Barry Miller And Hillary Massey Authored An Article In New England In-House

The CAS Board has raised contract thresholds to $35 million and eliminated CAS 407, fundamentally changing cost accounting requirements for federal contractors. At the same time, the Department of War is demanding unprecedented cost and pricing transparency through new memoranda requiring actual cost information for negotiations valued at $10 million or more, creating a complex landscape where contractors face fewer formal CAS requirements but heightened scrutiny of their pricing data.

Finance teams face critical implementation challenges as new GAAP amendments take effect for 2026, requiring immediate attention to accounting policies, documentation standards, and system readiness. Are your financial reporting processes prepared to handle expanded disclosure requirements, CECL practical expedients, and internal-use software accounting changes before year-end audit fieldwork begins?

The SEC Staff has issued new guidance addressing fair value measurement and disclosure practices for private credit and other illiquid assets held by registered funds and business development companies. As private credit portfolios have grown nearly 60% since 2020, reaching $270 billion, regulators emphasize the critical importance of robust valuation methodologies, transparent disclosure of significant judgments, and careful application of accounting standards when market prices are unavailable.

FINRA proposed a rule amendment to restrict access to representative- and principal-level qualification scores.

The SEC charged Ernst & Young LLP with violations of auditor independence rules that require firms to maintain their objectivity and impartiality with clients.

The SEC has established a new Financial Reporting and Accounting Unit within its Division of Enforcement, consolidating nationwide resources to investigate public company accounting and financial reporting issues. This organizational shift signals heightened scrutiny of complex accounting matters, non-GAAP measures, and disclosure practices.

The US National Association of Insurance Commissioners' Statutory Accounting Principles Working Group convened in August 2026 to address critical reforms to the Interest Maintenance Reserve framework...

An HHS Office of Inspector General audit of Methodist Hospital in San Antonio reveals how a review of just 100 claims led to a $12.4 million overpayment recommendation through statistical extrapolation. The audit targeted specific high-risk billing areas including Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility claims, certain diagnosis-related groups, and outpatient billing patterns, uncovering documentation and coding compliance issues that hospital leadership should examine within their own Medicare claims.

Organizations are embedding AI into internal audit workflows to improve consistency and shorten testing cycles, but success requires a structured approach that addresses evidence handling, testing methodology...

The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that Salvadoran Temporary Protected Status beneficiaries remain protected despite the September 9, 2026 expiration date, though no formal announcement has been made regarding the program's future. This development raises critical questions about employer obligations and the potential scenarios that may unfold, including termination with a 60-day notice period or an extension of the designation.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has issued Individual Notices permitting certain Salvadoran Temporary Protected Status beneficiaries to demonstrate continued work authorization through September 9, 2026. This development arrives weeks after most TPS-based Employment Authorization Documents expired, creating challenges for employers and employees navigating reverification procedures and compliance requirements.

California's 2026 legislative session concluded with fewer employment bills than in previous years, but several significant measures await Governor Newsom's decision by September 30. Key proposals address automated decision systems in employment, workplace surveillance restrictions, expanded bereavement leave, AI-driven workforce displacement notices, and modifications to last year's controversial "stay-or-pay" legislation.

The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board has approved significant revisions to California’s workplace first aid requirements for both construction and general industry. For general industry employers, the most notable change is the elimination of the longstanding requirement that first aid kit contents be approved by a consulting physician. Instead, employers may now comply by providing a first aid kit meeting ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2021 Class A requirements.

The EU Cyber Resilience Act introduces mandatory cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements sold in the European market, establishing a comprehensive framework for hardware and software security. Starting September 11, 2026, manufacturers face new reporting obligations for actively exploited vulnerabilities and severe security incidents, with strict timelines ranging from 24 hours to one month depending on the type of report.

The European Commission has announced that EU AI Act transparency rules take effect August 2, 2026, requiring chatbots to identify themselves, deepfakes to be labeled, and AI-generated content to be marked. Organizations must assess whether their AI systems trigger disclosure, labeling, or content-marking requirements, with limited exceptions and penalties reaching €15 million or 3% of global turnover for noncompliance.

In February 2016, China's General Office of the State Council issued its Opinion on Strengthening Management of the Service for Foreigners' Permanent Residency, setting out a framework for the development of less restrictive...

The EFAA creates an exception to the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA’) by allowing a person alleging conduct constituting workplace sexual harassment or sexual assault to invalidate arbitration agreements and to pursue his or her claims in court. 9 U.S.C. §§ 401–02.

The Small Business Administration has proposed significant changes to size standards that determine whether companies qualify as small businesses for federal contracting purposes. Understanding these numerical thresholds and their implications is crucial for contractors navigating the government marketplace.

California lawmakers have sent Senate Bill 690 to Governor Gavin Newsom, teeing up a narrowing of website-tracking litigation under the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), who has until September 30 to sign or veto the legislation. If signed, the bill would eliminate private lawsuits asserting website-based “pen register” and “trap and trace” claims under Section 638.51 of CIPA. For businesses that have received demand letters or are defending lawsuits premised on routine website technologies—such as cookies, pixels, analytics tools, or similar tracking technology—the bill would offer relief from certain types of claims asserted under CIPA.