Weeding Out Bad Contractors -- The Government's Push to Enhance its Suspension and Debarment Function
Client Alert | 1 min read | 11.17.11
On November 15, 2011, the head of OMB, Jacob Lew, issued a memorandum requiring the heads of executive departments and agencies to increase management attention on suspension and debarment, consistent with the policies and procedures in the FAR. On the heels of the OMB memorandum, the U.S. Senate's Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs convened hearings on November 16 on "Weeding Out Bad Contractors," which featured testimony from, among others, Daniel Gordon, the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy; David Sims, the Chair of the ISDC; and Steven Shaw, the Air Force’s debarment and suspension official.
For further analysis and links to the OMB Memo and Congressional testimony, click here for a related blog post by Daniel Forman.
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Client Alert | 8 min read | 12.11.25
Director Squires Revamps the Workings of the U.S. Patent Office
In March 2025, President Trump nominated John A. Squires for the positions of Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). After being approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee by a vote of 20-2, Squires was confirmed by the Senate on September 17, 2025, by a vote of 51-47 after anti-filibuster measures were invoked. During and after the confirmation process, Squires emphasized several goals for the USPTO during his time as Director. Such goals included:
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Creativity You Can Use: CJEU Clarifies Copyright for Applied Art
Client Alert | 4 min read | 12.10.25
Federal Court Strikes Down Interior Order Suspending Wind Energy Development
Client Alert | 14 min read | 12.10.25
SBA Office of General Counsel Audit of Participants in the 8(a) Program and Beyond
