Insights

Washington – August 20, 2026: The Best Lawyers in America® has recognized 57 of the firm's attorneys in its 2027 edition, a testament to the firm's deep bench of legal talent across practices and offices nationwide. In addition, 29 attorneys have been named to the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® list, recognizing outstanding attorneys earlier in their careers. 

Washington – June 10, 2026: Crowell & Moring has been recommended in eight practice areas in the 19th edition of the Legal 500 United States. In addition, partner Daniel Forman, co-chair of the firm’s Government Contracts Group, has been named to the Legal 500’s “Hall of Fame” for Government Contracts, and partner David (Dj) Wolff, co-chair of the firm’s International Trade Group, has been named a “Leading Partner” in International Trade and National Security.

Washington – June 4, 2026: Crowell & Moring earned 92 individual rankings for 81 attorneys, as well as 48 national and statewide practice area rankings, in the Chambers USA 2026 guide. The Chambers guide ranks the country’s top law firms and lawyers through in-depth research, client interviews, and feedback from attorneys at peer firms. 

Recent sustain decisions by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in Fluor Federal Solutions, LLC and Reliance Test & Technology send a clear message: when an agency tries to fix a Procurement Integrity Act (PIA) violation by committing a second one, the cure can be just as fatal as the disease. The cases involved the U.S. Air Force’s $1.8 billion procurement for O&M services at Elgin Air Force Base. During discussions, the Air Force inadvertently released a pricing overview slide with all offerors’ bottom-line evaluated costs to Reliance Test & Technology, which immediately notified the agency of the error. In response, the Air Force decided to level the playing field by providing the same information to all the other offerors in the procurement, stating, “[o]fferors may consider this disclosure in their [final proposal revision].”

A recent GAO decision,  Encon Desbuild JV4, LLC, highlights a critical pitfall for contractors: GAO dismissed as untimely a protest filed within 10 days of a “debriefing” because the debriefing was not “required” under GAO’s precedent and the applicable regulations.  This was true even though the contracting officer incorrectly told the contractor that the debriefing was required and provided under FAR part 15. 

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.”

Government contractors face significant regulations that, if misunderstood or misapplied, could have a direct impact on your company’s bottom-line. Join Crowell & Moring’s team of attorneys adept at guiding government contractors through the federal regulatory maze. The discussion will cover these areas: 

Click here to download the presentation materials.

Please click here for a copy of the presentation. Will it be more of the same for government contractors in 2016 -- increased oversight, intense competition, new regulations, and consolidation? Join the Crowell & Moring team on Thursday, January 14 at 1:00 pm Eastern to find out. Our attorneys will discuss likely trends for the coming year on a variety of topics including cost, commercial items, update on Executive Orders, investigations, compliance, suspension/debarment, GSA and VA schedules, mergers & acquisitions, small business, procurement fraud and so much more.

Tight budgets, increased oversight, new executive orders, complex regulatory environment, and intense competition remain atop the list of issues facing government contractors. Should you expect anything different in 2015? On Wednesday, January 7 at 1:00 pm Eastern, our Crowell & Moring team will discuss predictions for the coming year. Topics will include likely trends and issues in costs, disputes, cybersecurity, balance of power between Congress and the Executive Branch, procurement fraud, bid protests, suspension and debarment, data rights, mergers & acquisitions, international issues, labor and employment, small business, and a whole lot more.

This week’s special edition focuses on what contractors can expect from the incoming administration relating to conflicts of interest, revolving door, and bid protests, and is hosted by Yuan Zhou, Dan Forman, and Rob Sneckenberg.  Crowell & Moring's "Fastest 5 Minutes" is a biweekly podcast that provides a brief summary of significant government contracts legal and regulatory developments that no government contracts lawyer or executive should be without.