The Rise of OTAs in Defense Contracting: Opportunities, Risks, and What Contractors Need to Know
Podcast - Navigating the Updated SF-328 Form
Podcast - A Comparative Guide to Obtaining an FCL: DCSA vs. the Intelligence Community
Diversifying Your Contract Pipeline by Maximizing Opportunities through the DOD’s Mentor Protégé Program
A Comprehensive Overview of FOCI Mitigation
Podcast - Defense Dynamics: Navigating the Post-Election Landscape for the National Security Sector, Part 2
Mitigating FOCI Under Section 847
Episode 345 -- Raytheon Pays $950 Million to Resolve Fraud, FCPA, ITAR and False Claims Act Violations
Everyone Come to Play: Exploring FOCI Mitigation Instruments
Defense Dynamics: Navigating the Post-Election Landscape for the National Security Sector
Podcast - Navigating M&A Due Diligence: Safeguarding Security Clearances
Podcast - Change Condition Packages: Tips for Cleared Contractors
Podcast - Corporate Documents in the Context of Clearances
Navigating Personnel Security Clearances (PCLs)
Cybersecurity Insights: Updates on CMMC Implementation and CUI Identification
What Is an FCL and How Do I Obtain One?
Protecting Our Nation’s Data: Cybersecurity Compliance for Government Contractors
Intellectual Property In Department of Defense Contracting
The When, Where, Why and How of CMMC with Fernando Machado
In 2023, the U.S. Space Force launched the Space Domain Awareness (SDA) Tools, Application, & Processing (TAP) Lab. The SDA TAP Lab aims to accelerate the delivery of space battle management software to operational units....more
Since assuming office in January 2025, the Trump administration has sought to transform the U.S.’s approach to, and regulation of, Artificial Intelligence (AI). From signing an executive order entitled “Removing Barriers to...more
As the Defense Department increasingly turns to Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreements to streamline innovation and speed up procurement, contractors—especially those in the defense sector—must adapt to this rapidly...more
On July 23, 2025, the Trump Administration released its long-anticipated AI Action Plan, outlining a federal roadmap to maintain U.S. global leadership in artificial intelligence (AI). The plan serves as a guiding policy...more
In his latest move on artificial intelligence (“AI”), President Trump unveiled his much anticipated “AI Action Plan,” laying out his Administration’s strategy to “sustain and enhance America’s global AI dominance,” consistent...more
On July 23, the White House released its strategic action plan on AI, “Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan” (the AI Action Plan), which is designed to secure U.S. global leadership in AI with a strategic focus on...more
Earlier this year, the Department of Defense (DoD) published an “Intellectual Property Guidebook for DoD Acquisition.” It is the culmination of many years of work and the most insightful data rights guidance out of the...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
On July 1, 2025, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) will hold a workshop session on transformative science and technology for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), “Synthetic Biology for...more
The Department of Defense (the “DoD”) recently released a new comprehensive guidebook to help navigate intellectual property laws and regulations. The guidebook states: In today’s global military competition, DoD needs to...more
In this Part 3 of PilieroMazza’s blog series, “The Rise of OTA in Defense Contracting,” we discuss tactics and best practices defense contractors should deploy when negotiating terms once selected for an OT award. This is...more
The Department of Defense stands at a critical crossroads in how it processes, authorizes, and utilizes data in operational environments. Despite living in an era of unprecedented information availability, our military...more
“And if you study the history of the world, the nations that are the most military and economically domineer [sic] are the nations that are the most innovative,” Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) remarked at a recent congressional...more
The Trump Administration recently issued a new Executive Order titled "Modernizing Defense Acquisitions and Spurring Innovation in the Defense Industrial Base." The directive, announced April 9, 2025, aims to reform the...more
Securing American leadership on artificial intelligence (AI) is a top priority for the Trump Administration. Although changes brought by the Trump Administration are certain to result in regulatory changes across the federal...more
The convergence of industry leaders, venture capitalists, and the Department of Defense at Maxar’s Orbital Edge event during SXSW highlighted the evolving dynamics of space as a domain of innovation and opportunity....more
As China's significant investments in its commercial space sector have raised concerns about technological competition, the Department of Defense is increasing its efforts to partner with emerging commercial space startups....more
Just before the holidays, incoming Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) released a new report, “Restoring Freedom’s Forge,” along with a comprehensive new piece of legislation, the “Fostering...more
The defense technology sector (“defense tech”) has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, with projections indicating continued expansion in the near future. This surge is largely driven by increased global defense...more
In this special Eyes on Washington miniseries, Public Policy & Regulation Group members Misha Lehrer, Daniel Sennott and Simon Coon explore the potential effects of the upcoming November elections on defense policy, funding...more
Welcome to the June edition of Akin Intelligence. This month, the General Services Administration (GSA) launched its first AI-focused cohort of Presidential Innovation Fellows (PIF), bringing together experts from across the...more
Welcome to the November edition of Akin Intelligence. Looking back, October 2023 may be remembered as the month when the U.S. government tried to assume the mantle of global leadership on responsible artificial intelligence...more
The CHIPS R&D Office is advancing innovation and creating opportunities across industry. $11 billion has been appropriated to the CHIPS Research and Development Office to advance research and development of semiconductor...more
The U.S. government’s national security and economic priorities around encouraging and adopting innovation is on full display in the soon-to-be-finalized Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). In this...more
On September 19, 2022, NTIA convened its fifth annual Spectrum Policy Symposium at which senior government officials from the Department of Commerce, NTIA, FCC, DoD, and other agencies spoke on U.S. spectrum management....more