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"Rule of Two" For Small Business Set-Asides Extended to Award of Task and Delivery Orders

Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 10.21.08

In Delex Systems, Inc. (Oct. 8, 2008, http://www.gao.gov/decisions/bidpro/400403.pdf), GAO expanded the reach of FAR 19.502-2(b), which requires an agency to limit competition to small businesses when it concludes it has a reasonable expectation of receiving offers from at least two responsible small businesses and award can be made at a fair and reasonable price. GAO held that the so-called "Rule of Two" applies to task and delivery order competitions among multiple-award contract holders, opening up a new class of award decisions to the small business set-aside requirements and potential bid protests.

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Client Alert | 3 min read | 03.24.26

California Considering A Massive Expansion of Its Antitrust Laws

Legislative efforts to significantly expand California’s antitrust laws are working their way through the state legislature. The most comprehensive overhaul is Assembly Bill 1776 — the Competition and Opportunity in Markets for a Prosperous, Equitable and Transparent Economy (COMPETE) Act, introduced by Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, on March 23, 2026. AB 1776 is modeled closely after draft legislation recommended by the California Law Revision Commission (CLRC) in December. AB 1776 would not only significantly expand potential liability for single-firm conduct and monopolization but would also explicitly decouple California antitrust analysis from certain federal standards. Companies doing business in California should pay close attention to AB 1776 because of its potentially dramatic impact, including increased exposure to antitrust litigation and increased compliance costs....