The Procurement Playbook

While domestic preference requirements in federal procurements, namely the Buy America and Buy American Acts, are not new their increased emphasis are.  As has been well publicized, a central focus of the Trump Administration has been to encourage and increase the use of domestically sourced products and materials in connection […]

The partial government shutdown is now the longest running shutdown in history and there is no clear end in sight.  Some 800,000 federal employees have been affected by the shutdown.  They have either been furloughed, or even if they are working, they are going without pay.  However, although affected federal […]

One of the more significant developments in 2018 for both small business primes and large companies with small business subcontractors was the passage of the Small Business Runway Extension Act (the “Act”), which was signed into law December 17, 2018.  The Act, in amending the Small Business Act, increases the […]

One of the biggest differences between federal government and commercial contracting is that certain clauses may be incorporated by reference (and hence controlling) in a federal contract even if the clause was not expressly included in the contract by the parties.  In a departure from the general principle that contracts […]

Following Escobar, the issue of materiality remains at the forefront of False Claims Act motion practice at both the pleadings and judgment stage. Escobar emphasized that the FCA materiality requirement is demanding. In the case of Gilead Sciences, Inc. v. United States Ex Rel. Jeffrey Campie, et al. the respondents, qui […]

As yet another government shutdown looms on the horizon, contractors must again prepare for the ramifications of a shutdown.  At present, the President does not look likely to sign a budget bill unless Congress includes significant appropriations for a border wall which also does not appear likely.  If no compromise […]

If you bid, but lost out, on a solicitation issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), you may be thinking of filing a protest to challenge the award.  However, FAA procurements are unique in the sense that protests of such procurements are not decided by either the U.S. Government Accountability […]

Every manufacturing contract, including construction contracts, with the government contains a myriad of terms and conditions and other requirements, including the numerous provisions set forth in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) that are often incorporated expressly or by reference into the contract.  Understandably, contractors focus on the contract’s specifications, schedule, […]

Today, the SBA issued major proposed rule changes to the HUBZone program. This is the first comprehensive revision to the HUBZone rules since the program’s implementation nearly 20 years ago, and the changes are intended to improve the predictability and stability of the program for participants. In general, to qualify […]

It is not uncommon for government contractors to have one or more related companies (e.g., parent/subsidiary companies) involved in the industry.  One way the government keeps track of such related entities is to utilize Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) codes.  These codes are used for a variety of purposes, including facility clearances. […]

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the recently issued case of United States ex. rel. Rose v. Stephens Institute (Rose) held that the two-step test of Universal Health Services, Inc. v. United States ex rel. Escobar (Escobar) is mandatory in implied false certification cases brought under the False Claims […]

Customers will frequently want you to complete performance sooner than may be required by the contract.  When presented with such a dilemma, contractors face the challenge of keeping the customer happy while performing the work in a manner that will meet specifications and the contractor’s business expectations.  To navigate this […]

To help you navigate the rough seas of doing business with the federal government in the Trump administration, Washington PTAC, Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition, AGC of Washington, and the Government Contracts team at Oles Morrison have assembled a group of nationally recognized government contracts professionals for a seminar covering topics relevant to government contractors across […]

So-called “sovereign acts” may soon affect the performance of a wide swath of government contracts by shielding the federal government from the fallout of President Trump’s newest tariffs. The sovereign acts doctrine is rarely discussed, but it can have a profound impact on contract profitability. While a contractor might normally […]

Regardless of your industry, companies that have business dealings with the federal government face the persistent risk of False Claims Act (FCA) investigations and lawsuits. The FCA, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 – 3733, imposes civil and criminal liability for knowingly making a false or fraudulent claim to the United States […]