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New FAR Requirement Forces Contractors to Examine Confidentiality Agreements

Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 03.03.16

On March 22, the comment period is set to close on a new rule proposed by the FAR Council that will prohibit federal dollars from going to companies that require employees or subcontractors to sign restrictive confidentiality agreements that could limit the ability of employees to report suspected fraud and abuse to the government. In a "Feature Comment" published in The Government Contractor, C&M attorneys explore the risks contractors face in light of the rule, which comes at a time of increased scrutiny from government agencies on the use of internal confidentiality agreements.

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Client Alert | 4 min read | 09.15.26

GAO Indicates Reasonable Conflict of Interest Investigation Must Include Inquiry of Involved Firm

The U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) recent decision in Viderity Inc.—Costs, B-424422.5, Sept. 1, 2026, offers useful insight into what constitutes a legally sufficient conflict of interest investigation. The decision arose in an unusual procedural posture: Viderity initially protested, alleging that an agency evaluator had a personal conflict of interest. After the agency took corrective action, Viderity filed a cost entitlement claim requesting that GAO direct the agency to reimburse Viderity’s protest costs. In evaluating that claim, GAO assessed whether Viderity’s underlying protest ground was “clearly meritorious.”...