SBA 8(a) Applications Are Currently on Hold Due to Recent Federal Court Decision
Applications for the Small Business Administration (“SBA”)’s 8(a) program are currently on hold as the SBA develops its response to a decision from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee (the “district court”) finding one element of the program unconstitutional. The district court’s decision is somewhat old news, at least in...
Read MoreThe Supreme Court Has Spoken – The FCA and Scienter
“For scienter, it is enough if respondents believed that their claims were not accurate.” 1 - Justice Thomas On June 1, 2023, the Supreme Court issued its opinion on the ongoing False Claims Act (“FCA”) scienter issues (the “Opinion”) – i.e., does a company’s objective or subjective knowledge matter regarding whether its submissions to...
Read MoreThe Biden Administration is Ending the Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate for Federal Contractors
On May 1, 2023, the Biden Administration announced that it will be ending the COVID-19 vaccine requirements for “Federal employees, Federal Contractors, and international air travelers.” This will likely bring an end to a months-long period of litigation and confusion for Federal Contractors. In September 2021, President Biden had issued Executive Order 14042 which...
Read MoreThe Supreme Court continues to define the False Claims Act
The Supreme Court continues to define the False Claims Act (“FCA”). In September 2022, Ward & Berry explained the possibility of the Supreme Court taking on a second FCA case¹ this term, and why we should care about it. Short answer: The “knowledge” aspect of the FCA is under heavy debate and any resolution...
Read MoreTwo more strikes and your EEO-1 Type 2 data may be out!
Last chance for Federal Contractors to object to the release of their EEO-1 Reports by OFCCP in response to the Center of Investigative Reporting’s FOIA request. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program (“OFCCP”) is giving federal contractors two last chances to respond to its August 19, 2022 Federal Register Notice calling for objections...
Read MoreISOA LAC Panel Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative — Luncheon Meeting
Please join Ward & Berry Partner David Panzer at noon on Monday, November 7, 2022 – in person or online – as he moderates a panel discussion on DOJ’s “Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative,” co-hosted by ISOA Legal Affairs Committee and the ABA Battlespace Committee. Since the initiative was announced on October 6, 2021, DOJ has...
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