Bad Alchemy: Turning Estimates Into Fraud
Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 02.08.06
Building on comments at the Nash & Cibinic Roundtable, David Bodenheimer challenges the oxymoronic trend of government agencies and qui tam whistleblowers to assert defective pricing or false claims based upon second-guessing poor estimates. In his article "'False' or 'Inaccurate' Estimates" published in the December 2005 Briefing Paper (http://www.crowell.com/pdf/Expertise/GovtContracts/BriefingPapers_Bodenheimer.pdf), he explains that estimating -- due to its inherently risky and predictive nature -- requires judgmental forecasts long recognized as appropriate by government pricing guidelines and not suitable for defective pricing and fraud suits complaining about bad estimates of future events.
Insights
Client Alert | 3 min read | 08.18.25
FCPA Enforcement Continues to Evolve with Newly Unsealed Indictment
On August 11, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced that it had unsealed an indictment against two Mexican businessmen for alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”). DOJ asserts that the defendants, both Mexican nationals living in Texas, paid bribes to officials at Petróleos Mexicanos (“PEMEX”), and its subsidiary, PEMEX Exploración y Producción (“PEP”) to secure contracts worth an estimated $2.5 million. These charges come amidst a period of uncertainty regarding FCPA enforcement following the Trump administration’s temporary pause on FCPA enforcement and the subsequent issuance of new investigation and enforcement guidelines.
Client Alert | 3 min read | 08.18.25
Recent GAO Sustain Includes Valuable Lessons on Proposal Preparation and More
Client Alert | 6 min read | 08.14.25
Changes in Sunscreen Regulation & Litigation are Heating Up: Updates from Congress to the Courts
Client Alert | 3 min read | 08.14.25
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