Cordatis challenges USAID’s termination of the Payne Fellowship Program

A Cordatis team consisting of Josh Schnell and Sam Van Kopp filed a class action complaint in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims challenging USAID’s termination of the Payne Fellowship Program. Established in 2012, the Payne Fellowship Program is is a highly selective recruiting tool that the USAID uses to recruit elite college graduates from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds into the Foreign Service. Click here to read the complaint.

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Cordatis prevails in Federal Circuit appeal

Daniel Strouse and Josh Schnell recently obtained a favorable appellate decision in a multi-year, multi-protest saga involving USPS's global contract for bomb-detection services. Of note, the Federal Circuit's decision includes important holdings on timely interventions and the requirements for filing redacted protest pleadings. Click the link to learn more. 
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Spotlight PA – “The Trump admin’s secretive, fast-tracked process to pick who will run new detention centers”

Josh Schnell was interviewed by Spotlight PA about the public contract law issues associated with ICE's efforts to turn Pennsylvania warehouses into detention centers. In the article, Josh stressed the importance of fairness and transparency in public contracting. Click the link to learn more.  
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Client Alert: Implementing New Foreign Assistance Regulations

In late January, the U.S. Department of State published three final rules implementing the Protecting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance Policy (PHFFA Policy). Effective February 26, 2026, these rules introduce new conduct restrictions, operational requirements, and compliance obligations for organizations receiving U.S. foreign assistance. Click the link for our client alert on these new requirements.