Inside DOJ’s New Cyber-Fraud InitiativeThe Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced the launch of the Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative, which will utilize the False Claims Act (FCA) to pursue cybersecurity-related fraud by government contractors and grant recipients. Key features of and takeaways from this new initiative are discussed below.

Key Features 

  • The initiative aims to hold accountable entities or individuals

Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right: Unlicensed Contractors Can Pursue Designers for NegligenceThe North Carolina Court of Appeals recently determined that a builder who fails to comply with state licensing requirements may still pursue a negligence claim against design professionals. In Wright Construction Services, Inc. v. The Hard Art Studio, PLLC, the owner contracted with architecture firm Olive Architecture to develop plans for a mixed-use complex

Policy Clauses, Exclusions and Endorsements: Language MattersThe Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals just reminded policyholders that while coverage exclusions are to be read narrowly, they must also be read comprehensively.

In Engineered Structures, Inc. v. Travelers Property Casualty Company of America, Engineered Structures, Inc. (ESI) obtained a builders’ risk insurance policy from Travelers Property Casualty Company of America (Travelers) to

Suing a Design Professional in Texas? Make Sure to Include a Certificate of Merit in Your PleadingOn August 4, 2020, the Court of Appeals of Texas (First District) reversed a trial court’s denial of an engineering firm’s motion to dismiss finding that the plaintiff’s failure to attach the required certificate of merit affidavit to its petition against the engineering firm required dismissal of the petition under the plain language of Tex.

In Georgia, Rely on an Affiliate’s or Individual’s General Contractor’s License at Your Own PerilOn May 5, 2020, the Georgia Court of Appeals affirmed a trial court summary judgment ruling dismissing a residential contractor’s claims against an owner because the contractor was not properly licensed. In LFR Investments, LLC v. Van Sant, after being terminated by the property owner, a homebuilder brought claims for breach of contract and

Recent Court Order Excluding Expert Testimony Offers Useful Reminders and Lessons for Construction LitigantsConstruction claims often feature supporting testimony from design and/or scheduling experts, and exclusion of that testimony either by disqualification of the expert or a finding that the testimony is otherwise inadmissible can prove fatal to your claim or defense. States may vary in their requirements for admissibility of expert evidence, but most states follow some

The Contractor’s Coronavirus ChecklistThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to dominate global headlines and markets. In the U.S., COVID-19 has prompted two governors to declare states of emergency; tragically claimed the lives of multiple U.S. residents; and has been reported in 10 states and counting. Due to the growing impact of the coronavirus, commercial contractors would be wise to

DOJ Signals Renewed Focus on “Mandatory Disclosure” RuleA series of recent developments — including the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) formation of a Procurement Collusion Strike Force and report that “procurement fraud” recoveries comprised the second largest category of False Claims Act (FCA) recoveries for DOJ in FY 2019 — have signaled a renewed focus by DOJ on the “mandatory disclosure” rule for