Aerospace & Defense

  • January 07, 2025

    10th Circ. Says Age Bias Didn't Drive Aircraft Co. Layoffs

    The Tenth Circuit declined Tuesday to revive a lawsuit from former Spirit AeroSystems Inc. workers who said the aircraft maker targeted older workers during a workforce reduction, ruling they hadn't shown the company was motivated by age discrimination.

  • January 07, 2025

    Aerospace Co. Fights Injunction Bid In Amazon Contract Fight

    A Connecticut-based manufacturer of satellite launcher component parts is urging a federal court to nix a Swedish company's bid for emergency relief as it pursues arbitration over a supply contract for an Amazon project aimed at increasing global broadband access, saying it's blameless in the dispute.

  • January 07, 2025

    FAR Council Withdraws Proposed Contractor Pay Equity Rule

    The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council announced Tuesday that it will withdraw a pending rule barring federal contractors from considering a job applicant's salary history, to focus on other priorities in the waning days of the Biden administration.

  • January 07, 2025

    Metal Co. To Pay $143K To End Unpaid Wages Suit

    A metal manufacturing company will pay nearly $143,000 to resolve a veteran employee's lawsuit accusing it of failing to pay him and other production workers for all the hours they worked, a filing in Ohio federal court said.

  • January 07, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Rejects Software Co.'s Bid For $86M From Navy

    A Federal Circuit panel affirmed a decision holding that the U.S. Navy owes a software company just $154,000 for its infringing use of a 3-D virtual reality program, and not the nearly $86 million the company sought based on installations on more than 429,000 computers.

  • January 07, 2025

    Amazon Says Worker's $1.6M Atty Fees Are Excessive

    An Amazon employee hasn't prevailed in his claims that the e-commerce giant hurdled his promotions for his U.S. Marine Corps Reserve leave, the company said, urging a Washington federal court to deny his $1.63 million in attorney fees requested as part of his settlement.

  • January 07, 2025

    Menendez's Wife Fears His Sentencing Would Taint Her Trial

    The wife of former Sen. Robert Menendez asked a New York federal judge on Tuesday to delay her trial on bribery charges, scheduled for Feb. 5, to avoid having it commence within one week of the sentencing of her husband and co-defendant.

  • January 07, 2025

    GAO Calls Navy's Construction Deal Conditions 'Reasonable'

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office rejected an Indiana-based contractor's challenge of the U.S. Navy's requirement to register with the Spanish Ministry of Finance to be considered for a Spain-based explosive ordnance disposal facility contract, calling the extra step "reasonable."

  • January 07, 2025

    Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Special Counsel Report

    A Florida federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked the publication of a report by special counsel Jack Smith regarding his two now-dismissed prosecutions of Donald Trump, after lawyers for the president-elect said Smith was trying to continue a political crusade now that he can no longer pursue criminal charges.

  • January 06, 2025

    $182M Army Corps Deal Protest Tripped Up By Employee Exit

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office has rejected a protest over a $181.5 million U.S. Army Corps of Engineers construction contract, saying a key staff member's departure meant the protester wasn't eligible for the deal even if its protest was otherwise valid.

  • January 06, 2025

    Boeing, DOJ Given More Time To Rework 737 Max Plea Deal

    The U.S. Department of Justice and The Boeing Co. have until mid-February to rework a plea agreement in the American aerospace giant's 737 Max criminal conspiracy case, a Texas federal judge ruled Saturday, ensuring that the incoming Trump administration will oversee final negotiations on any potential new deal.

  • January 06, 2025

    FCC Chief Floats Spectrum Sale To Fund Network Security

    The outgoing head of the Federal Communications Commission on Monday proposed to quickly get a spectrum auction off the ground with proceeds going toward a key U.S. network security program.

  • January 06, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Revives DEA Agent's Challenge To Promotion Denial

    The Merit Systems Protection Board must reevaluate a former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent's case alleging a promotion was unlawfully delayed because he took time off for military service, the Federal Circuit said Monday, ruling an administrative judge used the wrong standard to evaluate his claim.

  • January 06, 2025

    DOD Adds WeChat Owner, CATL To Chinese Military Co. List

    The U.S. Department of Defense added dozens of businesses Monday to its list of companies affiliated with the Chinese military, including electric-car battery maker CATL and Tencent Holdings Ltd. — owner of the popular text-messaging app WeChat — prompting Tencent to slam the designation as "clearly a mistake."

  • January 06, 2025

    DOD Tells DC Circ. It's Pondering New Time-In-Service Regs

    The U.S. Department of Defense told the D.C. Circuit that litigation over its scrapped time-in-service requirements for immigrant soldiers to be eligible for naturalization is not moot, because it may issue new requirements — an assertion that soldiers who successfully challenged the policy panned.

  • January 06, 2025

    Space Biz Accused Of Gov't Satellite Contract Bait-And-Switch

    A subcontractor hit a Colorado space company with a $17.2 million breach of contract lawsuit in federal court Saturday, accusing Sierra Space of adopting a bait-and-switch strategy in which it dragged out subcontracting negotiations in order to win a lucrative federal satellite contract and then awarded the business to a rival subcontractor.

  • January 06, 2025

    Satellite Co. Ligado Hits Ch. 11 With $8.6B Of Debt

    Satellite business Ligado Networks filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware bankruptcy court with about $8.6 billion of debt and a plan to hand control of the company to creditors after suffering what its chief executive called "catastrophic" losses allegedly caused in part by the U.S. Department of Defense.

  • January 06, 2025

    Nippon, US Steel Hit Back With Suits After Biden Blocks Deal

    Japan's Nippon Steel Corp. and U.S. Steel Corp. have filed two lawsuits following President Joe Biden's Friday decision to block their planned $14.9 billion merger, claiming Monday that the deal was blocked for "purely political reasons." 

  • January 03, 2025

    Boeing, DOJ Say No Agreement Yet For Revised 737 Max Plea

    The Boeing Co. and the U.S. Department of Justice told a Texas federal judge Friday they have not yet reached an agreement on how to revise the aircraft manufacturer's plea agreement in the 737 Max criminal conspiracy case, after the judge last month rejected the initial deal.

  • January 03, 2025

    Alaska Air Passengers Refile New Suit Over Boeing Blowout

    A group of passengers suing Boeing, Alaska Airlines and Spirit AeroSystems over a door plug blowout on a 737 Max flight last January have relaunched their claims in Washington state court after a Seattle federal judge tossed an earlier version of the complaint at their request last month.

  • January 03, 2025

    US Sanctions Chinese Tech Co. Over 'Flax Typhoon' Attacks

    The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control on Friday sanctioned Integrity Technology Group Inc., accusing the Beijing-based software company of being behind malicious cyberattacks targeting critical U.S. infrastructure sectors perpetuated by the prolific Chinese government-sponsored "Flax Typhoon" hacker group.

  • January 03, 2025

    Fla. Gov't Contractor Agrees To Pay $1M Over Rigging Bids

    A Florida owner of two government contractors agreed to fork over $1 million to the U.S. government to settle civil allegations he conspired with a Massachusetts-based company to submit false bids and resulted in driving up the cost of U.S. Department of Defense contracts, federal officials said Friday.

  • January 03, 2025

    RTX's $34M No-Poach Deal Gets First Nod From Conn. Judge

    A Connecticut federal judge on Friday gave an initial approval to a $34 million class action settlement by RTX Corp. to end claims that the company's Pratt & Whitney division cooked up an agreement among contractors not to hire one another's aerospace engineers.

  • January 03, 2025

    4th Circ. Won't Revive Bias Suit Over SBA Small Biz Program

    A disabled veteran's constitutional challenge to a Small Business Administration contracting program over racial bias concerns must fail because the veteran didn't actually qualify for the program, the Fourth Circuit ruled Friday.

  • January 03, 2025

    Booz Allen To Pay $15.8M To Settle False Claims Case

    Booz Allen Hamilton struck a $15.8 million settlement with the federal government Friday, resolving claims a subsidiary submitted false claims under a contract meant to supply computer military training simulators to the U.S. Department of Defense.

Expert Analysis

  • What Insurers Need To Know About OFAC's Expanded FAQs

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    The Office of Foreign Assets Control's recently expanded insurance FAQs clarify how OFAC views insurance policies in a number of specific circumstances involving sanctioned parties, and make plain that sanctions compliance is the responsibility of all participants in the insurance ecosystem, including underwriters, brokers and agents, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    Gardening Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Beyond its practical and therapeutic benefits, gardening has bolstered important attributes that also apply to my litigation practice, including persistence, patience, grit and authenticity, says Christopher Viceconte at Gibbons.

  • How Trump's 2nd Term May Alter The Immigration Landscape

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    Rhetoric from Donald Trump's campaign and his choice of hardline appointees indicate that a more restrictive and punitive approach to immigration is in our immediate future, especially in areas like humanitarian relief, nonimmigrant visa processing, and travel and green card eligibility, says John Quill at Mintz.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review

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    For attorneys — new ones especially — there is much fulfillment to find in document review by reflecting on how important, interesting and pleasant it can be, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Inside The Appeals Board's 2024 Report To Congress

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    An in-depth examination of the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals’ annual report reveals ​a continuing decline in new cases, motions and hearings, a trend that may correspond with ​t​he increased use of alternative dispute resolution, and expedited or accelerated proceedings, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • How Boards And Officers Should Prep For New Trump Admin

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    In anticipation of President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs and mass deportation campaign, company officers and board members should pursue proactive, comprehensive contingency planning to not only advance the best interests of the companies they serve, but to also properly exercise their fiduciary duty of care, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • Implementing Human Rights Due Diligence

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    The Bureau of Industry and Security’s recent removal of a Canadian surveillance provider from its export blacklist, after just eight months, illustrates the importance of integrating human rights due diligence into the vetting process by asking a few targeted questions, say attorneys at Cravath.

  • DC Circ. Decision Opens Door To NEPA Regulation Litigation

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    A recent D.C. Circuit decision in Marin Audubon Society v. Federal Aviation Administration could open the door to more litigation over the White House Council on Environmental Quality's National Environmental Policy Act regulations, and could affect how many agencies conduct and interpret environmental assessments, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • How CFIUS' Updated Framework Affects Global Investors

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    The recent change to the monitoring and enforcement regulations governing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States will broaden administrative practices around nonnotified transaction investigations, increase the scope of information demands from the committee and accelerate its ability to impose mitigation on parties, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Perils Of Perfunctory Interpretation

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    Attorneys at Seyfarth examine three recent decisions in which the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals and the Federal Circuit ruthlessly dismantled arguments that rely on superficial understandings of different contract terms.

  • Series

    Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

  • Key Points From New Maritime Oil Price Cap Advisory

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    The Price Cap Coalition's updated advisory regarding the maritime oil industry's compliance with the Russian oil price cap highlights the role of governmental authorities, additional areas warranting due diligence and the need for training programs, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • Trump Patent Policy May Be Headed In Unexpected Direction

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    While commentators have assumed that the patent policy of President-elect Donald Trump's second administration will largely mirror the pro-patent policy of his first, these predictions fail to take into account the likely oversized influence of Elon Musk, says Jorge Contreras at the University of Utah.

  • Takeaways From Final Regulations For China Investment Ban

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    ​The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s final rule banning U.S. investment in emerging Chinese technology clarifies some key requirements, includes additional exceptions for covered transactions and attempts to address concerns that the rule will put U.S. businesses at a competitive disadvantage, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Compliance Considerations Of DOJ Data Security Rule

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    Under the U.S. Department of Justice's proposed rule aiming to prevent certain countries' access to bulk U.S. sensitive personal data, companies must ensure their vendor, employment and investment agreements meet strict new data security requirements — or determine whether such contracts are worth the cost of compliance, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

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