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A-76 Mix And Match Faulted By GAO

Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 08.16.04

In Career Quest (Aug. 2, 2004), GAO sustained a protest of the GSA's decision under OMB Circular A-76 that it was more economical to continue performance of services in-house at the National Customer Support Center, as the agency evaluated the in-house offeror's technical performance plan based on a higher level of staffing than the same offeror included in its cost of performance. Inconsistencies between in-house offerors' staffing levels for compliance with work requirements and those it uses for calculating the cost of performance remain a persistent problem in A-76 competitions, and this decision sends the message that GAO will be alert to such shell games.

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Client Alert | 8 min read | 12.11.25

Director Squires Revamps the Workings of the U.S. Patent Office

In March 2025, President Trump nominated John A. Squires for the positions of Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). After being approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee by a vote of 20-2, Squires was confirmed by the Senate on September 17, 2025, by a vote of 51-47 after anti-filibuster measures were invoked. During and after the confirmation process, Squires emphasized several goals for the USPTO during his time as Director. Such goals included:...