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Equal Treatment Applies Even If Minimum Discussions Threshold Met

Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 08.06.10

In AMEC Earth & Envtl., Inc. (Dec. 22, 2009), GAO sustained a protest of a contract award by the Coast Guard for construction services because the agency had engaged in unequal discussions. GAO concluded that, while FAR § 15.306 establishes that the agency must, at a minimum, address "significant weakness and deficiencies" during discussions, if the agency opts to conduct broader discussions than the minimum, it must do so in an equal fashion and may not rely on the minimum threshold in the FAR to excuse disparate treatment.

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Client Alert | 5 min read | 12.23.25

An ITAR-ly Critical Reminder of Cybersecurity Requirements: DOJ Settles with Swiss Automation, Inc.

Earlier this month, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Swiss Automation Inc., an Illinois-based precision machining company, agreed to pay $421,234 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by inadequately protecting technical drawings for parts delivered to Department of Defense (DoD) prime contractors.  This settlement reflects DOJ's persistent emphasis on cybersecurity compliance across all levels of the defense industrial base, reaching beyond prime contractors to encompass subcontractors and smaller suppliers.  The settlement is also a reminder to all contractors not to overlook the often confusing relationship between Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and export-controlled information....