The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced a task force designed to eliminate anticompetitive state and federal laws and regulations that “undermine free market competition and harm consumers, workers, and businesses.” This followed President Trump’s Executive Order 14192, which had similar goals, and the Federal Trade Commission joined the DOJ in its announcement.
Continue Reading The US Antitrust Agencies Join Forces to Cut the Red TapeFollow the Breadcrumbs: Where Does Consumer Data Go as 23andMe Goes Bankrupt?
23andMe, a pioneer in the DNA testing kit industry, announced that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and recently asked to select an independent customer data representative regarding any sale of user data. Its bankruptcy raises issues about data privacy and what companies must do to protect that data for the benefit of their customers and to protect themselves from litigation or violations of US and international privacy laws.
Continue Reading Follow the Breadcrumbs: Where Does Consumer Data Go as 23andMe Goes Bankrupt?A Federal Contractor’s Survival Guide to Executive Actions and DOGE-Related Impacts: Part 2—Suspensions and Stop-Work Orders, Contract Modifications, Tariffs, and Other Considerations
In recent months, federal contractors have seen an uptick in very specific types of contracting activity. As a result of various Executive Orders and DOGE directives for agencies to conduct contract reviews and engage in mass contract cancellations, there has been a flurry of terminations for convenience, suspensions/stop-work orders, and contract modifications. Payments—even those undisputedly
A Federal Contractor’s Survival Guide To Executive Actions And DOGE-Related Impacts: Part 1—Unpaid Invoices And Terminations For Convenience
In recent months, federal contractors have seen an uptick in very specific types of contracting activity. As a result of various Executive Orders, and DOGE directives for agencies to conduct contract reviews and engage in mass contract cancellations, there has been a flurry of terminations for convenience, suspensions/stop-work orders, and contract modifications. Payments—even those undisputedly
In the Wake of High-Profile Terminations of Grants and Cooperative Agreements, Courts Begin to Weigh In
Over the past few months, the second Trump administration has taken quick actions to suspend and terminate federal awards predating the transition of power. Many of these actions have resulted in the termination of “federal financial assistance”—specifically, grants and cooperative agreements. Organizations that have seen their grants and cooperative agreements terminated have pushed back through the courts with varying success, contending that agencies have acted arbitrarily in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). While there are many cases, this post provides an overview of three recent decisions in this rapidly developing landscape:
Continue Reading In the Wake of High-Profile Terminations of Grants and Cooperative Agreements, Courts Begin to Weigh InExecutive Order Aims to Consolidate Procurement of Broadly Defined ‘Common Goods and Services’, All IT GWACs, under GSA
Another day, another executive order (EO) that will transform federal procurement as we know it. A March 20, 2025 EO entitled “Eliminating Waste and Saving Taxpayer Dollars by Consolidating Procurement” and its accompanying fact sheet call for “[c]onsolidating domestic Federal procurement in the General Services Administration” (GSA), at least with regard to “common goods and services.”
Continue Reading Executive Order Aims to Consolidate Procurement of Broadly Defined ‘Common Goods and Services’, All IT GWACs, under GSAAntitrust in Trump 2.0—the First 60 Days
As the second Trump administration reaches its 60-day mark, it is a good time to take stock of the US antitrust agencies’ actions. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice Antitrust Division (DOJ) have been busy despite the broader government shakeup. Enforcement patterns are emerging. For example, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson has been transparent about his priorities—health care, technology platform dominance, and labor. As the timeline below shows, he has wasted no time in implementing initiatives and enforcement in these areas. As for the DOJ, Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater was sworn in last week, and her enforcement priorities will likely take more shape in the coming 60 days. The DOJ, however, has remained active, especially in the Sherman Act enforcement space.
Continue Reading Antitrust in Trump 2.0—the First 60 DaysA Contractor’s Guide to Successfully Navigating Non-Payment, Suspensions/Stop-Work Orders, Terminations for Convenience, Tariff-Related Impacts, and Other Issues Arising from Recent Executive Orders and DOGE Initiatives
Well, it is certainly an interesting time to be a federal government contractor. In the last few weeks, we have seen Executive Orders (EOs) flying fast and furious, and a lot of other activity impacting federal government contractors. Overall, these various new developments have resulted in a flurry of contract modifications, suspensions, and terminations for
Tariffs, Leprechauns, and Contract Gold: Navigating the Hidden Costs of Trade Policies
As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, many of us are on the lookout for four-leaf clovers, a pot of gold, or perhaps even a mischievous leprechaun guarding his treasure. But in the world of government contracting, the real tricksters aren’t wearing green coats and buckled shoes—and there is no gold at the end of the procurement rainbow. Instead, that pot is full of the recently announced tariffs. Effective March 4, 2025, the Trump administration imposed 25 percent tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports (exclusive of Canada energy imports, where there is a 10 percent tariff) and a 20 percent tariff on Chinese products. While economists, pundits, and the stock market will all have their say on the wisdom behind these actions, such prognostication is of little help to federal contractors who are forced to deal with the very real effects right now.
Continue Reading Tariffs, Leprechauns, and Contract Gold: Navigating the Hidden Costs of Trade PoliciesWhisper Through the Screams: DOJ Commits to False Claims Act Enforcement in 2025
Amid the chaos of the past few weeks—sweeping executive orders, relentless cost-cutting, and an air of uncertainty that lingers like smoke after a fire—federal contractors have been left reeling, straining to hear what comes next through the deafening noise. In this storm, predicting the future is as futile as fortune-telling. And yet beneath the shouts of change and upheaval, one truth remains, a whisper through the screams—some things, especially those that serve the government’s interests, are not going anywhere.
Continue Reading Whisper Through the Screams: DOJ Commits to False Claims Act Enforcement in 2025