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Tough (Tax) Break: Federal Tax Delinquency and Felony Convictions Could Bar Corporations from Awards

Client Alert | 1 min read | 10.05.16

The FAR Council published a final rule on September 30 that, effective immediately, adopts an interim rule that requires any corporation responding to a federal solicitation to represent whether it has (1) any unpaid federal tax liability that has been assessed and is not being appealed or paid in a timely manner or (2) a felony conviction under any federal law within the preceding 24 months. As further explained here, any affirmative disclosure would create an automatic bar against contract award, unless the agency’s suspension and debarment official has considered the matter and determined that further action is not necessary to protect the government’s interests.

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Client Alert | 6 min read | 11.26.25

From ‘Second’ to ‘First:’ Federal Circuit Tackles Obvious Claim Errors

Patent claims must be clear and definite, as they set the boundaries of the patentee’s rights. Occasionally, however, claim language contains errors, such as typographical mistakes or incorrect numbering. Courts possess very limited authority to correct such errors. The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has emphasized that judicial correction is appropriate only in rare circumstances, where (1) the error is evident from the face of the patent, and (2) the proposed correction is the sole reasonable interpretation in view of the claim language, specification, and prosecution history. See Group One, Ltd. v. Hallmark Cards, Inc., 407 F.3d 1297, 1303 (Fed. Cir. 2005) and Novo Indus., L.P. v. Micro Molds Corp., 350 F.3d 1348, 1357 (Fed. Cir. 2003)....