TSA Snared in GAO Protest Jurisdiction
Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 03.19.10
In General Dynamics One Source, LLC, GAO rejected TSA's jurisdictional challenge, holding that Congress revoked TSA's exemption from GAO protests effective June 22, 2008, and that TSA's Phase II solicitation issued in December 2008 could not relate back to the exemption that previously existed for the Phase I competition. On the merits, GAO sustained the protests due to TSA's failure to evaluate price realism when (1) the awardee proposed mismatched staffing approaches in the technical and cost proposals, and (2) the awardee's proposed staffing depended upon hiring incumbent staff at rates well below current incumbent salaries.
Insights
Client Alert | 2 min read | 05.27.25
Federal Circuit Resolves Circuit Split on Scope of IPR Estoppel
As part of the 2012 America Invents Act, statutory estoppel was included to balance the interests of patent owners and patent challengers following an inter partes review (“IPR”). Estoppel prevents an IPR petitioner from later asserting in court that a claim “is invalid on any ground that the petitioner raised or reasonably could have raised” during the IPR. 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2). As applied, estoppel prevents petitioners from later relying in district court or in ITC proceedings on most patents or printed publications – the limited bases upon which petitioner can rely in an IPR. But a question remained, and contradictory district court decisions arose, as to whether petitioners would be estopped from relying on a prior art commercial product (known as “device art,” which could not itself have been raised in the IPR) even if a printed publication describing the product (i.e. a patent or technical manual) was available and presumably could have been raised.
Client Alert | 6 min read | 05.27.25
U.S. Departments of State and Treasury Issue Immediate Sanctions Relief for Syria
Client Alert | 3 min read | 05.23.25
Executive Order Seeks Most-Favored-Nation Drug Pricing and HHS Announces Price Targets
Client Alert | 4 min read | 05.22.25
Opportunities for Procurement on the Horizon as UK Concludes Free Trade Agreement With India