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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 | 7 min read | 11.05.26

2026 State Attorney General Elections: What Businesses Should Expect

As of November 4, 2026, the state attorney general elections point to increased enforcement in 2027, particularly in consumer protection, antitrust, AI, health care, and data centers.[1] Businesses should prepare for more investigations under existing laws and proposals for new legislation or rules. Campaign commitments indicate priorities, but their timing and implementation remain uncertain.[2]...