Publications Archives | Page 2 of 76

On February 26, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order implementing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Cost Efficiency Initiative (Order). The Order seeks to transform federal spending on contracts, grants, and loans to ensure transparency and accountability. This includes requiring federal agencies to implement new mechanisms to record, justify, and approve agency payments; perform comprehensive reviews of contracts, grants, contracting policies, procedures, and personnel; and issue new guidance on signing or modifying new and existing contracts. The Order also freezes non-essential . . . Read More

Federal Judge Issues Preliminary Injunction Blocking Trump Administration’s Blanket Freeze on Federal Funding

Client Alerts 02.26.25

By: Samuel S. Finnerty, Ryan Boonstra

As PilieroMazza has been tracking in our recent alerts here and here , the Trump administration is attempting to block federal funding through a freeze outlined in the now-rescinded OMB Directive M-25-13 (Directive). The Directive and the broad policies contained therein were temporarily blocked by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (D.D.C.) when it issued a temporary restraining order on January 28, 2025. However, since the issuance of that TRO, the administration continues to implement the freeze and deny contractors . . . Read More

Judge Says Trump Administration Must Comply With Order to Restore Foreign Aid Funding, What It Means for Government Contractors

Client Alerts 02.25.25

By: Samuel S. Finnerty

As PilieroMazza recently discussed , on February 13, 2025, Judge Amir H. Ali, of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) requiring the Trump administration to restore funding for foreign assistance awards halted as a result of recent executive and agency actions. On February 20, 2025, Judge Ali partially granted a motion to enforce the TRO, criticizing the government for continuing its blanket suspension pending review of foreign assistance agreements—which is the very action the TRO . . . Read More

DEI Executive Orders Partially Blocked: What’s In and What’s Out, For Now . . .

Client Alerts 02.24.25

By: Nichole D. Atallah, Sarah L. Nash

On February 21, 2025, a federal court [1] preliminarily blocked the Trump administration from enforcing key provisions of the recent executive orders (EOs) to eliminate “illegal” diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and initiatives from the federal government and federal contractors. The court found the provisions to be unconstitutionally vague and likely to infringe on free speech. This PilieroMazza client alert outlines the current status of the EOs and potential impacts on federal contractors. EOs 14151 and 14173 , issued by the Trump administration . . . Read More

UPDATE: President Trump’s Executive Orders Impose Tariffs on Products from Canada, Mexico, and China: The Cost to Government Contractors

Client Alerts 02.18.25

By: Jacqueline K. Unger, Christopher A. Jannace

PilieroMazza recently published a client alert (linked here ) regarding three executive orders issued on February 1, 2025, imposing additional tariffs on products from Canada, Mexico, and China that were to be effective February 4, 2025. This client alert provides an update on these tariffs as well as tariffs on steel and aluminum and reciprocal tariffs that were announced last week. To summarize, products from Canada and Mexico were set to be subject to 25% tariffs, except for “energy or energy resources” . . . Read More

Federal Judge Orders USAID and Foreign Aid Funding to be Restored

Client Alerts 02.14.25

By: Samuel S. Finnerty

On January 20, 2025, the President issued Executive Order Number 14169 (Executive Order), which imposed a 90-day pause on new obligations and disbursements of development assistance funds to foreign countries and implementing non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and contractors pending reviews of such programs. Similarly, in furtherance of the Executive Order, on January 24, 2025, the Secretary of State issued a Memorandum ordering a pause on all new obligations of foreign assistance funding pending an 85-day review of United States foreign assistance programs. The Secretary additionally . . . Read More

Federal Judge Clarifies Scope of TRO Enjoining Federal Spending Freeze

Client Alerts 02.11.25

By: Samuel S. Finnerty

As we recently outlined , on January 31, 2025, U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) that blocks the federal funding freeze outlined in the now-rescinded January 27, 2025, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directive (Directive). In the Order, the Court ruled that the Defendants (including the President, OMB, and numerous federal agencies) are prohibited from reissuing, adopting, implementing, or otherwise giving effect to the OMB Directive under any other name or title or through any other . . . Read More