Author Archives: Jeffrey Belkin

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.  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

DOJ Continues to Crack Down on SBA Fraud

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On April 25, 2017, the DOJ announced that Michelle Cho, an officer of Far East Construction Corporation and other companies, received both prison time and civil penalties for her involvement as the mastermind of a fraudulent scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 8(a) program. Under this scheme, Cho would bid for set-aside contracts for small, disadvantaged businesses under the SBA 8(a) program. However, Cho’s companies would not perform this work. Instead, other large companies would perform this work and pay 3 percent of the proceeds to Cho’s companies. This is another [...]Read more

The Trump Administration’s Move Toward Pro-Employer Policies

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On March 27, 2017, President Trump signed House Joint Resolution 37 under the Congressional Review Act, which in essence blocked the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order (the “Blacklisting Rule”) signed by President Obama. By signing this Resolution, the Blacklisting Rule and the Department of Labor guidance remain in place, but as a practical matter will not be enforced by the Trump Administration. This Resolution will have minimal impact on government contractors in the short term since the Eastern District of Texas already issued a preliminary injunction in 2016 enjoining the implementation [...]Read more

Law360 Publishes Article on Kingdomware by Jeff Belkin and Breana Ware

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On June 21, 2016, Law360 published the article “High Court Boosts Veterans Contracts in Kingdomware” written by Jeff Belkin and Breana Ware. In this article, Jeff and Breana discuss the issues at hand in the recent unanimous decision for the U.S. Supreme Court in Kingdomware Technologies Inc. v. United States, No. 14-916. As indicated by Jeff and Breana, this ruling will have a significant impact on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ procurement process; on current and future protests before the Government Accountability Office regarding the VA’s use, or nonuse, of the Rule of Two; [...]Read more

Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in Significant False Claims Act Case

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Our colleagues Jackie Baratian and Jason Popp summarize here the oral argument for Universal Health Services v. United Sates ex rel. Escobar heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, April 19th, laying out the various arguments presented by counsel and addressed by the Justices.  As they note, much of the argument focused on the Restatement of Contracts, as a source of “fraud” in contracting common law, to help draw a distinction between an implied promise and an immaterial unspoken performance detail.  The Justices also took note of the decision in Halper, in which the Supreme Court in [...]Read more

Is the False Claims Act Becoming a Catch-All Penalty for Any and Every Contractual Breach?

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A recent Department of Justice (DOJ) settlement announcement suggests that the government intends to continue to use the False Claims Act (FCA), rather than more traditional breach of contract or tort claims or regulatory authority, to administer its contracts. On March 7, 2016, the DOJ announced its $3 million settlement with ArmorSource LLC to resolve FCA allegations against the company. ArmorSource contracted with the U.S. Army in 2006 to provide ballistic helmets for combat. In 2010, the Army recalled the helmets after rounds of failed ballistic safety tests. The government alleged that from [...]Read more

Federal Agencies Cannot Immunize Themselves with Short Termination Windows in Contracts

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In Springfield Parcel C, LLC v. United States, 124 Fed. Cl. 163 (Ct. Fed. Cl. 2015), the U.S. Court of Federal Claims considered the post-award protest of a contract by an unsuccessful offeror. The unsuccessful offeror was protesting the award of a real estate contract to lease new headquarters for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) offered by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). The protestor, Springfield Parcel C, LLC, sought an injunction of the award to Eisenhower Real Estate Holdings, LLC, on the basis that the GSA’s award was unlawful. Springfield, Eisenhower, and [...]Read more