FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cordatis LLP welcomes former US Attorney-Diplomat Muriel Moody Korol as Partner to lead its Global Operations & Foreign Assistance Practice
Washington, D.C. — November 20, 2025 — Cordatis LLP announced today that Muriel Moody Korol, a former senior attorney and diplomat for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has joined the firm as a Partner to lead its Global Operations & Foreign Assistance practice. Korol brings nearly two decades of experience advising on foreign assistance law, sanctions, procurement, operational risk, and the regulatory and compliance issues facing companies and organizations engaged in international development and global operations.
Korol served as Assistant General Counsel for the Middle East and North Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean at USAID, where she oversaw legal services for a multi-billion-dollar portfolio spanning 55 countries. Her work covered foreign assistance authorities, acquisition and assistance, sanctions compliance, congressional engagement, fiscal law, and coordination with oversight bodies.
She also served as a Resident Legal Officer in Cairo, Addis Ababa, and Nairobi, advising missions in complex political and humanitarian environments on bilateral agreements, public-private partnerships, tax and customs matters, and legal frameworks supporting humanitarian and stabilization efforts.
Korol is currently based in West Africa, further enhancing Cordatis’ ability to support clients with real-time global insights. Korol’s international base strengthens the firm’s responsiveness to organizations operating worldwide and provides additional on-the-ground familiarity with the legal, political, and operational dynamics shaping development and private-sector engagement across the African continent.
“Muriel’s combination of diplomatic experience, field-based legal advising, and deep substantive knowledge is uniquely valuable to our clients,” said Joshua Schnell, Head of Litigation at Cordatis LLP. “Her global background, combined with her current West Africa presence, strengthens Cordatis’ ability to deliver timely, strategic counsel to clients working internationally.”
Before her government service, Korol was a Senior Attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and an Associate at Dechert LLP, where she focused on complex commercial litigation.
“Cordatis is well suited to support organizations working in global development, government contracting, and international partnerships,” Korol said. “I’m excited to join a team that integrates law, policy, and strategy. With Cordatis, I’ll bring a global diplomatic perspective to the complex operational challenges our clients face around the world.”
Korol holds a J.D. from Duke University School of Law and an M.A. in International Development Policy from Duke University’s Sanford School. She also holds a B.A. in Economics & Conservation Biology from Brigham Young University, with additional studies at the University of Melbourne, Australia and University of East London, South Africa.
