Agency's "Mail Storm" Excuses Late Proposal
Client Alert | 1 min read | 03.31.11
Moving beyond faxes into the computer age, the Court of Federal Claims in Watterson Constr. Co. v. U.S. (Mar. 29, 2011) found that a contractor's late proposal should be excused when the delay was caused solely by a "mail storm" at the agency which overloaded and slowed down its servers. Judge Braden found that the late proposal, received by the contracting officer 4 minutes after the deadline, is excused because the proposal was on time as it had been received by the agency's servers timely; even if it had been late, the FAR's "government control" exception applied; and, in any event, the "mail storm" was an "emergency or unanticipated event" which entitled the contractor to a 1-day extension under the FAR.
Insights
Client Alert | 5 min read | 07.01.26
What U.S. Patent Holders Need to Know About Inequitable Conduct Right Now
If a court finds that a patent applicant intentionally misrepresented or withheld material information from the USPTO with the intent to deceive, the consequences are severe, leading to unenforceability of the entire patent (and likely any later patents claiming priority to the unenforceable patent).
Client Alert | 3 min read | 06.30.26
Qatar Labor Law: Key Amendments Introduced by Law No. 9 of 2026
Client Alert | 2 min read | 06.29.26
When Trade Secret Theft Becomes Racketeering: What the Fifth Circuit’s New Ruling Means
Client Alert | 7 min read | 06.26.26
Federal Roundup: Updates for PBMs and Medicare Advantage Organizations
