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
Federal contractors are scrambling to determine how far they should go in changing policies they’ve used to recruit and retain employees in light of the Trump administration’s crackdown on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies. Agencies reported spending more than $770 Billion in prime contracts in 2024, and the new administration is now cutting all such DEI efforts and removing any DEI-related work from ongoing contracts. This has raised questions as to what constitutes DEI and how best to react. . . . Read More
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
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
Click here to view the recorded session. President Trump recently introduced a series of Executive Orders affecting government contractors in terms of new compliance obligations, cost considerations, and enforcement risks. Don’t miss Jackie Unger and Lauren Brier’s in-depth discussion on how recent and upcoming EOs are reshaping the government contracting landscape at federal, state, and local levels. Whether you’re navigating new workforce requirements, supply chain mandates, or funding restrictions, this webinar will provide practical insights to help your business remain compliant and competitive, as well . . . Read More
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
President Donald Trump’s tariff plans threaten to increase costs for federal contractors who won’t be exempt from the duties, but contractors may be able to pursue avenues for reimbursement if they follow certain regulatory rules. . . . Some contracting officers may allow an economic price adjustment to be worked into an existing contract as a modification, and contractors facing a hit from tariffs should at least ask, although similar requests during the COVID-19 pandemic were rarely successful, according to PilieroMazza PLLC . . . Read More
