January-February 2019, The Journal of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence & Law

November 16, 2018, Inside Energy & Environment

A recent amendment to the Federal Power Act (FPA) that will become effective March 27, 2019 sets a $10 million threshold for requiring Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) prior approval of public utility mergers and consolidations.  That amendment also calls for FERC to adopt a rule requiring public utilities to simply notify FERC of mergers...… Continue ...

November 16, 2018, Global Policy Watch

Summary This past week, the European Parliament held a plenary session in Strasbourg. On Tuesday, November 13, Members of the European Parliament (“MEPs”) approved the report on the proposal for a Directive on the promotion of the Use of Energy from Renewable Resources prepared by the Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (“ITRE”).  The...… ...

November 16, 2018, Inside Privacy

On November 9, 2018, the French Supervisory Authority for Data Protection (known as the “CNIL”) announced that it issued a formal warning (available here) ordering the company Vectaury to change its consent experience for customers and purge all data collected on the basis of invalid consent previously obtained.   Vectaury is an advertising network that...… ...

November 16, 2018, Covington Alert

As more companies recognize the value of enhanced sustainability reporting and publicize the positive environmental features of their products and services, they should also be attentive to greater public scrutiny of “green” claims.

November 15, 2018

The proposed withdrawal agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom was published by the European Commission on November 14 (see here). The text runs to 585 pages, and represents a tentative agreement reached between the UK and EU negotiating teams. It is accompanied by an eight-page outline of the proposed political declaration on the future ...

November 15, 2018, Global Policy Watch

Joan Kutcher and Gary Heimberg delivered remarks during Covington’s post-election conference call with clients on November 8, 2018 on health care and drug pricing.  The health care segment follows:  The Affordable Care Act has been an issue in every election since it passed in 2010.  This election was the first time the Democrats could fully...… Continue Reading

November 15, 2018

WASHINGTON—Covington's patent litigation team successfully petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case on behalf of its client, Return Mail, Inc., which saw its patent on a system for handling undeliverable mail invalidated in 2015 after the U.S. Postal Service petitioned for Covered Business Method Review. The case, which will involve interpretation of ...

November 15, 2018

PALO ALTO—Covington advised Standard Cognition, which provides artificial intelligence-powered autonomous checkout solutions for brick and mortar retailers, in raising a $40 million round of Series A Preferred Stock investment. Available to any retailer, the Standard Cognition solution allows consumers to shop and pay without waiting in line, scanning, or ...

November 15, 2018, MDTI Medical Device Fall School