OGE Issues Final Rule on Gifts
Client Alert | 1 min read | 11.22.16
The Office of Government Ethics has issued a final rule revising the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch applicable to the solicitation and acceptance of gifts from outside sources imposing a duty to decline otherwise permissible gifts when the appearance of impropriety is present, adding new examples of how to apply the rules, codifying previous interpretations of the gift rule, and retaining the $20 de minimis exception. In the rule, discussed more fully here, OGE says it will provide additional guidance and training as warranted.
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Client Alert | 4 min read | 09.15.26
GAO Indicates Reasonable Conflict of Interest Investigation Must Include Inquiry of Involved Firm
The U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) recent decision in Viderity Inc.—Costs, B-424422.5, Sept. 1, 2026, offers useful insight into what constitutes a legally sufficient conflict of interest investigation. The decision arose in an unusual procedural posture: Viderity initially protested, alleging that an agency evaluator had a personal conflict of interest. After the agency took corrective action, Viderity filed a cost entitlement claim requesting that GAO direct the agency to reimburse Viderity’s protest costs. In evaluating that claim, GAO assessed whether Viderity’s underlying protest ground was “clearly meritorious.”
Client Alert | 3 min read | 09.15.26
Client Alert | 7 min read | 09.14.26
AI in Life Sciences: Ten Legal Considerations and Risks of AI Use in Drug Discovery and Development
Client Alert | 6 min read | 09.14.26
Mental Health Parity Bulletin Restates Best Practices for Evaluating Compliance
