Government Contracts

Paycheck Protection Program: New FAQ Addresses Retroactive “Economic Uncertainty” Certification Requirement and May 7, 2020 Safe Harbor

On April 24, 2020, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Health Care Enhancement Act were signed into law. The Act includes an additional $310 billion for the PPP, which ran out of funds in mid-April. The additional funds will allow small business an opportunity to obtain potentially forgivable loans. On April 23, 2020, the...
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Federal Contractors Should Tread Carefully Despite Supreme Court’s Decision on Age Discrimination Only Applying to Employees of the Federal Government

On April 6, 2020, the Supreme Court decided Babb v. Wilkie, interpreting the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) as it relates to federal government employees. The Court noted the curious language in the Act relating to federal employees differed from the typical language in anti-discrimination statutes. This language stated that “personnel actions affecting...
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SBA Interim Final Rule Provides Critical Guidance for Paycheck Protection Program Under the CARES Act

On April 2, 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA) published an interim final rule, “Business Loan Program Temporary Changes; Paycheck Protection Program,” which provides guidance and interpretation on the implementation of the “Paycheck Protection Program” (PPP) created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). On April 3, the SBA published...
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CARES Act – What Small Businesses and Government Contractors Need to Know

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), a $2.2 trillion emergency relief bill passed by Congress on March 27, contains certain provisions specifically targeted to small businesses and federal government contractors.  The most significant help for these companies are: 1) partially forgivable loans through the SBA’s 7(a) program to support business...
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Coronavirus Relief Legislation Targets Family & Sick Leave: Stimulus Package in Progress

Late Wednesday night, President Trump signed into law a coronavirus relief package with provisions targeting paid sick leave and paid family leave. The Families First Coronavirus Relief Act expands the federal Family and Medical Leave Act to include paid leave for certain COVID-19 related absences and mandatory paid sick time.  The Act provides workers at companies with...
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Pandemic Implications for Government Contractors: How the FAR Covers COVID-19

Developed in conjunction with our friends at The Pulse of GovCon, and from the desk of Ryan Bradel, Partner at Ward & Berry PLLC, here is what government contractors should know while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic: I.       Introduction The last week has seen a stunning advance in the breadth of the Coronavirus...
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