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ACO Approval of Contractor Business Systems, With Teeth

Client Alert | 1 min read | 01.22.10

DoD has proposed important amendments to the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations (75 Fed. Reg. 2457, Jan. 15, 2010) that would reinforce the authority of the administrative contracting officer (“ACO”) as the final decision maker about the adequacy of contractor "business systems," permitting the ACO, after considering the contractor's response to recommendations from DCAA, to withhold a percentage of interim payments, progress payments, and performance-based payments upon the ACO's “final determination” that deficiencies exist in one or more of a contractor's “business systems,” which would include accounting systems, estimating systems, purchasing systems, earned value management systems, material management and accounting systems, and property management systems. While the initial withholding for deficiencies in a single business system would be 10%, the ACO could withhold up to a cumulative 50% of payments for deficiencies in more than one business system, and withholdings could total up to 100% of contract payments if the ACO determines that there are one or more system deficiencies that are “highly likely to lead to improper contract payments being made, or represent an unacceptable risk of loss to the Government” until the ACO determines that the contractor has corrected the deficiencies.

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Client Alert | 3 min read | 12.13.24

New FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule Amendments

The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”)  recently announced that it approved final amendments to its Telemarketing Sales Rule (“TSR”), broadening the rule’s coverage to inbound calls for technical support (“Tech Support”) services. For example, if a Tech Support company presents a pop-up alert (such as one that claims consumers’ computers or other devices are infected with malware or other problems) or uses a direct mail solicitation to induce consumers to call about Tech Support services, that conduct would violate the amended TSR. ...