Data-mining software firm Palantir Technologies Inc. prevailed in a lawsuit against the U.S. Army that means the company could be eligible for a $200 million contract.
A federal judge in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims issued an oral ruling in the case Monday, siding with Palantir in its contention that the Army didn’t comply with a 1994 law that requires government agencies to research commercially available products before trying to build what they need from scratch.
Alex Major, a government contracting attorney with McCarter & English, said the ruling is important because it puts commercial companies “first in line” with a lot of government purchases.
“It reinforces government’s need to look at industry first before seeking a separate procurement,” said Mr. Major.