Commercial tech and AI companies entering the federal market face a hard lesson: Federal contracts do not work like commercial software licenses. GSA’s proposed AI clause is where that lesson gets expensive.
If your company sells software or AI-powered services commercially, your deal model is built on familiar assumptions: You license your product, you retain
The comment period closed. The clause survived. When GSA issues Refresh 32, existing Schedule holders will have 60 days to accept — or risk losing their contracts. Here is how to use the time you have left.
The market has spent six weeks debating whether GSA’s proposed AI clause — GSAR 552.239-7001 — is good
Bid protests in Maine are governed by a relatively structured administrative framework that provides disappointed bidders and other “aggrieved persons” with a defined right to challenge contract and grant award decisions. Unlike more informal state procurement protest regimes, Maine law — particularly 5 M.R.S.A. § 1825-E — establishes mandatory procedures, strict deadlines, and a formal
Alaska’s bid protest framework provides an administrative process for challenging solicitation terms, proposed awards, and awarded contracts — but it is highly procedural, fast-moving, and strictly deadline-driven. As a result, involving experienced legal counsel early in the process is often critical to preserving protest rights and positioning the contractor for a meaningful remedy. Below is
On March 26, 2026, the president issued an executive order titled “Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors”, directing federal agencies to include a new mandatory contract clause prohibiting federal contractors and subcontractors from engaging in “racially discriminatory DEI activities.” The order also expressly links compliance to False Claims Act (FCA) materiality, signaling heightened enforcement
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed an $80 million ruling in favor of Skanska USA and Granite Construction against their joint-venture partner Lane Construction. The case involves a $2.3 billion highway improvement project in Florida known as the “I-4 Ultimate Project,” a public-private partnership (or “P3”) project for the Florida Department of Transportation. The court
On April 15, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a significant decision in Life Science Logistics, LLC v. United States, No. 2024-1522, clarifying the legal standard governing judicial review of agency overrides of automatic stays under the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA). While the court addressed jurisdiction under
The first quarter of 2026 brought significant legal, regulatory, and compliance developments that federal contractors and government procurement professionals must understand. From transformative regulatory initiatives to high-profile executive actions and agency guidance, these shifts reflect changing priorities across the federal acquisition landscape. Below is a summary of the most impactful trends and legal updates through
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced that IBM agreed to pay $17,077,043 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA) in connection with its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring and employment practices. This resolution — the first under the DOJ’s Civil Rights Fraud Initiative — underscores heightened regulatory scrutiny
In a decision that underscores the limits of “speed” in federal procurement, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently sustained a bid protest by Effective Communications Strategy, LLC (EFS) challenging a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ contract award.
The case is a cautionary tale for both agencies and contractors. While streamlined acquisition methods are designed to