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The FAR and Beyond | Beyond Episode 37: The Limits of Authority: Unpacking the 40-Year Saga of Pratt & Whitney
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In this episode, we sit down with Mr. Adam Caudle and Miss Dana Chase to dissect the 39-year litigation in Secretary of Defense v. Pratt & Whitney. We analyze the Federal Circuit's 2025 decision, which reaffirmed that a contracting officer’s authority is not unlimited and that agreements violating mandatory FAR provisions are considered illegal and unenforceable. The discussion highlights the critical takeaway that while the revolutionary FAR overhaul encourages broader professional judgment, practitioners must still remain within the four corners of the FAR to ensure their agreements remain valid. Cases discussed: United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney, ASBCA Nos. 47416, 50453, 50888,…