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Lack of Security Clearance Renders Key Person Unavailable

Client Alert | 1 min read | 07.07.20

In M.C. Dean, Inc., GAO reaffirmed that where an offeror has actual knowledge that a proposed key person has become unavailable before award, the offeror is required to notify the agency, which may result in the offeror’s exclusion. Interestingly, here the awardee key person at issue was still technically available to work on the contract, but had been denied a security clearance necessary to perform their proposed role: program manager. The awardee argued that the right to appeal the security clearance denial had not yet expired, and thus the person was not unavailable. But GAO emphasized that no appeal had been filed and, even if one were, there was no indication that it would be successful in time for the person to perform as program manager. The agency also argued that the key person was not material to the agency’s evaluation. GAO found that argument “irrelevant” given that the offeror had actual knowledge of the “unavailability” to serve in the proposed role and failed to notify the agency.

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Client Alert | 3 min read | 10.10.25

New Post Appeals Mediation Pilot Program

On October 1, 2025, the IRS Independent Office of Appeals launched a two-year pilot program to make Post Appeals Mediation (PAM) more attractive and accessible to taxpayers. See IRS Announcement 2025-10. The new PAM pilot program offers taxpayers the opportunity to be assigned to a new Appeals team, which is otherwise unconnected to the underlying case, who will represent the original Appeals team in the mediation session. The assignment of the new Appeals team does not begin a new appeals process but rather is intended to help facilitate an expedited and impartial look at the underlying case with the goal of further exploring all potential paths to resolution prior to litigation....