Jon Williams to present at the NCMA GCMS on Cybersecurity in Federal Procurements
Join Jon Williams on Monday, December 3, 2018, at the NCMA Government Contract Management Symposium “Ahead of the Curve: Cybersecurity and the Competitive Edge in Federal Procurements” Government contractors handling controlled unclassified information for DoD are expected to comply with new cybersecurity standards set forth in NIST SP 800-171. Learn about the new requirements and how getting ahead on cyber compliance can give you a competitive advantage for federal procurements. Date: December 3, 2018 Time: 1:30 – 2:45 . . . Read More
Practical Considerations Before Novating Your GSA Schedule Contract
The Weekly Update for December 3, 2018
RULES AND REGULATIONS The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued a proposed rule on November 29, 2018 proposing to amend and update its VA Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) in phased increments to revise or remove any policy superseded by changes in the FAR. It will also remove procedural guidance that is internal to the VA, move it to the VA Acquisition Manual, and incorporate new agency-specific regulations or policies. The proposed rule would also add VAAR coverage concerning Environment, Energy and . . . Read More
Avoiding Flat Tires When Acquiring IDIQ Contract Vehicles
With proposals costing hundreds of thousands of dollars and many IDIQs having 50 or more awardees, it can easily happen that some contractors who win a spot on a contract are unable to capitalize on it and simply stop trying to capture task orders. Whether it was because the initial win was based on sheer luck or perhaps because of a tragic, unforeseeable change in circumstances, making it impossible to bid or even keep the company doors open, a contractor . . . Read More
Growing Pains: Growth Capital Sources and Considerations Part 2: Private Equity Financing
At a certain point in a company’s life cycle, founders are likely to be faced with the financial pinch of requiring outside sources of funding to finance further growth and expansion of the business. Previously, I posted an article that focused on one of the two most common paths that companies turn to for growth capital financing: traditional bank debt. In this post, I will focus on the second of the most common sources of financing—private equity investment. Private equity investments can . . . Read More
Big Changes in the HUBZone Program Coming in 2019
Published by Set-Aside Alert: The Small Business Administration published its long-awaited proposed rule overhauling the Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Program on Oct. 31. Comments to the proposed rule are due Dec. 31, making it likely a final rule will be published in 2019. This rulemaking represents the first comprehensive revision of the HUBZone program, explicitly intended to make program compliance easier for small businesses and make the program more attractive for procuring agencies to use.
The Weekly Update for November 16, 2018
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT Performance-Based Payments and Progress Payments (DFARS Case 2017-D019) The Department of Defense (DOD) is withdrawing the proposed rule on performance-based payments and progress payments that it published on August 24, 2018. 83 Fed. Reg. 193, 50052 . Commercial Items Omnibus Clause for Acquisitions Using the Standard Procurement System The DOD issued a class deviation , which rescinds and supersedes Class Deviation 2013-00019. Effective immediately, when using the Standard Procurement System (SPS) to contract for commercial items, all DOD contracting activities may deviate from the requirements . . . Read More
Recent Maryland Case Is a Reminder to Employers to Review the Language of Their Offer Letters, Employment Contracts, and Employee Manuals
The vast majority of states are at-will employment states, which means that an employer may terminate an employee for a good reason, a bad reason, or any reason at all, so long as the basis for termination does not violate a statute or public policy of the state. In Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and a number of other states, an employment relationship is strongly presumed to be at-will. Thus, even when the employee signed an employment contract, so . . . Read More
Seller Beware: 5 Tips to Keep Bad Employment Practices from Holding Up a Sale
Lawsuits and existing labor disputes are obvious impediments to the sale of your business. But short of these red flags, any number of ill-advised practices may slow down or even stop an acquisition from proceeding. Do not enter into serious talks about the sale of your company without first identifying and correcting poor employment practices. Follow these tips to avoid future headaches. 1. Ensure Employees Are Properly Classified The Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) requires that non-exempt employees receive . . . Read More
You’ve Decided to Sell Your Business— How to Be Prepared to Execute the Deal
After years of building, growing, and investing in your business, there comes a point at which you start to think about an exit strategy. Perhaps your exit will be transitioning the ownership of your business to a family member or selling the majority of your ownership interest to an investor and taking a back seat going forward, or maybe it’s selling the whole business enterprise. Regardless of the type of exit you contemplate, selling a business is not for the . . . Read More