Office of Management and Budget ( OMB ) Circular A-xxx

Includes our comments on : Aspects of the Circular Require Clarification We recognize that OFPP sees a value in Category Management and intends to institutionalize Category Management principles across the Government. However, clarification of the Government’s approach, as set forth in the proposed Circular, is needed. Consideration of Small Businesses Should Be Required More consideration of small businesses is needed. BIC Sourcing Solutions Must Be Readily Attainable The Circular does not address how competitions for BIC preferred and BIC mandatory . . . Read More

The Weekly Update for November 4, 2016

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Withholding of Unclassified Technical Data and Technology from Public Disclosure The Department of Defense (“DOD”) Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics has proposed a rule that establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and prescribes procedures for the dissemination and withholding of certain unclassified technical data and technology subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and Export Administration Regulations.  It applies to DOD components, their contractors and grantees, and is meant to control . . . Read More

Proposed Circular Could Change the Way the Government Procures Common Goods and Services

By Michelle Litteken On October 7, 2016, the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) issued  Proposed OMB Circular No. A-XXX, Implementing Category Management for Common Goods and Services . If implemented, the proposed Circular could dramatically change the way the fovernment purchases common goods and services. The Circular defines “common goods and services” as “those items and services that all or most federal agencies procure and are not unique to the mission of an individual agency.” Common goods and services are interchangeable and are usually commercially available. In FY 2015, the government spent . . . Read More

Far Reaching Impact of DOL’s Increase to FLSA Salary Thresholds

Beginning on December 1, 2016, employees who are salaried and classified as exempt administrative, professional or executive employees must make at least $922 dollars per week or $47,476 per year to remain exempt from the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act, in addition to meeting the duties requirements of the exemption. This regulatory change more than doubles the current salary threshold of $455 per week and is likely to significantly increase the cost of doing business. While many . . . Read More

PilieroMazza Legal Advisor – Fourth Quarter

In this Issue: Fair Pay Safe Workplaces Halted but Not Dead  Recent Clarifications to SBA’s Definition of Receipts  Small Business Contracting Opportunities Abound Outside the Federal Marketplace The Corporate Designee in Commercial Litigation

PilieroMazza Legal Advisor – Fourth Quarter 2016

In this Issue: Fair Pay Safe Workplaces Halted but Not Dead  Recent Clarifications to SBA’s Definition of Receipts  Small Business Contracting Opportunities Abound Outside the Federal Marketplace The Corporate Designee in Commercial Litigation

How Should a Government Contractor Prepare the Company for Sale?

By Dana Livne Whether you have decided to sell your company or have just begun considering the possibility, you will want to make the most out of your market potential. The preparation you undertake before the sale will help you maximize this unique opportunity, and to a large extent, determine your financial and professional future.  To put your business in the strongest position for sale, it is crucial that you prepare a strong business exit strategy. This plan should include . . . Read More

Fair Pay Safe Workplaces Halted But Not Dead

On October 24, on the eve of its implementation, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a nationwide order halting the implementation of the bulk of Executive Order 13673, Fair Pay Safe Workplaces, which imposes new reporting requirements on government contractors regarding labor law violations and prohibits them from entering into pre-dispute arbitration agreements for matters arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and for torts based on sexual assault or harassment. Under the . . . Read More

Non-Commercial Computer Software Rights and Government Misconceptions About What It Buys

This article is the third installment in a series on Data Rights in Federal Contracts. We first  wrote about what data rights were ; then  about technical data and how to protect it ; and now we will discuss ownership, license rights, and the protection of rights in non-commercial computer software. Because non-commercial computer software is treated like non-commercial data under the FAR (a topic discussed at length in the prior installment of this series), we will focus now on how non-commercial software is treated under the DFARS. That said, the general principles discussed . . . Read More