One of the primary benefits of filing a protest with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is that it automatically puts the awarded contracts on hold, stopping the agency from proceeding with performance. To reap the...more
DOD Releases Intellectual Property Guidebook: Key Insights for Defense Contractors, Part 1 -
On May 1, 2025, the Department of Defense (DOD) released its much-anticipated Intellectual Property (IP)...more
On May 1, 2025, the Department of Defense (DOD) released its much-anticipated Intellectual Property (IP) Guidebook (Guidebook). The Guidebook is a must-read for defense contractors who are looking to protect their IP when...more
Can Contractors Recover Damages for Arbitrary CPAR Ratings? The ASBCA Weighs In -
Every seasoned government contractor knows the weight a negative Contractor Performance Assessment Report (CPAR) can carry. A blemish in the...more
Every seasoned government contractor knows the weight a negative Contractor Performance Assessment Report (CPAR) can carry. A blemish in the CPAR System (CPARS) can mean the difference between winning a new contract or losing...more
March 2025: Reducing the Negative Impacts of a Government Shutdown for Federal Contractors -
On top of the uncertainty introduced through the Trump administration’s shifting priorities and rapid-fire executive orders,...more
In a recent Final Rule (Rule) made effective January 17, 2025, the Federal Acquisition Regulation’s (FAR) suspension and debarment procedures were revised to be more consistent with the procedures in 2 CFR part 180 applicable...more
December 2024: Reducing the Negative Impacts of a Government Shutdown for Federal Contractors -
Once again, the specter of a government shutdown looms over the federal contracting community. The federal government is set...more
Trump 2.0: Implications for Federal Spending and the Workforce -
The election of former President Trump has the potential to significantly change the federal procurement landscape. As with his first term, President-elect...more
The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program has been a headache for many defense contractors since the idea was first introduced in 2019. The program seeks to protect unclassified information, including...more
8/16/2024
/ Certification Requirements ,
Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) ,
Cybersecurity ,
Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) ,
Defense Contracts ,
Defense Sector ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
DFARS ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
NIST
Prepare to (Semi)Conduct Your Due Diligence! Proposed Rule to Prohibit Certain Semiconductor Products and Services -
Whether you’re aware or not, semiconductors are part of a vast variety of electronics. Semiconductors...more
8/1/2024
/ Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
FCC ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
FinCEN ,
NLRB ,
SBA ,
Semiconductors ,
USDA ,
USPTO
Whether you’re aware or not, semiconductors are part of a vast variety of electronics. Semiconductors appear in items ranging from smartphones to pacemakers. The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council) issued an...more
Department of Defense (DOD) Final Rule: Inapplicability of Certain Laws and Regulations to Commercial Items -
DOD issues this Final Rule to amend the DFARS to address the inapplicability of certain laws and regulations to...more
11/27/2023
/ Biden Administration ,
Data Protection ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
GAO ,
General Services Administration (GSA) ,
SBA ,
Small Business
Substantive cybersecurity amendments to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) are underway, significantly altering the duties and obligations of federal government contractors both prior to award and during contract...more
11/20/2023
/ Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
SBA ,
Small Business
Protecting Our Nation’s Data, Part 2: Implementing Cyber Threat Incident Reporting and Information Sharing -
In October 2023, the federal government released a Proposed Rule aimed at incorporating new cybersecurity...more
In October 2023, the federal government released a Proposed Rule aimed at incorporating new cybersecurity reporting requirements into the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). In this second installment of PilieroMazza’s...more
11/8/2023
/ Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
SBA ,
Small Business ,
Subcontractors
Protecting Our Nation’s Data, Part 1: Cybersecurity Standardization Requirements for Unclassified Federal Information Systems -
New standardized cybersecurity compliance requirements are inbound. In early October 2023, the...more
New standardized cybersecurity compliance requirements are inbound. In early October 2023, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council issued a proposed rule (Proposed Rule) to standardize cybersecurity requirements...more
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently released a final rule (Final Rule), effective July 21, 2023, updating the Homeland Security Acquisition Regulation (HSAR) to include cybersecurity provisions aimed at...more
The federal government recently issued an interim rule, effective immediately, prohibiting the presence or use of the TikTok application in the performance of a contract. This rule continues the government’s actions against...more
The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council) announced it was preparing a proposed rule to standardize cybersecurity requirements for unclassified Federal Information Systems across federal agencies in accordance...more
Effective March 22, 2023, the Department of Defense (DOD) issued a final rule (Final Rule) amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) requiring Contracting Officers (COs) to use Supplier...more
Pentagon Wants Authority to Start Work on New Technologies Without Congressional Approval -
In recent years, Congress has passed several pieces of legislation meant to speed up the Defense Department’s (DOD) acquisition...more
5/12/2023
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Diversity ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Procurement Systems ,
General Services Administration (GSA) ,
SBA ,
Small Business
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS -
Veterans Affairs Imposes Increased Cybersecurity Rules on Government Contractors -
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released a final rule, effective February 24, 2023, amending the...more
3/2/2023
/ Cybersecurity ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Department of Veterans Affairs ,
DFARS ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
General Services Administration (GSA) ,
NASA ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
SBA ,
Subcontractors
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT -
Have You Updated the Minimum Wage? Government Contractors Struggle with Minimum Wage Confusion -
On January 1, 2023, the minimum wage for government contractors under Executive Order 14026...more