The Procurement Playbook

The Granston memorandum released in early 2018 caused a stir amongst False Claims Act qui tam relators and defendants alike. The practical effects of the Granston memo, however, are not yet fully apparent. Defendants in FCA suits should nonetheless take note that following the release of the Granston memo, the […]

Oles Morrison attorney, Jim Nagle, has been tapped to give the keynote presentation at the Alliance Northwest 2018 Conference on March 15.  Jim’s keynote, “Contracting in the age of Trump,” will cover President Trump’s impact on the regulatory process, the Buy American act, the role of contractors in fulfilling the work […]

“Cooperative Agreements” are legal instruments that facilitate the transfer of something of value from federal executive agencies to states, local governments, and private recipients for a public purpose or benefit. Cooperative Agreements are distinct from traditional procurement contracts and thus are not subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Like […]

In a recent decision, NOAA Maryland, LLC v. General Services Administration, the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (“CBCA”) looked to “extrinsic” evidence outside the contract to interpret whether the government was required to pay real estate taxes.  This case provides a reminder to contractors that while the CBCA is reluctant to […]

Should a contractor find itself appealing a contracting officer’s denial of a claim to the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA) or the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA), they will likely engage in some sort of document discovery. In a world with seemingly limitless and inexpensive data storage, […]

At times, a prime contractor can effectively be the middle man between the government and a subcontractor. The FAR directs that the prime contractor should always provide value to the overall procurement; however, many prime contractors require the assistance of subcontractors to fulfill this contract requirement. The recent CBCA case […]

Despite the fact that the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (COFC) has concurrent jurisdiction with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) over the vast majority of federal bid protests, GAO is the primary forum utilized by protesters—and by a wide margin. GAO handles approximately twenty-five times as many protests per […]

Other Transaction Authority (“OTA”) describes the streamlined procedures that federal agencies may use to procure innovative research or prototypes, without the constraints of a typical contract, grant, or cooperative agreement. This flexibility has made OTA an increasingly popular choice for federal acquisitions in recent years. OTA helps open the door […]

The Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (the “Board”) recently issued another reminder in [Redacted], ASBCA No. 61065, that government contractors need to specifically reserve their rights to Contract Disputes Act claims in modifications and releases for final payment. While its name doesn’t quite rival the best of those associated […]

It is a common principle of contract interpretation that a court will not set aside the clear intent of the parties particularly when it comes to assignments or releases of claims. However, the unique legislative history of the Contract Disputes Act (“CDA”) grants the agency boards of contract appeals the […]

The Randolph-Sheppard Act (“RSA”) grants blind persons, operating through State Licensing Agencies, mandatory priority in the award of contracts for the operation of vending facilities on federal property so long as the SLA contractor satisfies criteria established by the RSA’s implementing regulations prescribed by the U.S. Secretary of Education.  In its recent […]

In Appeal of American West Construction, LLC, the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals considered whether the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Government) lost its right to claim a credit under the Changes Clause by waiving its right to insist on compliance with the contract specifications prior to insisting on […]

Federal government contractors, grantees and those with cooperative agreements may find themselves in possession of (or handling) government information which the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) considers to be sensitive or confidential but not considered “classified.” On Dec. 31, 2017, in accordance with DFARS 252.204-7012 the National Institute of Standards and […]

  In Industrial Maintenance Services, CBCA 5618, the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA) found a contractor was entitled to additional payment where the Agency paid certain direct costs associated with a change in the critical path of performance, but failed to include the costs of impacted, unchanged work in […]

The Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA) recently issued its Fiscal Year 2017 annual report, as well as its annual report on Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR). The reports offer statistics that highlight the high success rate for contractors based on the contractor winning outright or receiving some recovery, a doubling […]