Berenzweig Leonard

09/03/2026

AI is changing the way employers approach recruiting and workforce management, but with new technology comes new legal risk.

In the most recent episode of the GovCon HR Round-Up, Seth Berenzweig, Declan Leonard, and Joe Young take a look at the evolving role of AI in HR, including recent litigation involving AI-powered employment tools and what these developments could mean for government contractors. They also discuss major updates to the social disadvantage requirements for the SBA 8(a) program.

https://youtu.be/L-mcQgc1g-A?si=0nOEFvx4N_9bbc7t

Register for the GovCon HR Round-Up for more insights on the legal, HR, and compliance issues shaping the government contracting industry. https://berenzweiglaw.zoom.us/webinar/register/4017352497228/WN_mZZPTz48S7afKDd1J8Ih4A

Berkshire Associates

09/01/2026

Please join us in celebrating 16 years of Berenzweig Leonard!

So many years since we first opened our doors, we are proud of the continued growth of our BL Team and endlessly appreciative of the support and trust from our clients and friends of the firm.

An achievement like this cannot be reached alone, and we would like to say thank you to everyone who has supported the firm and been a part of our journey so far.

We look forward to reaching many more milestones together!

08/28/2026

In last week’s episode of the GovCon HR Round-Up, hosts Seth Berenzweig, Declan Leonard, and Joe Young discussed several important developments impacting government contractors and HR teams.

They covered major changes to the social disadvantage requirements for the SBA 8(a) program, as well as the growing legal risks surrounding AI in recruiting and workforce management. They broke down recent lawsuits involving AI-powered HR tools and shared best practices for AI integration while keeping humans in the driver's seat of HR decisions.

https://lnkd.in/e8zSnpN4

Register for the GovCon HR Round-Up for more insights on the latest legal, HR, and compliance issues impacting government contractors. https://lnkd.in/ef3qEjjh

Berkshire Associates =

08/28/2026

This week’s BL Business Branding Newsletter takes a look at a new trademark dispute between Christian metal band Demon Hunter and Netflix that shows how quickly a successful brand can create legal complications when it expands into new markets. At the center of the lawsuit is Netflix’s hit animated film KPop Demon Hunters, which Demon Hunter claims has created significant consumer confusion with the band’s established “Demon Hunter” trademark.

Read the article here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/netflix-demon-hunters-trademark-battle-spotlight-nm5uc

08/26/2026

Our partner Seth Berenzweig appeared on NewsNation today to discuss the huge settlement Meta reached with 29 states for nearly $17 billion and new protections for minors in a landmark social media safety lawsuit, and to explain why the so-called Section 230 legal protection also took a direct hit.

08/25/2026

In this edition of the Bid Protest Beat, Partner Stephanie Wilson and Summer Law Clerk Alexis Nguyen discuss a recent bid protest decision from the U.S. Court of Federal Claims that confirmed that for a joint venture to be eligible for a small business set-aside as a mentor-protégé joint venture under SBA’s rules, there must be a valid mentor-protégé agreement both when the joint venture submits its initial bid and on the date of final proposal revisions.

Read it here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-timing-everything-mentor-prot%C3%A9g%C3%A9-jv-eligibility-ydlle

In this edition of the Bid Protest Beat, Partner Stephanie Wilson and Summer Law Clerk Alexis Nguyen discuss a recent bid protest decision from the United States Court of Federal Claims that confirmed that for a joint venture to be eligible for a small business set-aside as a mentor-protégé joint ...

08/24/2026

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones recently announced the creation of a new Worker Protection Unit, a team in the Office of Civil Rights dedicated to enforcing Virginia's labor laws and investigating claims of employer violations. The new team will work alongside the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry to consolidate existing reporting and investigative tools and provide a streamlined experience for workers filing claims against their employers.

Enforcement priorities for the Worker Protection Unit include:
- Wage theft;
- Employee misclassification;
- Harassment; and,
- Retaliation.

This announcement follows the July 2026 update to the Virginia Wage Payment Act (VWPA), which broadly expanded the definition of wages under the law and created a three-year statute of limitations for employees to bring a civil action for violations. Together, the Worker Protection Unit and VWPA create expanded compliance obligations for Virginia businesses. Employers should review their employment handbooks, pay policies, and employee classifications to ensure compliance with the updated regulations.

Read the press release: https://www.oag.state.va.us/media-center/news-releases/3096-protecting-virginians-attorney-general-jones-announces-worker-protection-unit-makes-stops-in-kilmarnock-yorktown-and-hampton-roads

08/21/2026

In this edition of Your M&A and Corporate Partner, Connie Phelps takes a swing at the recent record-setting sale of the San Diego Padres and explores why the acquisition could be a dinger of a deal for the new owners.

Read it here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/san-diego-padres-strike-multi-billion-dollar-deal-igehe/

In this edition of Your M&A and Corporate Partner, Connie Phelps takes a swing at the recent record-setting sale of the San Diego Padres and explores why the acquisition could be a dinger of a deal for the new owners. Earlier this week, Major League Baseball (MLB) owners announced the unanimous appr

08/21/2026

Please join us in celebrating our six attorneys recognized by Best Lawyers!

Partners Seth Berenzweig, Declan Leonard, Nicholas Johnson, and Kristin Zech have once again been recognized in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America across their core practice areas. Thank you all for another year of outstanding client work!

And we are especially excited to congratulate Senior Associates Samy Abdallah and Charles Bonani on their first recognition on the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® list!

These awards honor attorneys for their professional excellence and incredible work in their respective practice areas. We are thrilled to celebrate this well-earned recognition from Best Lawyers and the hard work and dedication each of these attorneys brings to their clients and the firm.

Congratulations, Seth, Declan, Kristin, Nick, Samy, and Charles!

Learn more about the recognitions from Best Lawyers here: https://lnkd.in/gsZRV4dt

08/20/2026

The U.S. Small Business Administration recently announced a proposed rule that would make sweeping changes to small business size standards and would greatly increase the number of companies eligible to compete as small businesses across the federal contracting landscape.

The proposal outlines switching from using revenue to calculate business size to defaulting to employee count whenever the law allows, arguing that employee count is a more stable metric. The rule also calls for raising the employment and annual revenue thresholds across various contracting industries to encourage increased competition for set-aside contracts and support business growth without fear of a company losing its small-business size status.

Other features of the proposed rule include changing the NAICS level at which size standards are calculated from 6-digit to 4- and 5-digit codes, simplifying the nearly 1,000 size standards into 338, and removing all size standard exceptions.

SBA estimates that nearly 37,000 active contractors would become newly eligible small businesses if the proposed rule is finalized. It is accepting comments on the proposed rule until September 21, 2026.

Read the proposed rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/20/2026-17042/small-business-size-standards
Leave a comment: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/SBA_FRDOC_0001-0522