In this episode, hosts Mana Lombardo and Jason Crawford talk with Gail Zirkelbach, partner in the firm’s Government Contracts Group and vice-chair of the Investigations practice, about practical tips for managing internal False Claims Act Investigations. “Let’s Talk FCA” is Crowell & Moring’s podcast covering the latest developments with the False Claims Act. Listen: Crowell.com | PodBean | SoundCloud | iTunes …

On March 1, the President announced his intention to impose tariffs of 25% on all imported steel and 10% on all imported aluminum. A more formal announcement of the tariffs is expected in the coming week and, while many might have been surprised by the timing of the President’s initial statement, it came after a 10-month process of investigation by the U.S. Department of Commerce, culminating with its January 2018 recommendation for tariffs or quotas…

Although companies often conduct internal investigations in the normal course of business, recent developments suggest that companies need to reconsider certain aspects of how they structure their investigations to avoid potential new downfalls.  On May 4, 2017 at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, Crowell & Moring attorneys Gail Zirkelbach, Steve Byers, Jacintha Alves and Judy Choi will highlight some of these new developments and provide practical advice on the steps companies should take in conducting…

On March 2, 2017, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report highlighting necessary improvements to effectively implement the Whistleblower Protections Pilot Program (WPPP).  The WPPP, introduced in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, and made permanent by Congress in December 2016, expanded whistleblower rights against reprisal for employees of contractors, subcontractors, and grantees.  That same year, the FAR was also amended to require contracting officials to include a contract clause…

On February 14, the Fourth Circuit issued an opinion in United States ex rel. Michaels v. Agape Senior Cmty. Inc. addressing only the first of the two issues that the district court had certified for interlocutory appeal: (1) whether the Department of Justice (DOJ) possesses an unreviewable veto authority over proposed settlements and (2) whether statistical sampling, the analysis of data from a subset of the population of interest in order to make projections across…

On January 13, 2017, the FAR Council released a final rule (available here) that: (1) prohibits agencies from contracting with entities that require employees/subs to sign internal confidentiality agreements or statements that restrict the lawful reporting of waste, fraud, or abuse; and (2) requires bidders on federal contracts to certify that they do not utilize such agreements. Starting on January 19, 2017, the rule will apply to all solicitations and contracts using fiscal…