-
September 2019
Lessons on Contractor Termination for Default
By Alex Sarria and Carl WiersumThe U.S. Court of Federal Claims recently overturned an agency’s decision to terminate a government contractor for default. The case serves as an important reminder that, when reviewing such a termination, the court gives little credence to the government’s subjective beliefs regarding the contractor’s ability to perform. -
August 2019
Budgets Require Industry-Government Cooperation
By Wesley HallmanWe should all celebrate the recent passage and signing of the 2019 Bipartisan Budget Act that ended the federal budget impasse and did away with the destructive spending caps imposed by the 2011 Budget Control Act. -
May 2019
Operational Security Erodes in Social Media Age
By Zachary KronischIn 2017, fitness-tracking application Strava released a map detailing all location data uploaded by app users, including U.S. service members stationed overseas. -
April 2019
Defense Would Benefit From Paid Parental Leave
By Alexandra Berge and Regina WrightThe federal workforce is undergoing rapid demographic change with the ongoing departure of the baby boom generation. -
April 2019
IG Report Has Implications for Contractors
By Ryan Burnette , Susan Cassidy and Michael WagnerOn Feb. 25, the Defense Department’s Office of Inspector General issued an audit report analyzing the prices of spare aviation parts purchased by the government from TransDigm Group Inc. The report has important implications for contractors doing business with the Pentagon. -
March 2019
Nonlethal Weapons Offer Victory, De-Escalation
By Zachary KronischIn 1995, U.S. troops protected United Nations forces withdrawing from Somalia by using nonlethal weapons to both subdue hostiles and prevent conflict escalation. In doing so, they exemplified both the value and viability of alternate, nonlethal options for the warfighter. -
March 2019
Debate Over Qui Tam Constitutionality Resumes
By Herb Fenster , Peter Hutt II and Carl WiersumThe motivating force behind the False Claims Act is its provision for qui tam enforcement, which authorizes private parties to initiate FCA cases on behalf of the United States. -
January 2019
Readying Security Plans for Evaluation
By Ian Brekke and Susan CassidyThe Defense Department recently issued final guidance for requiring activities to assess contractors’ system security plans and their implementation of the security controls in National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-171. -
September 2018
AI: The Future of the Defense Industry?
By Susan Cassidy , Calvin Cohen and Zachary MearsThe technologies of the defense industry are in the early stages of a seismic shift in the area of intelligent warfare. Given the advances in the commercial world, the Pentagon has realized in some cases it may need to turn to nontraditional contractors to fill important roles and that it needs to ramp up its expertise in artificial intelligence. -
July 2018
Granston Memo Could Impact Qui Tam Actions
By Frederick Benson , Herbert L. Fenster and Peter Hutt IIA January Department of Justice memorandum directs prosecutors to more seriously consider dismissing certain qui tam actions brought pursuant to the False Claims Act.