In Ultima Services v. the Department of Agriculture, a federal district court held that the Small Business Administration’s reliance on the rebuttable presumption of disadvantage for its 8(a) business development program violated the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection clause. That decision created a cascade of developments, as SBA froze new 8(a) applications, and then issued clarifying guidance to 8(a) participants. To examine this and other developments, Arnold & Porter partner Mike McGill is joined by Senior Associate Tom Pettit. For additional reading on these topics, please visit Pub K Group online.