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BPAs: They Ain't Contracts

Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 02.14.14

In Crewzers Fire Crew Transport, Inc. v. U.S. (Feb. 6, 2014), the Federal Circuit reaffirmed that a blanket purchase agreement is not typically a binding contract on which the contractor can sue. In this instance, as in many, the necessary "mutuality of obligation" was negated in both directions, with the BPA expressly saying the agency was not obligated to make an award under the BPA and that the contractor was not obligated to accept any order proffered by the agency.


Insights

Client Alert | 4 min read | 03.05.26

DOL’s Proposed Independent Contractor Rule Reverts to Prioritize Two Core Factors – Likely Limiting Misclassification Claims by Contractors

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed another revision to independent contractor regulations, one that would provide for more leeway in classifying workers as contractors. DOL’s proposed rule, published on February 26, 2026, would rescind the Biden DOL’s March 2024 independent contractor regulation and reinstate a framework substantially tracking the prior Trump rule of January 2021. The proposed rule would also apply the narrower analysis to worker classifications under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA). The comment period closes in late April 2026; until then, the 2024 rule remains in effect for purposes of private litigation....