The Weekly Update June 23, 2017
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION “SBA Ignite Tour Blazes Across the Country.” Small Business Administration Press Release, June 21, 2017. Retrieved from sba.gov. Administrator Linda McMahon announced that she will visit more than 60 cities as part of the SBA Ignite Tour, a national outreach campaign aimed to listen, educate, and advocate for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Administrator McMahon visited Las Vegas, Nevada on June 20 and visited Salt Lake City, Utah on June 21, 2017. Additional cities this summer include: Pittsburgh, Puerto . . . Read More
The Weekly Update June 16, 2017
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING “GSA Adds Hundreds of Small Businesses to the 8(a) STARS II GWAC Contract.” GSA Press Release, June 15, 2017. Retrieved from gsa.gov. The GSA 8(a) STARS II Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (“GWAC”) recently added approximately 500 qualified industry partners during an Open Season. The Open Season enables GSA to continue its support of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (“SBA”) 8(a) Business Development Program and assist agencies in meeting their small business goals. With over 3,200 task order awards and . . . Read More
The Weekly Update June 9, 2017
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Rules of Procedure Governing Cases Before the Office of Hearings and Appeals The U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) has amended the rules of practice of its Office of Hearings and Appeals (“OHA”) to implement section 869 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 and section 1833 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017. This legislation authorizes OHA to decide Petitions for Reconsideration of Size Standards (“Size Standard Petitions”). This . . . Read More
The Weekly Update May 23, 2017
OTHER NEWS SBA Administrator Linda McMahon Appoints Four Senior Executives, SBA PRESS RELEASE (May 25, 2017) Administrator Linda McMahon of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the appointment of four new Associate Administrators: Peter Cazamias for the Office of International Trade; Robb Wong for the Office of Government Contracting and Business Development; Allen Gutierrez for the Office of Entrepreneurial Development; and Michael Hershey for the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs. In a statement Ms. McMahon said: I am . . . Read More
Announcement of New Partners
It is our pleasure to announce that Nichole D. Atallah and Peter B. Ford has become partners of the firm Ms. Atallah heads the firm’s Labor and Employment practice group. Her knowledge of labor laws in the government contracting setting and her business friendly, common sense approach to complex problems, instills confidence and respect. Ms. Atallah also works with our Litigation group and zealously defends clients faced with a wide range of lawsuits and claims, from wrongful termination to contract . . . Read More
New CVE Guidance on Joint Ventures and Mentor-Protégé Relationships
Earlier this month, the VA’s Center for Verification and Evaluation (“CVE”) published a new VA Verification Assistance Brief, Understanding Joint Venture and Mentor-Protégé Agreement Eligibility (“Assistance Brief”). The Assistance Brief explains the criteria that make a joint venture (“JV”) eligible for verification and inclusion in the VA VetBiz Vendor Information Pages (“VIP”) database, which is helpful given that the VA’s regulations, specifically 38 C.F.R. Part 74, say very little in terms of how a JV can be verified by CVE . . . Read More
Navigating Your DBE Certification
The Department of Transportation’s (“DOT”) Disadvantage Business Enterprise (“DBE”) program is not as well-known as the Small Business Administration’s (“SBA”) 8(a) and other small business programs, but it offers an excellent opportunity for eligible small businesses to expand their reach into state and local markets. The DOT requires that state and local agencies that receive DOT funding spend at least 10 percent of funds for certain projects on contracts with certified DBEs, which include woman- and minority-owned businesses. The DOT . . . Read More
Plan Your Success – the LOI
By Dana Livne During our April 26, 2017 webinar, we discussed Letters of Intent (LOI) and the important role they can play in transactions. The LOI often serves as a roadmap or initial term sheet between a buyer and seller. The LOI is generally “non-binding”, meaning that the parties may deviate from its terms. The purchase price, due diligence process milestones, and financing terms are examples of non-binding provisions that may be subject to negotiation as the deal progresses. . . . Read More
The Weekly Update April 28, 2017
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Small Business Size Standards; Adoption of 2017 North American Industry Classification System for Size Standards The U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) has issued a proposed rule to amend its small business size regulations to incorporate the U.S. Office of Management and Budget’s North American Industry Classification System (“NAICS”) revision for 2017, identified as NAICS 2017, into its table of small business size standards. NAICS 2017 created 21 new industries by reclassifying, combining, or splitting 29 existing industries . . . Read More
Understanding the Extended Surviving Spousal Protections for SDVOSBs
By Marc Langston A surviving spouse, who is not a Service-Disabled Veteran, must satisfy specific criteria in order to continue running a company as though it remained a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (“SDVOSB”). This right is not automatic, and failure to meet the eligibility criteria will prevent a surviving spouse from being able to run the decedent’s company as a SDVOSB. It is important to consider that there are two separate SDVOSB set-aside programs. The older program, the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned . . . Read More