Before a business can pursue federal government contracts it must register in SAM. Here are the basics on what that means and where founders and PE-backed businesses get tripped up. Register in SAM.gov — It’s Free SAM, the System for Award Management is the federal government’s vendor management database and...
By: Margaret M. Cassidy & Andrew Swick 1. Overview The Department of Defense (DoD) and Anthropic demonstrated what a battle contract negotiations can be. Negotiations between the two blew up in a spectacular way on February 27, 2026, when Secretary of Defense Hegseth publicly labeled Anthropic a supply‑chain risk and...
Before a business can pursue federal government contracts it must register in SAM. Here are the basics on what that means and where founders and PE-backed businesses get tripped up. Register in SAM.gov — It’s Free SAM, the System for Award Management is the federal government’s vendor management database and...
In a year that saw executive orders coming out rapid fire, a FAR revolution and a government shutdown, there is some good news. A Pentagon memo from earlier this year titled Directing Modern Software Acquisition to Maximize Lethality may simplify and expedite the process for companies to have the Department...
By: Margaret M. Cassidy & Andrew Swick We are going to unpack some parts of the FY26 NDAA most relevant to defense contractors and their advisors. This installment covers Industrial Base Investment and Opportunities, organized into five subcategories: Industrial Base Fund & capacity investments; Domestic sUAS and IndoPacific cooperation; Portfolio...
Recently I was in a meeting with ten other people and we were trying to resolve a risky business situation that had legal and financial implications for the company. Discussing risky business situations with this group of folks was nothing new. In fact, we were having the same conversation over...
Our MissionRapidly changing geo-political threats to U.S. national security demand cutting edge solutions. U.S. foreign policy, and national security, export and acquisition laws evolve to respond to these threats. Start-ups and non-traditional businesses meet these demands and understand they must work in this legal framework. Cassidy Law’s Defense Salon discusses the practical implications of these requirements for businesses looking to evolve national security and to scale globally while managing legal and geo-political risks.
