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Limitation on Mark-Up of Subcontractor Costs

Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 04.30.07

In an interim rule effective immediately, the Defense Department amended DFARS on April 26, 2007 to permit the Government to "disallow" (including on firm-fixed price contracts) "excessive pass through charges" on subcontracts where the total subcontract costs exceeds 70 percent of the contract value. "Excessive" charges are defined to include costs and profit that the contractor cannot demonstrate to the contracting officer add something other than "no or negligible" substantive value to performance, so any contractor with an accounting practice that allocates G&A to subcontract costs could run afoul of these rules.

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Client Alert | 4 min read | 02.20.26

SCOTUS Holds IEEPA Tariffs Unlawful

On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court issued a pivotal ruling in Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, negating the President’s ability to impose tariffs under IEEPA. The case stemmed from President Trump’s invocation of IEEPA to levy tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, China, and other countries, citing national emergencies. Challengers argued—and the Court agreed—that IEEPA does not delegate tariff authority to the President. The power to tariff is vested in Congress by the Constitution and cannot be delegated to the President absent express authority from Congress....