This post was also written by Matthew J. Thomas. Just ahead of this week’s meeting in Baghdad between Tehran and other nations concerning Iran’s controversial nuclear program, the U.S. Senate passed an Iran sanctions bill by a unanimous voice vote. This bill is the Senate counterpart to the “Iran Threat Reduction Act of 2011” (H.R. 1905), … Continue Reading
On January 24, 2012, the Federal Trade Commission announced the annual threshold adjustments for premerger filings under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (15 U.S.C. § 18a) (“HSR”). The new thresholds have increased the dollar amount required to trigger HSR notification with respect to both the size-of-transaction and size-of-person tests. The revised HSR thresholds … Continue Reading
This post was written by Steven D. Tibbets and Lorraine M. Campos. There is a long history of federal court cases distinguishing which items of information that contractors disclose to the Government may be obtained by the public and which items may not. Currently, there is much debate regarding how well the relatively new Federal … Continue Reading
A proposed rule issued by the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on June 28, 2011 proposes to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) to provide a single set of standards for contract officers reviewing contractor past performance. In 2010, agencies were required to transition their various … Continue Reading
Just as the 2012 political races are heating up and taking shape, Judge James Cacheris of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia expanded the reach of Citizens United v. FEC, 130 U.S. 876 (2010), by rendering unconstitutional limits on corporate contributions to federal candidates. In the opinion, filed May 26, 2011, Judge … Continue Reading
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final Rule on Thursday, May 19, 2011 that provides for review of “unreasonable” premium rate increases and requires that: (1) insurance companies to provide consumers with information about the reasons for such rate increases, and (2) states provide an opportunity for public input in the … Continue Reading
In a stunning jury verdict following a five-week trial, a California federal jury took just one day to find a privately-held company and two of its senior officers guilty on all counts of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”). The verdict against Lindsay Manufacturing Company (“Lindsay Manufacturing”), a manufacturer of electrical transmission towers, is … Continue Reading
For everyone out there contracting with the State of California — here is a quick heads up. Remember way back in 2010 when Congress passed the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act? Well, it turns out that California has decided to take advantage of the Divestment part. The Iran Contracting Act of 2010 requires … Continue Reading
With all that had been going on in Libya, the US Government has been working to ensure that regulations are not prohibiting the Administration’s anti-Gaddafi policy. OFAC recently released some guidance that should ease the burden on those US persons seeking to do business with the anti-Gaddafi regime in eastern Libya. For more information seek … Continue Reading
What happens when a bid proposal is sent via e-mail prior to the submission deadline but not by the proper party until after the submission deadline has passed? Turns out, the answer depends on whether the Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) or the Court of Federal Claims (“COFC”) is reviewing the matter. A government contractor dealing … Continue Reading
The waiting is over! At last the UK Ministry of Justice has published guidance about procedures which commercial organisations can put into place to prevent persons associated with them from bribing. The Act will now come into force on 1 July 2011. The guidance offers non-prescriptive procedures and commentary on the scope of the Act. … Continue Reading
This post was also written by Suzie A. Savage. It is understood that the UK Ministry of Justice will publish its guidance on adequate procedures tomorrow, Wednesday 30th March 2011. The Act was originally scheduled to be implemented in April of this year, three months after guidance was to be published in January about the … Continue Reading
This post was written by Joelle E.K. Laszlo. In response to the increasingly grave political, commercial, and humanitarian turmoil that Libya has endured in the recent weeks, the international community has combined forces in an effort to subdue Muammar Qadhafi’s brutal regime. The United Nations Security Council has called its Member States to enact, among other … Continue Reading
