Like the rest of the nation, and indeed the whole world, contractors today are fighting a war against an invisible enemy. As we observed in a previous post, responding to COVID-19 raises wartime contracting issues on the home front and abroad. In “Contracting in the Fog of War,” we reported on IAP Worldwide Servs., Inc., ...›
A recent defective pricing case, Alloy Surfaces Co., ASBCA No. 59625, 2020 WL 1896784, April 9, 2020, charmingly illustrates the Government’s doggedness in trying to reprice a contract using the Truth in Negotiations Act (TINA). The Armed Services Board of Contracting Appeals did not buy into any of the Government’s arguments, finding that an undisclosed ...›
This installment of our monthly Law360 bid protest spotlight features a number of noteworthy decisions from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), Court of Federal Claims (COFC) and Federal Circuit. Eskridge & Associates addresses the hurdles associated with establishing prejudice. Abacus Technology Corporation discusses an agency’s requirement (or lack thereof) to conduct a price realism ...›
Neither rain nor sleet nor quarantine restrictions stop bid protests or our monthly roundup. Thus far the virus has not resulted in dramatic changes to GAO processes, as they have been almost completely electronic from the start. It is possible, though, that contractors may see more written debriefings, debriefings conducted by phone, or delayed debriefings, ...›
Lawyers often view a writ of mandamus to a Court of Appeals as a last-gasp—indeed, almost hopeless—stratagem. But sometimes they are granted, particularly when the district court order they challenge is even more extraordinary. That is what just happened in In re Fluor Intercontinental, Inc., No. 20-1241 (4th Cir. March 25, 2020). In this case, ...›
This installment of our monthly Law360 bid protest spotlight features three noteworthy decisions from the Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) concerning reprocurement contracts, timeliness rules, and discussions. Steel Point Solutions, LLC addresses the proper scope of reprocurement contracts. Vizocom provides a cautionary tale for contractors regarding late proposal submissions. Finally, Education Development Center, Inc. addresses the ...›
This installment of our monthly Law360 bid protest bid protest spotlight examines three protest decisions addressing challenges to contractor performance assessment reports (“CPARs”), procurements through the General Services Administration’s (“GSA”) Federal Supply Schedules (“FSS”), and standing to protest. In Colonna’s Shipyard, Inc., the Court of Federal Claims opened its door to a bid protest ostensibly ...›
The Court of Federal Claims recently affirmed its jurisdiction to settle disputes over protective markings in Raytheon Co. v. United States.[i] In that case, Raytheon asked the Court to review a contracting officer’s demand that Raytheon replace its common proprietary, not-subject-to-release-under-FOIA[ii] marking with the “Government Purpose Rights” legend prescribed by the DFARS. [iii] Among other ...›
This installment of our Law360 bid protest spotlight examines two protest decisions released in December, provides a year-end review of key bid protest decisions from 2019, and discusses a few takeaways from the U.S. Government Accountability Office‘s fiscal year 2019 report on its bid protest decisions. December Cases T3I Solutions, LLC, B-418034, B-418034.2, Dec. 13, ...›
Somewhat surprisingly, the end of 2019 provided two decisions regarding defective certifications, including one from the Federal Circuit. The first case, Kirlin Builders, LLC, ASBCA No. 61901, reminds readers that a defective certification, as opposed to no certification at all, is a correctable error so long as it is made before the issuance of a ...›