Elizabeth Leavy

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Third Circuit Rules Office of the Inspector General Need Not Abide By Statutory Filing Deadlines in Whistleblower Retaliation Case

In a case decided this week, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit turned government filing deadlines on their head by holding that federal Offices of the Inspector General (“OIG”) are not actually bound by the statutory language stating that the OIG “shall” issue an investigative report within 180 days after receiving … Continue Reading

Department of Defense issues interim rule proposing to restrict acquisition of personal protective equipment from non-allied foreign nations

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has recently issued an interim rule that proposes to amend the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to limit, with some exceptions, the acquisition of personal protective equipment (PPE) and certain other products from non-allied foreign nations, including the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea, the People’s Republic of … Continue Reading

Federal agencies must update cybersecurity controls to achieve a zero trust architecture

On January 26, 2022, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published Memorandum M-22-09, “Moving the U.S. Government Toward Zero Trust Cybersecurity Principles” (the ZTA Memorandum), which requires federal agencies to take a hard look at their cybersecurity controls, and invest in and implement new measures to better protect the government’s networks, systems, and … Continue Reading

Tracking federal agencies’ re-opening plans for government contractors

After months of federal agency closures, and a wide expansion of teleworking and other remote work policies crafted in response to the novel coronavirus, the federal government is planning for a phased re-opening.[1] This post was most recently updated on June 26, 2020, and it includes updates to the following agency plans: Department of Defense, … Continue Reading

Contractor successfully uses GAO pre-award protest to modify solicitation

When the terms of a solicitation run contrary to the regulations, challenging the solicitation in a pre-award protest may provide contractors the chance to shift the tide in their favor before bids are submitted and an award is made. In January 2020, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) sustained a pre-award bid protest brought by Noble … Continue Reading

Riding the cybersecurity compliance wave: How defense contractors can navigate the rising tide of cybersecurity regulations

Cybersecurity attacks targeting government information have drastically increased, and both the federal government and private industry have struggled to implement effective means of protecting this information. Federal agencies continue to strive for a unified approach to protect critical data; however, the various regulations leave contractors without a clear set of requirements that are applicable to … Continue Reading

Government Contracts M&A Moving at Breakneck Speed: Contractors Advised to Slow Down and Ensure Compliance

The pace at which government contractors are engaging in mergers & acquisitions has increased notably in recent years, as a stream of recent stories in the Washington Post and New York Times have reported. The acquisition of a government contractor frequently provides the buyer an opportunity to increase its market share and/or strengthen its capabilities … Continue Reading

Your Contract Requires You To Be Named as an Additional Insured: Are You?

Last week, New York joined the ranks of several states that may limit a government contractor’s access to insurance coverage despite being added, as set forth in the contract, as an “additional insured” under a prime or subcontractor’s insurance policy. Generally, it is within the purview of a government contractor to add its prime or … Continue Reading

On-Time Bid Proposals—Not a Second Too Late

Submitting your company’s bid proposal close to the deadline can be risky and have grave consequences. The government has repeatedly rejected proposals submitted before, but received after, the deadline because of technical glitches.  In submitting a proposal for a government contract, the onus is on the contractor to ensure that its proposal is received prior … Continue Reading
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