Small Business Valuation — What Is It And Why Does It Matter?

By Michael A. de Gennaro Government contractors who have built successful businesses over a period of time often neglect to answer one simple question until very late in the game. The question, “What is my business worth?” has far-reaching implications and comes up in a number of scenarios, such as the sale of the contractor’s business, the creation of long-term incentive plans for employees, estate/business succession planning, and death/divorce of an owner. At least monthly, we receive a call from . . . Read More

Keep an Eye Out for Identity of Interest Affiliation

By Julia Di Vito Anyone who does business with a small business government contractor will always want to be aware of any potential bases for affiliation that might arise. However, the so-called “identity of interest” affiliation, as described in 13 C.F.R. § 121.103(f), is a particularly easy type of affiliation for a firm to have and not even realize it. It is important to be aware of the way identity of interest affiliation can be found and how to avoid . . . Read More

2016 Saw Rise in False Claims Act Actions and Recoveries

By Ambi Biggs The U.S. government and whistleblowers brought an increased number of False Claims Act (“FCA”) cases – as well recovered a larger amount in settlements and judgements – in the fiscal year 2016, as compared to 2015.  In 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice recovered $4.7 billion in settlements and judgments, the third highest annual recovery ever for the department in the FCA’s history. Under the FCA, anyone who knowingly presents a false or fraudulent claim to the . . . Read More

Key Issues for Due Diligence of Government Contracts – Part II

By Kimi Murakami In a recent blog post, I highlighted key issues to be analyzed when performing due diligence on a target company that performs government contracts. In addition to the review of government contracts, comprehensive due diligence review of any target company should also include evaluation of five other broad categories relating to general business matters discussed below as part II of key issues to be considered when performing due diligence in M&A transactions for government contractors. 1.   . . . Read More