The Rise of OTAs in Defense Contracting: Opportunities, Risks, and What Contractors Need to Know
CHPS Podcast Episode 5: The Future of Federal Procurement
2024-2025 Bid Protest Decisions with Far-Reaching Impacts for Government Contractors
SBA’s Final Rule Is Here: Key Takeaways on Updates to HUBZone Program, Other Small Business Programs, and Various Small Business Matters
Mitigating FOCI Under Section 847
Navigating Bid Protest Choices at GAO and COFC
Sustainable Procurement: A Closer Look at the New Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)
DE Under 3: FAR Council Seeks to Require Federal Contractors to Report First-Tier Subcontractor Information, Including Potentially Executive Compensation Data
New Wave of Pay Transparency Requirements Affects Employers and Federal Contractors
Recent Bid Protest Decisions Reshape Strategies for Future Government Contractor Success
DE Under 3: FAR Council's Latest Proposed Rule & OFCCP's 10 New FAQs on Compensation History
Excitement, Turbulence & Confusion: The Top 10 Employment Law Issues That Affected Federal Contractors in 2023
Successor Government Contractor Hiring Obligations Change: DOL’s Long Awaited Nondisplacement Rule
DE Under 3: FAR Council Submitted for OMB Approval Proposed Rule on “Pay Equity and Transparency in Federal Contracting”
DE Under 3: FAR Council Issued Final Rule Requiring Unionized Workforces on Large Federal Construction Projects
Intellectual Property In Department of Defense Contracting
Podcast - Navigating the TikTok Ban: Implications for Government Contractors
[Podcast] TikTok off the Clock: Navigating the TikTok Ban on Devices for Government Contractors
This small law firm has a BIG niche blog that brings in the clients - Legally Contented podcast
Debarment and suspension present significant financial and legal risks for defense contractors. As a result, when facing debarment or suspension by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) or the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA),...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
The Department of Defense (DoD) is revving its engines again—this time to rocket past its own software acquisition drag. Launched via an April 24 memo from Acting DoD CIO Katie Arrington, the DoD’s Software Fast Track (SWFT)...more
New Department of Defense Policy Memo Imposes Sweeping Restrictions on Consulting, Management, Advisory Services, and Contractor Utilization - The Department of Defense (DoD) has issued a significant policy memorandum “to...more
On April 15, 2025, the Department of Defense (DoD) released official guidance on Organizationally Defined Parameters (ODPs) appearing in the newly published NIST SP 800-171 Revision 3. At the same time, the DoD reaffirmed...more
In celebration of the release of the 6th Edition of the Government Contracts Compliance Handbook, we are sharing six essential tips for avoiding product substitution issues in government contracting. Product substitution is...more
Government contractors and subcontractors should be on the lookout for contract modifications as agencies begin implementing DEI-related Executive Orders....more
On January 15, 2025, the FAR Council finally released a proposed rule (the Rule)1 regulating the use and handling of controlled unclassified information (CUI) as a part of the general strategy to reduce threats of...more
As of January 17, 2025, the Department of Defense’s data rights regulations and contract clauses look a little different, yet substantively very little has changed. The update is to formally incorporate changes the Small...more
On January 15, 2025, the Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration (GSA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (collectively, “the FAR Council”) issued a long-anticipated proposed...more
After years of anticipation, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council has announced the arrival of its proposed rule to enhance the safeguarding of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in federal contracts (the...more
On December 23, 2024, President Biden signed the Source Code Harmonization and Reuse in Information Technology Act (“SHARE IT Act” or “the Act”), which provides a formal mechanism for federal agencies to store and share...more
To kick off the New Year (and as is now tradition, since we put out a similar Recap & Forecast last year), Sheppard Mullin’s Governmental Practice Cybersecurity & Data Protection Team has prepared a cybersecurity-focused 2024...more
The Department of Justice recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of its Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), and all signs point to the PCSF continuing to be a Division priority into 2025 and beyond....more
On October 15, 2024, the Department of Defense (DoD) published the final rule for the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program that not only finalizes the long-anticipated CMMC Rule but also foreshadows what...more
After numerous fits and starts, on October 14, the Department of Defense (DoD) published a final rule implementing the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program. Borne from documented deficiencies in the...more
The Justice Department’s global settlement included a significant False Claims Act resolution, resulting in a second deferred prosecution agreement (“DPA”) for a three-year term. A criminal information was filed in the...more
Raytheon’s criminal conduct cut across a variety of topics — it is difficult to imagine but Raytheon’s misconduct occurred in separate parts of the company, involving violations of different laws. Like most cases, I always...more
The CMMC program is designed to ensure that federal contract information (“FCI”) and Controlled Unclassified Information (“CUI”) are sufficiently protected by government contractors. For example, the CMMC program requires...more
The Department of Justice (DOJ) secured another win for its Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative last week when it resolved a False Claims Act (FCA) action[1] alleging Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) failed to comply with...more
Less than 10 months after the issuance of its proposed rule, DoD has issued this final rule establishing the CMMC program. DoD’s issuance of the final rule demonstrates the government’s continued commitment to...more
Some might say there’s little difference between dealing with the devil and being a federal contractor. And for the unwary or unprepared, that may not be far off. Federal contracting comes with a litany of “fine print” that...more
Defense contractors and subcontractors that handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and do not have robust information-security system controls in place better get their house in order now if they want to do business...more
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest recently highlighted the severity of fraud by government contractors and subcontractors, emphasizing the importance of upholding the integrity of government procurement programs. These remarks...more
Over the holidays, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) issued proposed rules for updating its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program from its existing Defense Acquisition Regulatory Supplement (DFARS)...more