BarbriSFCourseDetails
  • videocam On-Demand Webinar
  • signal_cellular_alt Intermediate
  • card_travel Commercial Law
  • schedule 90 minutes

Protecting Federal Contracts and Grants Amid Executive Disruption: Navigating Stops, Suspensions, and Exits

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About the Course

Introduction

This CLE webinar will explore the swiftly evolving Trump administration priorities for federal funding and the impact this sea of change has on grant recipients and federal contractors. Increased administrative scrutiny of spending, equity mandates, and political influence in federal funding serve to amplify the legal, strategic, and operational risks facing federal contractors and grant recipients.

Description

The panel will discuss agency legal authority to issue stop work orders, suspend awards, or terminate contracts/grants for convenience or default and how best to respond. The panel will examine recent executive actions, litigation, and case law resetting the performance landscape and provide practical guidance for navigating claims, appeals, and negotiations.

Learn the distinctions between suspensions, terminations, and performance freezes, together with how to protect rights and preserve equitable adjustment or recovery.

Listen as our expert panel covers the legal framework, case law, litigation, and practical strategies for defending and protecting contract and grant performance amid administrative and political challenges.

Presented By

Cara A. Wulf
Partner
McCarter & English

Ms. Wulf focuses her practice on government contracts and regulations. She has extensive experience counseling clients regarding compliance with federal, state and local public procurement requirements. She also assists in litigation involving bid protests, claims, and other disputes before federal agencies, courts and the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Wulf worked for multiple U.S. Department of Defense agencies, through which she gained experience with complex government regulations, including the FAR and DFARS.

Credit Information
  • This 90-minute webinar is eligible in most states for 1.5 CLE credits.


  • Live Online


    On Demand

Date + Time

  • event

    Thursday, December 4, 2025

  • schedule

    1:00 p.m. ET./10:00 a.m. PT

I. Introduction and overview

A. Differentiating federal contracts vs. grants

B. Regulatory structure: FAR vs. Uniform Guidance

C. Funding structure, remedies, and compliance risks

II. Executive action and administrative priorities

A. Trump EOs and agency policy transitions

B. Key disruptions: DEI reversal, foreign aid reduction

C. Ramifications for contractors and grantees

III. Stop work orders (contracts) and suspensions (grants)

A. Legal authority and mechanics

B. Response

IV. Terminations and response

A. Grants vs. contracts

B. Legal standards and limits

C. Response, recovery, and claims

V. Case law and litigation trends

A. Preparing your strategy

VI. Conclusion

The panel will review these and other important considerations:

  • The legal and structural distinctions between federal contracts and grants
  • Governing rules under the FAR and Uniform Guidance
  • Recent executive orders and administrative priorities affecting federal funding
  • Responding to stop work orders, grant suspensions, and terminations
  • How to preserve and defend rights
  • Claims and settlement strategies
  • Recent case law and litigation trends