBA on a rolling basis.  As part of that, SBA is asking for additional supporting documentation for the amounts claimed, . . . Read More