This Just In! SBA’s Implementation of HUBZone Changes and Small Business Runway Extension Act Coming Soon
On November 12-13, 2019, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) hosted its 5th Annual Mentor Protégé Conference where SBA’s John Klein, Associate General Counsel for Procurement Law, answered questions from the audience regarding various mentor-protégé issues. Mr. Klein provided some key insights regarding recent and upcoming SBA rulemakings that will have a significant impact on small business government contractors. We outline some of these updates below, and will also host a breakfast seminar on November 18, 2019 where Mr. Klein . . . Read More
Weekly Update for Government Contractors and Commercial Businesses – November 14, 2019
If you have questions concerning the content below, please visit this link . Client Alert: This Just In! SBA’s Implementation of HUBZone Changes and Small Business Runway Extension Act Coming Soon, November 14, 2019, Samuel Finnerty On November 12-13, 2019, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) hosted its 5th Annual Mentor Protégé Conference where SBA’s John Klein, Associate General Counsel for Procurement Law, answered questions from the audience regarding various mentor-protégé issues. Mr. Klein provided some key insights regarding recent and upcoming SBA . . . Read More
SBA Publishes Important Proposed Rule Changes to 8(a) and Mentor-Protégé Programs
Today, SBA published a proposed rule to merge its mentor-protégé programs and amend many of its rules governing the 8(a) program and small businesses. The proposed rule would have significant implications for the government contracting community. Comments are due by January 17, 2020, and PilieroMazza will host a seminar on November 18, 2019, from 7:30 AM – 10:30 AM EST at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner. Our seminar will feature Pamela Mazza , Managing Partner of PilieroMazza , and John Klein , Associate General Counsel for Procurement Law at the Small Business Administration (SBA) and . . . Read More
BLOG: Trouble with Tariffs? You May Have the Basis for an REA or a Claim
In recent years, tariffs have been imposed on an array of goods, ranging from electronics to solar panels to industrial equipment. For companies bidding on contracts now, the tariffs may not be a concern, as the tariffs can be factored into the pricing proposal. However, for government contractors performing contracts that were awarded before the tariffs were imposed, the tariffs may result in increased and unanticipated costs. Those increased costs may provide the basis for a request for equitable adjustment . . . Read More
BLOG: SBA Publishes Important Proposed Rule Changes to 8(a) and Mentor-Protégé Programs
Today, SBA published a proposed rule to merge its mentor-protégé programs and amend many of its rules governing the 8(a) program and small businesses. The proposed rule would have significant implications for the government contracting community. Comments are due by January 17, 2020, and PilieroMazza will host a seminar on November 18, 2019, from 7:30 AM – 10:30 AM EST at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner. Our seminar will feature Pamela Mazza , Managing Partner of PilieroMazza , and John Klein , Associate General Counsel for Procurement Law at the Small Business Administration (SBA) and . . . Read More
BLOG: 2019 GAO Bid Protest Annual Report: Number of Protests Filed Drops by 16%
GAO recently issued its annual report to Congress , which provides data concerning protest filings for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019. [1] GAO’s annual report confirms a sharp decrease in the number of protests filed. Notably, 2,198 protests were filed in FY 2019—a 16% decrease from FY 2018. The report does not identify a reason for the decrease, but one driver may be the jurisdictional limits on protesting task orders. Initiatives like Category Management have led to more and more requirements being procured as task orders. According to . . . Read More
Weekly Update for Government Contractors and Commercial Businesses – November 6, 2019
If you have questions concerning the content below, please visit this link . LABOR & EMPLOYMENT LAW Bloomberg Quotes PM Partner Nichole Atallah: Trump Rescinds Obama Order Prioritizing Federal Contract Workers, November 4, 2019 On October 31, 2019, President Donald Trump rescinded an executive order issued by former President Barack Obama that put existing federal contract workers at the front of the line for jobs on the next contract. Executive Order 13495 . . . required qualified workers on a federal service contract who would otherwise lose their . . . Read More
Have the Flood Gates Opened? Cisco Settles First-Of-Its-Kind Cybersecurity False Claims Act Litigation – Matthew Feinberg, XLNC Magazine
Bloomberg Law: Michelle Litteken Comments on Agencies Stopping Performance of Protested Government Contracts
The Competition in Contracting Act requires agencies to stay performance of contracts protested at GAO. But agencies may authorize performance anyway by issuing an override after a written finding that immediate performance either serves the best interests of the U.S., or if urgent and compelling circumstances require it. Judges at the Court of Federal Claims have taken varying approaches when reviewing an override decision, and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has not articulated a specific standard of . . . Read More
Bloomberg Quotes Nichole Atallah: Trump Rescinds Obama Order Prioritizing Federal Contract Workers
On October 31, 2019, President Donald Trump rescinded an executive order issued by former President Barack Obama that put existing federal contract workers at the front of the line for jobs on the next contract. Executive Order 13,495 . . . required qualified workers on a federal service contract who would otherwise lose their jobs as a result of the completion or expiration of a contract be given the right of first refusal for employment with the successor contractor, according to a fact . . . Read More