Robyn N. Burrows and Sara N. Gerber ● Last month, the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) issued a memorandum directing federal agencies to adopt artificial intelligence (“AI”) and advance its use to inform and carry out agency actions. OMB’s new policy addresses three main areas it views as necessary for responsibly deploying AI in agency … The post OMB Embraces Government Use of Artificial Intelligence appeared first on Government Contracts Navigator ..read more

Elizabeth N. Jochum ● Criterion CorporationB-422309 The post 60-Second Sustains: Criterion Corporation appeared first on Government Contracts Navigator ..read more

Michael Joseph Montalbano and Samarth Barot ● On February 19, 2024, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) notified the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia that it would intervene in a False Claims Act (“FCA”) case filed against Georgia Tech Research Corporation and Georgia Institute of Technology (collectively “Georgia Tech”) for not complying with the requirements … The post Time for Compliance with DOD’s Cybersecurity Regulations is NOW appeared first on Government Contracts Navigator ..read more

Robyn N. Burrows ● On April 22, 2024, the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) issued final guidance regarding the application of the Section 889 telecommunications ban to federal grants, loans, and cooperative agreements under 2 C.F.R. § 200.216. As a quick recap, Part A of Section 889 prohibits contractors from providing the federal government covered … The post OMB Issues Guidance on Application of Section 889 to Federal Assistance Recipients—and Confirms No Part B “Use” Prohibition appeared first on Government Contracts Navigator ..read more

Robyn N. Burrows ● Last month, the Department of Energy (“DOE”) Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) issued a special report on the DOE’s use of data analytics to reduce the risk of fraud, waste, and abuse within DOE programs. As noted in our prior post (“More Cases and Expanded Data Analytics: A Closer Look at DOJ’s … The post DOE OIG Cites Need for Data Analytics to Combat Fraud appeared first on Government Contracts Navigator ..read more

Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that Government Contracts partners Justin A. Chiarodo and Elizabeth N. Jochum have been named to Law360’s 2024 Editorial Advisory Boards. As board members, the partners will provide feedback on Law360’s coverage and share insights on how to best shape future coverage. Justin, who serves as chair of our firm’s Aerospace, Defense & Government Services industry … The post Justin A. Chiarodo and Elizabeth N. Jochum Named to Law360’s 2024 Editorial Advisory Boards appeared first on Government Contracts Navigator ..read more

Robyn N. Burrows ● On March 7, 2024, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced that the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) is designing and launching a pilot program to pay monetary rewards to whistleblowers who report significant corporate or financial misconduct. The pilot program, which will roll out later this year, is intended to encourage individuals to … The post DOJ Looks to Incentivize Whistleblowers with New Pilot Program appeared first on Government Contracts Navigator ..read more

Dominique L. Casimir, Luke W. Meier, and Oliver E. Jury ● The United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) recently announced its statistics for False Claims Act (“FCA”) FY 2023 settlements and judgments. DOJ recovered $2.68 billion in FY 2023; as usual, the majority of these recoveries (nearly 70 percent, or $1.8B) came from the healthcare industry. DOJ continues to … The post More Cases and Expanded Data Analytics: A Closer Look at DOJ’s FY 2023 False Claims Act Statistics appeared first on Government Contracts Navigator ..read more

Justin A. Chiarodo, Dominique L. Casimir, and Robyn N. Burrows In late 2023, we were very happy to announce that Blank Rome Government Contracts associate Robyn N. Burrows was elevated to partner in our Government Contracts practice in Washington, D.C., effective January 2024. Robyn is a key member of our practice group who represents clients on a … The post Meet Our Newest Partner, Robyn Burrows appeared first on Government Contracts Navigator ..read more

Samarth Barot and Shane M. Hannon ● On February 15, the Department of Defense (“DOD”) finalized a rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (“DFARS”) to supplement the Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) implementation of Executive Order 14005, addressing domestic preferences in DOD procurement. Defense contractors should be aware of the specific changes and ensure their … The post DOD Finalizes Rule Concerning Domestic Content Preference appeared first on Government Contracts Navigator ..read more