David Yang
Pension and other post-retirement benefit expenses have long constituted a substantial obligation on the part of contractors under cost-type contracts and are often the subject to disputes with the government as to the calculation and allowability of such costs. While court and board decisions regarding pension-related disputes have tended to be a mixed bag, the decisions have more often sided with the government. However, the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals’ (“ASBCA” or “Board”) July 13, 2017, decision in Northrop Grumman Corp., ASBCA No. 60190, may signal a more favorable trend for contractors in connection with such issues. In this case, Northrop filed a claim for $253 million in retiree health benefits over an 11-year period from 1995 to 2006, which the Defense Contract Management Agency (“DCMA”) disallowed because Northrop used an outdated accounting practice for accruing such costs under the relevant Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) cost accounting requirements. Continue reading “ASBCA Grants $253 Million Northrop Post-Retirement Benefits Claim”