GAO Rules that DoD May Not Require a Small Business Joint Venture Itself to Hold Facility Clearance
Client Alert | 1 min read | 09.08.21
In InfoPoint LLC, the Government Accountability Office ruled that the Department of Defense could not require a small business joint venture offeror to itself hold a facility clearance when the individual joint venture members themselves both hold the necessary facility clearances. GAO ruled that the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, implemented in the Small Business Administration’s regulations at 13 C.F.R. § 121.103(h)(4), unambiguously prohibits the DoD from requiring that a joint venture hold a facility clearance if the members do. Read more about this decision here.
Contacts
Insights
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.
Client Alert | 4 min read | 12.29.25
More Than Math: How Desjardins Recognizes AI Innovations as Patent-Eligible Technology
Client Alert | 10 min read | 12.24.25
Client Alert | 3 min read | 12.24.25
Keeping it Real: FTC Targets Fake Reviews in First Consumer Review Rule
