1. Home
  2. |Insights
  3. |Federal Circuit Sweeps Away DOJ's Defenses in Corrective Action Suits

Federal Circuit Sweeps Away DOJ's Defenses in Corrective Action Suits

Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 08.30.12

In Sys. Application & Techs., Inc. v. U.S. (Aug. 24, 2012), the Federal Circuit swept away a litany of preliminary defenses raised by DOJ in multiple cases challenging agency procurement corrective actions in the Court of Federal Claims, holding first and foremost that the CFC possesses jurisdiction over such disputes under the broad grant in 28 U.S.C. § 1491(b)(1). The Federal Circuit also held that contractors have standing to challenge proposed corrective actions, particularly when their pricing has been revealed, and that such disputes are ripe for adjudication when the agency announces the action, not after the agency has fully implemented it.

Contacts

Insights

Client Alert | 3 min read | 04.14.26

DOJ’s False Claims Act Resolution Against IBM Signals Heightened Risk for Federal Contractors with DEI Programs

On Friday, April 10, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) has agreed to pay just over $17 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by failing to comply with federal anti-discrimination requirements incorporated into its federal contracts due to allegedly discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) employment practices. This resolution marks the first FCA settlement secured by the DOJ under its Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, created in May 2025, and announced by then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as part of the administration’s coordinated efforts to target allegedly unlawful DEI practices. Per the agreement, the settlement is neither an admission of liability by IBM nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded....