How Echo is Transforming Lives through Entrepreneurship, with Geraud Staton
The Buzz, A SC Economic Development Video Podcast | Episode 87: EVP of Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Henri Baskins
Williams Mullen's COVID-19 Comeback Plan: Part II – Doing Business With the Commonwealth of Virginia
PODCAST: Williams Mullen GovCon Perspectives - Why Was My SWaM Certification Denied, and What Can I Do?
PODCAST: Williams Mullen GovCon Perspectives - Recent Updates to the SWaM Certification Process in Virginia
Microsoft Makes Minority-Owned Firm Its Premier Provider
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has issued a stay that blocks for many financial institutions the implementation of a CFPB rule that requires the institutions to report information contained in loan applications submitted...more
Last week’s revocation of federal affirmative action requirements was accompanied by a statement from the Trump administration stating its intent to eliminate any federal program that promotes DEI principles. ...more
In a unique, interactive session that was part of the firm’s annual In-House Counsel seminar, participants evaluated potential DEI outcomes by analyzing three fictional scenarios. With elements pulled from real-life cases,...more
As PilieroMazza has been reporting, the Small Business Administration (SBA) recently issued its much-anticipated final rule, which updates and clarifies many regulations that impact small businesses. The revised regulations...more
Welcome to our year-end issue of The Site Report! As always, the construction industry is ever-changing and is impacted by extreme weather, new technology, labor issues, material and supply chain restraints, and code changes....more
Welcome to our 11th issue of 2024 for our construction industry insights e-newsletter - The Site Report. In this edition, we cover a wide variety of topics of interest for those in the construction industry—from a deep dive...more
It may seem obvious that construction companies and federal agencies, such as the Department of Transportation, are to adhere to the federal regulatory statutes for federally funded construction projects, but you would be...more
Challenges to Race-based Initiatives Continue: Fearless Fund Settles Yearlong Suit with the American Alliance for Equal Rights, Ending the Strivers Grant Contest for Women of Color Business Owners - Fearless Fund is a venture...more
The end of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program is getting closer. The DBE program presumes women and minority-owned firms are disadvantaged and sets goals for them...more
Supplier diversity programs are business initiatives designed to include businesses owned by traditionally underrepresented groups in companies’ supply chains. Effective supplier diversity programs expand supplier bases,...more
With the recent Supreme Court decision ending affirmative action in college admissions, similar statutory presumptions of disadvantage, such as DOT’s DBE program, are susceptible to similar challenge. The Court issued a...more
If you are a woman business owner whose company has revenues in excess of $500 million or a unique business structure, you may be eligible for a special WBE designation through the Women's Business Enterprise National Council...more
As PilieroMazza noted recently, the Small Business Administration (SBA) released a proposed rulemaking that will impact government contractors. This client alert discusses a major proposed change that would significantly...more
Various news outlets are reporting that American Alliance for Equal Rights v. Fearless Fund Management, LLC settled today. American Alliance for Equal Rights issued a press release announcing the settlement, and Fearless...more
Obtaining SWaM certification in Virginia enables businesses to bid on local and state contracts that are set aside for small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses. The Commonwealth of Virginia has committed to sourcing...more
On June 3, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit granted a preliminary injunction prohibiting a venture capital fund from awarding grants based on race and gender. In reversal of the district court, the...more
Recently, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (the Court) held in Am. All. for Equal Rts. v. Fearless Fund Mgmt., LLC (Fearless Fund) that the Fearless Strivers Grant Contest (the Contest), a startup...more
On Monday, June 3, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit held that a contest providing venture-capital funding to only Black women was substantially likely to violate section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of...more
On June 3, 2024, the Eleventh Circuit authorized a preliminary injunction in American Alliance for Equal Rights v. Fearless Fund Management, LLC et al., ruling that a grant contest that awards funding and mentorship...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit blocked a contest by a venture capital fund that provided grants and other benefits to black women-owned businesses, finding the contest is likely to unlawfully discriminate...more
In a case that has been closely watched by the charitable sector, on June 3, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit issued a decision blocking a race-based grant program that provided funds and mentorship to...more
If you are a woman-owned business, you may be eligible for federal contracting opportunities under the WOSB (woman-owned small business) and/or EDWOSB (economically disadvantaged woman-owned small business) programs....more
On June 29, 2023, the United States Supreme Court issued its historic decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, 600 U.S. 181 (2023). This decision upended decades of precedent and held that race-conscious...more
On April 9, 2024, The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced numerous revisions to its in-place rules for administering its Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program. The new rule follows a Notice of Proposed...more
On March 5, 2024, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas struck down key provisions of the Minority Business Development Act of 2021, which promotes the provision of business development services...more