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E-Mails Regarding Competitor's Responsibility Not Releasable Under FOIA

Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 03.16.09

In Tybrin Corp. v. USAF (W.D. Ohio Feb. 19, 2009), the district court ruled that e-mails submitted by Tybrin regarding a competitor's responsibility, which ultimately resulted in the exclusion of that competitor, were confidential commercial information under FOIA Exemption 4 and, therefore, not releasable. In doing so, the court relied on Tybrin's practice of treating such e-mails as confidential, not only as to the general public but also within the company, and the fact that Tybrin had a "commercial interest" in the e-mails and so the e-mails were "commercial" information.

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Client Alert | 2 min read | 12.29.25

FYI – GAO Finds Key Person “Available” Despite Accepting Employment with a Different Company

GAO’s key personnel rule is well-known—and often a source of frustration— amongst government contractors.  Proposed key personnel who become “unavailable” prior to contract award—especially where they have accepted employment with a different company—may doom an offeror’s proposal by rendering it noncompliant with solicitation requirements.  But GAO’s recent decision in FYI – For Your Information, Inc., B-423774, B-423774.2 (Dec. 19, 2025) provides some potential relief from that rule. ...