Insights

Los Angeles – May 9, 2024: Inner City Law Center recognized Crowell & Moring with the 2024 Humanitarian Award in recognition of the firm’s exemplary pro bono efforts to address the homeless crisis in Los Angeles. The Humanitarian Award is awarded annually to an individual or entity who has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to the underprivileged men, women, and children of Los Angeles. The award was presented at Inner City Law Center’s 24 Annual Awards Luncheon on May 8 in Los Angeles.

Washington – May 9, 2024: Tracy Tolk has joined Crowell & Moring, bringing more than two decades of government affairs experience as an energy policy lobbyist and congressional staffer.

Los Angeles – May 3, 2024: Crowell & Moring LLP represents the California Chamber of Commerce in its work to make the case that California’s antitrust and competition laws do not need to be radically changed to target single firms that improve their market position through legal and naturally competitive means. Crowell Antitrust and Competition Group partner Eric Enson represents CalChamber and testified at the California Law Revision Commission hearing Thursday.

In the Crowell & Moring case Parsons Government Services, Inc. v. Department of Energy, CBCA 7822, the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (Board) denied the government’s motion to dismiss concerning Parsons’ claim for additional incentive fee in connection with its performance operating a salt waste processing facility at DOE’s Savannah River Site.  The underlying contract relates to a first-of-its-kind facility to treat and reduce liquid radioactivity in nuclear waste.  In its decision, the Board rejected the government’s motion to dismiss, holding that Parsons had pled sufficient facts to support its claims regarding superior knowledge, impracticability of performance, and breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing.

On May 14, 2024, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (the “ACM”) revealed that they were fining Epic Games 1,125,000 Euros for violating “professional diligence,” following ACM’s 2023 finding that the developer of Fortnite created an environment that pressured children into make purchases in its video game. In issuing the fine, the Decision declared that “ACM is making it known that unfair treatment of children in the digital world is particularly grave and will be dealt with severely.” 

During the month of April, the Biden administration has continued to leverage federal procurement in pursuit of ambitious environmental sustainability policy goals.  The most recent round of new regulations and initiatives finds the administration seeking to strengthen purchasing mandates of sustainable goods and services, as well as laying the groundwork for significant restrictions on the federal procurement of products containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). 

Crowell attorneys prepared Lexology’s Advertising and Marketing USA reference guide enabling side-by-side comparison of a variety of countries’ advertising and marketing standards, including the legal and regulatory framework; private enforcement (litigation and administrative procedures); misleading advertising; prohibited and controlled advertising; social media advertising; and recent trends.

Join women in compliance from across industries for dynamic networking, inspirational speakers, and idea sharing that will provide you with the tools you need to build your confidence, increase your skills, and advance your career. Connect with a pioneering and diverse speaking faculty as they address current challenges in compliance and share tools to propel your career forward.

In collaboration with the IBJ

Global Trade Talks is a podcast that shares brief perspectives on key global issues on international trade, current events, business, law, and public policy as they impact our lives. In this session, hosts and International Trade Practice Leaders Nicole Simonian and Dj Wolff talk with Crowell lawyers Jeremy Iloulian and Laurel Saito about the significant new sanctions and export control authorities included in the recently enacted National Security Supplemental fiscal package. While this legislation is best known for providing U.S. foreign aid commitments for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, it also contains critical trade related provisions that (i) expand the statute of limitations for U.S. sanctions violations; (ii) give the President new authorities to coordinate sanction efforts with the US and UK; (iii) expand sanctions and export controls on Iran (with some targeting Chinese financial institutions); and (iv) provide for new sanctions authorities targeting terror groups.

This week’s episode covers a GSA Acquisition Letter on the use of upfront payments for acquisitions of cloud-based SaaS offerings, an OMB final rule that revised the Uniform Guidance for grants, cooperative agreements, and other federal financial assistance, and a DOD OIG report focusing on financial responsibility reviews, and is hosted by Peter Eyre and Yuan Zhou. Crowell & Moring's "Fastest 5 Minutes" is a biweekly podcast that provides a brief summary of significant government contracts legal and regulatory developments that no government contracts lawyer or executive should be without.

&Motion meets with Saferide's founder and CEO, Will Bright, to discuss the technology innovations that Saferide is bringing to market.