McCarter & English’s Government Contracts practice has once again ranked Band 1 nationally by Chambers USA for 2026. Partner Alex Major is ranked Band 1 Nationwide: Government Contracts-Cybersecurity, and both Major and partner Franklin Turner are ranked nationwide for Government
Government Contracts Law
Developments in Government Contracts & Export Controls Law
The Government Contracts Law blog published by McCarter & English, LLP focuses on legal issues related to government procurement and contracting. It covers topics such as Department of Defense acquisition reforms, General Services Administration contract modifications, compliance with Cost Accounting Standards and GAAP, federal shutdown impacts on contractors, and regulatory changes affecting government contracts. The blog addresses contract administration, dispute resolution, regulatory compliance, and evolving policies in federal acquisition processes. It also discusses strategic considerations for contractors navigating government procurement, including contract funding, protest procedures, and acquisition workforce reforms.
Latest from Government Contracts Law - Page 2
China Supply Chain Compliance Is Becoming Whack-a-Mole
By Alex Major
Why a clean name-match screen is no longer enough, and why the diligence meant to find hidden China exposure can create risk on the other side of the Pacific.
Picture the boardwalk version of supply-chain compliance. It’s August. Fingers are…
AI Heats Up: New Executive Order on Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security
What Federal Contractors Should Be Watching This Summer
Summer 2026 has arrived with a new wave of artificial intelligence (AI) policy from the White House. On June 2, 2026, President Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence…
OHA Remands 8(a) Suspension Built on Hidden-Camera Video
In a sharply worded order issued May 18, 2026, the Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) of the US Small Business Administration (SBA) remanded the agency’s suspension of ATI Government Solutions, LLC, from the 8(a) Business Development (BD) Program, finding…
Recipients of Federal Financial Assistance Can Look to the New DEI Clause to Prepare for Potential Increased Scrutiny of Their Own Awards
Given the slew of Executive Orders (EOs) last year focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and roiling the funding and operations of recipients of federal financial assistance such as universities and nonprofits, recipients may be forgiven for passing over…
Section 847 and the New Era of DOD Continuous FOCI Monitoring
By Alex Major
The Department of Defense’s proposed rule implementing Section 847 of the FY 2020 NDAA could fundamentally reshape how foreign ownership, control, or influence (FOCI) is monitored across the defense industrial base. Through proposed DFARS Part 240, the rule would extend…
Half an Inch from a Quarter-Billion: COFC Tells Contractors to Read the Spec, Not the Industry
Half an inch determined the outcome of a $260 million Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) procurement in Joerns Healthcare, LLC v. United States, a bid protest in which the US Court of Federal Claims (COFC) enforced strict compliance with…
Cost-Plus Out. Fixed-Price In.
A 2026 federal executive order reshapes federal procurement policy by directing agencies to use fixed-price contracts as the default under FAR Part 16, while requiring written justification and higher-level approval for cost-reimbursement, time-and-material, and labor-hour contracts. The order also establishes…
FAR 52.222-90 Goes Global: Cross-Border Supply Chains and the Limits of a US Flowdown
By Alex Major
If your supply chain crosses a border, your FAR 52.222-90 flowdown is probably already wrong. Either it overpromises in ways an EU, UK, or South African supplier cannot sign without violating local law, or it underpromises and creates False Claims…
Everything Everywhere All at Once: The Contractor DEI Clause Hits HR, Supply Chains, Invoices, and Subcontracts
Federal contractors looking for the “DEI issue” in FAR 52.222-90 may be looking in the wrong place. Yes, the clause is about what Executive Order 14398 calls “racially discriminatory DEI activities.” But that’s only the starting point. The new clause…