Northrop Grumman’s Class Action Settlement Costs Claim Tossed

Northrop Grumman Corp. is unable to argue that the government should reimburse costs incurred to settle a class action case in federal court because the government didn’t issue a claim for the contractor to challenge, the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals said in a decision released Wednesday.

A corporate administrative contracting officer’s letter stating that the costs weren’t allowable under the Federal Acquisition Regulation didn’t constitute a government claim, which is required for the board to exercise jurisdiction, Administrative Judge Owen C. Wilson said.

The letter wasn’t a claim because it didn’t seek the payment of money the government ...