Comments on the Proposed Rule Regarding Small Business Subcontracting Improvements
Includes: Establishing subcontracting goals in terms of total contract dollars Contracting officers discretion Prime contractor responsibilites
herrmann
Ninth Circuit Eases Ability for Whistleblowers to Bring Qui Tam Actions
In an important development under False Claims Act (“FCA”) case law, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has expressly abrogated former precedent limiting the ability of whistleblowers to recover funds reimbursed to the Federal Government under the FCA to a greater degree than in many other circuits. The case is United States ex rel. Hartpence v. Kinetic Concepts, Inc., No. 12-55386 (9th Cir. July 7, 2015). Generally, the FCA prohibits the knowing submission to the Federal Government . . . Read More
Comments on Proposed Rule Regarding Small Business Subcontracting Improvements
After the recent small business subcontracting plan changes were implemented by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) in its final rule at 78 Fed. Reg. 42391 , dated July 16, 2013, many of our clients have asked us how the SBA’s new rules should be interpreted in light of the existing FAR small business subcontracting requirements. We believe that the FAR Councils are taking the right steps to harmonize the SBA’s requirements with the obligations the FAR imposes. However, we believe that there are . . . Read More
A Look At The Numbers: 2015 Government Contracting Annual Report
Some very interesting data, trends, and analysis of government contracting, which should be of interest to government contractors, was published in a recent report by the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) and Bloomberg Government (Bloomberg). Some of the data should come as no surprise to firms seeing how U.S. government contracting dollars continue to be declining. According to the report, titled “Annual Review of Government Contracting, 2015 Edition,” contract spending will likely continue to fall due to budget caps and the . . . Read More
PilieroMazza Legal Advisor – Third Quarter 2015
In this Issue: Now’s the Time for SBA to Expand WOSB-Eligible Industries 8(a) Applicants: Unlock Your Potential to Succeed The “Trickle Down” Audit Drafting Valid Liquidated Damages Provisions
The Importance of Preservation of Electronically Stored Information in Contract Disputes
Contract disputes, whether over performance, payment or interpretation of terms, are an inevitability of doing business and, in an ideal world, when they arise they would all be resolved through compromise and agreement. But we do not live in an ideal world, and contract litigation appears to be on the uptick as the economy improves. Whereas in the “old days” the largest part of your contract file might have been taken up by the contract itself, the Information Age has . . . Read More
Claims Webinar Series: Requests for Equitable Adjustments and Claims
Presented by: Jon Williams and Cy Alba.
False Claims: A Growing Concern when Doing Business with State & Local Governments
By Michelle Litteken Imagine that you are at your desk reviewing emails when your phone rings. It is a prosecutor from the state attorney general’s office, and he tells you that your company is the subject of a fraud investigation. You are shocked. You are the president of a successful business, supported by hardworking and diligent employees. Your company does everything above board and you have no idea why the government would be investigating you. The answer may be the . . . Read More
The Importance of Preservation of Electronically-stored Information in Contract Disputes – Paul Mengel, Set-Aside Alert
No Piggy-Backing Allowed: GAO Regulations Compel Offerors to File Their Own Protest Rather than Intervene
Last September, we wrote about the importance of an awardee intervening in a bid protest challenging the contract award before the U.S. Government Accountability Office (“GAO”). By intervening, the awardee protects its right to review documents related to the award decision in the agency report, respond to protest grounds and ensure its interests are represented. See Skipping Intervention in a GAO Bid Protest Can Be a “Pound Foolish” Exercise by Patrick Rothwell. But what about other disappointed offerors? Can they intervene in the protest filed by a fellow disappointed offeror if they also . . . Read More