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Moushmi Patil

Moushmi Patil is an associate in the firm’s Washington D.C. office. She is a member of the Government Contracts Practice Group as well as the White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group. She also maintains an active pro bono practice, with a focus on indigent criminal defense.

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On December 22, 2023, President Biden signed into law the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (“FY 2024 NDAA”).  Sections 1841 through 1843 of the new law address Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (“UAP”).

The version of the FY 2024 NDAA enacted in the Senate in July of this year incorporated the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act of 2023—which would have mandated the Federal Government’s exercise of eminent domain over UAP-related material controlled by private persons or entities.  As discussed in greater detail below, the eminent domain mandate was not included in the final version of the NDAA passed by both chambers of Congress.  The newly enacted law requires only the establishment of a government wide UAP records collection; that government offices transfer UAP records to the collection; and that records be reviewed for disclosure (or not) against a set of criteria under which public release could be “postponed.”  Nonetheless, the substance of these final UAP provisions and Congress’s renewed interest in UAP may be a harbinger of things to come for government contractors and research entities, especially those involved in defense, intelligence, and other national security projects.  We expand on the background, evolution, and national security implications of the UAP amendment—and its potential impacts on contractors and other private entities—below.Continue Reading Implications of the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Amendment in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)

Although Congress averted a Government shutdown on October 1 by passing a temporary spending bill, we may be headed toward a shutdown next month.  As many Federal Government contractors have experienced during prior Government shutdowns, some portions of the Government — primarily those not funded through annual appropriations bills or that provide “essential services” — may continue to operate (often without pay or access to certain resources), while others shut down immediately, leaving contractors with a customer that often is unable to provide funding, authorize contract actions or respond to inquiries until the Government reopens its doors.  Faced with these challenges, contractors would be well advised to ensure their shutdown plans position them to navigate the potential challenges.  Each agency and contract can offer unique challenges, but we offer a few key considerations below to guide contractors in assessing their approaches to potential shutdowns:Continue Reading Key Steps Contractors Should Consider When Facing a Government Shutdown

On May 19, 2023, the National Institutes of Health (“NIH”) issued notice that it would be updating its requirements for consortium/subaward agreements on NIH-funded grants.  This update, which will be effective October 1, 2023, will bring NIH’s subaward and consortium requirements in line with the Office of Management and Budget Guidance set forth in Title 2 and push NIH grant recipients and subrecipients towards a higher degree of formality in their agreements.  Failure to formalize these relationships may endanger eligibility for NIH funding. Continue Reading Show Me the Documentation: NIH Pushes Grantees to Formalize Subaward / Consortium Agreements