Déjà Vu: Another FAR Rule On Contractor Codes Of Business Ethics And Conduct
Client Alert | 1 min read | 11.26.07
The Federal Register of November 23 published a final rule (http://www.crowell.com/PDF/FAR-Rule-On-Contractor-Codes_Federal-Register_11-23-07.pdf), effective December 24, which adds new features to the FAR mandating specified contractor standards of conduct (except for commercial item contracts and contracts to be performed entirely outside the United States), for new contracts expected to exceed $5 million (base plus option year value) and performance of 120 days or more (including flow down to subcontractors of the same value and performance duration). The mandated standards of conduct include (i) having a written code of business ethics and conduct; (ii) providing a copy of the code to all employees performing the contract; (iii) promoting compliance with the code; and (iv) except for small businesses, establishing an ongoing business ethics and conduct awareness program and an internal control system which facilitates timely discovery of improper conduct in connection with Government contracts and ensures prompt corrective actions (such program to include periodic reviews of company business practices, a "hotline," internal and/or external audits, and discipline for improper conduct).
Insights
Client Alert | 3 min read | 06.12.26
DOJ Guidance Backs Away From Disparate Impact Liability
On June 9, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a formal opinion concluding that the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission’s (EEOC) existing interpretations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) disparate-impact liability, including the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (UGESP), are unconstitutional. According to the opinion, EEOC’s prior interpretations contemplate liability based on disproportionately adverse effects alone, without regard to an employer’s likely intent, rather than treating disparate impact as an evidentiary mechanism to “smoke out” intentional discrimination. DOJ found that this approach functions as a “qualified racial-proportionality mandate” that places “a racial thumb on the scales, often requiring employers to evaluate the racial outcomes of their policies, and to make decisions based on (because of) those racial outcomes.” The opinion fulfills one mandate of Executive Order 14281, which rejected disparate-impact liability insofar as it “creates a near insurmountable presumption that unlawful discrimination exists wherever there are any differences in outcomes among different [demographic groups].”
Client Alert | 4 min read | 06.12.26
Auto Dealers: The FTC Is Back in the Driver’s Seat — Warning Letters Signal Renewed Federal Scrutiny
Client Alert | 13 min read | 06.12.26
Client Alert | 4 min read | 06.12.26
