On Tuesday, DOJ released its eagerly awaited False Claims Act (FCA) recoveries for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, announcing that DOJ had obtained $5.6 billion in settlements and judgments from civil cases involving fraud and false claims against the government. This was the second largest annual total in FCA history (only surpassed byRead More
In the wake of increasing cybersecurity threats and incidents, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) amended its Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) in 2015 to issue the 252.204-7012, Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting clause (DFARS clause). The DFARS clause, which is included in all DoD solicitations and contracts, including those for acquisitionsRead More
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) preference programs can be vital for small businesses trying to compete in the potentially lucrative world of U.S. government contracting, but participation in these programs is not without risk. Indeed, the programs can be fraught with peril and contain many landmines for those who do not understand and diligentlyRead More
On Tuesday, January 12, 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California announced the first, and long-anticipated, civil settlement resolving allegations of fraud involving the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Up until last week, PPP enforcement primarily involved egregious criminal matters resulting from brazen, “low-hanging fruit” violations, but Brigham Taylor and SlideBelts, Inc.Read More
I. Introduction The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was enacted as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act on March 27, 2020. Unfortunately, the path to providing PPP loan relief has not been smooth. Instead, it has been paved with uncertainty. While the CARES Act laid out specific requirements for PPP eligibility and relief, theRead More