APCO Worldwide has taken over a public affairs contract with the Egyptian government that Weber Shandwick walked away from this month.  According to PRWeek, “APCO has signed on to the contract under the same terms, founder and executive chairman Margery Kraus said. Its fees are $300,000 per quarter, or $1.2 million per year, according to Justice Department filings. The two agencies worked with Egypt’s government to reassign the contract.

“”When Weber decided it was going out of this kind of business, we had initial conversation about whether we would be interested, because Egypt was interested in having us do this [work],” Kraus said. “Egypt has an interesting story to tell, and we are comfortably assuming the responsibilities of the assignment.””

Goddard Gunster, a D.C.-based public affairs firm, changed its name to Gunster Strategies Worldwide. The updated moniker, said the company, reaffirms the company’s commitment to delivering winning strategies for corporate responsibility, state, federal, and international advocacy campaigns. The brand shift signals a new era for the company’s vision, which includes a broader array of services and expertise.  Gunster Strategies is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has offices in London and Cairo.