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Described as “An excellent firm with top-notch lawyers” by Chambers and Partners and named a top media and entertainment practice by Law360, Covington helps clients in the media, internet, and technology industries secure competitive advantage in an increasingly crowded—and regulated—marketplace.
Covington offers integrated regulatory and policy, transactional, intellectual property, and litigation expertise in order to meet the specialized needs of clients around the world.
John Lone on Opportunities in China
Advised actor John Lone (of "M. Butterfly," "Rush Hour 2" and the Academy-award winning "The Last Emperor") in exploring China opportunities.
Keanu Reeves and Stephan Hamel's Production Company on Project in China
Advised Keanu Reeves and Stephan Hamel’s production company, Company Films, on China projects.
China-Based Gaming Company Corporate Venture Investments
Advised Tencent Holdings Limited in connection with its investment activities relating to public and private companies.
China Based Gaming Company in Popular Messenger App Investment
Advised Tencent Holdings Ltd. on its $50 million investment in Ontario-based KIKInteractive, Inc., a messenger application with more than 200 million registered users.
Adobe on Media-Related Project
Advise U.S. software company, Adobe, on a media-related project in China.
Baidu, Inc. in Media Venture
Representation of Baidu, Inc., China’s leading search engine, with respect to a media venture.
Celestial Pictures on Intellectual Property Issues
Copyright and IP advice to Celestial Pictures, the owner of the Shaw Brothers library, the largest Chinese-language film collection in the world.
Celestial Pictures on PRC Regulatory Issues
Advised Celestial Pictures on certain PRC regulatory issues in connection with the formation of Celestial Tiger Entertainment, the joint venture Celestial formed with Lionsgate and the Saban Capital Group in late 2011.
China Filmed Entertainment in Production, Financing, and Distribution Arrangements
China Filmed Entertainment in production, financing, and distribution arrangements for films including The Painted Veil, Forbidden Kingdom, and Crazy Stone; and Season 15 of CBS/Mark Burnett’s Survivor (shot entirely in China).
Cyrte Investments on Investment in Co-production with Chinese Studio
Advised private equity firm Cyrte Investments on a major investment in a co-production with a Chinese studio.
Employment aspects of global joint venture
Advised a Japanese technology client on the international employment, pensions and incentives aspects arising on the formation of a joint venture with operations in the US, Asia and Europe.
Entertainment and Media Start-Up Companies in China
Advise start-ups such as producers of original Web content and digital music services.
Favorable ICC award for New Skies
Representation of New Skies in an ICC arbitration awarding relief of more than US$150 million to our client for a defective communications satellite.
Qualcomm/CSR Transaction
Representation of Qualcomm in connection with its acquisition of CSR plc, with filings in China, Germany, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
Communications and Media Joint Ventures
Counseling for joint ventures for a variety of clients in media and communications, including cable channel ventures, joint ventures for video programming and content, and satellite, wireless, and broadcast joint ventures.
China Oceanwide’s Acquisition of International Data Group, Inc.
Represented China Oceanwide before CFIUS in its acquisition of International Data Group, Inc.
Telehealth IT System Development
Represented a major global pharmaceutical company on negotiating arrangements with multiple suppliers for the development and operation of a complex state-of-the-art telehealth IT system.
Market entry
Assisting a major U.S. tech company with an entrance into China, including providing a comprehensive analysis of privacy and data protection issues in connection with that entry.
Outbound IP Litigation
Representing Samsung Electronics in an IP litigation against Enterprise Systems Technologies and succeeded in persuading the Texas district court judge to stay the entire district court case.
Outbound Investment
Advising Lenovo in securing approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States on its U.S. $2.3 billion acquisition of IBM's server business.
Outbound patent litigation
Defending a Korean memory chip maker in its suit involving seven patents relating to semiconductor manufacturing processes. As a result of our aggressive and strategic approach, the case settled well prior to trial on very favorable terms to our client.
Outside Counsel to Independent Producer of Chinese Reality Television Shows
Chief outside counsel to a leading independent producer of Chinese reality television shows, including "Pepsi’s Battle of the Bands" and the "Miss Universe China Reignwood Pageant."
Outbound mergers and acquisitions
Representing a very large Korea multinational company in its acquisition of an IT company located in North America.
Production Counsel for Keanu Reeves’s Directorial Debut, "Man of Tai Chi"
Production counsel for Keanu Reeves’s directorial debut, "Man of Tai Chi," a co-production involving Village Roadshow Entertainment Group Asia and China Film Group, which was picked up for release by Universal.
Production Counsel for “The Karate Kid,” “Let the Bullets Fly,” and “The Orphan of Zhao”
Production counsel for “The Karate Kid” (Columbia Pictures, starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan), box office hit “Let the Bullets Fly” (actor-director Jiang Wen), and leading Chinese filmmaker Chen Kaige’s “The Orphan of Zhao.”
Satellite Provider in Seeking Broader Access to Markets in China, Mexico and Elsewhere
Representation of a satellite provider in seeking broader access to markets in China, Mexico and elsewhere, which allowed us to combine our trade and communications expertise.
Season 15 of CBS/Mark Burnett’s “Survivor”
China counsel for Season 15 of CBS/Mark Burnett’s “Survivor” (which was shot entirely in China).
State-Owned Chinese Media Group
Advised a state-owned Chinese media group with respect to an international co-production project to be produced by a leading Hollywood producer.
Two Major Hollywood Studios on Various Feature Films in China
Advise two of the major Hollywood studios on a number of different feature films in China. Film projects for the majors include both studio films intended for wide international release, as well as local Chinese-language productions. Work for the majors also include advice regarding cooperation agreements, development, copyright and IP infringement, and relationships with talent.
USA Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo
Advice regarding sponsorship and financing negotiations for the proposed USA Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.
Village Roadshow Limited (VRL) on Theme Park on Hainan Island
Advised Village Roadshow Limited (VRL) on its destination theme park on Hainan Island, China. The theme park will focus on marine animal attractions, with a similar format to VRL’s Sea World on Australia's Gold Coast, and will also include a Wet ‘n Wild style water park.
Village Roadshow Entertainment Group Asia on Multiple Matters
Wide ranging advice to Village Roadshow Entertainment Group Asia, which has co-produced leading Chinese box office hits such as Stephen Chow’s “Journey to the West.”
Autonomous Vehicles Law and Regulation
We advise manufacturers, technology companies and other stakeholders with respect to a range of legal issues associated with autonomous vehicles. For example, we advised an automotive bidder on a major government contract for a next-generation vehicle regarding NHTSA innovation-related exemptions and autonomous vehicle guidelines. We also advise a Japanese automotive parts manufacturer on NHTSA and CARB certification rules and autonomous vehicle guidelines.
January 2021
Recapture of Excess COVID-19 Payroll Tax Credits Addressed in New Regs As the legal, regulatory, and commercial implications of coronavirus COVID-19 continue to evolve, our lawyers and advisors are helping clients navigate the complex considerations that companies around the world are facing and develop plans and strategies in response. Reach out to our ...
May 22, 2019, BBC
Timothy Stratford spoke with the BBC about China’s response to the U.S.’ decision to add Huawei to its “entry list.” Mr. Stratford says, "Particularly in the wake of the decision to put Huawei on the... entity list, there are concerns that the government of China may decide to retaliate against American companies. These are real concerns, and they increase the ...
July 30, 2018, Covington Alert
On May 24, 2018, China filled the top positions at the State Bureau of Film (Film Bureau) and State Administration of Press and Publication (SAPP). Both appointments fill vacancies created by the dismantling of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) and continue apparent Communist Party of China (CPC) efforts to ...
GC Cheat Sheet: The Hottest Corporate News Of The Week
July 6, 2018, Law360
Lee Tiedrich's comments from the U.S.-China AI Tech Summit are highlighted in this Law360 article providing a roundup of the top corporate news stories from the past week. According to Tiedrich, there’s a recognition that the new technology brings new legal challenges.
July 2, 2018, The Recorder
Lee Tiedrich recently spoke at the U.S.-China AI Tech Summit and is quoted by The Recorder in an article examining the pros and cons of introducing AI into the judicial process. According to Tiedrich, AI in the justice system also implicates questions of transparency and intellectual property. In cases where it’s alleged that AI perpetuates hiring discrimination ...
July 2, 2018, Law360
Lee Tiedrich recently spoke at the U.S.-China AI Tech Summit to discuss "AI in the Law" and is quoted in a Law360 article. According to Tiedrich, there is a recognition that the new technology brings new legal challenges. “One issue that’s been getting a lot of attention in the United States is whether and to what extent AI applications need to provide ...
March 5, 2018
BEIJING—China Business Law Journal has recognized Covington as one of the top international law firms in the Entertainment & Sports category. Covington’s Entertainment and Media practice in China has advised nearly every major Hollywood studio and many of the leading independents on their China activities and has been involved in some of the most significant ...
December 26, 2017
SILICON VALLEY—The Financial Times has recognized Covington among the most innovative firms in 2017 in the category of "Enabling Business Growth," for advising "Tencent in its acquisition of a $8.6bn majority stake in Supercell, the Finnish gaming company, while maintaining Supercell’s creative culture and retaining its employees by introducing incentive ...
October 3, 2017
BEIJING—China Law & Practice has named Covington as the international winner for “Trade Firm of the Year” at its annual awards ceremony in Beijing. The leading Chinese legal publication also recognized the firm for its role in the Technology, Media, and Telecom “Deal of the Year,” Tencent’s $8.6 billion acquisition of Supercell. The awards focus on “innovation ...
Covington Wins Two American Lawyer Global Legal Awards
August 11, 2017
WASHINGTON—The American Lawyer honored Covington with two Global Legal Awards, recognizing the firm’s success in “navigating complex international legal issues.” The firm was recognized for “Global M&A Deal of the Year: Japan” and “Global Dispute of the Year: Investigations (Asia).” Covington advised Tencent Holdings Limited, a leading provider of internet ...
April 12, 2017, Covington Alert
On April 11, 2017, the Cyberspace Administration of China (“CAC”) released a draft of the Measures on Security Assessment of Cross-border Data Transfer of Personal Information and Important Data (“the Draft Measures”) for public comment (official Chinese version available here; Covington’s translation of the Draft Measures is appended at the end of this alert).
UK Votes to Leave the EU
June 24, 2016, Covington Alert
The UK has voted to leave the European Union in an advisory referendum. 52% leave - 48% remain. Were the UK to leave the EU, this would have significant implications for the UK and for international businesses operating in the UK. The longer term impact of the decision on the regulatory framework for the UK will depend, in part, on the relationship that the UK ...
Covington Advises Tencent on Investment in Kik
August 20, 2015
SAN FRANCISCO, August 20, 2015 — Covington advised Tencent Holdings Ltd. on its US$50 million investment in Ontario-based Kik Interactive, Inc., a messenger application with more than 200 million registered users. Tencent is a Chinese company that provides value-added Internet, mobile and telecom services and online advertising. Its messaging app WeChat has ...
- Recognized by China Law & Practice for its role in the Technology, Media, and Telecom “Deal of the Year” (2017).
- Law360, Media & Entertainment Group of the Year (2019, 2014, 2012)
- Chambers USA: Telecom, Broadcast, & Satellite (2004-2019) and Media & Entertainment (2012-2019)
- Chambers USA: First Amendment Litigation (2011-2016)
- Chambers Europe: leading TMT practice (2012-2020)
- Chambers Asia-Pacific: China - Technology, Media, Telecoms (TMT) (2011-2019)
- Legal 500 US: Media, Technology & Telecoms
- Cyberlaw (2017)
- Marketing & Advertising (2012-2017)
- Technology - Data Protection & Privacy (2012-2017)
- Technology - Outsourcing (2012-2017)
- Technology - Transactions (2012-2017)
- Telecoms & Broadcast - Regulatory & Transactional (2012-2017)
- Legal 500 UK (2011-2016)
- Media and Entertainment
- IT & Telecoms
- Legal 500 EMEA: EU Regulatory, Information Technology (2011-2017)
- Legal 500 Asia Pacific: China - TMT: Foreign Firms (2009-2017)
- Best Lawyers in America: Communications Law (2014-2020)
- Best Lawyers in America: Administrative/Regulatory Law (2020)
- Best Lawyers in America: Technology (2012-2020)
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