One of President Trump’s campaign themes was ending diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) programs, and he moved quickly to address those campaign promises. Within days of his inauguration, the president issued two executive orders (EOs) overhauling how the federal government views programs seeking to advance DEI priorities.
Continue Reading Implementation of Trump DEI Orders Slower than Expected: What Contractors Should KnowDistrict Court Blocks Department of Labor Enforcement of Contractor DEI Certification Requirement
By Richard Arnholt on
Posted in Government Contracts, Labor & Employment
On April 14, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly ruled, in relevant part, that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) cannot require federal grant recipients to certify that their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs do not violate applicable federal anti-discrimination law and prohibited the termination of the plaintiff’s Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) grant on the basis that it was “equity-related.”
Continue Reading District Court Blocks Department of Labor Enforcement of Contractor DEI Certification RequirementWhite House Announces “Revolutionary FAR Overhaul”: What to Know
By Richard Arnholt & Todd Overman on
Through a duo of Executive Orders (EOs), issued on April 15 and 16 respectively, President Trump announced “a first-of-its-kind overhaul of Federal procurement policy.” The rewrite represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make an incredibly complex system more efficient and user friendly. With that said, while the president positions the changes as an effort of “increase[ing] competition and efficiency while decreasing costs,” the devil is in the details. Below we discuss areas of emphasis for the Trump administration, the short-term implications of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) rewrite, and explore important considerations that could inform what the final version of “FAR 2.0” looks like.
Continue Reading White House Announces “Revolutionary FAR Overhaul”: What to KnowKey Takeaways from DOJ’s Continued Cybersecurity Enforcement
By Denise Barnes & Taylor Sample on
On March 25, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a $4.6 million settlement with MORSECORP, Inc. (MORSE) over its alleged failures to satisfy cybersecurity requirements for federal defense contractors.
False Claims Act Gives Broad Dismissal Authority to Government, District Judge Says
By Richard Arnholt & Denise Barnes on
On April 2, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia dismissed a whistleblower’s False Claims Act (FCA) action after the relator attempted to dismiss the government as a plaintiff-intervenor in the lawsuit.
Continue Reading False Claims Act Gives Broad Dismissal Authority to Government, District Judge SaysNew False Claims Act Settlement Highlights Importance of Voluntary Self-Disclosures and Due Diligence
By Richard Arnholt on
Posted in False Claims Act, Government Contracts
According to an April 1 Department of Justice (DOJ) press release, DRI Relays Inc. (DRI), a subsidiary of TE Connectivity Corporation (TEC) and manufacturer of electrical relays and sockets used on military platforms, agreed to pay $15.7 million to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA). The company supplied military parts that failed to meet the required military testing specifications, while falsely certifying that they did. The settlement highlights the benefits of self-disclosures, the importance of robust diligence during the acquisition process, and the lengthy nature of some FCA investigations.
Continue Reading New False Claims Act Settlement Highlights Importance of Voluntary Self-Disclosures and Due DiligenceChanges to Government Contracting and Grants Under the Trump Administration
By Richard Arnholt & Adam Briscoe on
Posted in Government Contracts
We recently authored an article for Federal News Network discussing how to navigate Trump administration changes to government contracting and grants.
Continue Reading Changes to Government Contracting and Grants Under the Trump AdministrationDOJ Settlement Highlights Customs, FCA Risks for Importers
By Lindsey Fetzer, Thad McBride & Todd Overman on
On March 25, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced an $8.1 million settlement in a civil case under the False Claims Act (FCA) related to alleged customs evasion by a California importer of wood flooring. The private whistleblower who reported the conduct received over $1.2 million in the matter. As we suggested in a blog post in February, these sorts of enforcement actions will proliferate under the Trump DOJ.
Continue Reading DOJ Settlement Highlights Customs, FCA Risks for ImportersTrump Administration Revises SBA’s Small Business Goals
By Richard Arnholt on
On January 24, the SBA announced updated small business contracting goals for fiscal year 2025, significantly decreasing some goals and standardizing targets across federal agencies. These changes bring the small business targets more closely in line with historic targets.
Continue Reading Trump Administration Revises SBA’s Small Business GoalsSmall Business Size Protest Minute: The Ostensible Subcontractor Exception that (Almost) Swallowed the Rule
By Richard Arnholt on
As many of our readers know, the ostensible subcontractor rule is one way in which the Small Business Administration (SBA) can find affiliation between a small business and one of its subcontractors, potentially resulting in the small business’s disqualification from a procurement. The rule is designed to ensure that small businesses perform the primary and vital requirements of a set-aside contract and are not unduly reliant on an entity that is not similarly situated to perform the contract. Allegations of affiliation based on this doctrine are frequently made in size protests, putting at risk awards that small businesses have expended significant time and resources to secure.
Continue Reading Small Business Size Protest Minute: The Ostensible Subcontractor Exception that (Almost) Swallowed the Rule