Publications Archives | Page 2 of 76

2nd Court Blocks Government Funding Freeze: 5 Takeaways for Contractors

A second federal judge indefinitely blocked the Trump administration’s blanket freeze on appropriated and obligated federal funds for government contractors, reinforcing Congress’s authority over government spending. This decision directly impacts government contractors who rely on federal funding for projects and operations. Key Takeaways for Government Contractors Funding Pause Declared Unlawful The court ruled that the executive branch cannot impose a blanket freeze on congressionally appropriated funds. Judge McConnell wrote, “[t]he Executive put itself above Congress. It imposed a categorical mandate on . . . Read More

SCOTUS Greenlights Release of Foreign Aid Funds to Government Contractors

Client Alerts 03.06.25

By: Samuel S. Finnerty, Lauren Brier, Kelly A. Kirchgasser

On March 5, 2025, the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) upheld a federal judge’s order directing the government to pay nearly $2 Billion to federal contractors for completed foreign aid work. [1] This client alert identifies key takeaways from the SCOTUS denial and provides important considerations for government contractors whose payments were subject to executive freezes on foreign aid spending. Background As previously reported by PilieroMazza , President Trump issued Executive Order 14169, “ Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid ,” which ordered agencies with foreign development assistance programs . . . Read More

Tariffs on Products from Canada, Mexico, and China: Rising Costs and Supply Shortages for Government Contractors

Client Alerts 03.04.25

By: Jacqueline K. Unger, Christopher A. Jannace

PilieroMazza recently published a client alert regarding executive orders issued on February 1, 2025, imposing additional tariffs on products from Canada, Mexico, and China, and the decision to delay the tariffs on Canada and Mexico until March 6, 2025. This client alert provides government contractors with an update on these tariffs—which may increase the cost of performance or lead to supply shortages, resulting in delays—and how to insulate your business. To summarize, products from Canada and Mexico were subject to a 25% tariff, . . . Read More

Trump’s Executive Order on DOGE Cost Efficiency: Key Takeaways for Government Contractors

Client Alerts 02.27.25

By: Samuel S. Finnerty, Lauren Brier, Kelly A. Kirchgasser

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