Alston & Bird Government Contracts Blog

Jeffrey Belkin

Jeffrey Belkin

About Jeffrey Belkin

Jeff Belkin is a partner in the firm's Atlanta and Washington, D.C. offices, and is the co-leader of the Construction & Government Contracts Group. Jeff represents contractors in False Claims Act and internal investigations, claims litigation and procurement protests, and advises on complex compliance issues.

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Is a Shakeup Still Imminent for U.S. Domestic Sourcing?

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Following a February 18, 2020 blog post, Jeff Belkin, Mike Mortorano, and MJ Kim explain in Contract Management Magazine how a recent Federal Circuit decision and possible U.S. withdrawal from the World Trade Organization’s Government Procurement Agreement could impact existing procurement policies and supply chain decisions. Now with the sudden economic devastation brought on by the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Trump Administration’s next move is more important than ever. As the U.S. economy falters and stimulus bills are pushed out, the potential implications of withdrawing from the WTO [...]Read more

Are the Stars Aligning for a Major Shakeup of the TAA Domestic Preference Regime?

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Domestic sourcing policies may soon see a major shakeup after a one-two punch this past week from the Trump Administration and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. First, earlier this month, government officials circulated plans for the Trump Administration to issue an Executive Order threatening the U.S.’s withdrawal from the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) unless undisclosed changes favored by the Administration are made. The WTO GPA provides the baseline of international participation in government procurements around the globe, with signatories [...]Read more

Final FAR Council Rule Expands the Scope of GIDEP Screening and Reporting and Effectively Mandates GIDEP Membership for Covered Contractors

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The FAR Council recently issued a Final Rule on the Reporting of Nonconforming Items to the Government-Industry Data Exchange Program (GIDEP) to address supply chain risks from counterfeit and nonconforming goods. The Rule goes into effect on December 23, 2019. While the Final Rule on its face addresses counterfeit and nonconforming parts, the GIDEP program is potentially more onerous than meets-the-eye. GIDEP is a U.S. Government funded and managed voluntary information exchange program among government and industry participants.  Its members include, among others, dozens of government [...]Read more

DOJ Affirms Cooperation Principles in Government Contract Fraud Investigations

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Those of us who have had more than a few discussions with the Civil Fraud Section of the Department of Justice (DOJ) over the years about federal procurement and grant fraud have come away with a clear enough understanding of a few basic principles of cooperation. First, while it is cliché to say that the “multiple” on single damages that the DOJ might demand in settlement of a civil False Claims Act (FCA) case varies depending on the circumstances, the general understanding is that if a defendant settles at or before the time the DOJ must file its complaint, then the DOJ may be more willing [...]Read more

The Federal Government Procurement Process Could Go Digital

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In order to keep up with online marketplaces available at the “one touch” of a smartphone, the federal government is doing its part to bring its procurement process into the digital age. Legislation passed earlier this year by the House of Representatives would allow the U.S. military and civilian government agencies to buy products directly from new online marketplaces instead of following the current procurement process for purchases above the “micro-purchase” threshold (i.e., a few thousand dollars). The newly proposed process would present many opportunities for online retailers and [...]Read more