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
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) program underwent a major rule change in January 2025, as we wrote about here. In this blog, PilieroMazza examines new...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
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
The Department of Defense (DOD) has finally promulgated its Final Rule (Rule) implementing the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program, which goes ‘live’ on December 16th. There is plenty of content...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 Small Business Administration (SBA) recently issued a proposed rule (Rule) that would significantly change a government contractor’s obligations to recertify its size and socioeconomic status under set-aside contracts and...more
7(a) Loan Approval for Borrowers with Unresolved COVID-19 Pandemic Loan Compliance Issues: On May 21, SBA’s OIG issued an inspection report assessing SBA’s 7(a) loan approval process for borrowers with unresolved pandemic...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
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
Based on new rules that take effect on May 10, 2023, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) will now hear appeals from Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) status...more
SBA Releases Preview of New HUBZone Maps Effective July 1, 2023 -
HUBZone contractors have been anxiously awaiting updates to the HUBZone maps. In 2021, the Small Business Administration (SBA) extended the “freeze” on the...more
1/30/2023
/ Biden Administration ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
HUBZone ,
OMB ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
SBA ,
SCOTUS ,
Small Business ,
U.S. Treasury
HUBZone contractors have been anxiously awaiting updates to the HUBZone maps. In 2021, SBA extended the “freeze” on the HUBZone maps until June 30, 2023, to provide enough time to update the maps based on the 2020 Census...more
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS -
Inflation Relief Is Coming for DOD Contractors -
As PilieroMazza has reported, rising costs due to inflation have been one of the most significant issues facing contractors with fixed-price...more
12/19/2022
/ Department of Defense (DOD) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
General Services Administration (GSA) ,
Opioid ,
SBA ,
Small Business ,
Union Organizers ,
Unions ,
Veterans
The Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a final rule last week, officially transferring the responsibility for certification of veteran-owned small businesses (VOSB) and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses...more
The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program is in the midst of a major overhaul that would update, streamline, and clarify existing rules, strengthen implementation, and increase...more
An all but forgotten remedy in government contracting, Extraordinary Contractual Relief (ECR), is in the midst of a potential resurgence due to the Department of Defense’s (DOD) most recent memorandum on inflation entitled...more
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS -
SBA’s Proposed Rule Alters the Landscape for Size and Status Protests -
On September 9, 2022, the Small Business Administration issued a proposed rule (the Rule) making substantial changes to the...more
9/29/2022
/ Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Department of Veterans Affairs ,
EEO-1 ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
General Services Administration (GSA) ,
HUBZone ,
National Security Agency (NSA) ,
OFCCP ,
SBA ,
SDVOSB ,
Small Business ,
Subcontractors ,
WOSB
On September 9, 2022, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a proposed rule (the Rule) making substantial changes to the 8(a) Business Development program. Scattered throughout the Rule are various...more
On September 22, the Senate passed the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Extension Act of 2022. As it heads to the House of Representatives, government contractors in...more