Wickwire Roundup
The Government Contracts Group at Wickwire Gavin is pleased to publish "Wickwire Roundup," a monthly newsletter summarizing current events of interest to the government contracting community. Each month, the Roundup presents recent GAO, court and board rulings; regulatory news; and other news relevant to our government contractor clients and friends.
Click on the links below to review the current or prior editions of the Roundup in either PDF or HTML format. To receive the Roundup each month directly via email, send us an email - it's easy and it's free.
May 2006 Find out more about ASBCA's jurisdiction over 85-804 indemnification claims, the government's responsibility for bid document mistakes, an agency's broad discretion to terminate and resolicit award for ambiguities in the RFP, DHS's final acquisition regulations, and civilian boards' plan for consolidation. Download PDF
April 2006 Learn about requirements for interim facility clearance, who can terminate a schedule-based task order, False Claims Act violations in Iraq, and ID/IQ damages limited to amount of the loss. Download PDF
March 2006 Read about the fallout from the Duke Cunningham scandal, when you can stop work under a Disputes Clause, Berry Amendment certifications, and upcoming events that may be helpful to you. Download PDF
February 2006 Hot topics this month include compliance with Trade Agreements Act, simplified acquisition of commercial items, organizational conflicts of interest, and DOD's new proposed rule. Check out our Upcoming Events, too! Download PDF.
January 2006 Take a look at: why business size might matter on ID/IQ contracts, the role a parent company's experience can play in bids, why a surety's power of attorney is critical for bid compliance, and highlights of the Defense Authorization Act for FY2006. Download PDF.
November 2005 Read about the Court of Federal Claims' jurisdiction over task order protests, the VA Supreme Court's strike down of a security clearance non-compete clause, a protest upheld because the small business set-aside requirements were not met, a local government's allegations of a false "aggressive" schedule analysis claims, and Congr. Cunningham's plea. Download PDF.
October 2005 Continues our look at the legal issues arising from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as other recent developments in government contracting. Discusses government's single point of contact for hurricane contracting, reinstatement of Davis-Bacon wages, certifications and false claims, and claims under the Contract Disputes Act. Download PDF.
September 2005 Special Hurricane Katrina Edition This special edition addresses the legal issues the government and industry are facing in restoring and rebuilding the Gulf Coast. Download PDF.
August 2005 Read about how the False Claims Act applies to certain coalition provisional authority contracts, why the US Attorney seeks forfeiture of Congressman's house under bribery statue, and learn about the growth of procurement opportunities for the Coast Guard. Download PDF.
July 2005 Read about the "revolving door" that recently trapped two federal contractor executives, why the Army was not required to correct big "mistakes" in a contractor's proposal, how to navigate the new Postal Service "protest" procedure, and why Sarbanes-Oxley systems may be a good idea for all government contractors. Also learn about several upcoming events that may benefit your company. Download PDF
June 2005 Learn about the U.S. Postal Service's new Purchasing Regulations, OMB's directive to federal agencies to implement strategic sourcing, reverse auctions and the Procurement Integrity Act, timeliness and the GAO, and what federal contractors should learn from Enron. Also included is information on the Sept. 29 Business Ethics Seminar. Download PDF
May 2005 Topics include: the Anti-Terrorism SAFETY Act, Congress's proposal to consolidate Boards of Contract Appeals, Deepwater Cuts, the importance of attachments when contracting with the government, and U.S. Attorney Paul McNulty's scheduled discussion on Procurement Fraud. Download PDF
April 2005 Issues include Agency Tender Officials granting standing to protest to GAO, GSA's proposed changes to audit rights on MAS contracts, GAO's recommendation that Contractor Ethics Programs be more visible, DOL's three-year debarment of contractor for $6,600 SCA violation, and the Federal Bar Association's June 1, 2005, meeting to discuss SAFETY Act Implementation (presented by DHS and open to the public; registration required). Download PDF
March 2005 Issues addressed include: GAO's Latest Statements on Conflicts of Interest; GAO Reaffirms that Agencies Have Wide Discretion to Cancel RFQ: Clock for Filing Protest Does Not Start on Saturday Notice of Award; Contractor Bears the Risk on Hybrid Design/Performance Specifications; Federal Circuit Again Holds that a Miller Act Surety Lacks Standing to Pursue Pre-Takeover Claims of its Principal. Download PDF
February 2005 Special Focus Issue - The Darlene Druyun Scandal. Examines what happened, how contractors might be affected, and what contractors can do to protect their interests. Download PDF
January 2005 topics include the Court of Federal Claims asserting its jurisdiction to hear contractors' requests for performance evaluation review, GAO's ruling on "bundled" procurements, when the protest period clock starts, and business opportunities for contractors through the Coast Guard's Deepwater modernization program. Download PDF
December 2004 topics include the GAO's proposed new rules for protests of A-76 "contracting out" competitions, SBA rule amendments concerning subcontracting plans and good faith efforts, and the Treasury Department's new interest rate for the first half of 2005 for pending claims and late payments under the Prompt Payment Act. Download PDF
November 2004 topics include protest rights for government employees in A-76 competitions, how contractors can best preserve their intellectual property rights, disclosure requirements and exemptions for contract line item pricing under the Freedom of Information Act, and GAO guidance on responsibilities and information required for timely submission of proposals and other items to the government. Download PDF
October 2004 topics include rulings on protest timeliness, contracting authority, grounds for termination by default, and solicitation cancellation, as well as upcoming deadlines for comments on proposed FAR commercial services procurement rules and the draft RFP for the $10 billion Integrated Wireless Network. Download PDF