Litigation and Investigations

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Covington litigators have a well-deserved reputation for handling novel, complex, and high-stakes disputes. Our experience spans multiple disciplines and venues, and includes litigation against both private party litigants and government authorities.

Our clients turn to us for their toughest challenges. We handle bet-the-company antitrust, class action, insurance recovery, and intellectual property litigation; defend against ever more aggressive enforcement actions by national and local government agencies; and tackle their most complicated international disputes.

By developing case themes early, focusing our discovery efforts on the key issues, and demonstrating the ability and drive to take the case to trial, we put our clients in the best position to win—whether through a verdict, a dispositive motion, or a negotiated resolution.

Vast Trial Experience

Our senior litigators, which include seven members of the American College of Trial Lawyers, have successfully tried hundreds of jury and bench trials.

Regulatory and Industry Expertise

We have a leg up on our competition because of our ability to staff litigation matters with multi-disciplinary teams that take advantage of the firm’s market-leading regulatory practices and our deep expertise in the special characteristics and challenges of particular industries.

Global Reach

Our litigators appear before national and international courts in Europe, state and federal courts and enforcement agencies throughout the US, and arbitral tribunals throughout the world; we also counsel our clients in cross-border disputes involving Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas, utilizing a trusted team of foreign lawyers and our own expert team of former diplomats and advisers.

Savvy Case Management with a Focus on Value

We work in close collaboration with our clients to manage litigation efficiently; reduce and make costs more predictable through alternative fee arrangements; and find creative ways to resolve cases early.

Broad Resources

Our litigation teams are strengthened by our extensive e-discovery capabilities, our technological resources for managing information and preparing trial exhibits, and our ability to collaborate efficiently across firm offices.

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Dismissal of wrongful death case based on government contractor defense

Obtained dismissal of a wrongful death case brought against a major government contractor for alleged gamma radiation exposure from a cargo screening device it manufactured for national security/border protection purposes. Early in the case, and only after minimal discovery, we successfully asserted the government contractor defense and convinced the trial court that the government had meaningfully reviewed and approved the product’s design specifications, that the product conformed with those specifications, and that the contractor had no knowledge of any product risks or hazards unknown to the government.

Dismissal of wartime wrongful death claims brought by contractor employees

Obtained dismissal of wrongful death claims against a military support contractor following an insurgent attack on a supply convoy in Iraq. After the district court refused to dismiss the case, we successfully brought an interlocutory appeal and persuaded the court of appeals that the Defense Base Act provided an exclusive remedy and barred the employee claims.

Dismissal of personal injury case involving military personnel

Persuaded a district court to dismiss a tort suit brought against a large logistical services contractor for injuries sustained by a soldier on a military base in Iraq. The district court and the court of appeals agreed that the case raised political questions because of the involvement of the military that were outside the scope of judicial review.

Multi-defendant privacy class action

Achieved dismissal of a putative class action against Microsoft, CBS, Microsoft, McDonald’s, and Mazda alleging violations of the Wiretap Act, Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and state laws. The complaint alleged that an online ad network used Flash cookies and other tracking mechanisms to build user profiles for the purpose of serving targeted advertising.

Litigated Successful Constitutional Challenge

On behalf of Microsoft, successfully challenged a gag order statute that allows courts to forbid technology companies from telling their customers about demands for their data under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). The lawsuit resulted in nationwide reform of the government's practices under the statute. See Microsoft Corporation v. United States Department of Justice, No. 2:16-cv-00538-JLR (W.D. Wash.).

Litigation Resulting in New Rules on Customer Access to Government Data Demands

Representation of technology client in Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court litigation challenging restrictions on technology company disclosures about government surveillance. The litigation resulted in new rules that allow technology companies to give their customers more information about how often the government demands customer data. See In re Motion to Disclose Aggregate Data Regarding FISA Orders, Misc. No. 13-04 (FISA Ct. 2014).

Aristocrat Technologies Patent and Trademark Litigation

Representation of Aristocrat Technologies Inc. in patent and trademark litigation brought by Bally Technologies relating to gaming devices; and patent infringement litigation brought by IGT in a case involving 32 patents directed at various aspects of gaming devices, in addition to other significant patent litigation.

Tax Court Litigation Resulting in Government Concession of over $250 million in Adjustments Plus an Additional Refund of $15 million

Prior to trial, obtained a concession from the Government with respect to adjustments of over $250 million relating to a worthless partnership interest deduction, and identified computational errors resulting in additional refunds of $15 million. JELD-WEN v. Commissioner, Tax Court Docket No. 003055-14.

Successful Settlement of IPR Proceedings for Knowles Electronics, LLC

Representation of Knowles Electronics, LLC as patent owner in four IPR proceedings relating to silicon microphone packages and MEMS microphones, all of which were successfully terminated by settlement. Covington also represented Knowles in the co-pending litigation, which successfully settled.

Successful Resolution for Bockstar Technologies in an IPR Proceeding

Representation of Bockstar Technologies LLC as patent owner in an IPR proceeding brought by Cisco Systems Inc., challenging the validity of four patents related to routers, switches, and computerized telephony. Covington filed substantive initial responses for three of the four petitions. The PTAB rejected one of the petitions in its entirety, and instituted only as to a single patent claim in a second petition—effectively eliminating half of Cisco’s petitions at a single stroke. The proceedings were terminated shortly thereafter as part of a global settlement.

State of Eritrea's boundary dispute with Ethiopia

Represented the State of Eritrea in the successful resolution of its boundary dispute with Ethiopia. We advised Eritrea during the negotiations that produced the December 2000 agreement ending the two-year Eritrea-Ethiopia border war. Covington then represented Eritrea before the commission established to delimit and demarcate the boundary between the two countries. This representation included preparation of arbitral memorials as well as participation in oral hearings before the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission in The Hague. The Commission delivered its delimitation decision on April 13, 2002. We continue to represent Eritrea in connection with the demarcation process.

Tax Court Victory Following Trial in Matter Involving over $350 million of Adjustments

Obtained a complete taxpayer victory following a trial in the Tax Court involving adjustments of over $350 million relating to homebuilder’s use of the completed contract method of accounting. The case represented, by dollar value, the largest taxpayer victory in the Tax Court in 2014. Currently represent taxpayer before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in connection with the Government’s appeal of the case. Shea Homes v. Commissioner, 142 T.C. No. 3 (2014).

Successful Resolution of Peregrine IPR Proceeding and Litigation

Representation of Peregrine Semiconductor as patent owner in an IPR proceeding brought by RF Micro Devices. The patent is directed to high frequency RF switches for 4G access technologies. Covington also represented Peregrine in the co-pending litigation. Both the IPR and the litigation were settled successfully for Peregrine.

Successful Representation of Spanish Investors in Yukos Oil Company in Arbitration Against Russia

Represented Spanish investors in Yukos Oil Company in an SCC arbitration against the Russian Federation arising from Russia’s expropriation of the company. The tribunal issued an award in our clients’ favor that valued Yukos at more than $60 billion at the time the company was expropriated.

BAIC and WFUM Solvent Schemes

Represented clients, including Exxon Mobil Corporation, Goodrich, Goodyear, and Textron in opposing efforts by solvent London Market companies to use so-called “solvent schemes of arrangement” to curtail their coverage obligations to policyholders facing long-tail liabilities, such as asbestos, silica, or environmental claims.

Advised client of risk mitigation techniques during contract formation

Counseled a major defense contractor on how to mitigate potential future tort risk during contract discussions with the U.S. government. The military wanted the contractor to provide support for a significant anti-terrorism initiative, and the contractor needed advice on how best to structure the contract to minimize its risk and maximize its protection in the event of third-party claims arising from its contract performance.

Cable One privacy class action

Achieved dismissals of three putative class actions against Cable One, a cable and Internet service provider, in litigation involving claims under the Wiretap Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and related state laws. The litigation arose out of a third party’s test of a system using “deep packet inspection” for the purpose of serving targeted advertisements.

AOL privacy class action

Achieved dismissal of a putative class action against AOL alleging violations of the Wiretap Act, Video Privacy Protection Act, and numerous state laws. The suit alleged unauthorized collection of personal information from the plaintiffs’ computers using “Flash cookies” and unlawful disclosure of video viewing information to third parties.

U.S. Department of Labor and Internal Revenue Service Investigations

Resolved contentious investigations by the US Department of Labor and Internal Revenue Service, in which the government took positions that exposed our clients to many millions, and in some cases over $1 billion, of potential liability. In several of these cases, we replaced counsel that was unable to reach agreement with the government, when litigation appeared to be imminent.

Transfer Pricing Resolution for More Than $3.3 Billion in Transactions

Served as lead U.S. counsel on negotiations for bilateral advance pricing agreement that proposed a transfer pricing methodology that was new to the industry and the two treaty countries; successfully assisted the two treaty countries in reaching agreement and voiding binding arbitration in dispute spanning 14 tax years and involving intercompany transactions of more than $3.3 billion.

Wells Fargo in Connection with Federal Reserve Board Investigation

Represent Wells Fargo & Co. and Wells Fargo Financial, Inc. in connection with a Federal Reserve Board investigation, enforcement action involving allegations of customer income alteration and customer steering by Wells Fargo Financial sales personnel in originating nonprime mortgage loans—and with implementation of the resulting consent order.

Hatch-Waxman Victory for Omeros Corporation

Representation of Omeros Corporation in Hatch-Waxman patent litigation against Par Pharmaceutical concerning Par's application to make a generic version of the drug Omidria®, a combination drug solution used to maintain pupil dilation during cataract surgery and reduce post-operative pain. The case involved Omeros' only approved drug. Following trial, Par settled the matter on favorable terms for Omeros.

Victory for UCB against multiple Plaintiffs at District Court and Federal Circuit

Representation of UCB in patent litigation trial against over a dozen generic drug companies in the District of Delaware. The generic drug companies contended that the patent covering UCB's blockbuster anti-epileptic drug, Vimpat®, was invalid. Chief Judge Stark ruled in UCB’s favor in a 95-page opinion. The decision was later affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Washington National Cathedral in Copyright Matter in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

Representation of Washington National Cathedral in a copyright action in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to enjoin a major movie studio from its unauthorized use of a Cathedral sculpture in a popular feature film.

Representation of Knappco in PTAB Proceedings

Representing Knappco, a subsidiary of Dover Corporation, in an IPR against CHS Inc. regarding systems and methods to reduce the potential for unintentional mixing of liquid types in tank systems. In The PTAB instituted proceedings on all claims on all grounds. The patent owner failed to file any responsive papers, and the PTAB entered adverse judgment against CHS cancelling all challenged claims.

Multiple IPRs for Aristocrat Technologies Inc.

Representation of Aristocrat Technologies Inc. in patent infringement litigation brought by IGT on an array of patents directed to gaming devices. Covington prepared and filed IPR petitions on 11 patents, and Covington represented Aristocrat as the patent owner in four IPR proceedings initiated by IGT. The parties reached a favorable settlement ahead of the litigation.

Victory for BMS and Eli Lilly in Copyright Infringement Matter

Secured a sweeping victory for our clients BMS and Eli Lilly. In 2006, BMS/Lilly hired Consumer Health Information Corporation (“CHIC”) to develop patient education materials for their injectable diabetes drug BYETTA. The contract expressly designated these as works made for hire and assigned CHIC’s interest in these materials to BMS/Lilly. BMS/Lilly later terminated CHIC, and CHIC sued for copyright infringement in D.C. district court in 2008, but voluntarily dismissed the action in 2009. Last July, CHIC sued again in the Southern District of Indiana. In an attempt to avoid the contractual ownership provisions, CHIC alleged “economic duress” and sought rescission. CHIC's infringement claim sought to recover our clients' profits, allegedly “in excess of several billions of dollars.” Judge Pratt dismissed the complaint with prejudice, ruling that two separate statutes of limitation barred CHIC’s infringement claim. First, the Court held that the claim was barred by the Copyright Act’s three-year statute of limitations. The Court accepted Covington’s argument that, because the case turned on ownership, not use, the continuing violation doctrine did not apply. The Court pointedly noted the inequity of allowing CHIC to wait while BMS/Lilly developed a market only to “pounce on the prize” years later. Separately, the Court held that the ownership provisions expressly assigned ownership to BMS/Lilly, and that CHIC’s attempted rescission was barred by California’s four-year statute of limitations. The Court also rejected CHIC’s outrageous attempt to invoke equitable tolling by arguing that its own (former) attorneys had dismissed its 2008 action without its consent and subsequently concealed the dismissal from CHIC.

Xerox plan administrator Supreme Court victory

Secured victory for Xerox in the Supreme Court on the deference owed plan administrators. Coming into the case after an adverse decision in the Second Circuit, and despite vigorous opposition from the Solicitor General, the Department of Labor, and the Internal Revenue Service, we persuaded the Supreme Court that the lower courts erred in refusing to give deference to the plan administrator's reasonable interpretation of the plan made in the course of litigation after his pre-litigation interpretation was held to be mistaken.

Secured dismissal of ERISA claims against BNY Mellon

Persuaded plaintiffs to dismiss voluntarily ERISA “stock drop” claims against our client, the independent fiduciary of BNY Mellon Corp.’s employer stock fund, by filing motion to dismiss. In re Bank of New York Mellon Corp. Foreign Exch. Trans. MDL (Sansano v. Fiduciary Counselors) (S.D.N.Y. 2012).

Two Major National News and Public Affairs Magazines and a National Newspaper on International Newsgathering and Libel Exposure Issues

Advised two major national news and public affairs magazines and a national newspaper on international newsgathering and libel exposure issues. For example, we have advised on the use of hidden cameras in Africa, India and Europe. We also represented a 50-member media coalition in successfully persuading Canadian courts not to exercise jurisdiction over the Washington Post in Bangoura v. Washington Post.

Victory in “Stock Drop” lawsuit

Persuaded Third Circuit to vacate a district court's certification of a class of participants in a "stock drop" lawsuit against our client Schering Plough that alleged breach of fiduciary duty for imprudent retention of a company stock fund in a 401(k) plan. In re Schering Plough Corp. ERISA Litig., 589 F.3d 588 (3d Cir. 2009).

Persuaded the IRS Examination Division to Close Out Transfer Pricing Audit With No Adjustment

Persuaded the IRS Examination Division to close out with no transfer pricing adjustment an audit involving a novel transfer pricing methodology and intercompany transactions in excess of $1.5 billion and to skip auditing the company for the next two years. The issues under audit were considered by a senior team of three government economists and nearly a dozen agents.

Persuaded IRS Appeals to Reverse Proposed Adjustments of More Than $250 million

On behalf of a national healthcare company, persuaded IRS Appeals Division to reverse, in their entirety, over $275 million of proposed adjustments related to the company’s income accruals. Following resolution, IRS Examination Division agreed to no longer raise the issue and to skip auditing the taxpayer for at least a year.

Tax Court Victory re: Expense Deduction Matter on Behalf of National Sports Team

Successfully litigated a matter before the Tax Court involving the taxable nature and deductibility of meal expenses on behalf of the Boston Bruins. The decision has implications for most national sports teams as well as other employers who provide meals to employees as a de minimis fringe benefit. Jacobs v. Commissioner, Tax Court Docket No. 019009-15.

Won TRO Fight for Lilly in Co-Promotion Dispute Regarding Important Diabetes Drug

Successfully defended Lilly against contract and antitrust claims brought by Amylin relating to an injectable diabetes treatment. We convinced the court to dissolve a TRO and deny a preliminary injunction, allowing Lilly to proceed with promotional activities for important medicine.

Yahoo! in Trademark Infringement Suit in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Representation of Yahoo! in a trademark infringement suit in the United States District Court for the Central District of California in which Yahoo! was accused of infringing the mark “Street Buzz” by using the term on its website in connection with web-based video segments.

Numerous amicus briefs on behalf of The ERISA Industry Committee

Filed amicus briefs on behalf of The ERISA Industry Committee in a variety of other groundbreaking cases, including Black & Decker v. Nord, 538 U.S. 822 (2003); Lockheed Corp. v. Spink, 517 U.S. 882 (1996); Patterson v. Shumate, 504 U.S. 753 (1992); Hecker v. Deere & Co., 556 F.3d 575 (7th Cir. 2009); Langbecker v. Electronic Data Sys. Corp., 476 F.3d 299 (5th Cir. 2007); and Montesano v. Xerox Corp., 256 F. 3d 86 (2d Cir. 2001).

$52 Million Jury Verdict for Caliper Life Sciences in Trade Secret Misappropriation

Representation of Caliper Life Sciences in which we secured a $52 million jury verdict of trade secret misappropriation in California state court related to microfluidics technology. Two related patent infringement cases settled shortly thereafter on terms favorable to our client.

Defense of VIMPAT Patent for Research Corporation Technologies Inc., Harris FRC Corporation, and UCB, Inc.

Represented Research Corporation Technologies, Inc., and licensees Harris FRC Corporation, and UCB, Inc. in a series of six IPR proceedings filed by various generics companies, challenging the patent claiming Vimpat®, UCB’s anti-epileptic drug. The first petition, filed by Actavis, Inc. in 2014, was denied institution. The second petition, filed by Argentum Pharmaceuticals LLC in 2015, was later joined to another four IPR petitions filed by Alembic Pharmaceuticals, Breckenridge Pharmaceutical, and Mylan Pharmaceuticals. The PTAB entered a final written decision on March 22, 2017 entirely rejecting all the challenges and upholding all claims of the patent. In concurrent district court litigation (in which we also represented UCB), the court rejected all the generics’ invalidity arguments in August 2016.

Reexamination, CBM and Litigation Victories for Ariba, Inc.

Representation of Ariba, Inc. as patent owner in a CBM proceeding relating to operating resource management systems. Covington also represents Ariba in the co-pending litigation. The CBM proceeding was terminated following successful settlement of the patent infringement aspect of the litigation. We have also represented Ariba as requester in two inter partes reexamination proceedings relating to a business-to-business electronic clearinghouse. All original patent claims, as well as claims added during both reexamination proceedings, were rejected. Favorable settlement for Ariba was promptly obtained pursuant to filing of the reexamination requests.

Recognition and enforcement of ICC award

Representation of a global consumer products company in connection with recognition and enforcement matters arising out of a favorable ICC award issued in the United States, a related U.S. confirmation ruling, and conflicting judicial proceedings in Brazil brought by joint venture partners who are dissatisfied with the ICC arbitration award.

Representation of Amoco before the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal

Representation of Amoco (now BP America) against the Islamic Republic of Iran before the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal. We obtained an award of over US$850 million, one of the largest awards ever rendered by that tribunal and one of the largest arbitration awards ever fully paid by a respondent state.

Brady v. National Football League

Covington successfully represented the National Football League in a class-action antitrust case in which the NFL Players Association and ten prominent players sought to enjoin the NFL’s lockout of its player-employees. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled for the National Football League, vacating the injunction entered by the District Court on the ground that the injunction violated the Norris-LaGuardia Act, which prohibits judicial interference in labor disputes.

AstraZeneca in $1.26 Billion Acquisition of Ardea Biosciences

Representation of AstraZeneca in its $1.26 billion acquisition of Ardea Biosciences. Under the agreement, AstraZeneca will pay $32 per share for all of the outstanding shares of Ardea. AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business with a primary focus on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines for gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory and inflammation, oncology and infectious disease. Ardea is a biotechnology company based in San Diego, California, focused on the development of small-molecule therapeutics for the treatment of serious diseases.

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Eli Lilly and Company

Covington successfully represented Eli Lilly and Company in a significant commercial dispute with a business partner. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the District Court’s denial of Amylin’s motion for a preliminary injunction that would have limited the medications that Lilly’s diabetes sale force could promote.

Representation of U.S. energy companies in an ICSID arbitration against Argentina

Representation of U.S. energy companies, which were then subsidiaries of E.ON, in an ICSID arbitration against Argentina arising out of measures taken by the government against the claimants’ investments in gas-distribution companies in Argentina, resulting in an award for damages (annulment proceedings pending).

Representation of the Kingdom of Jordan in securing dismissal of ICSID denial of justice claims

Representation of the Kingdom of Jordan in securing dismissal of ICSID denial of justice claims brought by a Turkish contractor relating to the collapse of a dike in the Dead Sea. In its award, the tribunal went on to state that, even if there had been jurisdiction, it was “unconvinced” by claimant’s denial of justice claim.

Representation of Samsung Electronics Company, Ltd. in Two IPR Proceedings

Representation of Samsung Electronics Company, Ltd. as petitioner in two IPR proceedings adverse to patent owner Boston University relating to gallium nitride semiconductor devices. The two proceedings were terminated following successful settlement of the underlying litigation, in which Covington represented Samsung.

Representation of Petrotrin in construction dispute

Representation of Petrotrin, the state-owned integrated oil and gas company of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, in a dispute arising out of a project with World GTL Inc. and its subsidiary, World GTL of St. Lucia Ltd. (together "WGTL"), to construct a gas-to-liquids plant for the processing of natural gas in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. (Awaiting award)

Representation of MTD and its subsidiary in an ICSID arbitration against Chile

Representation of MTD, a Malaysian construction and development company and its subsidiary in an ICSID arbitration against Chile concerning claims for breach of the bilateral investment treaty between Malaysia and Chile, resulting in an award for the claimants that was sustained in annulment proceedings.

Representation of Former President of the Asian Football Confederation in FIFA-Related Arbitration

Representation of Mohamed Bin Hammam, former president of the Asian Football Confederation, in his successful challenge to his FIFA-ordered lifetime ban from football (soccer) before the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Bin Hammam had been banned for alleged vote-buying on the eve of the election for FIFA’s Presidency, in which he was the only challenger to the re-election of Sepp Blatter. In July 2012, the three-judge panel found insufficient evidence and annulled the ban.

Representation of Coalition of Oil and Gas Companies in Efforts to Pursue California Offshore Oil and Gas Leases

A coalition of eleven oil and gas companies whose efforts to pursue development of their California offshore oil and gas leases were thwarted by the federal government, recovering more than $1.0 billion, including judgment after trial on complex geological and reservoir engineering issues.

Representation of an international beverage company in LCIA and UNCITRAL arbitrations

Representation of a leading Caribbean-based international beverage company in an LCIA arbitration against the former controlling shareholders of a major European-based company that was acquired by our client and in successfully handling a London-sited UNCITRAL arbitration administered by the LCIA.

NBA Properties and NBA Member Teams in Trademark Litigation Concerning the DREAM TEAM Mark

Representation of NBA Properties and the NBA member teams in trademark litigation concerning the DREAM TEAM mark in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, and also in anti-counterfeiting litigation concerning other NBA marks brought in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia against purveyors of counterfeit NBA merchandise in connection with an NBA All-Star game.

Ad hoc commercial arbitration against property insurer

Representation of the owner of a major oil refinery in Texas in an ad hoc commercial arbitration against an offshore property insurer, seeking insurance coverage for an US$82 million loss sustained as a result of a criminal wire fraud conspiracy relating to shipping contracts for the transport of crude oil from South America to the U.S.

In re Automotive Wire Harness Systems Antitrust Litigation

Representing S-Y Systems Technologies Europe, GmbH, the only defendant dismissed in its entirety from the wire harness price-fixing litigation, which is the lead case in the sprawling Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation pending in Detroit. The court granted motion to dismiss, on personal jurisdiction grounds and did not grant the plaintiffs’ request for jurisdictional discovery.

Internal investigation for a major U.S. financial institution

A cross-office team conducting an internal investigation for a major U.S. financial institution of allegations that the bank assisted Argentine nationals evade taxes and launder money. We are also coordinating the bank's global defense strategy, which includes leading strategy meetings with local Argentine defense counsel, and interfacing with key U.S. officials in the U.S. and in Argentina.

Advised on groundbreaking “pension derisking” transactions involving billions of dollars, including the following:

Represented 21st Century Fox on a spinoff and termination of its pension plan, including the accompanying group annuity purchase.
Represented Verizon Communications on its pension plan’s $7.5 billion annuity purchase (one of the largest pension annuitization transactions in U.S. history), and successfully defended Verizon against an attempt by retirees to block the transaction in court.
Represented Fiduciary Counselors on two pension derisking transactions, each involving a transfer of over $500 million in liabilities to insurance companies.

PBS in Two Trademark-Related Matters

Representation of Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) in trademark litigation to recover the PBS.COM domain name in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia; and in an opposition proceeding before the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, claiming that applicant's mark BE MORE RESPONSIBLE is likely to cause confusion with PBS's BE MORE mark.

In re Zyprexa Products Liability Litigation

Covington successfully represented Eli Lilly and Company in a major RICO class action involving the prescription drug, Zyprexa. After the District Court denied Lilly’s motion for summary judgment and certified a class of tens of thousands of “third party payor” plaintiffs, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed those decisions, holding that the case could not proceed as a class action, and that Lilly was entitled to summary judgment on plaintiffs’ claim that the price of Zyprexa was too high.

In re K-Dur Antitrust Litigation

Representing Schering-Plough (now Merck) in multi-district class action litigation challenging so-called reverse payment settlements of pharmaceutical patent litigation. Obtained denial of certification of indirect purchaser class, after which indirect purchasers voluntarily dismissed their case. The team previously defeated the FTC at trial in an action on the same facts, and will now have the opportunity to resolve the direct purchaser portion of the case under a recent Supreme Court decision.

International arbitration against Canada under NAFTA

Representation of Eli Lilly and Company in an international arbitration against Canada under Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Lilly seeks $500 million in compensation for the expropriation of its patent rights under Canada’s unique promise utility doctrine and other treaty violations.

Former CEO of IndyMac Bancorp in Litigation

Representing the former CEO of IndyMac Bancorp in matters arising out of the failure of IndyMac Bank, including knocking out all but one claim in SEC’s once wide-ranging securities enforcement case and settling the last remaining claim, without admitting or denying liability, as a negligence-based claim for $80,000 and a commitment to comply with the securities laws; successfully resolving an FDIC lawsuit; and defending against and/or successfully resolving several securities class action lawsuits, mortgage-backed securities cases, and purported ERISA class action lawsuits.

GE Capital Retail Bank CFPB Investigation and DOJ Consent Order

Represent the former GE Capital Retail Bank (now Synchrony Financial) in a CFPB investigation, enforcement action, and consent order related to allegations of deceptive marketing of credit card add-on products and discrimination against Spanish-speaking customers related to certain offers to settle outstanding credit card balances and a Department of Justice enforcement action and consent order regarding the same allegations of discrimination.

Proposition 65 Labeling and Chemical Safe Harbor Levels

Represent Compañía Cervecera de Puerto Rico, Inc. (CCPR), in a lawsuit alleging that CCPR’s Malta India product contains the chemical 4-MEI in quantities above the safe harbor level, and that CCPR has failed to label Malta India products sold in California with the warning required by California’s Proposition 65.

NFL CBA Arbitrations

Represented the NFL in a host of arbitrations under the NFL collective bargaining agreements, including the disputes regarding the Jimmy Graham Franchise Tender, the Drew Brees Franchise Tender, the Michael Vick, Plaxico Burress, and Larry Johnson salary forfeitures, and the Washington Redskins/Dallas Cowboys salary cap reallocation.

GSK DOJ pharmaceutical investigation

Represented GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in resolving a complex criminal and civil investigation by the United States Department of Justice. The multi-faceted investigation had a broad focus, including issues relating to GSK’s sales and marketing practices for numerous products, its regulatory submissions relating to Avandia, and the company’s use of the nominal price exception under the Medicaid Rebate Program.

GRUMA S.A. de C.V.

Successful representation of two Spanish subsidiaries of GRUMA S.A. de C.V., a Mexican food conglomerate, in an ICSID arbitration proceeding against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela arising out of certain measures of the Republic that violated the bilateral investment treaty between Spain and Venezuela and resulted in an award of close to $500 million, including interest.

Merck, Verizon, Spirits International, National Geographic, PBS, and Others before the United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board

Representation of numerous clients, including Merck, Verizon, Spirits International, National Geographic Society, Public Broadcasting Services, M Financial, Promontory Financial Group, U.S. Soccer Federation, Lewis Brothers Bakeries and Rosie O’Donnell in opposition and cancellation proceedings before the United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

Merck ITC and District Court Litigation

Representation of Merck & Co. before the ITC and in the Eastern District of Virginia in cases involving Merck’s blockbuster NuvaRing® contraceptive product. After the first day of the evidentiary hearing, the complainant dismissed their ITC complaint and subsequently dismissed their district court complaint as well. Certain Vaginal Ring Birth Control Devices.

McGraw-Hill and Other Major Textbook Publishers in Gray Goods Trademark and Copyright Litigation

Representation of McGraw-Hill and other major textbook publishers in gray goods trademark and copyright litigation in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York to prevent the illegal importation and sale over the Internet of textbooks published abroad and not intended for sale in the United States.

McCarrell v. Hoffmann-LaRoche Inc. and Roche Laboratories Inc.

Covington scored a major victory for Hoffmann-La Roche when, for the second time, the firm convinced the New Jersey Appellate Division to reverse a 2010 state court verdict in a case regarding side effects of the manufacturer’s drug Accutane. Covington has prevailed in all thirteen appeals in the Accutane litigation and has obtained reversals of all six adverse jury verdicts that have received appellate review.

Representation of ExxonMobil subsidiaries in a ICSID arbitration against Venezuela

Representation of ExxonMobil subsidiaries in a pending ICSID arbitration against Venezuela seeking full compensation under the Netherlands-Venezuela bilateral investment treaty and international law for the expropriation of investments in Venezuela. We successfully obtained US$900 million for ExxonMobil in a companion commercial arbitration described above.

Major Victory for Atmel in Patent Dispute

Representation of Atmel in a major victory where plaintiff Agere claimed that Atmel infringed four semiconductor patents, including what it touted as its key tungsten patents, and sought damages of approximately $200 million as well as enhancement for claimed willful infringement. After a three-week trial, the jury returned a verdict in Atmel’s favor; invalidating the tungsten patents, finding the fourth not infringed as well as invalid, and awarding Agere no damages.

National Geographic Society in Two Trademark Matters

Representation of National Geographic Society in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts against claims of infringement of an alleged family of ZONE marks asserted by the author of a series of ZONE books on health and nutrition; and in an opposition proceeding before the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, claiming that applicant's EXPLORE CHANNEL mark is likely to cause confusion with National Geographic's EXPLORER marks.

Murphy v. Verizon Communications, Inc., et al.

Covington successfully represented Verizon in an ERISA class action case brought by three retirees claiming the transfer of their pensions to a spin-off company violated various requirements of ERISA. The Fifth Circuit granted summary judgment in favor of Verizon after discovery. When the case grew to a class action, the Fifth Circuit eventually affirmed the dismissal of all claims.

Multi-million dollar shareholder dispute

Representation of Prime International Alliance Inc. in a shareholders’ dispute against its joint venture partner, Erin Resources S.A., concerning control over a multi-million dollar oil transshipment terminal in Russia, whereby Erin alleges frustration and/or breach of a shareholders’ agreement as a consequence of the European Union imposing sanctions on Prime’s beneficial owner.

Janssen Pharmaceuticals Hatch-Waxman Litigation

Representation of Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals in Hatch-Waxman litigation against Lupin relating to the Ortho Tri-Cyclen® Lo patent. After a full trial on the merits, the court held that the patent was valid and enforceable. We subsequently obtained a highly favorable settlement for our client.

IPR Proceeding Victory on Behalf of Texas Instruments

Representation of Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) as petitioner in an IPR proceeding relating to monolithic battery chargers. In a clean sweep victory in a patent office trial, the patent owner, Unifi Scientific Batteries (USB) ultimately requested judgment in TI’s favor. USB had sued TI in the Eastern District of Texas, alleging infringement of its patent directed to monolithic battery chargers. Covington filed a petition on behalf of TI in the Patent Office seeking invalidation of 16 claims. One week before oral argument, USB filed a Request for Adverse Judgment, disclaiming all of the 16 challenged claims. The Patent Office granted the Request and entered the judgment, successfully ending the trial. Covington also represented TI in the co-pending litigation, which settled successfully.

Invalidation of 41 Claims in Victory for Media Clients

Representation of multiple petitioners, including The New York Times Company and CBS Interactive, in an IPR proceeding (and in seven inter partes reexamination proceedings) for patents held by Helferich Patent Licensing, LLC. The patents relate to cell phone messaging and were the subject of co-pending litigation in which the requesters were defendants. The PTAB provided another clean sweep IPR victory when it invalidated all 41 challenged claims of the patent. Following Covington’s argument in April 2015, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the PTAB’s decision, securing the clients’ victory.

Salix Pharmaceuticals in $2.6 Billion of Santarus, Inc.

Representation of Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. in its acquisition of Santarus, Inc. for a total value of approximately $2.6 billion. The transaction closed on January 2, 2014. According to Carolyn Logan, Salix President and Chief Executive Officer, “The acquisition of Santarus is a transformational event for Salix and an important milestone in our growth as the leading gastroenterology-focused specialty pharmaceutical company in the United States.”

Robertson v. United States ex rel. Watson

Covington successfully represented Wykenna Watson in a constitutional challenge to a District of Columbia law that allows victims of domestic abuse to pursue criminal contempt proceedings for violations of civil protective orders. Following oral argument, the Supreme Court agreed with Covington’s suggestion that the case should be dismissed.

National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius

The Supreme Court appointed Covington’s Robert Long to brief and argue a preliminary issue in this case: whether the Anti-Injunction Act barred challenges to the minimum coverage provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. Covington’s arguments were relevant to the Court’s ultimate holding that Affordable Care Act’s penalty for failing to obtain health insurance is a tax for constitutional purposes.

U.S. Appeals Court Shoots Down FCC Merger-Review Disclosure Order

Successful representation of CBS Corporation, The Walt Disney Company, Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., Scripps Networks Interactive Inc., Time Warner Inc., Univision Communications Inc., and Viacom Inc. Borrego Solar Systems, Inc. against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in connection with the disclosure of programming contracts with pay-TV providers as part of the FCC’s review of pending cable and satellite mergers.

Comprehensive compliance program update

Advising a multinational chemical manufacturer regarding updates to its integrated compliance program, developing a three-year plan for a comprehensive update, and helping the company assess risk and update its existing policies and procedures in the areas of anti-corruption, third party due diligence and monitoring, and investigations.

LaRue v. DeWolff, Boberg & Assocs., Inc., 128 S. Ct. 1020 (2008) (counsel for amicus)

The U.S. Supreme Court held that a participant stated a colorable ERISA fiduciary breach claim for losses stemming from the alleged failure to implement investment directions for his 401(k) plan account. In a concurring opinion, Chief Justice Roberts cited our amicus brief for The ERISA Industry Committee in stating that such actions might need to be brought as benefits denial claims and subjected to exhaustion of administrative remedies.

Cole Taylor Bank in Federal Reserve Board Investigation

Representing Cole Taylor Bank, now part of MB Financial, in Federal Reserve Board (and Illinois banking department) investigation and consent cease and desist/civil money penalty order alleging violations of consumer protection laws with respect to deposit products provided by the bank through a third party that offered financial aid refund disbursement services to higher education students.

Co-counsel in arbitration relating to alleged breaches of a bilateral investment treaty and several production-sharing agreements

Representation of a Perenco affiliate as co-counsel in a pending ICSID arbitration relating to alleged breaches of a bilateral investment treaty and several production-sharing agreements, with claims valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Co-lead counsel in successfully obtaining one of the largest BIT/ICSID awards

Representation of Occidental Petroleum and an affiliate, as co-lead counsel, in successfully obtaining the largest BIT/ICSID award rendered to date (approximately US$2.3 billion, including interest) in an arbitration against Ecuador for breaches of the U.S.-Ecuador bilateral investment treaty and a production sharing agreement.

Credit Suisse AG in connection with Federal Reserve Board Investigation and Consent Order

Representing Credit Suisse AG in connection with Federal Reserve Board investigation and Federal Reserve Board Consent Order to Cease and Desist and Assessment of Civil Money Penalty with respect to allegations that Credit Suisse assisted U.S. taxpayers with opening of foreign accounts to avoid required U.S. tax reporting and related matters—and in connection with implementation of requirements of the Order.

Cradle IP v. Texas Instruments

Covington successfully defended Texas Instruments in patent litigation alleging infringement by a broad array of digital signal processors sold by TI. After the District Court of Delaware granted TI’s motion for summary judgment of non-infringement regarding all accused products except one, the Federal Circuit granted a complete win to TI on appeal.

Center for Sustainable Economy, Petitioner v. Sally Jewel and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Respondents American Petroleum Institute, et al., Intervenors

Covington successfully represented the American Petroleum Institute, Independent Petroleum Association of America, U.S. Oil & Gas Association, and International Association of Drilling Contractors in a lawsuit seeking to block a federal program which provides the basis for all oil and gas leasing in offshore federal waters. The D.C. Circuit ruled that the Government had rationally and appropriately balanced the environmental, social, and economic values at stake in proceeding with the leasing program.

CBS Corp. v. FCC.

Covington successfully represented CBS against a threat by the FCC to make hundreds of thousands of pages of highly confidential programming contracts and negotiation materials available to hundreds of third parties. The D.C. Circuit ruled in favor of CBS, stating the FCC’s decision was “both substantively and procedurally flawed.”

Over-the-counter medicine investigation

We represented a world-leading consumer products manufacturer in an investigation by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform regarding high-profile recalls of over-the-counter medicines. The investigation included multiple interviews, tens of thousands of documents produced to Congress, and two major hearings, including one at which the company’s chairman and CEO testified.

Obtained SAFETY Act protection for anti-terror products and services

The SAFETY Act, administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, provides liability protection to the makers and users of anti-terror technology in the event of a terror attack. We have successfully guided clients from virtually every major industry in the United States, including government contractors, airports, port authorities, chemical companies, large sports stadiums, and professional sports leagues, through the SAFETY Act application process and secured SAFETY Act protection for a wide range of technologies.

Los Alamos investigation

We represented the University of California in an intense and wide-ranging investigation by the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations into alleged fraud and mismanagement at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The investigation involved more than two dozen witness interviews and culminated in three days of hearings. At the conclusion of the investigation, the University retained its contract to manage the Laboratory.

LinkedIn privacy class action

Achieved dismissal of a putative class action against LinkedIn alleging violations of the Stored Communications Act and state law. The complaint asserted that LinkedIn disclosed LinkedIn user identification numbers and LinkedIn URL addresses to third party advertising companies, which allowed those companies to correlate the identity of a user with his or her previously anonymous Web browsing history.

DuPont plan administrator Supreme Court victory

Secured a unanimous Supreme Court decision holding that DuPont’s plan administrator “did its statutory ERISA duty” when it paid deceased worker’s retirement benefits to his ex-wife, whom he had named as beneficiary in plan documents, even though his ex-wife gave up any interest in the benefits in their divorce decree.

$3.6 Million Jury Verdict in Favor of World Marketing, Inc. in Trademark Dispute

Won a $3.6 million jury verdict in California federal court after a jury found that apparel giant Quiksilver, Inc. willfully infringed World Marketing, Inc.’s longstanding federally registered “VISITOR” brand. Following a six-day jury trial, the eight-member jury unanimously found that Quiksilver willfully infringed World Marketing’s brand after launching its clothing and apparel brand VSTR, which it pronounced “visitor.” World Marketing, a family-owned company based in New York, has been selling clothing and apparel under its registered VISITOR trademark for more than 20 years, including at stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, and Men’s Wearhouse.

Representation of Oppo Before ITC

Defended OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corp., Ltd. and OPPO Digital, Inc. against patent infringement allegations brought by LG Chem - pending. Oppo Digital, Inc; Guandong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp. Ltd (Respondents): Batteries and Electrochemical Devices Containing Composite Separators, Components Thereof, and Products Containing Same, USITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1087.

Successful Representation of Samsung at the District Court, PTAB, and the U.S. Court of Appeals

Representation of Samsung as a third-party intervenor in the District Court of Delaware in a case instituted by Gold Charm. Gold Charm sued Toshiba, a customer of Samsung Display Co., asserting a dozen unrelated patents relating to LCD technologies. Many of the accused products contained components manufactured by Samsung Display. Samsung decided to intervene to protect its customer. The result was a decisive victory based on a broad effort comprised of: IPRs that knocked out several patents; a motion for partial summary judgment on licensing that knocked out another patent and drastically reduced the plaintiff's alleged damages; and further summary judgment motions on the two most significant remaining patents were filed and granted by the court. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit summarily affirmed the IPR victory on one of the patents. None of the other IPR victories were appealed.

Trial Win in Civil Forfeiture Case For Car Exporters Who Had to Prove Their Innocence

Following a seven-day jury trial in the Southern District of New York, our litigators won a jury verdict in favor of Efans Trading Corporation and Unicorn Tire Corporation in a high-profile civil forfeiture case involving the export of high-end luxury cars to China. Our clients ran two companies—Unicorn Tire, a tire import business, and Efans Trading Corporation, which bought and exported high-end luxury automobiles to China. In 2013, the Government seized 47 vehicles and over $3.3 million in funds based on the allegation that Efans had defrauded dealers and manufacturers, and that Unicorn had provided essential facilitation of that crime. At the February 2017 trial, because of the unusual civil forfeiture context, we had the burden of proving that our clients had not committed mail and wire fraud, as the Government alleged. Based on the evidence of dealership knowledge, lack of harm, and Claimants’ good faith belief that their business was proper, it took jurors three hours to return a verdict for our clients, answering each of 53 questions on a lengthy verdict form in our favor. We expect that this verdict will soon lead to the return of our clients’ property.

Financial services investigation

We represented a major financial services company in congressional investigations concerning the documentation of residential foreclosures. Conducted by the House Committee on Financial Services and the House Committee on the Judiciary, the investigations included document requests, interrogatory responses, and an oversight hearing. A significant complicating factor was widespread private and state attorneys general litigation on the same subject matter.

Huawei Privacy Class Action

Defending Huawei, a Chinese mobile handset maker, in a putative class action alleging violations of the Wiretap Act, Stored Communications Act, and various state laws. The suit stems from the allegation that third-party mobile analytics software transmitted data about mobile device users’ activities to other parties without authorization.

Deep experience

We have represented clients in numerous other congressional investigations and oversight hearings, including a major internet services company in an investigation of its practices abroad, a chemical manufacturer in an investigation of the safety of its products, an insurance company in a hearing on the federal long term care insurance program, a financial services company in an investigation of credit card terms, and drug companies in investigations concerning such matters as payments to doctors, marketing practices, generic approvals, drug importation, and drug safety.

Multimillion Dollar Jury Verdict in Trade Secret Dispute for Former CEO of a Medical Device Company

Representation of the former CEO of a medical device company in defeating claims of theft of trade secret and employment contract claims, and obtaining a multimillion dollar jury verdict on counterclaims based on a technology licensing agreement in which the CEO (who was also the inventor of a heart valve) licensed the technology to the company.

High Profile Section 337 Dispute Between U.S. Steel and the Chinese Steel Industry

Representation of Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. in a trade secret, antitrust and false designation of origin dispute in the International Trade Commission involving processes for making Advanced High Strength Steel. In November 2016, Sturgis Sobin, Derek Ludwin, and James O’Connell were named “Litigators of the Week” by American Lawyer for an initial determination at the ITC on behalf of our client. This was the first price-fixing case in almost 40 years at the agency, terminating U.S. Steel’s antitrust claim.

Half-billion Dollar Trade Secrets Trial Victory for McKesson

After being retained months prior to trial following nearly a decade of litigation, Covington obtained a complete defense verdict for a subsidiary of McKesson Corporation in a bench trial in New York Supreme Court. The plaintiff had alleged breach of a non-disclosure agreement and trade secret misappropriation related to a drug discount program. Plaintiff sought the assignment of certain McKesson patents and half a billion dollars: nearly $250 million in damages and 11.5 years’-worth of prejudgment interest. PSKW, LLC v. McKesson Specialty Arizona, Inc. (S. Ct. NY).

Representation of IBM in age discrimination suit

In the first appellate ruling on the question of whether cash balance plans are age discriminatory, obtained the Seventh Circuit victory reversing the trial court and holding that IBM’s cash balance plan was not discriminatory. The appellate victory avoided $1.4 billion in damages. Cooper v. IBM Personal Pension Plan, 457 F.3d 636 (7th Cir. 2006).

Success Before ITC and PTAB on Behalf of Tessera

As recognized by The National Law Journal, Covington successfully represented Tessera at the ITC regarding a patent infringement dispute with Broadcom over semiconductor chips. This victory came on the heels of its effective represented before the PTAB. Tessera (Complainant): Certain Semiconductor devices, semiconductor device packages, and products containing same, USITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1010.

Successful Representation of Microsoft in Privacy Battle

Represented Microsoft in successfully opposing a subpoena seeking the emails of a deceased customer. Following briefing and a hearing, the Court embraced Microsoft's balanced approach to this nuanced issue of digital privacy, holding that Microsoft could not be compelled by subpoena to produce the emails but was free to do so voluntarily in accordance with its policies.

Landmark Trademark Infringement Ruling for John Deere

Represented John Deere in a trademark infringement lawsuit against FIMCO, Inc. for dilution and false designation concerning Deere's iconic green and yellow colors on its towed agricultural equipment. After a one week bench trial, the Judge ruled in favor of Deere on every claim and issued a permanent injunction, prohibiting FIMCO from selling green and yellow agricultural equipment.

Significant Privacy Case Before the Irish High Court

The Irish High Court referred the validity of the Standard Contractual Clauses used as a basis to transfer data and specifically whether they are compatible with the EU treaties to the EU Court of Justice. This is an amicus brief where we will appear on behalf of our client alongside the U.S. Government in making submissions before the EU Court of Justice.

Dismissal of Multidistrict Litigation Alleging Contractor Negligence Inside Overseas War Zones

Obtained complete dismissal of 63 lawsuits brought by 800-plus named plaintiffs against KBR, the largest military services contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan. These claims challenged KBR’s use of burn pits to dispose of waste during those wars. The district court adopted our arguments in their entirety and held the claims were barred by the political question doctrine and preempted based on the “combatant activities” exception to the Federal Tort Claims Act.

Development of Internal Guidelines for Law Enforcement Requests

Regularly assist global businesses in developing internal guidelines for responding to law enforcement requests, including by identifying and advising on relevant legal obligations and assessing best practices for responding to government requests for customer data. We help clients develop procedures for addressing conflict-of-law issues that arise when receiving law enforcement requests from countries worldwide, with an eye toward creating efficient and scalable solutions.

Microsoft Ireland Case

Representing Microsoft before the U.S. Supreme Court in its challenge to the government’s attempt to compel disclosure of customer emails stored in Ireland using a search warrant. The case set Irish and European privacy law and national sovereignty against U.S. law enforcement needs and raised a whole host of issues relating to demands for data by government agencies from another country.

Secured Dismissal for Deutsche Bank in Civil Litigation Involving the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA)

Successfully defended Deutsche Bank in an ATA litigation brought on behalf of American service members killed or injured by terrorist bombing attacks in Iraq. Covington secured a complete dismissal with prejudice, proving that Deutsche Bank's conduct did not amount, as plaintiffs contended, to a conspiracy to fund terrorism.

Representation of Microsoft in Landmark Case Involving Data Stored Abroad

Successfully challenged U.S. government warrant seeking data stored in Ireland. After a favorable decision from the Second Circuit—and while the Supreme Court was reviewing the case—Congress enacted the CLOUD Act, a modernized framework for cross-border data requests. See United States v. Microsoft Corporation, No. 17-2 (U.S.).

Representation of Eli Lilly, ImClone, and BMS

Representation of Eli Lilly and Company, ImClone, and BMS in an IPR proceeding challenging the validity of a patent owned by the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania (Penn). In concurrent district court litigation (in which we also represented Eli Lilly), Penn alleged that its patent covered methods of using Eli Lilly’s biologic Erbitux® for treating cancer patients. The PTAB instituted trial on all challenged claims, and its final decision found the challenged claims to be unpatentable. On appeal, the Federal Circuit summarily affirmed the PTAB’s decision.

Multiple IPR Proceedings on Behalf of Biogen

Represented Biogen in defeating Swiss Pharma’s attacks on three patents covering TYSABRI®, an antibody biologic for treating patients with multiple sclerosis. The PTAB declined to institute a trial on all three of Biogen’s patents. The PTAB adopted the detailed reasoning from Covington’s briefs, finding that Swiss Pharma’s evidence and expert testimony did not demonstrate a reasonable likelihood of prevailing at trial.

Enactment of Trade Secrets Legislation

Represented the Protect Trade Secrets Coalition in successfully seeking to enact legislation to create a federal civil cause of action for trade secret misappropriation to supplement state-level remedies and testified before the House Judiciary Committee on the need for legislation. The legislation was enacted in 2016 after being passed by the Senate 87-0 and by the House 410-2.

Representation of Elbit Systems of America, LLC in IPR Proceeding

Representation of Elbit Systems of America, LLC as petitioner in an IPR proceeding relating to a patent directed toward a system and method for tracking the motion or orientation of an object relative to a moving reference frame, such as in a head-mounted display. The patent is owned by Thales Visionix, Inc., and Covington also represents Elbit in the co-pending litigation in the Court of Federal Claims. The PTAB issued its final written decision holding as unpatentable more than half of the challenged claims.

Representation of LifeCell as Petitioner in an IPR Proceeding

Achieved a complete victory for LifeCell Corporation as petitioner in an IPR proceeding challenging a patent owned by LifeNet Health directed to soft tissue graft compositions. Trial was instituted and the PTAB granted the patent owner’s request for adverse judgment, cancelling all claims in the patent.

Representation of Indivior in Challenge to Patent for SUBOXONE

Represented Indivior UK Limited (f/k/a RB Pharmaceuticals Limited), as patent owner in an IPR proceeding, brought by Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., challenging one of three Orange Book listed patents for Suboxone® sublingual film, a treatment for opioid dependence. Tthe PTAB denied Teva’s petition in its entirety, adopting the rationale presented in Covington’s patent owner preliminary response.

Precedential Opinion Seals Victory for Bristol-Myers Squibb in Patent Dispute

Representation of Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), as a patent owner in an IPR proceeding instituted by Momenta Pharmaceuticals (Momenta), challenging the validity of a patent covering the formulation of BMS’s biological product, Orencia. The PTAB entered a final written decision entirely rejecting Momenta’s challenges and upholding all claims of the patent. Momenta appealed the decision to the Federal Circuit, even though Momenta had not yet filed a biosimilar application for Orencia with FDA. In a precedential opinion, the Federal Circuit dismissed Momenta's appeal for lack of standing and mootness because the company had failed to establish standing and in any event stopped developing a biosimilar version of the product, rendering the appeal moot.

Representation of Warner Chilcott in an IPR Proceeding

Representation of Warner Chilcott as patent owner in an IPR proceeding, brought by the generic company Mylan Pharmaceuticals, challenging the patent claiming LO LOESTRIN, Warner Chilcott’s oral contraceptive. After Mylan filed its petition, the parties settled favorably without a single claim being invalidated or the PTAB instituting review on a single claim of the LO LOESTRIN Patent. Covington successfully represented Warner Chilcott in ANDA litigation against prior generic filers on LO LOESTRIN, obtaining a favorable judgment after a bench trial which was upheld by the Federal Circuit.

Balkrishna Industries, Ltd. Patent Litigation

Representation of Balkrishna Industries Ltd. and its affiliates BKT Tires, Inc. and BKT USA, Inc. in litigation against Bridgestone Brands, LLC and Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC concerning alleged patent infringement, trademark infringement and unfair competition issues in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.

Sony BMG Music Entertainment in Class Action Lawsuit

Sony BMG Music Entertainment in a class action lawsuit brought by the Allman Brothers Band and Cheap Trick on behalf of all artists whose contracts pre-date the era of digital downloaded music. Sony BMG pays the artists under the applicable royalty rate for album sales at brick-and-mortar record stores, while the artists claim that Sony BMG should be paying a much greater royalty rate for downloaded music.

Taylor v. United Technologies Corp.

Taylor v. United Technologies Corp., 2009 WL 4255159 (2d Cir. Dec. 1, 2009), aff’g 2009 WL 535779, 46 Empl. Ben. Cas. (BNA) 1935 (D. Conn. Mar. 3, 2009). The Second Circuit affirmed the summary judgment entered in favor of our client United Technologies in a 401(k) plan expense class action lawsuit. The court upheld the rejection of all of plaintiffs’ claims concerning a variety of fiduciary decisions over more than a decade, for which plaintiffs had calculated alleged damages of $230 million.

Covington Avoids IPR Trial for AstraZeneca SYMBICORT® Patent

Represented AstraZeneca in defeating Complex Innovations’ attack on a patent covering SYMBICORT® inhalation aerosol for asthma and COPD. The PTAB denied institution of an IPR trial as to every challenged claim. The PTAB largely followed the arguments Covington presented in the preliminary response when determining that the petition failed to demonstrate a reasonable likelihood of prevailing at trial.

Successful Representation of Samsung at the ITC, District Court, and PTAB

Representation of Samsung as petitioner in an ITC action and related district court action instituted by Black Hills Media, involving nine patents. In the ITC, Black Hills sought to preclude Samsung from importing hundreds of products into the U.S., including cell phones, tablets, smart TVs, Blu-ray players, and home theater systems. Following an evidentiary hearing, the ITC agreed that no Section 337 violation by Samsung had been proven and terminated the Investigation. While the ITC case was pending, the team also obtained a strategically important stay of the parallel E.D. Texas district court litigation, over the plaintiff’s objection, and despite the fact that the district court case involved several patents not at issue in the ITC. The district court case was ultimately dropped by Black Hills. Covington also prepared and prosecuted nine related inter partes review petitions. After oral argument in two of the proceedings, the PTAB issued a Final Written Decision finding all challenged claims unpatentable.

Samsung ITC Section 337 in Certain Portable Electronic Devices Investigation

Representation of Samsung (respondent) in the ITC Section 337 Investigation: In the Matter of Certain Portable Electronic Devices and Components Thereof, Inv. No. 337-TA-994, and appeal at the Federal Circuit. The ITC held the patent infringement claims invalid under Section 101 in a special 100-day proceeding. On appeal, the Federal Circuit summarily affirmed the ITC’s ruling.

Won Summary Judgment for DARCARS in Suit Seeking Ownership/Control

Won summary judgment for a major auto dealership network in a fight for control of a family-owned company. In this high-profile Washington, DC-area case, Plaintiff Tammy Darvish sued her father, her brothers, and her former employer in January 2015 claiming that she had been promised one-third ownership and control of DARCARS and that her brothers tortuously interfered with this alleged “contract.” Covington developed evidence showing that Ms. Darvish’s alleged “contract” was fatally vague and illusory and that her tortious interference claims were unfounded. Covington moved for summary judgment on all claims, and the court granted the motion in its entirety with trial just weeks away.

Network Affiliated Stations Alliance and NAB in Battle before Congress, FCC, and Third and D.C. Circuits Courts of Appeals

Waging on behalf of the Network Affiliated Stations Alliance and the National Association of Broadcasters a multi-year, multi-venue battle before Congress, the FCC, and the Third and D.C. Circuits Courts of Appeals on the national television ownership rule, successfully achieving a legislative reversal of the FCC’s decision.

Multiple Clients on Legislative and Regulatory Policy and Litigation Issues

Representation of clients on various legislative and regulatory policy and litigation issues, including (1) retransmission consent, (2) downconversion of digital signals by cable systems, (3) carriage of digital multicast streams by cable, DBS and other video program distributors, (4) indecency, (5) media ownership and (6) importation of distant signals by DBS operators.

Transfer of major construction dispute from state to federal court

Removed a construction dispute involving several hundred million dollars from state to federal court, which was a superior forum for asserting various federal defenses on behalf of our government contractor client. We defeated the plaintiff’s efforts to send the case back to state court, successfully arguing that the case properly was removed under the federal officer removal statute because of the significant role played by the federal government in the construction project.

Support of derivative sovereign immunity defense through Supreme Court amicus brief

Filed a Supreme Court amicus brief on behalf of a government contractor trade association in support of a U.S. Navy contractor being sued for unwanted text messaging. The proposed class action raised significant questions regarding the application of derivative sovereign immunity to private contractors performing work on behalf of the federal government.

Insurance Coverage for AI, Autonomous Vehicles, and Other IoT Products

We advise clients on closing insurance gaps associated with new technologies. Matters have included advising a client in identifying and providing solutions to gaps in coverage relating to AI use and risk, including with respect to AI used for autonomous vehicles. We help policyholders recover insurance—both in the U.S. and abroad—for a wide variety of claims, including mass-tort liabilities, property and business interruption losses, marine, and D&O, E&O, and many other types of exposures.

Microsoft privacy class action

Achieved summary judgment for Microsoft in a putative class action alleging unauthorized collection of geolocation information from the plaintiffs’ mobile devices. After a claim under the Wiretap Act was dismissed at the pleadings stage, we successfully obtained summary judgment on a remaining claim under the Stored Communications Act.

Cross-border trade, anti-corruption, and data compliance

Advising a major petrochemical company regarding its establishment of an integrated compliance program, with particular focus on the areas of U.S. and European trade controls, anti-corruption, and data privacy. Our representation includes assistance with establishing a corporate compliance office, assessing risks in these areas, drafting the necessary policies and procedures tailored to company risks and operations, and implementing the program through training and assessment.

Defeated Claims for Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

On behalf of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, defeated claims by parties seeking to attach Persian antiquities in efforts to enforce a judgment against Iran, Rubin v. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (1st Cir. 2013), and claim to Austrian expressionist painting, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston v. Seger-Thomschitz (1st Cir. 2010).

ERISA litigation in the Supreme Court

Successfully handled important ERISA litigation in the Supreme Court, including Conkright v. Frommert, 130 S. Ct. 1640 (2010) (requiring deference to the plan administrator’s interpretation of a plan, even though the administrator had previously relied on provisions that were not properly added to the plan), and Kennedy v. Plan Adm’r for Dupont Sav. & Invt. Plan, 129 S. Ct. 865 (2009) (applying ERISA’s “plan document” rule to affirm unanimously a plan administrator’s decision to follow a beneficiary designation that gave rights to a participant’s former spouse, even though a divorce decree had stated that the former spouse gave up her rights).

Debt/Equity Classification for $2 Billion Instrument

Obtained an appeals reversal of a transfer pricing adjustment involving more than $400 million of proposed adjustments, reversals of $285 million of subpart F income, and reversal of proposed earnings and profits adjustment of almost $300 million in connection with the debt/equity classification of a $2 billion instrument.

Corporate Culture Investigation for Uber Technologies, Inc.

Led a three-month investigation into the corporate culture at Uber Technologies Inc. following a blog post by a former Uber engineer that alleged that the company’s work culture was biased against women and that managers ignored sexual harassment complaints. The process included more than 200 interviews with current and former employees, and resulted in a set of recommendations approved unanimously by the board that subsequently were released publicly.

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Covington Named Transatlantic Arbitration Team of the Year

LONDON—The American Lawyer and Legal Week have named Covington its Transatlantic Arbitration Team of the Year. The award focuses on a single case that involved significant lawyering on both sides of the Atlantic and that demonstrated excellence in legal expertise and innovation, project management skills, and teamwork. The publications recognized Covington for ...

Covington Wins Historic Class Action Victory for Veterans

WASHINGTON—Today, for the first time in its history, the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims certified a class action and granted classwide relief to veterans. Covington brought this class action petition in partnership with the National Veterans Legal Services Program. The landmark petition challenged the inexcusable delays by the Veterans ...

Car Wash investigation's legacy is driving cooperation in the Americas

Veronica Yepez is quoted extensively in Global Investigations Review from her panel session at the Latin Lawyer - GIR Live Anti-Corruption & Investigations conference in Mexico City. In discussing the legacy of the Brazilian “Car Wash” investigations, Ms. Yepez said that episode is driving cooperation in South America: “We are not only seeing close cooperation ...

Covington Wins Supreme Court Patent Dispute for Return Mail

WASHINGTON—Covington won a precedent-setting dispute before the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of Return Mail, Inc. in a case that attracted significant attention in the patent field, particularly within industries that involve competition or collaboration with the federal government. The 6-3 ruling concludes a pivotal chapter in Return Mail’s 15-year, multi-forum ...

Feds Send Clear Message With Flurry Of Fintech Cases

Anne Termine is quoted in Law360 regarding the SEC’s enforcement on fintech and cryptocurrency matters. Ms. Termine says, “From my perspective, having a no-fine case is a pretty big deal. And I think the SEC wanted to make pretty clear that it was a big deal that this was a self-report and that [the company was] recognizing the SEC jurisdiction, that they were ...

Full 9th Circ. Hyundai Reset Gives Clarity On Class Deals

Michael Stern is quoted in Law360 regarding a Ninth Circuit decision on affirming a nationwide settlement in multidistrict litigation over Hyundai and Kia's misrepresentations about their vehicles' fuel efficiency. The decision “allows class actions, even nationwide classes, to be settled on a less stringent standard than litigated classes,” says Mr. Stern. He ...

CFTC on lookout for foreign bribery whistleblowers

Laura Brookover is quoted in Global Investigations Review regarding the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s recently published notice advertising its whistleblower program for “foreign corrupt practices.” Ms. Brookover says the announcement serves as a “marketing tool”. The commission’s whistleblower provisions already extended to this type of conduct ...

The National Law Journal - General Litigation Winner

Alexander Berengaut is quoted in The National Law Journal's feature on the firm's General Litigation Winner recognition. Discussing the firm's litigation challenging the rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Mr. Berengaut says Covington frequently litigates against the federal government in administrative law contests on behalf ...

FCPA Professor: Laura Brookover

Laura Brookover appeared on FCPA Professor to discuss the CFTC's recent enforcement advisory concerning violations of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) involving foreign corrupt practices including the background of the CFTC and the CEA; why the CFTC may have issued the advisory; what type of conduct involving foreign corrupt practices could fall under the CEA; ...

China takes on bribery and corruption

Eric Carlson is quoted in Commercial Dispute Resolution regarding China’s actions to take on bribery and corruption. Mr. Carlson says that alongside targeting corrupt government officials, China is increasingly targeting the bribe-givers as well. Additionally, he says that while agencies such as the NSC do not have enforcement jurisdiction over private companies ...

National Law Journal Names Covington D.C. Litigation Department of the Year

WASHINGTON—The National Law Journal has named Covington one of three Washington, D.C. Litigation Departments of the Year. The firm was also named Product Liability/Mass Torts Department of the Year. With the largest litigation practice in Washington, Covington won a “string of victories” that “solidified the firm’s reputation as an inside-the-Beltway ...

Four Covington Lawyers Named to Latinvex's “Top 100 Female Lawyers”

NEW YORK, May 23, 2019—Latinvex has selected Nicole Duclos, Mary Hernandez, Ashley Sprague, and Veronica Yepez to its 2019 list of the “Top 100 Female Lawyers” at international law firms specializing in Latin America. Covington is among the top three law firms with the most women on the list. Ms. Duclos represents clients in international commercial and ...

Implications and Questions Arising From The Supreme Court's Antitrust Ruling in Apple, Inc. v. Pepper

On May 13, 2019, the Supreme Court (“the Court”) announced its 5-4 decision in Apple, Inc. v. Pepper, permitting iPhone users to proceed with an antitrust suit against Apple alleging that it monopolized the retail market for iPhone apps.

SCOTUS rulings have far-reaching impact

Mark Mosier spoke with Commercial Dispute Resolution about a Supreme Court case involving the Chevron deference, the amount of deference given to federal agencies by the federal courts in deciding legal challenges to ambiguous regulations. Mr. Mosier says “The question whether courts will defer to agency decisions is critical for any business regulated by the ...

Attys React To High Court FCA Statute Of Limitations Ruling

Michael Wagner spoke with Law360 about the Supreme Court’s ruling in Cochise Consultancy Inc. v. U.S., a case determining the statute of limitations in False Claim Act cases. Mr. Wagner says, "In theory, the Court's ruling could incentivize qui tam plaintiffs to wait years to bring their claims, in the hopes of allowing their potential recovery to increase. This ...

English Competition Appeals Tribunal to Reconsider £14 Billion Class Action Against MasterCard

England’s Court of Appeal has decided that the Competition Appeals Tribunal (the "CAT") erred in rejecting certification of former financial ombudsman Walter Merricks’ class action against MasterCard, for £14 billion. As a result, the CAT will now reconsider whether to certify the class.

DOJ’s Updated Guidance for Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs

On April 30, 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) Criminal Division released an updated version of the Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs (the “Guidance”), which serves as a reference for prosecutors in assessing corporate compliance programs in the context of DOJ investigations.

Daily Journal Names Three Covington Partners "Top Women Lawyers"

LOS ANGELES—The Daily Journal has named Robyn Polashuk, Clara Shin, and Sonya Winner to its 2019 “Top Women Lawyers,” recognizing the “top women lawyers in California.” Ms. Polashuk co-chairs the firm's Communications and Media Industry Group and serves as managing partner of the firm’s Los Angeles office. Her practice focuses on the licensing and distribution ...

Covington Adds International Construction Arbitration Partner in Dubai

DUBAI—Philip Norman has joined Covington’s International Arbitration Practice as a partner in Dubai. Mr. Norman has practiced for nearly 25 years, first as a barrister and then as a partner in a firm specializing in international arbitration and dispute resolution. He has significant experience advising on matters in the construction, engineering, ...

National Law Journal Names Covington to "Pro Bono Hot List"

LOS ANGELES—For the second consecutive year, The National Law Journal has named Covington to its "Pro Bono Hot List." The 2019 special report recognizes the lawyers and law firms who "have used their legal expertise to take on some of the biggest issues of our time." In its profile of the firm, The National Law Journal highlights Covington's pro bono efforts, ...

Our 2019 Pro Bono Hot List

Covington was named to The National Law Journal's "Pro Bono Hot List" for its representation of the City of Los Angeles to prevent the federal government from requiring assistance with immigration enforcement as a condition of grants. “Law firms can help close this gap, particularly in cases like these that require substantial expertise and resources,” said ...

Regulators Ready to Approve Ethereum Futures, CFTC Insider Says

Anne Termine is quoted in CoinDesk regarding the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s willingness to let an ether futures contract go to market. Ms. Termine says, “As such, the CFTC has limited regulatory oversight over cryptocurrency spot markets, namely the ability to take enforcement action whenever there is fraud or manipulation in these spot ...

Covington Boosts White Collar and Litigation Practice in Frankfurt

FRANKFURT—Robert Henrici has joined Covington’s White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice as a partner in Frankfurt. Mr. Henrici’s practice focuses on white collar and regulatory investigations, including investigations related to alleged market manipulation, anti-corruption and sanctions violations, and tax evasion. He complements his white collar work ...

China Amends Trade Secret Law to Further Favor Rights-Holders

On April 23, 2019, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China passed a bill amending China’s Anti-Unfair Competition Law (“AUCL”). Changes made by the amendment bill took effect on the same day. Further to the last amendment to the AUCL in 2017, the newly introduced burden-of-proof shifting and punitive damages rules will significantly ...

BigLaw's Biggest Revenue Gainers And Losers In 2018

Tim Hester is quoted in Law360 regarding the firm’s success in 2018. Mr. Hester believes the firm’s success is tied to the law firm's particular strategy, which he said sets it apart from the competition. The law firm offers a combination of substantive and regulatory expertise and a mix of high-end litigation, corporate, and investigations and white collar ...

Naftogaz victory the latest blow in Russian arbitration series

Commercial Dispute Resolution mentioned Covington as legal counsel to Naftogaz, Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas company, advising the company in its victory over the Russian government that illegally expropriated the oil company’s assets in Crimea. David Pinsky described it as “an important day” for the oil company, explaining: “Russia targeted Naftogaz’s ...

Trump Administration Completely Lifts Suspension of Private Right of Action under Title III of the Helms-Burton Act

On April 17, 2019, the Trump Administration announced that it would allow lawsuits to proceed against traffickers in property confiscated by the Cuban government. This decision, made pursuant to Title III of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996, or Helms-Burton Act (22 U.S.C. §§ 6082-6085), marks a sharp departure from the practice ...

Court ruling paves way for £14bn lawsuit against Mastercard

Louise Freeman is quoted in the Financial Times regarding a class action suit against Mastercard. Ms. Freeman said the Court of Appeal has “sent a clear signal” that the tribunal has set the bar too high in assessing whether the mass claim should proceed.

UK tribunal ordered to re-examine class certification in MasterCard claim

Louise Freeman spoke with Global Competition Review regarding the class action UK Competition Appeal Tribunal case against Mastercard. Ms. Freeman said the appellate court has sent a clear signal that the CAT applied too high a bar in its assessment of the application for a collective proceedings order. She adds, this will not only affect the assessment of this ...

CAT accused of conducting ‘mini trial’ in MasterCard CPO hearing

Louise Freeman spoke with Commercial Dispute Resolution about the Competition Appeal Tribunal class action case against Mastercard. Ms. Freeman says the Court of Appeal has sent “a clear signal that the CAT applied too high a bar in its assessment of the application for a CPO”, which will “impact the assessment of both this application when it returns to the CAT ...

Pendulum Swings Toward Patent Owners in Agency Challenges

Scott Kamholz spoke with Bloomberg Law about upcoming PTAB trials. Mr. Kamholz says, “What we have is a whole lot of new evidence coming in at the very end of the proceeding.” He said the PTAB is “doing its best” to balance competing demands in setting up a motion to amend the system, but petitioners now have “a relevant complaint” because of the compressed ...

Insider Threats to Your Trade Secrets - Prevention and Response

Covington partners Trisha Anderson, Robert Haney, and Dan Johnson hosted a webinar on the latest insights regarding trade secrets, including: Avoiding theft of trade secrets and other confidential information by employees, contractors and competitors; Litigation and/or other actions that should be taken when the secret may be out; ...

Former FDA Drug Regulatory Adviser Joins Covington in DC

Julie Dohm was featured in Law360 regarding her move to Covington. Ms. Dohm, who joined Covington in March from the FDA, says, “I was excited about trying to get into private practice. I really want to work with people that are the pillars of food and drug law, and a number of those folks are at Covington.”

Software Execs Acquittal Could Rein In Spoofing Cases

Laura Brookover spoke with Law360 regarding a recent a spoofing case involving software executive, Jitesh Thakkar, on a charge of creating a program to manipulate the commodities market. Mr. Thakkar was acquitted midtrial, but prosecutors are still moving forward with charges of aiding and abetted a U.K.-based trader’s “flash crash” spoofing scheme. Because ...

Senior Commercial Litigator Joins Covington

NEW YORK—Teena Sankoorikal has joined Covington as a partner in the Commercial Litigation Practice in New York. Ms. Sankoorikal is a commercial litigator who has handled many high-profile, complex civil cases in the areas of patent, trade secret, copyright, and other intellectual property disputes, business torts, antitrust, breach of contract, and fraud. Over ...

DOJ Revises FCPA Corporate Enforcement Policy (bilingual Chinese-English)

In March 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice introduced several changes to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) Corporate Enforcement Policy (“the Policy”). The Policy, originally incorporated into the Justice Manual in November 2017, outlines the Department’s position on mitigation credit that companies may receive for voluntary self-disclosure, full ...

DOJ Revises FCPA Corporate Enforcement Policy

Former FDA Official Joins Covington

WASHINGTON—Julie Dohm has joined Covington's Food, Drug, and Device practice in Washington. Dr. Dohm focuses on regulatory matters for pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients. She has handled cases on a wide range of regulatory topics such as preemption, drug promotion, drug shortage, import-export, exclusivity, and generic drug approval standards. Prior to ...

Covington Holds Fourth International Arbitration Academy

NEW YORK—Covington has partnered with the Columbia Law School’s Center for International Commercial and Investment Arbitration to hold the fourth annual Covington Academy on International Arbitration (CAIA). A team of Covington partners and associates from New York, Washington, and London will participate in this year’s program, which is open to Columbia’s J.D., ...

GM Request for Fully Autonomous Cars Faces Legal Speed Bumps

Sarah Wilson spoke with Legaltech News about the legal liability of autonomous cars. Ms. Wilson says, “It’ll be a more complicated liability analysis when a car is fully autonomous and there is an accident, because you’ll have to figure out who is all at fault, or which system is at fault [or] if it’s [the] hardware or software.”

‘I Don’t Want My Client to Be Blindsided’: Executives and Their Lawyers Brace for Rep. Katie Porter's Questions

Brian Smith spoke with The National Law Journal about preparing clients for white collar and congressional investigation hearings. Mr. Smith says, “You have to anticipate everything—anything that a member of Congress or the staff preparing a member of Congress can find. That’s all fair game. You have to be ready for it. You should be ready for it.”

NJ Case Signals Possible Uptick in Anti-Corruption Enforcement in Construction Industry

Dan Shallman is quoted in Corporate Counsel regarding the anti-corruption risks of infrastructure projects in developing countries. Mr. Shallman says, We’ve seen an uptick in major infrastructure projects and those are generally in the developing world, which has the highest corruption risks. There’s risk around every corner in one of these projects.” The ...

In-House Counsel in Construction Industry May See Uptick in Anti-Corruption Enforcement

Dan Shallman is quoted in Corporate Counsel regarding the uptick in anti-corruption enforcement. Mr. Shallman says, “We’ve seen an uptick in major infrastructure projects and those are generally in the developing world, which has the highest corruption risks. There’s risk around every corner in one of these projects.” The savviest companies have developed ...

CFTC Targets Foreign Corrupt Practices

Laura Brookover spoke with Law.com regarding Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s announcement that it will be on the lookout for bribery intended to secure business related to trading, advising, or dealing in swaps or derivatives. Ms. Brookover says, “We’ve already seen that this director is keen to work with other agencies and coordinate with other agencies ...

CFTC’s New Foreign Bribery Focus Hinges on Companies’ Mea Culpas

Laura Brookover is quoted in Bloomberg Law regarding the CFTC’s promise of no-penalty enforcement action on foreign bribery violations. Ms. Brookover says, “I think that may be the central challenge for the CFTC in rolling out this program: making sure the advisory reaches its intended audience.” Foreign companies who learn about the guidance will then have to ...

Hurdles Remain As UK Pushes On With AML Fighting Register

Ian Hargreaves spoke with Law360 regarding the European Union’s latest round of anti-money laundering laws. Mr. Hargreaves says, “If the legal framework is observed and enforced, the PSC register will be incredibly powerful. Without verification and proper review, though, people will get around this.” He adds, “One of the big criticisms with the way in which ...

CFTC's Foray Into Corruption Hints At Imminent Action

Laura Brookover is quoted in Law360 regarding Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s announcement that it will begin prosecuting corruption. She says, “This is sort of an unpredictable development, but also unsurprising because I think under his leadership we’ve seen a renewed focus on policing the integrity of the markets under CFTC jurisdiction.”

Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Joins Covington in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES—Ryan Weinstein has joined Covington in the firm’s Commercial Litigation practice in Los Angeles. Mr. Weinstein most recently served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Central District of California. At the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Weinstein prosecuted and tried dozens of criminal cases, briefed and argued numerous appeals before the ...

Tight Budgets Hinder UK's Economic Crime-Fighting Efforts

Ian Hargreaves is quoted in Law360 regarding the U.K.’s tightened budget for investigation and prosecution of white collar crime. Mr. Hargreaves says, “The costs start to spiral out of control when you’re dealing with the sheer number of documents involved in highly complex cases. And so, if technology allows these documents to be collected, collated, reviewed ...

Trump Administration Partially Lifts Suspension of Private Right of Action Under Title III of the Helms-Burton Act

On March 4, 2019, the Trump administration announced that it would allow some lawsuits to proceed against traffickers in property confiscated by the Cuban government. This decision, made pursuant to Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, was a sharp departure from the practice of previous presidential administrations. This Client Alert will provide background ...

Shara Aranoff Named "Intellectual Property Trailblazer"

WASHINGTON—The National Law Journal has named Covington's Shara Aranoff to its list of "Intellectual Property Trailblazers." This list profiles the top 27 lawyers nationwide who have moved the needle in copyright, trademark, patent, and trade secrets law. Ms. Aranoff helps clients in technology, life sciences, and manufacturing use intellectual property and ...

Covington Secures Victory for Naftogaz in Crimea Arbitration Against Russia

WASHINGTON—Covington secured a major victory on behalf of Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas company, NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine, in an international arbitration against the Russian Federation. A tribunal sitting at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, in The Hague, concluded that Russia unlawfully expropriated Naftogaz’s assets in Crimea, in violation of Russia’s ...

In a Break With Prior Practice, PCAOB Protects the Identity of Public Company in Disciplinary Actions Against Auditors

On February 26, 2019, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) for the first time issued disciplinary orders against auditors that protected the identity of the auditors’ client. In the past, the PCAOB had a practice of identifying the audit client by name in disciplinary orders if the matter involved violations of auditing standards by the ...

2018 Year in Review: Top Anti-Corruption Enforcement Trends and Developments Bilingual

It was business as usual for FCPA enforcement in 2018. The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) collected a total of $1 billion from seventeen corporate defendants, including through their share of two high-value, multi-jurisdictional enforcement actions. DOJ also announced thirteen new FCPA prosecutions ...

2018 Year in Review: Top Anti-Corruption Enforcement Trends and Developments

Key Congressional Staffer on IP Issues Joins Covington

WASHINGTON—Jason Everett has joined Covington in its Public Policy practice. Mr. Everett’s arrival follows the recent additions of former U.S. Senator Jon Kyl, Broderick Johnson, and Samantha Clark to the firm’s Public Policy practice. At Covington, Mr. Everett will provide regulatory and legislative advice and advocacy to clients in a range of industries, ...

Latinvex Names Four Covington Partners Among "Top 100 Lawyers"

NEW YORK—Latinvex has named Covington partners Nicole Duclos, Rubén Kraiem, Miguel López Forastier, and Gabriel Mesa among “Latin America’s Top 100 Lawyers” in 2019. Ms. Duclos represents clients in international commercial and investment arbitration, as well as transnational litigation. Clients interviewed by Latinvex praised Ms. Duclos’ extensive arbitration ...

K Street in overdrive as investigations ramp up

The Hill interviewed Rob Kelner about his experience helping clients deal with congressional investigations. Mr. Kelner says, “In my 20 years here at Covington, I don’t think we have ever been as busy with congressional investigations matters as we are right now. That trend began before the Democrats took control of the House and it has certainly accelerated ...

In Its Latest Deepwater Horizon Ruling, the Texas Supreme Court Clarifies the Application of a "Joint Venture Scaling" Provision

On January 25, 2019, the Texas Supreme Court decided the latest insurance appeal arising from the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig and blowout of the Macondo Well on April 20, 2010.

Covington Nabs Tax Partner From PwC For NY Office

Law360 covered Kevin Otero’s move to the firm as a partner in our tax practice group. Mr. Otero will represent large corporations and individuals before the IRS. He also will advise and represent clients before the U.S. Tax Court, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and federal district and appellate courts across the country. He says, “There’s been a lot of ...

DoD tightens enforcement of cyber regulations on contractors to protect data

Susan Cassidy and Ian Brekke are quoted in Federal News Network regarding the Department of Defense’s tightening of cybersecurity enforcement regulations on contractors. Ms. Cassidy says, “DoD wants to get everyone to a certain cybersecurity level. Now they are tightening up and they are going to make it a performance and award differentiator.” She said ...

Leading Tax Lawyer Joins Covington

NEW YORK—Kevin Otero has joined Covington's Tax Practice Group as a partner in New York. Mr. Otero advises clients on all aspects of tax controversy matters including audits, administrative appeals, transfer pricing controversies, and tax litigation. He also has extensive experience advising clients on technical tax risk management, strategic audit and ...

Dan Abrams Show

Lanny Breuer appeared on The Dan Abrams show to discuss recent political developments around Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. He says, “What we know is that this campaign showed a remarkable disregard for distancing itself from those who were trying to sabotage the election.”

Shutdown Could Disrupt A Number Of ITC Patent Cases

Sturgis Sobin is quoted in Law360 regarding the government shutdown’s effect on U.S. International Trade Commission cases. Mr. Sobin says, “It’s unfortunate for a complainant that has worked hard to keep its case moving forward and came to the ITC because of the speed of the process, but it is the reality that we are looking at right now.” He adds, Overall, for ...

3 Tips For Working With CPSC During The Shutdown

Sarah Wilson is quoted in Law360 regarding the safety risks for companies during the government shutdown. Ms. Wilson said companies should still be vigilant about checking consumer and retailer complaints to evaluate whether they raise safety issues. She adds they should also be taking a look at their programs for reviewing complaints and not see the shutdown as ...

4 Global Developments Patent Attys Should Know

Ruixue Ran is quoted in Law360 regarding China’s recently released draft legislation to revise the nation’s patent law. The changes, which attorneys say are aimed at enhancing patent owners' rights, are headlined by a proposal to increase the amount of damages available in certain circumstances. Ms. Ran says, “If they could get bigger damages compensation, that ...

Eletrobras Settles Alleged FCPA Violations Revealed Through Brazil's "Operation Car Wash"

On December 26, 2018, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") settled an enforcement action against Centrais Eléctricas Brasileiras S.A. ("Eletrobras"), an electric utilities holding company majority-owned and controlled by the Brazilian government.

Crypto Exchanges Left Hanging as Shutdown Sidelines CFTC

Anne Termine is quoted in Bloomberg Law regarding the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s enforcement of cryptocurrency coming to a halt with the government shutdown. Ms. Termine says, “It’s an agency working at 10,000 feet right now.” She adds that an extended shutdown could impact the agency’s preparation for oral arguments. “In litigation, March is around ...

Covington Litigation Leaders Reflect on Landing Am Law's California Regional Litigation Award

The American Lawyer named Covington the California Litigation Department of the Year, citing high-profile matters that we have handled for California institutions like the state Senate, Uber, the City of Los Angeles, McKesson, and the University of California. The Recorder sat down to interview two of the firm's co-chairs of its Commercial Litigation ...

Obama's MBK Chief Joins Law Firm

The Beat DC covered Broderick Johnson’s move to Covington’s Public Policy practice. Mr. Johnson shared, “With the Democratic party assuming control of the House, companies across a spectrum of industries will face new challenges advocating for their legislative agendas and responding to congressional inquiries. Covington is well positioned to represent those ...

Covington Named One of Law360's 2018 “Firms of the Year”

WASHINGTON—Law360 has named Covington as one of its 2018 “Firms of the Year” for earning seven Practice Group of the Year awards. The Covington practices named 2018 Practice Groups of the Year are: Banking Government Contracts Insurance International Trade Product Liability Sports White Collar "We have followed a ...

Covington Snags OCC Deputy Comptroller And Chief Counsel

Law360 covered Karen Solomon’s move to Covington from The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Ms Solomon, who served as the OCC’s acting senior deputy comptroller and chief, counsel, told Law360 that she’s happy to be working in the private sector after an entire career spent in the government. “It seemed like the right time to try something different,” ...

China’s Draft Patent Law Includes Important Enhancements to Patent-Owner’s Rights

On January 4, 2019, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress ( “NPC”) of China published a draft amendment to the Patent Law (the “Draft”) for public comment. While this draft is not yet final, it indicates China is taking concrete steps to help patent holders with the exercise of their rights.

Leading Public Policy Lawyer Joins Covington

WASHINGTON—Broderick D. Johnson has joined Covington in its Public Policy practice in Washington. Mr. Johnson is a public policy and political strategist with more than three decades of leadership at the highest levels of government and the legal profession. He provides strategic leadership advice and counsel to clients on legislative, regulatory, legal, and ...

2019 Outlook: New CFPB Director Kraninger Will Go Her Own Way

Eric Mogilnicki is quoted in Bloomberg Law regarding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s future under newly appointed director, Kathy Kraninger. According to Mr. Mogilnicki, Kraninger may look to ratchet back tensions with congressional Democrats by bringing enforcement actions against clear bad actors. Potential targets include lenders that prey on ...

The American Lawyer Names Covington California Litigation Department of the Year

LOS ANGELES—The American Lawyer has named Covington as its California Litigation Department of Year. The award recognizes the law firm whose California litigators have delivered outstanding service—and wins—for their clients in the year's most demanding litigation matters. The American Lawyer highlights Covington’s role in conducting an internal investigation ...

Global Arbitration Review and WWL Recognize Covington's Arbitration Practice

LONDON— Global Arbitration Review and Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration have recognized Covington’s International Arbitration Practice Group in its 2019 report. The publication named Covington partners Nicole Duclos and Jeremy Wilson as “Future Leaders,” a ranking of “the most eminent lawyers in the field under 45,” and recognized Miguel López Forastier and Stephen ...

Fed. Circ. Reins In Reach Of Double-Patenting Doctrine

Brianne Bharkhda and Natalie Derzko are quoted in Law360 regarding two Federal Circuit decisions that have cleared up lingering questions about patents can be invalidated under the double-patenting doctrine and identified situations where it does not apply. Ms. Bharkhda says, "I would characterize the two decisions as further defining the contours of the ...

Four Covington Partners Named Law360 MVPs

WASHINGTON—Law360 has named four Covington partners as MVPs in their respective practice areas. The awards single out lawyers from across numerous practice areas based on their success in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters, and record-breaking deals. The Covington lawyers recognized as Law360 MVPs are: Shara Aranoff, International Trade. Ms. ...

Federal Circuit Delivers Two Important Decisions on Obviousness-Type Double Patenting

On December 7, 2018, the Federal Circuit issued two highly-anticipated decisions clarifying the application of the obviousness-type double patenting doctrine: Novartis AG v. Ezra Ventures LLC (patent term extension ("PTE")), and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. v. Breckenridge Pharmaceutical Inc. (pre-Uruguay Round Agreements Act ("URAA") versus post-URAA ...

The American Lawyer Recognizes Eric Holder with Lifetime Achievement Award

WASHINGTON—The American Lawyer has recognized Covington partner Eric Holder in its 2018 “Lifetime Achiever” series, which honors lawyers who have reached the highest levels of the public and private spheres—and left an indelible mark every step of the way. The article highlights Mr. Holder’s legal career and his “desire to make America more fair and equal.” Mr. ...

Could China’s Internet Courts Work in the US?

Robert Williams is quoted in Legaltech News regarding how China’s Internet Courts could provide a model to improve U.S. courts' inefficiencies. Mr. Williams said the Internet Courts can be useful for addressing online copyright infringement and domain name cyber squatting. He says, “The Internet Courts provide a useful set of tools to help address these disputes ...

US official highlights role of encryption in hacking scheme

Trisha Anderson is quoted in Global Data Review regarding cyber and ransomware attacks. Ms. Anderson said that while the use of technologies like Tor and Bitcoin pose challenges to law enforcement by “raising the level of investigative effort and sophistication required to identify and locate cyber criminals,” the indictment in the SamSam Ransomware cyberattacks ...

China Issues Rules to Establish Appellate Court with Nationwide Jurisdiction Over Patent and Other Complex Technical Cases

On October 26, 2018, the Standing Committee of the People’s National Congress of the People's Republic of China (PRC) passed Decisions on Several Procedural Issues Relating to Patent and Other Intellectual Property Cases (the Appellate Rules), which will give the Supreme Court jurisdiction over patent and other complex technical IP cases (the Designated Subject ...

Dem AG Gains May Spur State Financial Services Action

Jean Veta is quoted in Law360 regarding state Attorney General election results and the impact on investigations and enforcement activity on banks. Ms. Veta says, “While banks may feel some effects of the blue wave, I don’t look for banks to be swamped by that wave.” But in the current strong economic environment, she said she doesn’t see comparable scope for ...

Supreme Court Grants Review in Key Patent Law Case Handled by Covington

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 ...

China Amends Criminal Procedure Law, Creating More Anti-Bribery Prosecution Tools

China recently amended its Criminal Procedure Law (CPL) to codify rules encouraging cooperation in government investigations, align with the new national supervision system, and introduce trials in absentia for certain crimes, including bribery and corruption.

Lauren Moxley Named to Forbes "30 Under 30"

WASHINGTON—Forbes has named Covington’s Lauren Moxley to its “30 Under 30” list for law and policy. This annual recognition honors 30 people under 30 who are “the new frontier of politicians, legal entrepreneurs and attorneys.” Ms. Moxley represents clients in privacy matters, with a focus on electronic surveillance and law enforcement access. She was part of ...

Democrats took the House. Now they want to take on corporate America

Robert Kelner is quoted in CNBC regarding Democrats plans to scrutinize publicly-traded and consumer-facing companies more closely. Mr. Kelner said Democrats have sent roughly 100 letters during the past two years to companies in four main sectors: pharmaceuticals, tech, energy and financial services. He has told clients, “Prepare, prepare, prepare. Don't wait ...

Can CNN beat the White House in court? Look to the case 40 years ago of a loner journalist named Robert Sherrill.

Mark Lynch is quoted in the Washington Post about his representation of Robert Sherrill, a journalist who successfully sued the White House to re-obtain his press credential in 1977. Mr. Lynch said that the critical finding in Sherrill v. Knight was, given the "important First Amendment rights implicated by refusal to grant White House press passes to bona fide ...

Covington Ranked Among Top Ten International Law Firms by Latinvex

NEW YORK—Latinvex has named Covington among the top ten international law firms doing work in Latin America. In addition to this honor, Latinvex has recognized Covington as the top firm for Trade, among the top five for FCPA & Fraud, as well as for Arbitration, and among the top ten for Corporate/M&A. Covington’s Latin America practice draws on a dedicated team ...

House Probes Like ‘Nine-Alarm Fire,’ Law Firms Prep for Democrats

Robert Kelner is quoted by Bloomberg about how law firms are preparing clients for a potential increase in congressional investigations now that Democrats have assumed the majority in the House of Representatives. Mr. Kelner said, “A congressional investigation is like a nine-alarm fire, and really essentially brings the company to a stop until the crisis has ...

Covington & Burling Partner Gerald Hodgkins on the SEC Proposal to Limit the Size of Whistleblower Awards

Gerald Hodgkins is featured in an interview with Corporate Crime Reporter regarding the SEC proposal to limit the size of whistleblower awards. Under current SEC rules, whistleblowers are entitled to an award of ten to thirty percent of the recovery. The securities industry is now pushing to limit the size of SEC whistleblower awards. Under a proposed SEC rule, ...

Are Chinese Companies Being Targeted for Anti-Corruption Enforcement?

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a new “China Initiative.” According to the press release, the Initiative “reflects the Department’s strategic priority of countering Chinese national security threats and reinforces the President’s overall national security strategy.”

SEC Increases Enforcement Activity in 2018, Shifting Focus to Offering Frauds and Investment Advisers

Due to a flurry of enforcement activity in the last quarter of Fiscal Year 2018, which closed at the end of September, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed nearly 10% more cases in 2018 than in the year before. The agency topped last year's numbers in every major category of cases except issuer disclosure and accounting, which were down about 13% from ...

Trump Administration Spares Corporate Wrongdoers Billions in Penalties

Gerald Hodgkins is quoted in The New York Times regarding SEC enforcement activity during the first 20 months of the current Administration. Mr. Hodgkins says there was an uptick in enforcement in 2018 against fraudulent stock offerings and investment advisers accused of lying and stealing. At the same time, the SEC brought fewer market manipulation cases, which ...

Two Covington Lawyers Named "Top Music Lawyers" by Billboard

NEW YORK—Billboard has named Jacqueline Charlesworth and Jonathan Sperling among its “2018 Top Music Lawyers.” This annual list recognizes the music industry’s leading lawyers in fields including talent representation, music publishing, streaming, and litigation. Recognized in the Music Publishing category, Billboard highlights Ms. Charlesworth’s work on ...

Congressional Investigations: Four Things to Know [Video]

Covington Partners Rob Kelner and Brian Smith outline key factors about congressional investigations that companies should be aware of—before receiving an inquiry letter from Capitol Hill. <video data-video-id="5854044423001" data-account="5748441668001" data-player="default" data-embed="default" data-application-id="" class="video-js" controls="" ...

The Global 100 debate – Will stars or institutions define the law’s elite?

Craig Pollack participated in an interview with Legal Business regarding the future of big law. When asked about the structures within a law firm, he said, “I agree with what people have said subject to this caveat: our ability to predict is not great. However, I think there will be a law firm that has $7 billion in revenue. I doubt it will be an elite firm. We ...

Haley relocates to Johannesburg as Covington ramps up South Africa office

Benjamin Haley's relocation from Washington to Johannesburg is featured in African Law & Business. Mr. Haley specializes in compliance and enforcement matters, and his work spans the African continent, representing clients in Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and South Africa. The article also mentions the recent addition of Robert Kayihura, who joined the ...

NY Ruling Undercuts SEC Disgorgement Coverage

Mitchell Dolin is quoted in Law360 regarding a New York appeals court decision which applied the U.S. Supreme Court's Kokesh decision to rule that part of Bear Stearns' settlement with the SEC is a penalty, and therefore not covered by insurance. Mr. Dolin said the appellate decision contravenes Bear Stearns’ reasonable expectations about what its policies ...

Court of Appeal upholds 'surprising' Morrisons data leak ruling

Daniel Cooper spoke with The Law Society Gazette regarding a UK Court of Appeal decision that could make employers vicariously liable for employees’ actions even if they had taken preventative steps and bore no criminal responsibility. Mr. Cooper said the employer should bear the enterprise risk and assume liability for the actions of its employees, as long as ...

‘Winter is coming’: Companies brace for flurry of investigations

Rob Kelner is quoted in Politico regarding the potential impact of a Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives in 2019 on congressional investigations. Mr. Kelner said Covington has tracked public statements in which lawmakers criticized companies and every letter sent from members of Congress to corporations over the past two years. He said the firm ...

Jessica Arco: El riesgo de la corrupción sigue siendo alto en América Latina

Jessica Arco participated in a Q&A with El Universo about the risks of investing in Latin America. The interview covered corruption, FCPA, and Petroecuador. Regarding preventative measures taken for bribes, Ms. Arco says, “Complaints may be filed with the authorities, usually the Department of Justice or the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In the case ...

China Law & Practice Names Covington “Intellectual Property Firm of the Year”

BEIJING—China Law & Practice has named Covington “Intellectual Property Firm of the Year” and Covington partner Ruixue Ran as “Intellectual Property Lawyer of the Year.” The awards highlight innovation and excellence in the China legal market and honor top law firms, lawyers, and legal departments. Ms. Ran is one of the few China-based lawyers who focus on ...

Rick Longton Named Thomson Reuters Foundation’s “TrustLaw Lawyer of the Year”

WASHINGTON—The Thomson Reuters Foundation has named Rick Longton its “TrustLaw Lawyer of the Year.” The award recognizes the commitment demonstrated in supporting pro bono clients over the last year on projects undertaken through TrustLaw, Thomson Reuters Foundation's global pro bono program that connects high-impact NGOs with law firms and corporate legal teams ...

Rulemaking Commenters Debate the SEC's Proposed Changes to Its Whistleblower Program

Over 3,000 commenters submitted letters to the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") concerning the agency's recently proposed amendments to its whistleblower rules. This response reflects the perceived importance of the SEC's proposal to companies and employees.

Mitch Kamin Named Among Top 100 Lawyers in California

LOS ANGELES—The Daily Journal has named Covington partner Mitch Kamin among its “Top 100 Lawyers” in California. The Top 100 are selected for making a significant impact on their practice area, the legal industry or the larger society. Mr. Kamin is the co-chair of Covington’s Commercial Litigation Practice and represents global media, entertainment and other ...

Attorneys address the disputed future of Nazi-looted art

Simon Frankel participated in a conference called “Righting a Wrong: The Future of Nazi Looted Art” and is quoted in the San Francisco Daily Journal. Mr. Frankel says, “A museum faced with a restitution claim to a daily accessioned work cannot restitute the work unless it determines that the claim is well-founded.” He adds, “The institution must reasonably ...

Second Circuit Declines to Expand FCPA’s Jurisdictional Reach Using Conspiracy or Accomplice Liability Theories

On August 24, 2018, the Second Circuit issued its much-anticipated decision in U.S. v. Hoskins.Emphasizing on multiple occasions that Congress defined “with surgical precision” who could be liable under the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), the court held that the government may not employ conspiracy or accomplice liability ...

Veronica Yepez joins Covington & Burling

Veronica Yepez is quoted in Latin Lawyer regarding her recent move to the firm. Ms. Yepez says, “Covington offers clients true global compliance capabilities. The deep bench of former prosecutors and former DOJ senior offices with oversight over FCPA enforcement is unparalleled.” Don Ridings, chair of the firm’s anti-corruption practice, says, “Veronica built a ...

K&L Gates partner returns to Covington

Monique O’Donoghue’s return to Covington is featured in a Global Arbitration Review article. Ms. O’Donoghue represents clients in commercial arbitration matter and has a particular focus on the oil, gas and construction sectors. Jeremy Wilson, co-chair of the firm’s international arbitration practice says, “We are delighted to welcome Monique back to the firm. ...

Get Ready for an 8-Justice Supreme Court, as Kavanaugh Controversy Persists

Beth Brinkmann spoke at a Washington Legal Foundation event previewing the upcoming Supreme Court term. She is quoted in The National Law Journal regarding the current 8-Justice Supreme Court saying the justices may “try to avoid affirming by 4-4” by crafting narrow rulings that would attract more than four votes, or else by dismissing the cases altogether.

District Court Dismisses Major Part of FTC Deceptive Advertising Case

On August 16, 2018, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed a major portion of the Federal Trade Commission's ("FTC") lawsuit against DIRECTV, which involved broad allegations of deceptive advertising in promotional offers for its annual subscriptions.

Disputes Eye: Hunting krakens – As finance and Russian work slows veteran litigators look to key trends and opportunities

Louise Freeman spoke with Legal Business regarding the latest trends in disputes. She highlights the growing potential for litigation from the rise in cyberattacks impacting major companies. Ms. Freeman observed ‘The UK courts are increasingly adapting to deal with this kind of litigation,’ and points to the Clarkson v Person or Persons Unknown High Court case ...

Litigation Luminaries

Eric Holder and Craig Pollack are featured in Commercial Dispute Resolution regarding the firm’s ambitions to be at the forefront of international dispute resolution. Mr. Holder and Mr. Pollack discussed managing complex disputes, diplomatic solutions, culture of collaboration, Brexit, and structure and strategy of a case. Mr. Holder said in the interview, “We ...

Leading National Security Lawyer Rejoins Covington

WASHINGTON—Trisha B. Anderson, an experienced national security and cybersecurity lawyer who has held senior positions at multiple federal agencies, has rejoined Covington as a partner in Washington. Ms. Anderson most recently served as Principal Deputy General Counsel of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where she handled complex national security and cyber ...

Don't Stop The Presses: Canadian Newsprint Tariffs Axed

Shara Aranoff is quoted in Law360 regarding the firm’s victory before the U.S. International Trade Commission’s regarding tariffs imposed Canadian imports on newsprints. Ms. Aranoff says, “This is really a win-win both for newspapers in the U.S. and for the paper mills who supply them."

Lifetime Achiever: Eric Holder, Covington & Burling

The American Lawyer has recognized Eric Holder in its annual “Lifetime Achiever” series. The article highlights his esteemed legal career and his “desire to make America more fair and equal.” Mr. Holder sees this theme running throughout his career and says, “I get to do things that are consistent with what I think lawyers should be doing as change agents, while ...

Patent Litigation In The Netherlands: What You Need To Know

Nitin Subhedar is quoted in a Law360 article regarding patent litigation in the Netherlands. Mr. Subhedar says, “If you can get a finding of infringement and an injunction in the Netherlands, you can effectively use that as a chokepoint to stop a lot of the inflow of the infringing products into the rest of the EU. That's why the Netherlands is a particularly ...

Three Covington Lawyers Named Among Law360's "Rising Stars"

WASHINGTON— Law360 named Covington lawyers Alexander Berengaut, Michael Nonaka, and Ursula Owczarkowski to its list of “2018 Rising Stars.” This annual recognition honors top attorneys under 40 “whose legal accomplishments transcend their age.” Alex Berengaut represents clients in civil litigation, international arbitrations, and government enforcement ...

AT&T Overpaid Some Pensioners. Now It Wants the Money Back.

Richard Shea is quoted in The Wall Street Journal regarding AT&T’s miscalculation and overpayment of retirement benefits. Mr. Shea says that some pension experts have concluded that overpayments essentially never harm plan finances because employers must set aside enough money to cover a lifetime of benefits based on what retirees actually receive. He adds, “The ...

New Jersey Expert Admissibility Standard: “Reconciled” with Daubert

On August 1, 2018, the New Jersey Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision affirming a trial court’s exclusion of scientifically unfounded expert causation testimony in the Accutane litigation. The decision, which ends over 2,100 lawsuits against Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. and Roche Laboratories Inc. (“Roche”), represents the Supreme Court’s first statement on New ...

Merger Spats Keep 2018 Securities Class Suit Numbers High

Mark Gimbel is quoted in a Bloomberg Law story concerning a report by Cornerstone Research and the Stanford Law School Securities Class Action Overall Clearinghouse identifying a shift in merger-related litigation from state to federal court. In the article, Mr. Gimbel also comments on other securities litigation trends, including a possible uptick in Securities ...

Federal Courts of Appeals Clarify Scope of Computer Fraud Coverage

Phishing, spoofing, and computer-based scams pose a significant threat to businesses. Yet in recent years many victims of these scams — also variously referred to as "business email compromise," "social engineering," "fake creditor," or "fake president" fraud — have found that their insurers refused to pay claims for their computer-related fraud losses.

In SEC v. Cohen, Court Continues Trend of Limiting SEC Enforcement Powers

Last week, in SEC v. Cohen, a federal district court dismissed an SEC enforcement action, in its entirety, on statute-of-limitations grounds. Most notably, citing the Supreme Court’s 2017 Kokesh decision, the court held that the injunction sought by the SEC in the case "would function at least partly to punish Defendants and is therefore a penalty" for purposes ...

Patent Owners Taking Global View In Enforcement Efforts

Michael Plimack is quoted in Law360 regarding companies in high-stakes patent disputes adopting global enforcement strategies. Mr. Plimack provided insight into why many patent disputes are litigated in German courts. He says, “Because Germany is such a large economy in the world and in Europe, it's not uncommon for battles over things like smartphones, for ...

Sarah Crowder Named to GIR's "Women in Investigations"

LONDON—Global Investigations Review has named Covington’s Sarah Crowder to the second edition of “Women in Investigations,” highlighting 100 female practitioners from across the globe. Nancy Kestenbaum and Mythili Raman were selected to the list’s first edition in 2015. The survey highlights a variety of women not previously recognized by the magazine—from ...

Investigations of Pruitt are likely to continue

Robert Kelner is quoted by The Washington Post in an article regarding continuing investigations into former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt. According to Kelner, there is no "guiding principle" as to whether a congressional inquiry or one by an agency's inspector general continues once a public official resigns. When it comes to ...

‘A victory for Chinese steel and US law’: why a lawyer thinks Chinese companies can put faith in the American legal system

Ruixue Ran is quoted in a South China Morning Post article regarding how the result of the recent U.S. steel investigation should encourage Chinese companies to use the American legal system to settle disputes. According to Ran, the case was the first of its kind against Chinese steel products and the first time Chinese companies had won a trade secrets case ...

Covington Ranked Top Five in American Lawyer's Pro Bono Rankings

WASHINGTON—Covington was ranked second among Am Law 200 firms in The American Lawyer’s annual Pro Bono Survey. The American Lawyer ranks firms by a pro bono score that considers the average number of pro bono hours per lawyer and the percentage of lawyers who performed more than 20 hours of pro bono work. “Legal services are often unaffordable for the people who ...

USA: Carpenter v. U.S. a "Watershed Moment" for Digital Privacy

Kate Goodloe is quoted in a DataGuidance article examining the significance of the Supreme Court's decision in Carpenter v. U.S. “While Carpenter does not overrule the third party doctrine, it substantially limits its application. [Furthermore,] the decision anticipates that users have a legitimate expectation of privacy in data created, owned, and maintained by ...

Big Law Acted on Impulse in Outpouring of Pro Bono Effort

Alan Pemberton is quoted by The American Lawyer in an article accompanying the publication's Pro Bono Survey results. According to Pemberton, "The 2016 election acted as a kind of catalyst as it awakened in many of our lawyers a sense of engagement in public service matters generally." He adds that the current political climate spurred lawyers to do pro bono ...

Jeffrey Davidson Named to Daily Journal's "Top 40 Under 40"

SAN FRANCISCO—The Daily Journal has named Covington partner Jeffrey Davidson one of its “Top 40 Under 40” lawyers in California. In its profile of Mr. Davidson, the Daily Journal highlights his representation of the University of California in its challenge to the federal government’s attempted rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) ...

Supreme Court Leaves In-House Judges in Limbo Governmentwide

David Kornblau is quoted in a Bloomberg Law article regarding the Supreme Court's ruling that SEC in-house judges are constitutional officers, a decision that left open the status of 1,900 other officials in similar roles at agencies including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, National Labor Relations Board, and the Environmental Protection Agency. ...

Christopher Yeung Named One of New York Law Journal's "Rising Stars"

NEW YORK—New York Law Journal has named Covington commercial litigation partner Christopher Y. L. Yeung as a winner of its 2018 "Rising Stars" award. Mr. Yeung represents clients in trials and other complex litigation. Within the past year, Mr. Yeung has helped secure the affirmance on appeal of a trade secrets trial victory with half a billion dollars at ...

Biggest Insurance Decisions Of 2018: Midyear Report

Gretchen Hoff Varner and Michael Greenberg are quoted in a Law360 article regarding the biggest insurance decisions of 2018. Commenting on Liberty Surplus v. Ledesma & Meyer Construction, Hoff Varner says that the state high court injected more certainty into liability coverage litigation by making clear that the question of whether an accident has occurred must ...

Covington Files Memorial in International Court of Justice on Behalf of Ukraine in Case Against the Russian Federation

WASHINGTON—Covington submitted a Memorial to the International Court of Justice on behalf of Ukraine that documents violations of international law by the Russian Federation. The Memorial, accompanied by a substantial evidentiary record, establishes that the Russian Federation has violated the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of ...

How The New ITC Rules Change Litigation Strategy

Daniel Valencia is quoted in a Managing Intellectual Property article regarding new ITC rules that will significantly impact litigation strategies. Commenting on the changes, Valencia says, "If anything, they’ll help create additional certainty about how the game is played at the ITC." One important rule will now allow the Commission and administrative law ...

Covington’s Insurance Recovery Practice Wins Chambers "Award for Excellence"

WASHINGTON—Covington’s Insurance Recovery practice has received the 2018 Chambers USA "Award for Excellence" in Insurance, marking the seventh time the firm has received this honor in the 12 years it has been awarded. The "Award for Excellence" is given to one U.S. firm representing policyholders in the insurance coverage field. In addition to the award, ...

Can New SFO Chief Recharge Agency?

Ian Hargreaves is quoted by The Wall Street Journal in an article regarding the appointment of Lisa Osofsky to Director of the UK Serious Fraud Office. Osofsky previously worked as assistant U.S. attorney at the U.S. Justice Department and as deputy general counsel and ethics officer at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to Hargreaves, "[The U.S. ...

Miami Surges as International Arbitration Hub, but NYC Undaunted

Miguel López Forastier is quoted by The American Lawyer in an article regarding a recent report about the most popular venues for arbitration in the Americas. Commenting on Miami's strategy to become a more favorable venue, López Forastier says, "The practitioners have been engaged in a concerted effort to market the place as a city that is good to arbitrate a ...

Del. TIAA Case May Reshape Disgorgement Claims Coverage

Mitchell Dolin is quoted in a Law360 article regarding a case before the Delaware Supreme Court in which three insurers are asking to upend a state court’s holding under New York law that TIAA’s costs in connection with a trio of underlying class actions constituted an insurable loss. “Here, the policy defines loss as including settlements, so coverage exists in ...

The 2018 DC Litigation Departments of the Year: Covington & Burling

Covington was selected among The National Law Journal's DC Litigation Departments of the Year. The publication notes that Covington "appeared at the center of Washington’s hottest controversies perhaps more frequently than any other DC firm," pointing to the firm's representation of Michael Flynn, the University of California in a case challenging the federal ...

ALI Gives Final OK On Liability Insurance Guidelines

In an article regarding the approval of the final iteration of the Restatement of Law, Liability Insurance, Law360 highlights David Goodwin and John Buchanan's efforts that resulted in deleting a provision of the guidelines that would have allowed an insurer to deny coverage for its policyholder's costs to defend a claim that the policyholder became aware of ...

5 Controversial Rules In The ALI's Insurance Law Project

John Buchanan and David Goodwin are quoted in a Law360 article regarding the final version of the American Law Institute's Restatement of the Law on Liability Insurance. Commenting on Section 3, which addresses foundational principles of insurance law, Buchanan says that a strong presumption rule would already have been more favorable to insurers than the ...

DACA Program’s Fate Considered by Appeals Court

Jeffrey Davidson is quoted by the Society for Human Resource Management in an article regarding oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit in a case challenging the federal government's attempted rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Davidson, who represents the University of California in this case, argued that the government's ...

4 Things To Know About New ITC Rules For Patent Cases

Daniel Valencia is quoted in a Law360 article regarding new ITC rules for intellectual property cases that take effect next month. Commenting on the provision that gives the commission and individual administrative law judges the authority to sever one case into two or more, Valencia says, "Going forward, we will see litigants and judges looking at ...

Trump's tweets could derail efforts to end DACA, appeals court says

Jeffrey Davidson is quoted by The Washington Times in an article regarding the Ninth Circuit's response to oral arguments in a case challenging the federal government's attempted rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Davidson, who represents the University of California in this case, argued that there's case law that says even ...

Court appears skeptical of allowing Trump to end DACA

Jeffrey Davidson is quoted by The Hill in an article regarding oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit in a case challenging the federal government's attempted rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Davidson, who represents the University of California in this case, argued, “The record reflects not one word of consideration for ...

Pasadena Appeals Court Hears DACA Arguments

Jeffrey Davidson is quoted in a CBS article regarding oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit in a case challenging the federal government's attempted rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. “The rescission of DACA is based on what appears to be an argument that DACA was illegal when it was enacted, but that’s just wrong," says ...

DACA's Legality, Rollback Focus Of 9th Circ. Arguments

Jeffrey Davidson is quoted in a Law360 article regarding oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit in a case challenging the federal government's attempted rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Davidson, who represents the University of California in the case, argued that the Administration failed to provide proper justification ...

Trump Tweets and Litigation Risks: Key Takeaways From 9th Circuit’s DACA Hearing

The Recorder highlights Covington's representation of the Regents of the University of California system in its challenge to the federal government's attempted rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This article provides key takeaways from the oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on May 15.

First federal appeals court to hear arguments in DACA case

Jeffrey Davidson is quoted in an Associated Press article ahead of oral arguments in a case challenging the federal government's attempted rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. According to Davidson, who represents the University of California in the case, "The rescission of DACA is based on what appears to be an argument that ...

Appeals Court Questions Grounds for Canceling Policy on ‘Dreamers’

Jeffrey Davidson is quoted by The Wall Street Journal in an article regarding oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit in a case challenging the federal government's attempted rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. According to Davidson, who represents the University of California in the case, the federal government's decision to ...

Federal Appeals Court Judges in Pasadena Weigh Fate of DACA

Jeffrey Davidson is quoted in an NBC an article regarding oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit in a case challenging the federal government's attempted rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Davidson, who represents the University of California in the case, said, "The record reflects not one word of consideration for the ...

What You Need To Know As 9th Circ. Hears DACA Challenge

Alexander Berengaut and Jeffrey Davidson are quoted in a Law360 article regarding upcoming oral arguments related to the DACA challenge in which Covington represents the University of California. “Our case and its companion cases in other districts aren't about politics but, again, based on the law of how government decisions are supposed to be made,” says ...

Attorneys will ask the Ninth Circuit of Appeals to continue maintaining DACA renewals

Jeffrey Davidson and Alexander Berengaut are quoted in a La Opinión article regarding Covington's representation of the University of California in a lawsuit challenging the federal government's attempt to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

UC Returns to Court Next Week to Fight for DACA Students

Jeffrey Davidson appeared on KCBS to discuss the lawsuit filed on behalf of the University of California challenging the federal government's decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. According to Davidson, "The reason the University has taken such a strong public stand is really because of the several thousand DACA ...

Litigators of the Week: A Compassionate—But Effective—Product Liability Defense

Phyllis Jones was named a “Litigator of the Week” by The AmLaw Litigation Daily for her successful representation of Boehringer Ingelheim, which was hit with a new wave of lawsuits alleging that Pradaxa caused excessive bleeding. On March 23, Jones and Paul Schmidt secured the first victory, and on May 7, she achieved another defense win before a Connecticut ...

Law360's Weekly Verdict: Legal Lions & Lambs

Michael Imbroscio and Phyllis Jones were recognized as “Legal Lions” by Law360 for their victory on behalf of Boehringer Ingelheim in a second bellwether trial as part of a consolidated state proceeding over the alleged bleeding risk of its blood thinner Pradaxa. The jury rejected a woman’s claims that taking the drug landed her in the hospital.

English Court of Appeal Rejects High-Profile Challenge to Arbitrator

The Court of Appeal in London has handed down a judgment of significance to both the insurance and international arbitration communities in Halliburton v Chubb. The judgment raises serious questions about the apparent reluctance of English courts to police arbitrators for “apparent bias” and to set aside arbitrator appointments and awards in London-seated ...

Three Covington Partners Among Top 100 Women Lawyers in California

LOS ANGELES—Covington partners Carolyn Kubota, Robyn Polashuk, and Sonya Winner have been named to the Daily Journal’s 2018 “Top 100 Women Lawyers” list, recognizing the “top women lawyers in California.” Based in the firm’s Los Angeles office, Ms. Kubota is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers and has served as lead counsel on high-profile ...

Five Firms Going Above and Beyond on Pro Bono

The AmLaw Litigation Daily highlights Covington’s work alongside the ACLU, the Southern Poverty Center, and prisoners’ rights litigator, Elizabeth Alexander, regarding a class action that was filed in the Southern District of Mississippi on behalf of the East Mississippi Correctional Facility’s prisoners, 80 percent of whom are mentally ill. “Prisoners suffer ...

National Law Journal Names Covington to “Pro Bono Hot List”

SAN FRANCISCO—The National Law Journal has named Covington to its “Pro Bono Hot List.” The 2018 special report recognizes 14 firms who “have taken on some of the biggest issues of our time.” In its profile of the firm, The National Law Journal highlights Covington’s pro bono efforts, led by San Francisco partner Jeffrey Davidson, on behalf of the University of ...

Benjamin Haley Promoted to Partner

JOHANNESBURG AND WASHINGTON—Covington has promoted Benjamin Haley to its partnership. Mr. Haley, who has deep experience conducting investigations and compliance projects on the ground in Africa, will be relocating from Washington to the firm’s Johannesburg office this summer, where he will lead the firm’s Africa Investigations and Compliance practice. Mr. Haley ...

Covington Advises Elbit Systems in $120 Million Acquisition

WASHINGTON—Covington advised Elbit Systems Ltd. in its $120 million acquisition of the assets and operations of the privately owned U.S. company, Universal Avionics Systems. Elbit Systems is an international high technology company engaged in a wide range of defense, homeland security, and commercial programs throughout the world. Universal Avionics is a ...

5 Takeaways As DOJ Investigative Powers Get Challenged

Peter Hutt is quoted in a Law360 article providing takeaways from a recent challenge to the Justice Department’s investigative powers. The challenge was filed by a podiatry chain embroiled in False Claims Act litigation, and voiced procedural objections to the civil investigative demands that the DOJ issued after electing not to intervene in the ...

Covington & Burling: Backing Institutional Support for DACA

Covington was named to The National Law Journal's "Pro Bono Hot List" for its representation of the University of California in challenging the government’s rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. "To be in court standing up for 700,000 immigrants, I don't know that there's anything quite like that. For them, it's not a legal ...

‘Turn Yourself In,’ Justice Dept. Says, But Companies Need Data

Jennifer Saperstein is quoted in a Bloomberg Law article regarding the Justice Department's decision not to press criminal charges against Dun & Bradstreet Co. because of the company's cooperation under the updated anti-bribery policy. According to Saperstein, Dun & Bradstreet’s approach demonstrated the full benefits the new system can offer, but the DOJ’s ...

The Supreme Court May Have Taken One Part of PTAB Reform Off The Table For Now

Scott Kamholz is quoted in an Intellectual Asset Management article regarding the Supreme Court's decision in Oil States Energy Services v. Greene’s Energy Group. In this case, the Court decided that inter partes review does not violate Article III or the Seventh Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. “I have to say that Justice Thomas engaged in Supreme Court best ...

Lawyers Weigh In On PTAB Cases At The High Court

Scott Kamholz is quoted in a Law360 article providing opinions about the Supreme Court's recent decisions in two patent cases, Oil States Energy Services LLC v. Greene’s Energy Group LLC and SAS Institute Inc. v. Iancu. According to Kamholz, “The Oil States decision has no significance at all on practicing before the PTAB. It concerned a constitutionality ...

SEC Proposal Dives Into Long-Standing Debate About the Duties of Investment Professionals

On Wednesday, April 18th, the SEC introduced a much-anticipated package of proposed rules and formal guidance concerning the standards of conduct for financial professionals. The more than 1,000-page proposal, which emerged eight years after Congress required the agency to conduct a study on the topic, addresses whether investment advisers and broker-dealers ...

The Impact Of Changing The PTAB's Claim Construction Test

Scott Kamholz is quoted in a Law360 article regarding speculation that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board may switch to the claim construction standard used in district court. Kamholz says that by having courts and the PTAB work on the same standard, there is a stronger basis for judges in one forum to rely on claim constructions rulings in the other. "By ...

Washington Business Journal Names Jean Veta as “LGBTQ Business Leader”

WASHINGTON—The Washington Business Journal has honored Covington partner D. Jean Veta with the 2018 LGBTQ Business Leader Award. This award is given to 20 business leaders in the Washington area who are “blazing the trail for diversity and inclusion in the corporate world.” Ms. Veta, Covington’s first openly gay partner and a member of the firm’s Financial ...

Michael Plimack Named One of California's Top IP Lawyers

SAN FRANCISCO—The Daily Journal has named Covington partner Michael Plimack to its 2018 list of the “Top Intellectual Property Lawyers” in California. Mr. Plimack, co-chair of Covington’s Patent Litigation Practice Group, represents leading technology companies that are faced with complex patent infringement cases. In its profile, the Daily Journal highlighted ...

BTI Names Smith, Sperling, and Topol "Client Service All-Stars"

WASHINGTON—The BTI Consulting Group has named Covington lawyers Andrew Smith, Jonathan Sperling, and Allan Topol to its 2018 “Client Service All-Stars” list, which recognizes “the leaders in superior client service.” Mr. Smith, based in Washington, advises clients on retail financial services, credit reporting, privacy, technology, and e-commerce issues. He ...

Top IP Lawyers: Michael Plimack

Michael Plimack was named to the Daily Journal's "Top Intellectual Property Lawyers" in California list. Commenting on recent changes in patent litigation, Plimack says, "Large-scale patent litigation these days is an international affair that requires experience in all the key jurisdictions, which I believe will increasingly include China over time."

Depositions At PTAB Vs. District Court: What To Know

Scott Kamholz is quoted in a Law360 article regarding differences between depositions at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and district court. According to Kamholz, the purpose and execution between the two are quite distinct. “About the only thing in common between the two is the court reporter,” he says. “Lawyers cannot come into a PTAB deposition expecting it ...

Another One Bites the Dust (Thanks Covington)

The Am Law Litigation Daily highlights a victory on behalf of the city of Los Angeles following U.S. District Judge Manuel Real's decision to enjoin an attempt by the Justice Department to link funding for community-oriented policing to cooperation with federal law enforcement agencies on immigration enforcement. Mitch Kamin, who was a member of the Covington ...

Trump Admin. Can't Deny DOJ Grants To 'Sanctuary' Cities

Law360 highlights Covington's successful representation of the City of Los Angeles following a decision by a California federal judge which imposed a permanent, nationwide ban that would prevent the Administration from placing certain immigration-related conditions on community policing grants administered by the Justice Department. The Covington team included ...

NAFTA Arbitration Substitutes May Spur Issues Of Their Own

Marney Cheek is quoted in a Law360 article regarding issues that could exist under USTR Lighthizer's proposed alternatives to investor-state arbitration in a renegotiated NAFTA. "I think the main problem with his proposed solutions is that they're all limited in scope, and so there's very serious enforcement gaps," says Cheek. Commenting on the fact that ...

PTO Director: 'Something Must Be Done' to Clarify Section 101

Scott Kamholz is quoted by The Recorder in an article regarding USPTO Director Andrei Iancu's ideas for reforming the patent system. “My sense is that [Iancu] is not focused on harmonizing outcomes at the PTAB and district court, but rather to give both the PTAB and district judges more basis to rely on each other’s claim constructions,” Kamholz says. “That will ...

China-US Trade Frictions: China's steel sector wins in US Section 337 investigation

Ruixue Ran appeared on CGTN to discuss a recent victory on behalf of China's steel sector following a decision by the ITC to terminate a Section 337 investigation into Chinese steel products. According to Ran, who represented Chinese steel companies including Baosteel in the case, "While defending the trade secret misappropriation claim, we spent massive energy ...

REIT Directors Duck Investor Suit Over $41M Loan Write-Down

Law360 highlights a decision by U.S. District Judge Louis L. Stanton who stated that a proposed class of Resource Capital Corp. shareholders could not pursue a suit on behalf of the real estate investment trust without the board of directors’ approval. Mark Gimbel, who represents the board and officers, said, “We are pleased with the court’s decision, which ...

China: Government Reorganization and Trade War Suggest More Anti-Corruption Enforcement in China

China’s biggest government reorganization in a generation, coinciding with rapidly escalating U.S.-China trade tensions, will impact many aspects of doing business in China, including an uptick in anti-corruption enforcement.

Covington & Burling grows practice in New York and Washington

Commercial Dispute Resolution highlights the arrival of David Luttinger and Gerald Hodgkins at Covington. Commenting on Luttinger's addition, Mitchell Dolin says that the firm was “drawn to his superb national reputation as a trial lawyer in the coverage field and to his strengths as an individual and colleague.” According to David Kornblau, Hodgkins’ “broad ...

Eric Holder, Unleashed

Eric Holder was featured by The AmLaw Litigation Daily in an article describing his many roles and responsibilities both at the firm and beyond. According to Timothy Hester, Holder is "involved in a lot of important issues of the day, but he’s also involved in very important issues for our client base." Hester adds, “He’s thrown himself into the life of our ...

International Trade Commission Drops US Steel's Antitrust Claims Against Chinese Steelmakers

Derek Ludwin and James O'Connell are quoted by The American Lawyer in an article examining a decision by the ITC stating that United States Steel cannot bring antitrust claims against 40 Chinese steel manufacturers over alleged price-fixing. Ludwin, who represents Baosteel America with O'Connell and Sturgis Sobin, says that even though Section 337 is not often ...

Foreign Investment Regime Reforms in the UK

On March 15, 2018, the Government introduced legislation to Parliament that would strengthen the state’s ability to scrutinise the national security implications of foreign investment in cutting-edge technology sectors. This browser does not support inline PDFs. Please download the PDF to view it: Download PDF

Covington Lawyers Recognized with Daily Journal's 2018 CLAY Award

SAN FRANCISCO—Covington’s Jeffrey Davidson, Thomas Garten, Laura Muschamp, and Michael Plimack have been named among the 2018 “California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year” by the Daily Journal. This annual award recognizes lawyers in the state who have made a “significant impact on public policy, the law, the profession, or a particular practice area.” Mr. Davidson ...

Adam Studner Named One of Washington's Top Lawyers Under 40

WASHINGTON—DCA Live has named Covington’s Adam Studner to its “2018 Rising Stars of Law 40 Under 40” list. Mr. Studner’s practice focuses on white collar criminal matters, internal corporate investigations, and compliance counseling. He regularly represents clients in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and corruption-related internal investigations and risk ...

US litigation: A time for optimism

Stephen Anthony is quoted in a CDR Magazine article examining litigation challenges in 2018 and beyond. According to Anthony, "Our clients generally are bullish about the business environment, with the stock market at record highs and consumer confidence relatively high.” He says, "Overall, we don’t foresee a drop in the volume or significance of US ...

What Every Defense Contractor Should Know About Insurance for Cyberattacks

Cyberattacks targeting defense contractors illustrate the need for cybersecurity, for thoughtful planning—and for insurance when security and planning prove insufficient. Understanding your insurance policies before things go wrong can help ensure financial protection when they do.

Establishing 15 IP Tribunals Nationwide, Chinese Courts Further Concentrate Jurisdiction Over IP Matters

China has continued to develop its adjudicatory framework for intellectual property disputes with the establishment of three Intellectual Property Tribunals (“IP Tribunals”) this month. This reform began with the establishment of three specialized IP Courts in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou at the end of 2014, and has been furthered with the establishment of ...

What To Know Before Asking The PTAB To Exclude Evidence

Scott Kamholz is quoted in a Law360 article examining what to know before asking the PTAB to exclude evidence. According to Kamholz, "Their preference is to have it in and make of it what they will, rather than go through the formal process of deciding whether to exclude it from the record." Kamholz adds that establishing that a piece of evidence is a printed ...

SEC Settles Fourth Cherry-Picking Enforcement

Gerald Hodgkins is quoted in a Compliance Reporter article regarding a recent settlement between Valor Capital Asset Management and the Securities and Exchange Commission. According to Hodgkins, the settlement serves as an example of the way the agency’s improved data analytics can help regulators spot potentially problematic activity. “What is different in this ...

Global Investigations Review and WWL Recognize Covington’s White Collar Practice

WASHINGTON—Global Investigations Review and Who’s Who Legal: Investigations have recognized Covington’s White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group in its 2018 report. The publication named Covington partners Tammy Albarrán and Steven Fagell to the inaugural Future Leaders issue, a ranking of “the most eminent lawyers in the field under 45,” and ...

Jeffrey Davidson Named Among San Francisco’s "40 Under 40"

SAN FRANCISCO—The San Francisco Business Times has named Covington partner Jeffrey Davidson to its “40 Under 40” list recognizing him among the region’s “most promising young talent.” Mr. Davidson is the only litigation attorney named to the list. Mr. Davidson’s trial and appellate practice focuses on high-stakes commercial, insurance coverage, products ...

3rd Circ. Gives 'Hybrid' Med Devices New Liability Shield

John DeBoy is quoted in a Law360 article regarding a recent Third Circuit ruling that gives medical device makers a legal shield for products composed of parts with various levels of regulatory approval. "[The decision] marks a step forward in clarifying the law on the component question,” says DeBoy. “Some federal district courts have applied an analysis ...

English Court Considers Effect of Breach of Insurance Policy Warranty

The Commercial Court in London has recently held that breach of a specific policy provision described as a warranty in a buildings insurance policy allowed an insurer to avoid coverage for a fire claim, but was not grounds for making the policy completely void from inception, as the insurer had argued. The case is BlueBon Ltd v Ageas (UK) Ltd [2017] EWHC 3301 ...

Carolyn Kubota Named to the American College of Trial Lawyers

LOS ANGELES—Covington partner Carolyn Kubota has been named a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America. Ms. Kubota is the seventh Covington lawyer among the current Fellows, joining Lanny Breuer, Robert Haslam, John Nields, George Pappas, William Phillips, and Robert Sayler. Ms. Kubota is a ...

Now Is the Time for Latin American Arbitration

Nicole Duclos and Miguel López Forastier are quoted in a Commercial Dispute Resolution article regarding international arbitration in Latin America. According to Duclos, three indicators reflect the way the discipline “has continued to grow in popularity and acceptance.” These include: the proactive modernisation of many countries’ arbitration laws during the ...

Investors Are Paying $1,300 Per Hour for ‘Expert’ Chats

Arlo Devlin-Brown is quoted in a Bloomberg article examining the uptick in European investors' using expert networks. “There’s no question that expert-networking firms can be misused by securities traders to obtain material non-public information from company insiders,” says Devlin-Brown. In Europe, “the securities industry would be well advised to use ...

Handling Investigations of Members of Congress and Congressional Staff

In the highly politicized world of investigations involving Members of Congress and congressional staff, taking the right steps in the first hours and days can mean the difference between a swift resolution and a years-long crisis.

In Digital Realty, the Supreme Court Hands the SEC a Big Loss, But Companies Should Remain Vigilant Against Whistleblower Retaliation

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court issued its much-anticipated decision in Digital Realty Trust, Inc. v. Somers. Ruling 9-0, the Court held that the Dodd-Frank Act prohibits retaliation against whistleblowers only if they reported suspected wrongdoing directly to the SEC.

Latinvex Again Names Nicole Duclos and Gabriel Mesa Among "Top 100 Lawyers"

NEW YORK—Latinvex has named Covington partners Nicole Duclos and Gabriel Mesa among “Latin America’s Top 100 Lawyers” in 2018. Ms. Duclos represents clients in international commercial and investment arbitration, as well as transnational litigation. Clients interviewed by Latinvex praised Ms. Duclos’ extensive arbitration experience, noting that she is “ready to ...

Chevron Spared As Justices Say 'Whistleblower' Term Clear

David Kornblau is quoted in a Law360 article regarding the Supreme Court's decision in Digital Realty Trust Inc. v. Paul Somers. According to Kornblau, the justices essentially found that the argument in favor of a narrow definition of whistleblower was “so lopsided” that “they didn’t really need to get into any of the subtleties about the Chevron doctrine.” He ...

David Luttinger Joins Covington’s Insurance Practice

NEW YORK—David Luttinger has joined Covington as a partner in the firm’s Insurance Recovery practice in New York. Mr. Luttinger has more than 20 years of experience representing clients in the insurance coverage field, including extensive trial work in judicial and arbitral forums across the country. His experience in the coverage area includes disputes over ...

Former SEC official joins Covington

Gerald Hodgkins is quoted in a Compliance Reporter article regarding his recent arrival as a partner in Covington's Securities Litigation and Enforcement and White Collar Defense and Investigations practices. “I bring to the table a deep understanding of what the issues are that drive the SEC and division of enforcement, along with what pressures affect them and ...

What's Next for the CFPB?

Eric Mogilnicki is quoted in a Credit Union Times article regarding what's next for the CFPB following a federal appeals court decision in late January upholding the lawfulness of the Bureau's structure. According to Mogilnicki, "The combination of that opinion and Acting Director Mulvaney's recent statement that the Bureau would stop 'pushing the envelope' on ...

9th Circuit says judge overreached in immigration checkpoint case

Winslow Taub is quoted in a Daily Journal article regarding a recent 9th Circuit decision stating that a district court judge gave too much deference to the Department of Homeland Security and didn't give proper judicial weight to the First Amendment in a case in which the government forced protestors to stay away from an immigration checkpoint in Arizona. ...

Former SEC Enforcement Division Associate Director Joins Covington

WASHINGTON—Gerald Hodgkins has joined Covington as a partner in the Securities Litigation and Enforcement and White Collar Defense and Investigations practices in Washington. Mr. Hodgkins most recently served as an Associate Director in the Enforcement Division of the Securities and Exchange Commission and has worked at the SEC’s Enforcement Division since ...

Former SEC Enforcer Joins Covington's DC Office

Gerald Hodgkins and David Kornblau are quoted in a Law360 article regarding Hodgkin's recent arrival as a partner in Covington's Securities Litigation and Enforcement and White Collar Defense and Investigations practices. Hodgkins says he is looking forward to “enhancing” Covington’s SEC enforcement practice, as well as complementing its white collar and ...

SEC Enforcer Hodgkins Lands at Covington & Burling

Gerald Hodgkins is quoted by The National Law Journal in an article regarding his recent move to Covington. "I was attracted to Covington because of the quality of its lawyers and its culture of teamwork and collaboration,” Hodgkins says. “I look forward to playing a key role in enhancing the firm’s SEC enforcement practice and complementing the firm’s prominent ...

Consumer Protection Bureau Still Facing Constitutional Challenges

Eric Mogilnicki is quoted in a Bloomberg Law article regarding potential constitutional challenges faced by the CFPB following the U.S. Court of Appeals ruling on January 31. According to Mogilnicki, plenty of questions are still up in the air. The CFPB could settle some cases that otherwise would keep working through the constitutional question, while other ...

Wade Ackerman and Aaron Lewis Named Among LA's Most Influential Diverse Lawyers

LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Business Journal recognized Wade Ackerman and Aaron Lewis in its second annual list of the most influential diverse lawyers in Los Angeles. The list recognizes 50 "stellar diverse lawyers in the LA region." In Mr. Ackerman’s profile, the Business Journal emphasized his work in the FDA regulatory space. The profile noted that “with a ...

Covington Earns Five “Practice Group of the Year” Awards

WASHINGTON—Law360 has named five Covington practice groups among its “2017 Practice Groups of the Year.” The practice groups recognized by Law360 are as follows: Government Contracts International Trade Product Liability Sports White Collar

Sports Group Of The Year: Covington & Burling

Covington was named a 2017 Sports Practice Group of the Year by Law360. According to Ben Block, one of the most rewarding aspects of the sports group is the opportunity to work with repeat clients. "But," he adds, "every year and every day is a new, different, and exciting challenge." Commenting on the Tax Court victory on behalf of the Boston Bruins in a ...

White Collar Group Of The Year: Covington & Burling

Covington was named a 2017 White Collar Practice Group of the Year by Law360. Commenting on the firm's representation of Takata Corp. in its highly sensitive $1 billion deal with the U.S. Department of Justice over air bag inflators, Steven Fagell says, "It was a very sensitive and very complicated matter, and there were other regulators that had taken an ...

4 Ideas For How The PTAB Could Provide More Guidance

Scott Kamholz is quoted in a Law360 article examining how the Patent Trial and Appeal Board [PTAB] can improve its guidance. Commenting on streamlining the process, Kamholz says it could assign much of the responsibility of designating precedential opinions to the board's lead judges, with the rest of the members having more of an advisory role. "The board ...

What CFPB gained, lost in appeals court ruling

Eric Mogilnicki is quoted in an American Banker article regarding a federal appeals court decision upholding the constitutionality of the CFPB’s single-director structure. "It's a victory for the CFPB in the long-long run, but the Democrats may have to wait two or three years to replace a Trump nominee," says Mogilnicki. "I do think that the win on independence ...

The DC Circuit's Big CFPB Ruling Carries Wide Implications. Here's What's Next

Eric Mogilnicki is quoted by The National Law Journal in an article regarding the significance of a federal appeals court ruling upholding the lawfulness of the CFPB’s single-director structure. “The combination of that opinion and Acting Director Mulvaney’s recent statement that the bureau would stop ‘pushing the envelope’ on enforcement matters will provide ...

Court upholds constitutionality of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Eric Mogilnicki is quoted in a Politico article regarding the federal appeals court ruling upholding the constitutionality of the CFPB’s structure. According to Mogilnicki, it's “quite likely” PHH would prevail in its argument against the penalty following today’s decision, and that an appeal from the administration would be unlikely due to political ...

CFPB Constitutional Fight Faces Tough Supreme Court Path

Eric Mogilnicki is quoted in a Law360 article regarding the D.C. Circuit’s ruling that the CFPB's single-director structure is not a violation of the president’s powers under Article II of the Constitution. According to Mogilnicki, because of the for-cause protection in place for any Senate-confirmed director, a Democrat president may be prevented from putting ...

Product Liability Group Of The Year: Covington & Burling

Covington was named a 2017 Product Liability Practice Group of the Year by Law360. According to Paul Schmidt, "It's a pretty new group, relatively speaking, and a younger group. Our practice probably started 10 years ago and has really been completely built into a top-tier practice over that time-frame. … I think that gives us a certain nice energy." He adds ...

2017 M&A Suits Push Securities Class Actions To Record High

Jonathan Sperling is quoted in a Law360 article regarding the increase in the number of federal securities class actions. “The increase in federal securities class actions as reflected in the Cornerstone Report is largely due to a significant jump in M&A filings, and that jump is likely driven by the elimination of so-called disclosure-only settlements in ...

How #MeToo Is Changing Internal Investigations

Nancy Kestenbaum is quoted in a Law360 article regarding the impact of the #MeToo movement on internal investigations. “The #MeToo movement has empowered more people to come forward and raise these issues at their companies or organizations,” says Kestenbaum. “And that has caused the organizations to examine those specific issues, or issues of harassment and ...

Trends and Developments in Anti-Corruption Enforcement

Our message this year is simple: FCPA enforcement is here to stay. Despite pre-election statements to the contrary, various senior officials in the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) have, over the past year, consistently reaffirmed DOJ’s and the SEC’s commitment to FCPA enforcement.

Second dispute under Bangladesh accord settles

Marney Cheek is quoted in a Global Arbitration Review article regarding a recent settlement that was reached between labor union federations and a global fashion brand under the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. Cheek, who led the Covington team acting for IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Global Union, says, "The Bangladesh accord arbitrations ...

Fashion Brand To Pay $2.3M In Bangladesh Accord Deal

Marney Cheek is quoted in a Law360 article regarding a $2.3 million settlement between labor unions and a global fashion brand over garment factory conditions under the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. “These settlements show that an enforcement mechanism like arbitration can be a critical part of ensuring compliance with the Bangladesh Accord,” ...

Covington Helps Secure Historic Settlement in Arbitration Under the Accord on Fire & Building Safety in Bangladesh

WASHINGTON—Covington has helped secure a historic settlement on behalf of global union federations, Industrial Global Union and UNI Global Union, in an arbitration under the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, a legally binding agreement to create a framework for safe working conditions in the Bangladeshi Ready-Made Garment industry. Signed in ...

Covington Represents Bacardi in Acquisition of Patrón Tequila

WASHINGTON—Covington advised Bacardi Limited in its definitive agreement to acquire Patrón Spirits International AG and its PATRÓN® brand, the world’s top-selling ultra-premium tequila, from John Paul DeJoria, a founder of Patrón. The transaction reflects an enterprise value for Patrón of $5.1 billion. The transaction follows the successful relationship the ...

International Trade Group of the Year: Covington & Burling

Covington was named a 2017 International Trade Group of the Year by Law360. According to Peter Lichtenbaum, the Bombardier trade remedies case, which "presents very significant economic, legal, and political issues," was one of the group's biggest from the past year. "The company remains confident that the ITC will conclude that Boeing will not be harmed by the ...

English Banking Litigation: Top 10 Cases Of 2017

We summarise what we see as the ten most significant English Court judgments for financial institutions. The overriding theme to arise from these cases is that, when financial institutions look after their own interests and protect themselves, those protections will be upheld by the English Court and their contractual arrangements will be respected. Financial ...

English Jurisdiction As Effective As Ever: A Response to the European Commission's “Notice to Stakeholders”

This article “fact-checks” the “Notice to Stakeholders” published by the European Commission on November 21, 2017 (the “Notice”). The Notice has received widespread press attention, due to its stark warnings about the risks of choosing to litigate in the English Courts post-Brexit. We consider whether the Notice is factually accurate (yes), whether it gives an ...

Insurance Coverage for Opioid Lawsuits & Investigations

Dozens of pharmaceutical manufacturers, wholesale distributors, and retailers have been named as defendants in opioid-related lawsuits, investigations, and congressional inquiries across the country. These actions and investigations include allegations that defendants misleadingly marketed opioids, failed to comply with regulatory requirements to report ...

Litigator of the Week: Keeping the Dream Alive

Jeffrey Davidson was named "Litigator of the Week" by The Litigation Daily for his representation of the University of California, one of the plaintiffs in the case challenging the Trump Administration's decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. On January 9, U.S. District Judge William Alsup of the Northern District of ...

The Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”): A Guide for the Perplexed

Eighty years ago, Congress enacted the Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”), requiring “foreign agents” to register with the Attorney General. As amended over the years, it applies broadly to anyone who acts on behalf of a “foreign principal” to, among other things, influence U.S. policy or public opinion. Until recently, it was a backwater of American ...

How an obscure SCOTUS employment ruling put the brakes on DACA rollback

Jeffrey Davidson is quoted in a Reuters article regarding a preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco that temporarily blocks the government from rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Davidson, who represents the University of California in challenging the government's action, says that ...

Judge Blocks Trump's DACA Rollback Nationwide

Jeffrey Davidson is quoted in a Law360 article regarding a nationwide injunction issued by U.S. District Judge William Alsup that prevents the government from proceeding with its plan to roll back the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Davidson, who serves as counsel for the University of California, one of the plaintiffs in the case, says ...

Covington Secures Injunction of DACA Rescission

SAN FRANCISCO—Covington secured a victory on behalf of its clients the University of California and UC President Janet Napolitano when Northern District of California Judge William Alsup issued a nationwide injunction blocking the federal government’s effort to shut down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA). On September 5, 2017, the ...

Attys Eye Cases Impacting SEC Enforcement Powers In 2018

David Kornblau is quoted in a Law360 article regarding upcoming Supreme Court cases that could impact how the SEC regulates the financial industry. Commenting on the Digital Realty litigation, which could lead to a ruling on the broader issue of the Chevron doctrine, Kornblau says, “If the court goes down that road, it might call into question all kinds of ...

The Regulator Whisperers: Covington & Burling, Finalist for White Collar/Regulatory Litigation Department of the Year

The American Lawyer named Covington a finalist for White Collar/Regulatory Litigation Department of the Year and highlights Eric Holder, Steven Fagell, Lanny Breuer, Nancy Kestenbaum, and Mythili Raman in its profile.

Cybersecurity & Privacy Predictions For 2018

Kurt Wimmer and John Buchanan are quoted in a Law360 article providing cybersecurity and privacy predictions for 2018. Wimmer says, once Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is in force, non-EU countries around the world will begin looking at privacy regimes based on the 1995 Directive [which the GDPR will replace] and think about whether they ...

More Stars: Litigation Department of the Year Honorable Mentions

The American Lawyer named Covington to its list of "Honorable Mentions" for the Litigation Department of the Year awards. The publication highlights the firm's work on behalf of Takata Airbags and its win for McKesson in a trade secrets case.

Four Covington Partners Named Law360 MVPs

Nonprofits Are Tapping Outside Firms To Conduct Internal Probes

Nancy Kestenbaum is quoted by The Wall Street Journal in an article regarding internal investigations at nonprofits. According to Kestenbaum, when reported incidents occurred decades ago, investigators looked for documents or multiple witnesses to substantiate claims. “You can be left with situations where you believe misconduct took place but you have ...

DOJ Announces Revised FCPA Corporate Enforcement Policy

During his keynote speech at the 34th International Conference on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein announced a new FCPA Corporate Enforcement Policy (the “Policy”), which is now incorporated in the United States Attorneys’ Manual (“USAM”).

DOJ Announces Revised FCPA Corporate Enforcement Policy Bilingual

In this virtual world of data national borders still matter

Eric Holder participated in Microsoft's #TechTalk series to discuss "Law Enforcement & Data." Topics included the role of national borders when it comes to accessing electronic evidence, the significance of e-evidence in investigations, the protection of fundamental rights online, the need for international police cooperation, and the unnecessary barriers to ...

This Is How You Manage Insurance Recovery After Fires

Massive wildfires have devastated Ventura County, and they now threaten lives, homes and businesses in Los Angeles and San Diego. In the face of these catastrophic fires, businesses and their employees should focus on safety. In their aftermath, businesses must act promptly and assertively to protect their insurance rights and remedies. Early and deliberate ...

Covington Lures Back FDA Drug Quality Leader

Tom Cosgrove is quoted in a Law360 article regarding his return to Covington's Food, Drug and Device Practice Group. “I think companies are looking hard at their supply chain risks and wondering how much they can trust other companies that make up the links in that chain,” Cosgrove says. “These challenges, brought about by increased globalization, will only ...

Former FDA Official Rejoins Covington's Life Sciences Practice

WASHINGTON—Tom Cosgrove, who until last month was a senior official at FDA charged with ensuring the quality of drugs and therapeutic biologics marketed to U.S. patients, has rejoined Covington as a partner in its Food, Drug, and Device practice, resident in Washington. Mr. Cosgrove held senior leadership positions within FDA’s Office of Compliance in the Center ...

Another fine mess? How penalties are calculated

Mythili Raman is quoted by The Banker in an article regarding how bank regulators calculate fines. Commenting on DOJ's starting point for calculating corporate crime fines, Raman says, "Even though the guidelines, on their face, set out a seemingly strict formula for calculating fines, the calculation of ‘profits’ and ‘losses’ is an extremely elastic exercise, ...

Covington Advises Aristocrat in $990 Million Gaming Acquisition

WASHINGTON—Covington represented Aristocrat Leisure Limited in its $990 million acquisition of Big Fish Games, Inc. This acquisition expands Aristocrat’s Social Gaming business into new game genres. Aristocrat is a global provider of gaming solutions. It offers a diverse range of products and services including electronic gaming machines and casino management ...

The view from the Summit – Part Two

Ian Hargreaves participated in a panel discussing the management of compliance against anti-corruption and bribery laws at the African Law & Business Summit and is quoted in an article providing highlights from the event. Commenting on the impact of the "Paradise Papers," Hargreaves reminded the audience that many of the revelations were but allegations, and ...

Whistleblower Case Could Widen Into A Chevron Challenge

David Kornblau is quoted in a Law360 article regarding the upcoming Supreme Court case focusing on the reach of whistleblower protections under the Dodd-Frank Act. According to Kornblau, if the high court expands the scope of the case to include a review of the Chevron doctrine it could have important ramifications for all federal regulatory agencies in terms of ...

What NAFTA Renegotiating Objectives Mean For Arbitration

Marney Cheek is quoted in a Law360 article examining what updated renegotiation objectives for NAFTA mean for investment arbitration. According to Cheek, "The reference in the [investor-state dispute settlement] negotiating objectives to 'U.S. sovereignty' and 'the maintenance of strong U.S. domestic industries' appears to be a euphemism for telling U.S. ...

NAFTA talks make little headway as U.S. updates objectives for ISDS reform

Marney Cheek is quoted in a Global Arbitration Review article examining the Administration's updated objectives with regard to the reform of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS). According to Cheek, the reference in the objectives to finding a “meaningful procedure for resolving investment disputes” echoes the wording used by Congress in the Trade Promotion ...

SEC enforcement ebbs in 2017

David Kornblau is quoted in a Compliance Reporter article regarding the SEC's annual enforcement report for 2017. According to Kornblau, the report showed a decrease in enforcement actions compared to the prior year, as the industry expects a downshift in regulation by the agency under new SEC Chair Jay Clayton. “My sense is that the overall level of new ...

Panama building could put Trump at legal risk

Arlo Devlin-Brown appeared MSNBC to discuss money laundering concerns that might arise when a company or individual licenses its name to another company for use. According to Devlin-Brown, "The fact that it was licensing its name really doesn't make a difference at all in terms of how U.S. money laundering law operates."

Game Changer: Clara Shin, Covington & Burling

The Recorder recognized Clara Shin as a “Game Changer” for her successful representation of McKesson Corporation in a half-billion-dollar trade secrets case. Commenting on skills needed to achieve a come-from-behind victory, Shin says, "While it is important to respect prior counsel’s handling of the case, you must aggressively re-vet all potential legal ...

Covington Named to The National Law Journal's Appellate Hot List

WASHINGTON—The National Law Journal has named Covington to its “Appellate Hot List” for the seventh time. The 2017 special report features an “elite group of lawyers and law firms that posted hard-fought wins at the U.S. Supreme Court or in federal circuit courts.” In its profile of the firm, The National Law Journal highlights Covington’s victory in Meoli v. ...

Top 10 Game-Changing Litigator Moves in October

The Litigation Daily recognizes Jennifer Saulino's move to Covington as one of the top "Game-Changing Litigator Moves in October." According to John Hall, “Jennifer’s skill and experience in litigating and trying fact-intensive cases combined with her track record of success in complex jury cases will benefit our clients and strengthen the firm’s general ...

Whistleblower Protections Here To Stay, Expert Says

David Kornblau participated in a panel discussion at the Securities Enforcement Forum 2017 and is quoted in a Law360 article examining an upcoming Supreme Court ruling in a case challenging the Dodd-Frank Act's ban on retaliation against whistleblowers. According to Kornblau, the main takeaway for companies and employees watching the case is “what’s not at ...

SEC's Whistleblower Chief Says Companies Heed Call Not to Silence Tipsters

David Kornblau participated in a panel discussion at the Securities Enforcement Forum 2017 and is quoted in a National Law Journal article. Commenting on whistleblower protections ahead of an upcoming Supreme Court decision, Kornblau says, "For companies, there really are risks either way this case comes out."

Insurance Coverage for Lost Income Due to Supply or Manufacturing Problems in Puerto Rico

Last month, Hurricanes Irma and Maria battered Puerto Rico, which is a major center of pharmaceutical manufacturing. Damage there to property, roads, bridges, communications, power, and water systems may take months or more to repair. Some, including the FDA, have expressed concern that the damage could lead to shortages of important drugs, medical devices, and ...

Covington Helps Microsoft Secure Landmark DOJ Reform of Digital Surveillance

WASHINGTON—As the result of a high-profile First Amendment challenge to the federal statute invoked by law enforcement to impose gag orders on technology companies, Microsoft, and its counsel Covington and Davis Wright Tremaine, have secured landmark reform of the U.S. Department of Justice's approach to digital surveillance. Covington and Davis Wright Tremaine ...

How Covington and Davis Wright Scored a Major DOJ Policy Change for Microsoft

Jim Garland and Alex Berengaut are quoted by The Litigation Daily in an article regarding the role Covington and co-counsel Davis Wright played together on behalf of Microsoft that led to a groundbreaking policy memo from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein curbing the government's use of gag orders on tech companies. “It’s not always the case that the tech ...

Covington Secures Landmark Trademark Infringement Ruling for John Deere

SAN FRANCISCO—Following a weeklong bench trial, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky ruled in favor of Covington client Deere & Company in a trademark lawsuit involving the company’s iconic green and yellow colors. Since the early 20th century, Deere's agricultural equipment has almost all been painted in Deere's distinctive and ...

John Deere Wins TM Suit Against Green And Yellow Rival

Law360 highlights Covington's successful representation of John Deere in a trademark lawsuit involving the company's green-and-yellow color scheme. "Color trademarks are uncommon, and we are not aware of any color trademark case going through trial before this one," says Simon Frankel. "But John Deere has one of the strongest and most widely recognized color ...

Trump Administration Actions Will Affect Health Insurance Markets

In a court filing this morning and an Executive Order issued yesterday, the Trump Administration announced major policy changes affecting health insurers and employers. The Administration intends to cease making cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments to insurers, while also expanding the availability of Association Health Plans, short-term health plans, and ...

State Appellate Vets Team Up; Another Law Firm Merger; Inside Clyde's Insurance Practice Play

The National Law Journal highlights Jennifer Saulino's return to Covington. “Covington offered me a really exciting opportunity to marry my focus on trial work with Covington’s diverse practice areas and client base on a very large scale," she says.

US courts restrict territorial reach of Commodity Exchange Act

Anne Termine is quoted in a Risk article examining recent cases that have restricted the extraterritorial application of the Commodity Exchange Act. “I don’t think the Brent case ruling will deter any enforcement programme by the CFTC on an extraterritoriality basis,” says Termine. “However, it does give pause because some parts of the language are incorrect ...

Leading Trial Lawyer and Former DOJ Prosecutor Rejoins Covington

WASHINGTON—Jennifer Saulino has joined Covington’s Litigation and White Collar Defense and Investigation practices as a partner in Washington. Ms. Saulino’s practice focuses on trials as well as defending individuals and corporations in investigations and prosecutions, with particular experience in the pharmaceutical, health care, banking and securities, oil and ...

Former DOJ Prosecutor Rejoins Covington In Washington

John Hall and Jennifer Saulino are quoted in a Law360 article regarding her return to Covington as a partner in the firm's Litigation and Investigations practice. According to Hall, Saulino has “earned the respect and admiration of her colleagues and adversaries” in the courtroom with both her skills and her willingness to take on the most difficult cases. ...

Justices Could Reshape Securities Law Without Blockbuster

David Kornblau is quoted in a Law360 article regarding the effect the Supreme Court's upcoming docket may have on the legal framework for the securities industry. Commenting on the Digital Realty litigation, which focuses on the reach of Dodd-Frank Act’s whistleblower protections, Kornblau says, "This is one where the agency has actually gone through the process ...

Criminal and civil intertwined

Ian Hargreaves chaired the fourth panel of CDR's Summer Litigation Symposium and is quoted in a Commercial Dispute Resolution article regarding the complexities of handling investigations and disputes with both criminal and civil law aspects. According to Hargreaves, with the recent implementation of various pieces of legislation, such as the Criminal Finances ...

A Newcomer’s Guide To Litigating Patent Cases In California

Kurt Calia is quoted in a Law360 article providing advice to new California patent litigators. Commenting on skepticism about discovery and sealing, Calia says when one side is seeking production of massive amounts of email or terabytes of technical data, "the judges understand that the cost to litigants — even with all the e-discovery tools that are available — ...

Clara Shin Named Litigation "Game Changer" by The Recorder

SAN FRANCISCO—The Recorder recognized Covington partner Clara Shin as a “Game Changer” for her successful representation of McKesson Corporation in a half-billion-dollar trade secrets case. Awarded in conjunction with the publication’s California Litigation Department of the Year awards, the recognition highlights individual litigators “who won big where others ...

Fighting Trump’s Policies is Personal for This Lawyer

Bloomberg Law featured Lanny Breuer in a Q&A regarding his and the firm's involvement as co-counsel at the University of California against the Department of Homeland Security regarding the decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Commenting on the firm's decision to join the lawsuit, Breuer says, "We feel very strongly that the ...

Practical Tips for Insurance Recoveries After Storms

Hurricane Irma has battered much of Florida, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, just days after tropical storm Harvey devastated Houston and its environs. This e-alert provides practical tips to help maximize insurance recoveries for those organizations whose property was damaged or whose business was interrupted by these catastrophic events.

Napolitano Sues Trump to Save DACA Program She Helped Create

Alex Berengaut is quoted by The New York Times in an article regarding the lawsuit filed by the University of California system against the Department of Homeland Security regarding the decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Berengaut, a member of the Covington team representing former Secretary of Homeland Security Janet ...

Legal 'Fistfight' Expected When Transgender Ban Gets to Court

David Zionts is quoted in a Stars & Stripes article regarding the recent ban on transgender personnel in the military. Zionts, who is a member of the Covington team serving as co-counsel with the ACLU challenging the ban, says the issue is "equality before the law." When “the government wants to discriminate and treat one class of people different, it needs a ...

D.C.'s Rising Stars: Shankar Duraiswamy, 37

Shankar Duraiswamy was named a "D.C. Rising Star" by The National Law Journal, recognizing him as one of the “region’s 40 most promising lawyers age 40 and under.” Commenting on his biggest accomplishment, Duraiswamy says, "I am proudest of the results I have secured for my pro bono clients. A highlight was a landmark settlement in 2013 that we secured for deaf ...

Shankar Duraiswamy Named "D.C. Rising Star"

WASHINGTON—The National Law Journal has named Covington partner Shankar Duraiswamy a “D.C. Rising Star,” recognizing him as one of the “region’s 40 most promising lawyers age 40 and under.” In his profile, Mr. Duraiswamy highlights a number of experiences and lessons learned in his career. When asked about a key to his success, he credited one of his early ...

Covington Again Named a Top International Law Firm in Latin America

NEW YORK—Covington has again been selected by Latinvex as a “Top International Law Firm” doing work in Latin America. In addition to this honor, Latinvex has recognized Covington as a leading firm in the FCPA & Fraud, International Arbitration, and Corporate/M&A subcategories. Covington’s Latin America practice draws on a dedicated team of lawyers and advisors ...

Marcus Hutchins' Arrest: Did FBI Bite the Hand That Feeds?

Alex Berengaut's Law360article weighing the constitutionality of the Marcus Hutchins indictment is cited in a Bank Info Security story examining questions raised by the case. According to Berengaut, it's not clear that federal prosecutors have a right to bring charges against Hutchins.

Code Linked to MalwareTech and Kronos Published in 2009

Alex Berengaut's Law360 article on the constitutionality of the Marcus Hutchins indictment is cited in a Security Week story examining recent case developments. “Since Hutchins’ indictment, commentators have questioned whether the creation and selling of malware—without actually using the malware—violates the two statutes under which Hutchins was charged: the ...

How 5 Firms Are Building More Diverse Ranks

Law360 features Covington in an article examining how "firms are making substantial progress on diversifying their ranks." According to Anne Lee, "The firm is thoughtful about creating opportunities for developing attorneys, and that’s what has kept me here. It’s helping me grow.” Michael Imbroscio describes that firm's program where diverse recruits who have ...

Macau Billionaire Convicted of Bribing U.N. Officials

On July 27, 2017, a Manhattan federal jury convicted Macau billionaire Ng Lap Seng of bribing Caribbean diplomats to the United Nations (“UN”) to secure the organization’s support for a multi-billion dollar convention center that Ng hoped to build in Macau. After a five-week trial, the jury took just seven hours to return a guilty verdict on all six charges: ...

Recent Cases on E-Mail "Spoofing" Coverage Highlight the Impact of Specific Crime Policy Wordings

Two recent federal district court decisions involving computer “spoofing” scams highlight the uncertainty about whether such incidents may be covered under standard “computer fraud” provisions in widely used crime insurance forms. The conflicting results in these cases provide a stark reminder to policyholders that seemingly minor differences in policy wordings ...

Mitch Kamin Among LA’s "Most Influential IP Attorneys"

LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Business Journal has named Covington partner Mitch Kamin one of the “Most Influential IP Attorneys” in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Business Journal highlighted Mr. Kamin’s representation of entertainment industry leaders such as 21st Century Fox and Sony Music Entertainment in complex, high profile intellectual property disputes, ...

Covington Secures $21 Million Jury Trial Win for Elbit Systems in Patent Case

SILICON VALLEY—Covington secured a significant patent infringement victory on behalf of Elbit Systems Ltd. over its groundbreaking patent relating to high-speed satellite communications. A jury in the Unites States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas awarded Elbit Systems $21,075,000 in damages, exclusive of pre-judgment interest and post-verdict ...

A lawyer who has been a defender of USC now must investigate the dean scandal. But can she be impartial?

Aaron Lewis is quoted in a Los Angeles Times article regarding an internal investigation by the University of Southern California reviewing what its leaders knew about the conduct of former medical school dean Dr. Carmen Puliafito.

Two Covington Partners Named Among Law360's "Rising Stars”

WASHINGTON—Law360 named Covington partners Elizabeth Canter and Shankar Duraiswamy to its list of “Rising Stars for 2017.” This annual recognition honors top attorneys under 40 “whose legal accomplishments transcend their age.” Ms. Canter advises multinational companies on privacy, cyber security, and technology transaction issues. She has special expertise in ...

Covington Wins Two American Lawyer Global Legal Awards

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 ...

7th Circ. Spoofing Decision Buoys Gov't Crackdown

Anne Termine is quoted in a Law360 article regarding the Seventh Circuit's decision to uphold the conviction of Michael Coscia for "spoofing." According to Termine, “The short takeaway is that it was a complete win for the government." She adds, “There wasn’t a single portion of Coscia’s argument that the court accepted.”

Bodog, ‘Black Friday’ Cases Winding Down With A Whimper

Arlo Devlin-Brown is quoted in a Gambling Compliance article regarding the crackdown by U.S. law enforcement on offshore gambling following the conclusion of Bodog founder Calvin Ayre's U.S. criminal case. According to Devlin-Brown, the resolution of Ayre’s case, “very likely reflects the fact-specific circumstances and cleaning up of an old case rather than the ...

Allentown Indictment A Warning To Attys Seeking Gov't Work

Arlo Devlin-Brown is quoted in a Law360 article regarding the complications surrounding political contributions for lawyers working with the public sector following the indictment of Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski. According to Devlin-Brown, "The Supreme Court has indicated that in the context of campaign contributions, compared to other benefits that go to ...

Spanish Flour Production Cos. Win $490M From Venezuela

Law360 highlights Covington's successful representation of Valores Mundiales SL and Consorcio Andino SL before the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes. The tribunal found that Venezuela had breached its international obligations with regard to the company's flour production business and ordered the country to pay nearly half a billion ...

Cyber Insurance Offerings Growing In Response To New Threats

Marialuisa Gallozzi, John Buchanan, and Jeff Kiburtz are quoted in a Medtech Insight article regarding the growing interest in the healthcare sector in buying cyber insurance. According to Gallozzi, "We are in the midst of an evolution of the insurance market right now in this area." She says cyber insurance policies have been a growing trend but unlike other ...

In Juries, Lawyers Now Favor the Uninformed

Former Chief of the Public Corruption Unit for the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York Arlo Devlin-Brown is quoted by The New York Times in an article regarding trends in jury selection. Generally, prosecutors look for “people who are community-minded,” like people who are married, employed in a role that requires dealing with others or ...

Rising Star: Covington's Shankar Duraiswamy

Shankar Duraiswamy was named a "Rising Star" by Law360, recognizing him as a top attorney under 40 in Product Liability law. In its profile of Duraiswamy, Law360 highlights his defense of Takata Corp. in the wake of the largest public safety recall in U.S. history and his dedication to pro bono work.

How the Supreme Court Has Reined in Federal Prosecutors

The New York Law Journal highlights an article by Arlo Devlin-Brown and Erin Monju on the Supreme Court's decision in McDonnell. “The reality is that McDonnell is of limited significance: It prevents prosecutors from bringing only the weakest of public corruption cases, those where the prosecution lacks even circumstantial evidence that a corrupt payoff was for ...

Covington Snags Undefeated Litigator From O'Melveny

Carolyn Kubota and John Hall are quoted in a Law360 article regarding Kubota's arrival to Covington's Los Angeles office as a partner in the firm's Litigation and White Collar Defense and Investigations practices. “A friend of mine once said, [trials] are the most fun you can have wearing a suit, and I’m a strong believer in that,” Kubota says. “I find [that], ...

Covington Hires Kubota from O'Melveny After 17-Year Long Stay

John Hall and Carolyn Kubota are quoted in a Daily Journal article regarding Kubota's recent arrival to Covington's Los Angeles office. According to Hall, "Carolyn is a world-class litigator with an exceptional track record of trial success, and her tenacity and depth of experience will be highly valuable to our clients," adding that her track record of handling ...

Covington's LA Office Makes Another Lateral Addition

Carolyn Kubota and John Hall are quoted by The Recorder in an article regarding Kubota's recent arrival to Covington's Litigation and White Collar Defense and Investigations practices in Los Angeles. “I hope I’ll be able to expand the work I’m doing for pharma companies to other companies and broaden, rather than change, [my practice],” Kubota says. According to ...

Leading Trial Lawyer Joins Covington

LOS ANGELES—Carolyn Kubota, a nationally acclaimed trial and white collar defense lawyer and former federal prosecutor, has joined Covington’s Litigation and White Collar Defense and Investigations practices in Los Angeles. Ms. Kubota has served as lead counsel on high-profile investigations, criminal trials, and high-stakes commercial litigation matters, ...

Tessera, Covington Deal Blows to Broadcom in ITC and PTAB

The National Law Journal highlights Covington's successful representation of Tessera at the ITC regarding a patent infringement dispute with Broadcom over semiconductor chips. According to Sturgis Sobin, who led the Covington team, "They tried for more than two years to work out a deal, but were unsuccessful."

Supreme Court Rules That Law Prohibiting Offensive Trademarks Offends

In a case that has drawn significant media attention for its potential effect on the Washington Redskins organization, the U.S. Supreme Court held on Monday, June 19, that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”) cannot deny a trademark registration on the basis that the proposed mark may “disparage” “persons, living or dead, institutions, beliefs, ...

Covington Lawyers Win Three “Europe Women in Business Law Awards"

LONDON—Euromoney Legal Media Group has selected three Covington lawyers for its annual “Europe Women in Business Law Awards.” The awards honor women in the legal sector across Europe. The Covington lawyers recognized are: Louise Nash, Best in Mergers & Acquisitions. Ms. Nash focuses on M&A and other transactional matters for clients in the consumer brands, ...

Options open to the SEC following High Court enforcement disgorgement loss

David Kornblau is quoted in a Regulatory Compliance Watch article regarding the Supreme Court's decision mandating a five-year statute of limitations on disgorgement assessed by the SEC. Commenting on the SEC's options, Kornblau says that one thing that the agency could do is rename disgorgement, “calling it restitution." The agency could argue that restitution ...

Covington’s Insurance Recovery Practice Wins Chambers "Award for Excellence"

WASHINGTON—Covington’s Insurance Recovery practice has received the 2017 Chambers USA "Award for Excellence" in Insurance, marking the sixth time the firm has received this honor in the 11 years it has been awarded. The "Award for Excellence" is given to one U.S. firm representing policyholders in the insurance coverage field. In addition to the award, Covington ...

Supreme Court ruling may curtail SEC disgorgement attempts

David Kornblau is quoted in a Business Insurance article regarding the effect of the Supreme Court ruling in Kokesh on SEC disgorgement attempts. According to Kornblau, “It’s a highly significant ruling, not only because of the statute of limitations, but because it puts into play whether the SEC has the power to obtain disgorgement from a federal court in any ...

Three Covington Partners Among Top 100 Women Lawyers in California

LOS ANGELES—Covington partners Robyn Polashuk, Clara Shin, and Sonya Winner have been named to the Daily Journal’s 2017 “Top 100 Women Lawyers” list, which recognizes the leading women lawyers in California who “try complex commercial disputes and put together industry-transforming deals.” Managing partner of the firm’s Los Angeles office, Ms. Polashuk focuses ...

U.K.’s Serious Fraud Office’s Future Still Foggy Despite May’s Defeat

Ian Hargreaves is quoted by The Wall Street Journal in an article regarding the future of the UK's Serious Fraud Office following the general election. "Folding the SFO into the [National Crime Agency] is neither necessary nor good for the prevention of serious fraud and other matters," says Hargreaves. "I would hope this gets pushed into the long grass and [Ms. ...

Is CFPB being stretched thin by litigation?

Eric Mogilnicki is quoted in an American Banker article regarding the impact of legal challenges on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. According to Mogilnicki, "Obviously, litigation soaks up resources that could be used to begin and proceed with investigations."

The Supreme Court Limits the SEC's Disgorgement Power

On Monday, in Kokesh v. SEC, the Supreme Court handed a major loss to the Securities and Exchange Commission, unanimously holding that SEC claims for disgorgement of ill-gotten gains are subject to a five-year statute of limitations. The Kokesh decision also calls into question the proper measure of disgorgement (e.g., gross versus net profits) and even whether ...

Tammy Albarrán and Nicole Duclos Among Latinvex’s Top Female Lawyers

SAN FRANCISCO AND NEW YORK—Latinvex has again selected Covington partners Tammy Albarrán and Nicole Duclos to its annual list of the “Top 100 Female Lawyers” focusing on Latin America at international law firms. Ms. Albarrán was selected a top practitioner in the FCPA & Fraud category, while Ms. Duclos was selected in the Arbitration & Litigation category. Ms. ...

New court members, an addition to its board and a ‘robust’ 2016 caseload marks an acceleration in pace for the London Court of International Arbitration.

Allan Moore is quoted in a CDR News article regarding his recent appointment to the London Court of International Arbitration. Moore comments, “I am deeply honoured. I have long viewed the LCIA Court and staff as consummate professionals and preeminent leaders in our field. It is also an enormously gracious group of people with whom to work on important matters ...

Allan Moore Appointed to London Court of International Arbitration

WASHINGTON—Covington partner Allan B. Moore has been appointed a Member of the LCIA Court, the supervisory administrative body of the London Court of International Arbitration, one of the world’s leading institutions for international commercial dispute resolution. Mr. Moore, who co-chairs Covington’s International Arbitration Practice Group, represents a broad ...

Anthony Weiner Pleads Guilty to Federal Obscenity Charge

The New York Times highlights Arlo Devlin-Brown's representation of Anthony Weiner during a federal investigation into the exchange of sexually explicit messages with a minor. Under Devlin-Brown's counsel, Weiner entered into a plea agreement which ended the investigation on May 19, 2017. Devlin-Brown said that his client had “accepted full responsibility” for ...

Weiner's Plea Deal Promises to Reduce Sentence by More Than Half

The New York Law Journal describes the plea agreement with the Department of Justice obtained by Arlo Devlin-Brown in his representation of Anthony Weiner in connection with the federal investigation into the exchange of sexually explicit messages with a minor. While Mr. Weiner could have been charged with an offense requiring a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 ...

Administration Submits Notice of NAFTA Renegotiation

On May 18, 2017, newly confirmed U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer formally notified Congress that President Trump intends to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The Trump Administration has indicated that it will request public input on the “direction, focus, and content” of these negotiations, and will publish notice in the ...

Manage Ransomware Risks Now

Last Friday may mark the start of a new era in cyber crime. The first worldwide ransomware attack, commonly dubbed “WannaCry,” emerged on May 12. The malware is believed to have infected more than 300,000 computers in 150 countries to date. A cyber criminal or ring of criminals, taking advantage of an exploit made available by the ShadowBrokers hacker group that ...

PTAB: no longer a death squad

Scott Kamholz and Peter Chen are quoted in a World Intellectual Property Review article examining the current landscape of the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board. According to Kamholz, the PTAB has never been “out to get” patents. Kamholz also believes that trial procedures have changed "remarkably little." He says, “I remember discussing all sorts of issues in ...

ICSID Highlights Transparency, Efficiency In Rule Reform

Miguel López Forastier is quoted in a Law360 article examining the International Centre for Settlement Investment Disputes' updates to its rule amendment project. According to López Forastier, “The Centre is focusing on all the critical areas that require updates to keep up with the changes and developments of the last ten years.” He adds, “The process also ...

Big Suits: PSKW v. McKesson Specialty Arizona

Corporate Counsel features Covington's "across-the-board trial win" on behalf of McKesson in a trade secrets case with half a billion dollars at stake. Clara Shin, who led the Covington team, says, "I'm proud of the fact we came in five months before trial and took a fresh look at the record.” She adds, "In addition to showing [PSKW] was not able to prove their ...

Regulatory Wild West Mars Surging Cyber Insurance Market

Richard Mattick is quoted in a Law360 article regarding the current state of the cyber insurance market. According to Mattick, "An increasing number of UK insurers are issuing cyber policies, but there is no market standard." He adds, “Because of the novelty and variety of the product, policyholders are worried about what they are buying. There is no specific ...

UK Insurance Lawyers Brace For New Policyholder Powers

Richard Mattick is quoted in a Law360 article examining the UK's newly imposed laws on insurance policyholders, which is expected to lead to increased litigation in the area. According to Mattick, "Lawyers will be recommending that their policyholder clients be as vigilant as possible for delays by insurers and remind insurers of the new law." He further ...

Covington to Open South Africa Office

Graham Vinter is quoted in an Africa Capital Digest article regarding the expansion of Covington's Project Finance practice with the arrival of four new partners and the opening of offices in Johannesburg and Dubai. “The team’s reputation in project finance is absolutely first class, and we are delighted with their decision to join the firm,” says Vintner. “Not ...

Covington announces Johannesburg opening with Chadbourne hires

Timothy Hester and Graham Vinter are quoted in an African Law & Business article regarding the expansion of Covington's Project Finance practice with the arrival of four new partners and the opening of offices in Johannesburg and Dubai. According to Hester, the additions are “a natural progression of our strategy to build a leading projects practice.” He adds ...

Supreme Court Imposes Jurisdictional Requirement for FSIA Expropriation Suits—a Cautionary Reminder of the Benefits of Investment-Protection Treaties

Investments in developing economies offer substantial benefits for many reasons, including their growth potential. But they often come with greater economic and political risks. Investment-protection treaties are an important and relatively inexpensive tool to manage some of those risks. Most bilateral and multilateral investment treaties provide foreign ...

Policyholder Right to Damages for Late Payment Comes Into Force in England

With effect from today, policyholders may recover damages from insurers for late payment of some insurance claims. For insurance contracts agreed or renewed on or after May 4, 2017 and governed by English law, the UK Enterprise Act 2016 introduces an implied term, affording the policyholder the right to recover losses caused by the insurer’s failure to pay valid ...

Critical Mass: How A Decade Of Upheaval Changed Class Action Firms

Emily Henn is quoted in a Law360 article regarding the evolving state of class action litigation following the Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA) and 2011 Concepcion decision. According to Henn, “There’s a level of attention that courts pay to certification decisions now that makes them much more predictable now that class actions are increasingly brought in ...

Covington Expands Project Finance Team

LONDON—Covington significantly expanded its Project Development and Finance practice with the addition of Ben Donovan, Agnieszka Klich, Richard Keenan, and David Miles, and the firm’s Middle East regional capabilities in corporate and dispute resolution matters with the addition of Jack Greenwald. With these additions, the firm also opened offices in Dubai and ...

Where lawyers and experts meet

Louise Freeman spoke on a panel at CDR’s Spring Competition Litigation Symposium and is quoted in a Commercial Dispute Resolution article regarding the role of expert evidence in class action proceedings and how lawyers can work effectively with economists and industry experts. According to Freeman, “Lawyers need to think a little bit more before getting ...

Covington Opens Two New Offices After Adding Chadbourne Team

Timothy Hester is quoted in an American Lawyer article regarding the expansion of Covington's Project Finance practice with the arrival of four new partners and the opening of offices in Dubai and Johannesburg. According to Hester, the firm’s Chadbourne recruits in Dubai and Johannesburg will create a bridge between Covington’s outposts in Africa, Asia, Europe ...

Covington Expands into Dubai and Jo'burg

Graham Vinter is quoted in an IJ Global article regarding the expansion of Covington's Project Finance practice with the arrival of four new partners and the opening of offices in Dubai and Johannesburg. According to Vinter, “We already have strong ties in the Middle East and North Africa region and want to be at the table when countries in that region launch ...

Covington hires Chadbourne quartet ahead of office launches

Timothy Hester and Graham Vinter are quoted by The Lawyer in an article regarding the expansion of Covington's Project Finance practice with the arrival of four new partners and the opening of offices in Dubai and Johannesburg. According to Hester, “We have been looking to build our project finance team for a long time." He adds, "This group became available to ...

Team of Chadbourne partners opt against Norton Rose merger to launch two offices for Covington

Timothy Hester is quoted in a Legal Week article regarding the expansion of Covington's Project Finance practice with the arrival of four new partners and the opening of offices in Dubai and Johannesburg. According to Hester, “We have been focused on building our project finance capabilities for many years, and these opportunities fit very well with that ...

Gretchen Hoff Varner Named to Daily Journal's "Top 40 Under 40"

SAN FRANCISCO—The Daily Journal has named Covington partner Gretchen Hoff Varner one of its “Top 40 Under 40” lawyers in California. The Daily Journal praised Ms. Hoff Varner for her insurance coverage practice, which has successfully recovered millions of dollars from insurers on behalf of a diverse array of clients. The profile also highlighted Ms. Hoff ...

Emily Henn Named One of Silicon Valley’s Most Influential Women

SILICON VALLEY—Silicon Valley Business Journal has named Covington partner Emily Henn to its annual “Women of Influence” list, honoring “100 of the most influential business women in Silicon Valley.” Ms. Henn serves as co-chair of the firm’s Class Action Litigation Practice, specializing in defending antitrust, consumer, and other types of class actions. Ms. ...

Trump Moves on Steel Under Section 232

On April 20, 2017, President Trump issued a memorandum announcing that the Secretary of Commerce had initiated an investigation to determine the effects of imported steel on national security. The investigation was initiated under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended. While it remains to be seen what actions the Administration might ...

9th Circ. Ruling Generates Copyright Preemption Confusion

Earlier this month, in Maloney v. T3Media Inc.,[1] the Ninth Circuit held that former college athletes could not assert a right of publicity to prevent the NCAA and its licensee, T3Media, from distributing images of the players. The court ruled that the players’ right of publicity was preempted by Section 301 of the Copyright Act because photographs of the ...

4 Takeaways From The 'Buy American' Executive Order

President Donald Trump took a significant step this week toward implementing his often touted objective of protecting U.S. manufacturers and workers by signing the “Presidential Executive Order on Buy American and Hire American” on April 18, 2017. In addition to addressing reforms to the H1-B visa program to protect U.S. workers, the EO sets forth a policy and ...

CMS Finalizes Market Stabilization Rule

Last Thursday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized the Affordable Care Act (ACA) market stabilization rule, which it originally proposed in February, 82 Fed. Reg. 10,980 (Feb. 17, 2017). This final rule was published today in the Federal Register and will become effective on June 19, 2017. 82 Fed. Reg. 18,346. The final rule includes ...

The Massive Accutane Litigation Just Fell Apart After Judge Boots Expert ‘Hired Guns’

The Litigation Daily highlights Covington’s representation of Roche in the ongoing Accutane litigation, which recently saw a momentous defense ruling, likely leading to the dismissal of the nearly 3,000 remaining cases. Covington’s Product Liability team is led by Paul Schmidt and Michael Imbroscio.

SEC Requires Hyperlinks to Exhibits

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has adopted amendments to its rules and forms that will require companies filing registration statements and reports subject to the exhibit requirements of Item 601 of Regulation S-K to include an active hyperlink to each exhibit listed in the exhibit index, whether or not the exhibit is incorporated by ...

Laterals of note

Andrea Reister is quoted in a Commercial Dispute Resolution article regarding the arrival of Peter Chen and Scott Kamholz to the firm’s Patent Office Trials Practice. According to Reister, “Virtually all significant patent litigation matters involve co-pending IPRs, so having a strong patent office trials practice with a deep bench of senior attorneys is ...

Covington Holds Second International Arbitration Academy

NEW YORK—Covington has partnered for the second year with Columbia Law School and its Center for International Commercial and Investment Arbitration to hold the Covington Academy on International Arbitration (CAIA). The program is open to Columbia’s J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. students. The three-day program consists of training followed by practical exercises and ...

Lateral Report: The Few, the Proud, the March Movers

Andrea Reister is quoted in a Litigation Daily article regarding the arrival of Peter Chen and Scott Kamholz to Covington’s Patent Office Trials Practice. According to Reister, “We are thrilled to add Peter and Scott to our team as we expect the demand for patent office trials to continue to grow in the coming years.”

Big Suits: PSKW v. McKesson Specialty Arizona

Covington’s successful representation of McKesson in a trade secrets case with half a billion dollars at stake is featured in The American Lawyer’s “Big Suits” section. According to Clara Shin, "In addition to showing [PSKW] was not able to prove their case, we used documents we found to tell an affirmative story that [McKesson] developed" the co-pay method on ...

Pair of Ex-PTAB Judges Join Covington

Scott Kamholz, Peter Chen, and Andrea Reister are quoted by The Recorder in an article regarding the recent additions to the firm’s Patent Office Trials Practice Group. According to Kamholz, Covington’s team stood out for its sophistication. “I was very impressed with their level of skill and preparation, and I found through working that case with them that we ...

Covington's Robert Kelner, Navigating the 'Wild West,' Pushes Michael Flynn Deal

The National Law Journal featured Robert Kelner and highlighted his representation of General Michael Flynn, President Trump’s former National Security Advisor. According to Marc Elias, former general counsel for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, Kelner is “a first rate criminal defense lawyer” and Flynn “wisely chose.” Kelner has significant experience ...

Two Former PTAB Judges Join Covington's Patent Office Trials Practice

SILICON VALLEY—Former Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) judges Peter Chen and Scott Kamholz have joined Covington’s Patent Office Trials Practice. Mr. Chen and Dr. Kamholz are the only former PTAB judges to enter private practice who have overseen Leahy-Smith America Invents Act of 2011 (AIA) trial proceedings from institution through final decision. Peter ...

Covington Adds Two Former PTAB Judges To Patent Group

Andrea Reister, Peter Chen, and Scott Kamholz are quoted in a Law360 article regarding the recent additions to the firm’s Patent Office Trials Practice Group. According to Reister, “We are thrilled to add Peter and Scott to our team as we expect the demand for Patent Office trials to continue to grow in the coming years. Their experience in the high-tech and ...

Two Former Patent Trial Board Judges Join Covington & Burling

Simon Frankel and Peter Chen are quoted in a Daily Journal article regarding the arrival of Chen and Scott Kamholz to the firm’s Patent Office Trials Practice. According to Frankel, while the firm’s patent litigation activity spans the coasts, most of its patent office practice has been based in Washington D.C. Chen’s addition will help expand the firm’s patent ...

Tesco DPA shifts landscape for shareholder redress

Ian Hargreaves is quoted in a Commercial Dispute Resolution article regarding the UK Serious Fraud Office’s deferred prosecution agreement with Tesco PLC for false accounting practices. According to Hargreaves, the FCA compensation scheme is of particular interest. “Although we are not privy to the details of the compensation package offered to shareholders and ...

The Morning Risk Report: Pondering Compliance With Potential Economic Crime Law in U.K.

Ian Hargreaves is quoted in The Wall Street Journal’s “Morning Risk Report” regarding the UK Ministry of Justice’s consultation on whether to create new legislation to cover failure to prevent economic crime. According to Hargreaves, “To be required to introduce further systems and controls covering a wide ranging area of economic or financial crime, in addition ...

SFO Marches On With Another DPA As US Parallels Emerge

Ian Hargreaves is quoted in a Law360 article regarding the UK Serious Fraud Office’s $161 million deferred prosecution agreement with Tesco PLC for skewing the prices of its shares and bonds with false accounting. “The arrangement with the [Financial Conduct Authority] is of particular interest,” says Hargreaves. “Although we are not privy to the details of the ...

Supreme Court Sets the Standard for Separability in Copyright

In a highly anticipated copyright decision issued on March 22, the Supreme Court held that the designs on Varsity Brands’ cheerleading uniforms are eligible for copyright protection. In reaching that ruling, the Court set out a standard that aims to harmonize a multitude of tests across the country.

Trump Comments Highlight Need for a Plan When Clients Go Rogue

Ben Razi is quoted by The National Law Journal in an article about clients who make bold, public statements and how they can impact litigation. According to Razi, it's crucial to be aware of any and all public statements a client made before taking a litigation position. He adds that if lawyers aren't aware of every word, they risk "taking a position that's ...

726 Women Carve a Legacy at the Supreme Court Lectern

Beth Brinkmann is quoted by The National Law Journal in an article regarding a research project uncovering how many women argued at the Supreme Court throughout its history. Brinkmann, who clerked for Justice Harry Blackmun in the October 1986-87 term, recalls seeing “dozens” of female advocates at the lectern for arguments. According to Brinkmann, seeing women ...

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Switch Won't Mean Free Ticket for Wall Street

Arlo Devlin-Brown is quoted by The Street in an article regarding the removal of Preet Bharara from his position as U.S. Attorney General of the Southern District of New York by the Trump Administration and its effect on the future of financial enforcement prosecutions. According to Devlin-Brown, "Historically, U.S. attorneys for the Southern District of New ...

Will SDNY's Independent Streak Falter Without Bharara?

Arlo Devlin-Brown is quoted in a Law360 article regarding the effect of the removal of Preet Bharara from his position as U.S. Attorney General of the Southern District of New York on the independence of the Office. "[Bharara] wasn’t afraid of losing, and I think that made a big difference and inspired confidence in the prosecutors who worked for him," says ...

Expert Testimony Not Helping IP Owners Avoid AIA Review

Scott Kamholz is quoted in a Law360 article regarding the impact of allowing patent owners to present expert testimony in their responses to America Invents Act review petitions. According to Kamholz, “Generally speaking, if the patent owner's witness is just contradicting the petitioner’s witness ... then the [Patent Trial and Appeal Board] would tend to order ...

Too much information on chat can leave employers in legal lurch

Lindsay Burke is quoted in a Business Insurance article regarding the risks associated with internal office chat applications. “People think of it as a casual form of communication,” Burke says, “and they forget that it’s business and usually the company is keeping a record of the communication. And if the company finds itself in litigation, then the discovery ...

How Challenges Strengths Shape Careers: Mythili Raman

Mythili Raman was profiled by Washington Lawyer in its feature, “How Challenges & Strengths Shape Careers.” Reflecting both on her time at the Department of Justice and at Covington, Raman says, “Even as a young lawyer, it never occurred to me that my gender would be an impediment. For better or worse, I never thought about my gender as anything but what makes ...

Fraud Section Guidance Highlights Factors Considered in Evaluating Corporate Compliance Programs

The Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) quietly released new guidance last month entitled “Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs” (the “Guidance”). While noting that “the Fraud Section does not use any rigid formula to assess the effectiveness of corporate compliance programs,” the eight-page Guidance outlines 11 “Sample Topics and ...

US Department of Justice Fraud Section Guidance Highlights Factors Considered in Evaluating Corporate Compliance Programs

Springing forward into a bright future

Elaine Whiteford and Louise Freeman spoke at Commercial Dispute Resolution’s second Spring Competition Litigation Symposium on the EU Damages Directive and are mentioned in an article providing highlights from the event. According to Freeman, lawyers should enable economists to give the best evidence they can, emphasizing that the same lawyers should completely ...

Latinvex Names Gabriel Mesa and Nicole Duclos Among "Top 100 Lawyers"

NEW YORK—Latinvex has named Covington partners Gabriel Mesa and Nicole Duclos among “Latin America’s Top 100 Lawyers” in 2017. Mr. Mesa counsels corporations in joint ventures and private mergers and acquisitions in Latin America and other emerging markets, as well as in the United States. A client described Mr. Mesa as "an excellent lawyer,” noting that his ...

Feds Can't Seize Luxury Cars From Accused Fraudster: Jury

Law360 highlights Covington’s successful representation of Efans Trading Corporation in a civil forfeiture case against the U.S. Government. “Justice took a long time here, but it was finally done,” says Bruce Baird. “The government should never have brought a case like this and the jury essentially told them so.” The Covington team was led by partners Ben Razi ...

Jury Rejects U.S. Seizure of Luxury Cars From Exporters

The New York Times highlights Covington’s successful representation of Efans Trading Corporation in a civil forfeiture case against the U.S. Government in a “rare courtroom defeat.” “We are grateful that the jury saw this case for the government overreach that it was,” says Ben Razi. “Even with the victory they deserved, this case took a tremendous toll on our ...

Litigators of the Week: Taking the Fight to the Feds to Make Their Clients Whole

Ben Razi and Bruce Baird were named “Litigators of the Week” by The Litigation Daily for successfully representing Efans Trading Corporation in a civil forfeiture case against the U.S. Government. Following a seven-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge Katherine Polk Failla in the Southern District of New York, the Covington team persuaded the jury that the ...

Significant Developments in U.S. Trademark, False Advertising, and Right of Publicity Law 2016

Selections of Covington’s Intellectual Property Rights Practice Group for the “Top Ten” most significant and interesting developments in U.S. trademark, false advertising, and right of publicity law during 2016.

A time of challenge and change

John Hall and Deborah Garza are quoted in a Commercial Dispute Resolution article regarding likely litigation challenges in 2017. According to Hall, Covington’s workload is at historic highs, with “no sign of that upward trend abating,” noting that the changing legal and regulatory environment would continue to create demand. Commenting on antitrust and the ...

Covington Wins Trade Secrets Trial with $500M on the Line

Litigation Daily highlights Covington’s successful representation of McKesson in relation to a trade secrets case with half a billion dollars at stake. According to Clara Shin, "In addition to showing [PSKW] was not able to prove their case, we used documents we found to tell an affirmative story that [McKesson] developed" the co-pay method on its own. She adds, ...

Pharmacy Loyalty Card Co. Escapes $250M IP Suit

Law360 highlights Covington’s successful representation of McKesson in relation to a trade secrets case with half a billion dollars at stake. According to Clara Shin, “We’re gratified by the court’s judgment, which confirms McKesson independently developed its LoyaltyScript product.” The Covington team also included Nathan Shafroth, Robert Haslam, Christopher ...

Covington Secures Nearly Half-Billion Dollar Victory in Trade Secrets Trial

SAN FRANCISCO—After being retained just months before trial, Covington obtained a complete defense victory for a subsidiary of McKesson Corporation in a trade secrets bench trial in which plaintiff sought damages of nearly half a billion dollars. In a lawsuit commenced in 2007, plaintiff PSKW accused McKesson of using its “new payment method” to develop ...

BTI Names Nields and Shin "Client Service All-Stars"

SAN FRANCISCO—The BTI Consulting Group has named Covington lawyers John Nields and Clara Shin to its 2017 “Client Service All-Stars” list, which recognizes “remarkable attorneys and their ability to rise above all others with the most demanding clients.” Mr. Nields, based in Washington, is a highly regarded trial lawyer and member of the firm’s litigation and ...

Life Sciences Group Of The Year: Covington & Burling

Law360 selected Covington’s Life Sciences practice as a “Practice Group of the Year,” highlighting the firm’s involvement in billion-dollar transactions, success in contentious litigation, and regulatory advice on cutting-edge technology. According to Michael Labson, “What we offer and bring to complicated, complex issues is a mixture of deep subject-matter ...

Covington Adds Ex-Deputy Assistant AG To Appellate Group

Beth Brinkmann is quoted in a Law360 article regarding her recent arrival to Covington’s Appellate and Supreme Court Practice Group. According to Brinkmann, “The teamwork and collaboration at Covington is incredible and the strength of its appellate practice attracted me to the firm.”

KWM London's former head of fraud and investigations joins Covington

Ian Hargreaves and David Lorello are quoted in a Global Investigations Review article regarding Hargreaves’ recent arrival to Covington. According to Hargreaves, the firm’s “pre-eminence in dispute resolution, and its immense strength and global recognition as a market-leader in white-collar crime matters and investigations” fueled his decision. Lorello says, ...

January sees US law firms seek lateral talent

Beth Brinkmann and Robert Long are quoted in a Commercial Dispute Resolution article regarding Brinkmann’s arrival to Covington’s Appellate and Supreme Court Practice Group. Citing “Covington’s long history litigating important cases in the Supreme Court,” Brinkmann says she looks forward to the opportunity to help expand the appellate practice. According to ...

New Year, New Job: Top Lateral Litigator Moves in January

The Litigation Daily features Beth Brinkmann, Craig Pollack, and Louise Freeman in an article about the “Top Lateral Litigator Moves in January.” Commenting on her move to Covington, Brinkmann says that the firm “turned out to be just a really unique opportunity,” praising its “culture of teamwork” and “longstanding presence in the legal community.” Alex ...

Behind the numbers: Enforcement Scorecard analysis

Arlo Devlin-Brown is quoted by Global Investigations Review in an article analyzing the rise in the number of large corporate settlements found in this year’s “GIR Enforcement Scorecard.” According to Devlin-Brown, once the DOJ finds evidence of misconduct at one institution, it often investigates if the same kind of wrongdoing is taking place at similar ...

English Courts Construe Condition Precedent Claims Notification Clause Narrowly

In response to the Insurance Act 2015, insurers may increasingly include conditions precedent in their policies in place of warranties, whose effect the Act has weakened. In the recent case of Zurich Insurance Plc v Maccaferri Limited [2016] EWHC Civ 1302, the Court of Appeal in London made clear that an ambiguous condition precedent must be interpreted strictly ...

White Collar and Fraud Specialist Joins Covington’s European Practice

LONDON—Ian Hargreaves has joined Covington as a partner in the firm’s European Dispute Resolution practice resident in London. Mr. Hargreaves’ arrival follows that of litigation partners Craig Pollack, Greg Lascelles, Elaine Whiteford, and Louise Freeman over the past six months. Mr. Hargreaves advises on major European white collar and related civil and ...

Deputy Assistant Attorney General Joins Covington

WASHINGTON—Beth Brinkmann has joined Covington as a partner in the firm’s Appellate and Supreme Court Practice Group in Washington. Ms. Brinkmann served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice from 2009 to 2016. She has argued 24 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. Ms. Brinkmann is an ...

Industry digests 2017 SEC exam priorities

David Kornblau is quoted in a Compliance Reporter article regarding industry’s reaction to the SEC’s 2017 examination priorities. “I think everybody is waiting with bated breath to see if the priorities and philosophy of the agency will take a different direction once Clayton and other commissioners are confirmed,” says Kornblau. “We are all in a guessing game ...

Trends and Developments in Anti-Corruption Enforcement

Anti-corruption enforcement is at a crossroads. In many respects, global anti-corruption enforcement has never been more active. The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in 2016 collected a total of $2.41 billion through FCPA enforcement actions against 27 corporate defendants, including through their share ...

International Trade Group Of The Year: Covington & Burling

Law360 selected Covington’s International Trade practice as a “Practice Group of the Year,” profiling the team’s involvement in billions of dollars worth of transactions, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations, and sensitive national security trade reviews. “Our practice in general is distinguished by the sheer number of former senior enforcement officials ...

Buffett-AIG deal prompts fears over US insurance

Richard Mattick is quoted in a Financial Times article regarding concerns raised about whether claims on insurance policies will be met following the Buffett-AIG deal. According to Mattick, “This deal would merit close monitoring from policyholders to see how claims are handled under the new deal and ensure that policyholders have options for recourse should ...

Product Liability Group Of The Year: Covington & Burling

Law360 selected Covington’s Product Liability practice as a “Practice Group of the Year,” profiling the team’s defense of Takata in litigation over potentially explosive airbags and Bayer Healthcare in multidistrict litigation (MDL) over Mirena IUDs, among other matters. According to Paul Schmidt, the firm’s range of work showcases its diversity of ...

Covington makes KWM competition hire

Louise Freeman and Johan Ysewyn are quoted in a Global Competition Review article regarding Freeman’s arrival to the firm’s European Dispute Resolution practice. According to Freeman, Covington is an exciting firm to join – especially as the firm is “expanding at a phenomenal rate.” She adds, “It’s going to be great fun educating the London market on what is ...

2 Disputes Lawyers Move To Covington Amid KWM Collapse

Alex Leitch and Jeremy Wilson are quoted in a Law360 article regarding the arrival of Craig Pollack and Louise Freeman to the firm’s European Dispute Resolution practice. According to Leitch and Wilson, “The firm’s growing footprint in London is a reflection of client demand that is fueled by the increasingly challenging regulatory and compliance environment, ...

Covington Boosts Dispute Resolution Practice in London with Two Partners

LONDON—Craig Pollack and Louise Freeman have joined Covington as partners in the firm’s European Dispute Resolution practice resident in London. Mr. Pollack will also serve as co-chair of the firm’s Global Disputes Initiative with former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and former U.S. Under Secretary of State Alan Larson. Mr. Pollack focuses on complex high ...

Circuits Split on Constitutionality of SEC Administrative Law Judges

One piece of the ongoing debate over the Securities and Exchange Commission’s use of Administrative Law Judges to adjudicate enforcement actions may be heading to the U.S. Supreme Court. On December 27, 2016, in Bandimere v. SEC, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit invalidated SEC sanctions against an individual on the ground that the ALJ who ...

Six Covington Lawyers Named Law360 MVPs

WASHINGTON—Law360 has named six Covington lawyers as MVPs in their respective practice areas. The awards single out lawyers from across various practice areas based on their “success in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters, and record-breaking deals.” The Covington lawyers recognized as Law360 MVPs are: Shara Aranoff, International Trade. Ms. ...

General Cable Corporation Pays $75.8 Million to Resolve FCPA Investigations

On December 29, 2016, General Cable Corporation (“GCC”), a global manufacturer of wire and cable products, agreed to pay approximately $75.8 million in connection with a non-prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and a cease and desist order with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to settle allegations that it violated the ...

Ruixue Ran Named One of Top 15 IP Lawyers in China

BEIJING—Asian Legal Business has named Covington partner Ruixue Ran as one of its fifteen “Top IP Lawyers” in China. Ms. Ran is the only lawyer from a non-Chinese law firm on the list. Ms. Ran is one of the few Chinese lawyers who specialize in cross-border intellectual property law and is often called upon to share her knowledge with Chinese companies and ...

Sports MVP: Covington & Burling's Derek Ludwin

Law360 selected Derek Ludwin as a 2016 Sports MVP and profiled his work over the past year, including his defense of the U.S. Olympic Committee against an antitrust challenge to its longtime ban on on-field advertising brought by Olympic runner Nick Symmonds through his company, Run Gum. “This is an organization that a lot of us grew up following. It’s the ...

Product Liability MVP: Covington's Michael Imbroscio

Law360 selected Michael Imbroscio as a 2016 Product Liability MVP and profiled his mass tort defense victories over the past year, which scored notable wins for Eli Lilly, Roche, Bayer, and others. According to Imbroscio, “I think our success is driven by our ability to zero in on the key legal and factual issues in a case and drive the litigation to focus on ...

A New Foreign Investment Regime in the UK

Those who track investment policy issues will have noticed an important theme emerging in recent years of Western economies evaluating their foreign investment regimes, in particular in light of the outflow from China into technology, infrastructure and natural resource assets. The UK is now considering, and is expected to adopt, a new foreign investment regime ...

International Trade MVP: Covington's Shara Aranoff

Law360 selected Shara Aranoff as a 2016 International Trade MVP and profiled her work over the past year, including her representation of South32 and Union Pacific Railroad Co. at the ITC. Law360 also highlights Aranoff’s ongoing defense of China’s Baosteel Group in a Section 337 case, the first antitrust-based investigation at the ITC in more than 25 ...

The Supreme Court Limits Newman, But the Government Still Faces Obstacles in Insider Trading Cases

On December 6, 2016, in the first insider trading case the Supreme Court has decided in nearly two decades, the Court, in Salman v. United States, unanimously upheld a conviction for trading based on material non-public information provided by the defendant’s brother-in-law as a gift. The decision was a big win for the Department of Justice and the Securities ...

Insider Trading Law Remains Murky After High Court Ruling

Arlo Devlin-Brown is quoted in a Law360 article regarding the significance of the Supreme Court’s insider trading case involving Bassam Salman. According to Devlin-Brown, “I think it’s a big win for the DOJ and the SEC, and it really clears a path towards more aggressive insider trading enforcement.” Devlin-Brown adds that the holding in Salman covers “nearly ...

U.S. top court fortifies prosecutors in insider trading cases

Arlo Devlin-Brown is quoted by Reuters in an article regarding the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Salman case which makes it easier to prosecute insider trading cases. According to Devlin-Brown, the decision also "leaves open the question of whether someone who is at the boundaries of what would be considered a real friend could count, like a minor acquaintance."

Supreme Court Hardens Stance on Insider Trading

Arlo Devlin-Brown is quoted by The Wall Street Journal in an article regarding the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Salman case which restores some of the power the government lost in a 2014 federal case relating to insider trading prosecutions. According to Devlin-Brown, “The problem with the word friend is that it is very elastic. People have dozens of Facebook ...

Here's What the Supreme Court Insider Trading Ruling Means for Hedge Funds

Arlo Devlin-Brown is quoted in a Fortune article regarding the significance of the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the insider trading conviction of Bassam Salman. “The government was concerned because [the Newman decision] would have left large holes in the insider trading law,” says Devlin-Brown. “Salman largely fixes that.” Devlin-Brown adds, however, ...

SportsBusiness Journal Names Two From Covington to “50 Most Influential” List

WASHINGTON—SportsBusiness Journal has named Doug Gibson and Gregg Levy to its list of the “50 Most Influential People in Sports Business.” Mr. Gibson and Mr. Levy are two of only four lawyers in private practice on the list, which also includes league commissioners and team owners, broadcast industry and sponsor company CEOs, and other high-profile executives in ...

Insurance MVP: Covington & Burling’s Marty Myers

Law360 selected Marty Myers as a 2016 Insurance MVP and profiled his work over the past year, including his representation of World Fuel Services which scored the company a $24.5 million reward for insurance coverage related to a $17 million marine cargo loss off the coast of West Africa. “Each case suggests its own strategies,” Myers says. “In part, it’s being ...

Trump to keep Manhattan federal prosecutor Bharara in post

Arlo Devlin-Brown is quoted in a Reuters article regarding Preet Bharara’s decision to remain as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York after Donald Trump becomes president. According to Devlin-Brown, “I think Preet is an independent, law enforcement-minded prosecutor who loves his job and is clearly talented in it.”

Preet Bharara Says He Will Stay On as U.S. Attorney Under Trump

Arlo Devlin-Brown is quoted by The New York Times in an article regarding Preet Bharara’s intention to remain as U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York under President-elect Donald Trump. According to Devlin-Brown, “Preet has shown as a prosecutor that he is willing to take on the political establishment.” He continues, “He’s also shown he can win. ...

Litigators of the Week: Covington Team Beats Back Rare Breed Of Antitrust Case At ITC

Sturgis Sobin, Derek Ludwin, and James O’Connell were named “Litigators of the Week” by The Litigation Daily for an initial determination at the ITC on behalf of Baosteel in the first price-fixing case in almost 40 years at the agency, terminating U.S. Steel’s antitrust claim. According to Sobin, the argument was as much about educating the judge about the ...

Trump's Conflict-of-Interest Problem

In a New Yorker article regarding potential conflicts of interest in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, Arlo Devlin-Brown comments on the importance of avoiding even ‘the appearance of impropriety’ for companies doing business with the Trump Organization.

New Priorities Likely for U.S. Attorney Offices

Arlo Devlin-Brown is quoted by The Wall Street Journal in an article regarding the uncertainty surrounding the types of cases the U.S. Justice Department will pursue during Donald Trump’s presidency. According to Devlin-Brown, “It is only in rare circumstances that a leadership change impacts prosecutions or well-developed investigations already in progress at ...

SEC Blasts Employee Confidentiality Agreements

Barbara Hoffman and Lindsay Burke are quoted in an Agenda article regarding the SEC’s continued interest in restrictive confidentiality agreements that could deter employees from reporting company violations to authorities. According to Hoffman, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration administers a number of whistle-blowing programs for federal ...

Lanny Breuer Has Doubts About FCPA Pilot Program

Lanny Breuer participated at the FCPA Blog Conference and is quoted in a Wall Street Journal article regarding the FCPA pilot program that will provide discounts to foreign-bribery offenders that disclose and tackle those transgressions and cooperate with the authorities. Breuer said that while it’s too soon to tell if the pilot has had its intended effect, he ...

Ex-DOJ Criminal Chief Sees Red Flags In FCPA Pilot

Lanny Breuer participated at the FCPA Blog Conference and is quoted in a Law360 article regarding concerns raised by a requirement under a pilot Foreign Corrupt Practices Act disclosure program forcing companies to step back from conducting their own investigations. According to Breuer, the FCPA pilot program makes “an extraordinary request” by mandating that ...

Covington & Burling promotes IP partner and 12 others

Timothy Hester is quoted in a World IP Review article regarding the promotion of the firm’s 13 new partners. According to Hester, “Our new partners reflect the excellence, strengths, and diversity of the firm, and will play important roles in the firm for decades to come.”

The feds had an open-and-shut bribery case against 2 brothers. Then it unraveled

The Los Angeles Times highlights the role of Dan Shallman and Aaron Lewis in helping unravel a bribery case against two brothers who allegedly tried to buy the support of a Huntington Park city council member for higher towing fees. In what Dan Shallman called a “huge vindication,” the court sentenced one of the brothers with probation.

Brexit: Love It or Hate It—The Contractual Aftershocks, Part 2

Last week, a dispute between Tesco and Unilever about where the pain caused by the devaluation of sterling should lie provided some initial evidence of the “turbulence” and “rollercoaster” rides the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, has warned of since the June 23, 2016 Brexit vote.

CFTC Enforcement Outlook: Insider Trading

Insider trading is a familiar term to participants in the equities markets; however, this term now has application in the swaps, futures, and commodities markets regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). In a time of aggressive enforcement, financial market participants should be aware that insider trading is a high priority for the CFTC ...

Covington promotes FCPA lawyer and ex-Holder counsel to partner

Global Investigations Review highlighted the promotion of Jennifer Saperstein and Aaron Lewis as partners of the firm. The article notes that Saperstein advises clients on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act matters and internal investigations while Lewis advises clients on white-collar defense and internal investigations, drawing on six years of Justice Department ...

Any Agreements with Employees Might Implicate Whistleblower Rules

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) continues to aggressively pursue companies using severance and other employment agreements that could be perceived to discourage employees from reporting possible securities law violations. Three enforcement actions this past summer demonstrate the need for companies to proactively review and give consideration ...

Managing Data Privacy Challenges in Performing Due Diligence and Internal Investigations in China (Part Two of Two)

Eric Carlson is quoted in an FCPA Report article regarding China’s data privacy and cybersecurity laws and how they apply to companies doing business in China. Commenting on performing due diligence while avoiding data privacy issues, Carlson says, “For due diligence purposes, it is still safe and appropriate to gather corporate information such as whether a ...

Covington Second Circuit Victory Named Most Important Case of the Year by GIR

WASHINGTON—Global Investigations Review has named the Microsoft warrant access case as the winner of the “Most Important Court Case of the Year.” Covington served as co-counsel to Microsoft and helped secure a landmark win in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. GIR also ranked Covington among the top 15 investigations practices in the world in its ...

Aaron Lewis Among LA’s “Most Influential Minority Lawyers”

LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Business Journal has recognized Aaron Lewis as one of the “Most Influential Minority Lawyers” in Los Angeles. The inaugural list names 40 “stellar minority lawyers in the LA region,” highlighting recent success in their respective areas of practice. The Los Angeles Business Journal highlighted Mr. Lewis’s recent significant ...

Covington recruits in London

Greg Lascelles and Alex Leitch are quoted in a Global Arbitration Review article regarding Lascelles’ recent arrival to Covington. “I am very excited to join this growing team,” says Lascelles. According to Leitch, the financial services sector attracts significant client demand and Lascelles’ arrival is a “welcome addition” to the practice.

U.S. Ends Corruption Case Against Former Virginia Governor

Arlo Devlin-Brown is quoted in a New York Times article regarding the Department of Justice’s decision to end its corruption case against Robert McDonnell. According to Devlin-Brown, “When a new legal standard is articulated by the Supreme Court and there’s a need to potentially retry the case, prosecutors make a very particularized assessment as to whether, No. ...

Greg Lascelles Joins Covington’s European Dispute Resolution Practice

LONDON—Greg Lascelles has joined Covington as a partner in the European Dispute Resolution practice resident in the firm’s London office. Mr. Lascelles has a broad litigation and arbitration practice covering a variety of industry sectors, with a particular focus on financial services. He advises hedge funds, private equity houses, asset managers, investment ...

Covington secures DOJ declination for AB InBev

Global Investigations Review highlights Covington’s role in helping AB InBev secure a declination notice from the U.S. Department of Justice in an FCPA investigation regarding the company’s business partners in India. The Covington team was led by Steven Fagell, who worked with Lanny Breuer, Jason Criss, and Benjamin Haley on the matter.

GIR Names Covington Among “Elite” Washington FCPA Practices

WASHINGTON—Global Investigations Review has named Covington’s FCPA practice among Washington’s “elite,” the highest tier in its “Washington DC’s FCPA Bar” survey. In its profile, GIR notes Covington’s “deep bench of high-level former prosecutors,” including former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder; the last two former heads of the Criminal Division at the ...

Kurt Calia Named One of California's Top IP Lawyers

SILICON VALLEY—The Daily Journal has named Covington partner Kurt Calia to its list of the “Top Intellectual Property Attorneys in California for 2016.” The list recognizes California lawyers who have “pushed technological progress forward.” The Daily Journal highlighted Mr. Calia’s successful representation of Elbit Systems in a patent litigation involving the ...

First Amendment Issues, Congressional Subpoena Power at Stake in Backpage Court Case

Rob Kelner is quoted in a Washington Internet Daily article regarding the possible implications of the Backpage decision on Congress’ future subpoena power. According to Kelner, if the D.C. Circuit squashes the subpoena, “that would have a very dramatic effect, I think, because it's so extraordinarily rare for a congressional subpoena ever to be quashed under ...

Law360 Names Covington Among Top 15 Litigation Practices

WASHINGTON—Covington ranked 11th in Law360’s inaugural “Litigation Powerhouses” feature, a list of the top 50 litigation firms. Law360 chose firms based on the size of their litigation practice, the nature of firms’ litigation victories over a yearlong period, and new client matters. In its profile of the firm, Law360 highlights Covington’s three consecutive ...

Litigation Powerhouse: Covington & Burling

John Hall, Paul Schmidt, Michael Imbroscio, and Stephen Anthony are quoted in the Law360 profile of the firm for the “Litigation Powerhouse” series. According to Hall, “What we have that other firms don't have is this incredible depth of regulatory and prior government experience that we bring to bear in almost all of our matters.” Schmidt, commenting on the ...

Microsoft and the DOJ: A Conversation with Covington’s James Garland

James Garland participated in a Q&A with The American Lawyer regarding the firm’s relationship with Microsoft and its recent work on an important internet search case in the Second Circuit. According to Garland, “Microsoft has a very strategic approach toward its legal functions and litigation in particular. In cases like this that are of strategic policy ...

Chief of the Public Corruption Unit for the SDNY Joins Covington

NEW YORK—Arlo Devlin-Brown, most recently the Chief of the Public Corruption Unit in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and one of its top securities fraud prosecutors, has joined Covington as a partner in its white collar defense and investigations practice resident in the firm’s New York office. Mr. Devlin-Brown has served in the ...

4 Traits Of The Top Litigation Firms

Clara Shin is quoted in a Law360 article regarding the qualities possessed by the top 20 litigation powerhouses that dominate the courtroom in bet-the-company cases. According to Shin, “We view every case and every trial as a way to reinforce our reputation.” She continues, “People come to Covington because of our reputation for delivering a bespoke, tailored ...

Brexit: The Contractual Aftershocks

While the UK’s decision to leave the EU could bring about significant changes to the UK’s legal and economic landscape, we cannot yet know how wide-ranging these changes will be. It is generally agreed that the changes will be fairly dramatic if the UK is unable to negotiate a deal that will maintain its access to the single market, or if the eventual deal ...

Johnson Controls, Inc. Pays $14.4 Million to Settle SEC FCPA Allegations; DOJ Declines Criminal Prosecution

On July 11, 2016, Johnson Controls, Inc. (“JCI”) agreed to pay $14.4 million to settle allegations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that JCI, through its subsidiaries in China, violated the books and records and internal controls provisions of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The SEC alleged that, from 2007 to 2013, nearly all of the ...

Second Circuit Rules for Covington Client Microsoft in Important Internet Search Case

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has ruled in favor of Covington’s client Microsoft Corporation in its challenge to a U.S. warrant seeking customer emails stored in Ireland. Microsoft argued that the warrant—issued under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA)—could not be used to obtain emails stored abroad because it would ...

KWM litigation partner follows ex-head to Covington & Burling

Alex Leitch is quoted in a Legal Week article regarding the upcoming arrival of Greg Lascelles as a partner in the firm’s European Dispute Resolution practice. “Greg’s arrival will be another welcome addition to an already vibrant practice,” Leitch says. According to Leitch, “Financial services remains an active sector that attracts a lot of demand from our ...

Securities litigator Lascelles latest to exit King & Wood Mallesons

Alex Leitch is quoted in a Legal Business article regarding Greg Lascelles’ upcoming arrival to Covington as a partner in the firm’s European Dispute Resolution practice. According to Leitch, “Financial services remains an active sector that attracts a lot of demand from our clients across a variety of disciplines, including antitrust litigation, commercial ...

Courts face long-term Brexit questions

Peter Camesasca and Alex Leitch are quoted in a CDR article regarding the long-term effects of Brexit on the courts, including uncertainties over enforcement. According to Camesasca, “This will not be immediate. Companies are not making any immediate decisions about litigation in the wake of the Brexit vote. Most are in ‘wait and see’ mode.” He continues, “But ...

Covington's Brexit Task Force Provides Insights on Latest Developments

Our Brexit Task Force is staffed by senior lawyers and advisors across London, Brussels, and Washington to monitor events and to keep clients apprised of legal, regulatory, and policy developments. We are advising clients across a wide range of businesses and industries on the impact and implications of Brexit, including on strategic policy and regulatory ...

UK Votes to Leave the EU

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 Lawyers Win Four “Europe Women in Business Law” Awards

LONDON—Euromoney Legal Media Group has selected four Covington lawyers for its annual “Europe Women in Business Law Awards.” The awards honor women in the legal sector across Europe. The Covington lawyers recognized are: Louise Nash, Best in Mergers & Acquisitions. Ms. Nash focuses on M&A and other transactional matters for clients in the consumer brands, ...

Supreme Court Accepts Implied False Certification Theory But Erects Substantial Hurdles To Proving Materiality

In Universal Health Services Inc. v. U.S. ex rel. Escobar, No. 15-7 (Slip. Op. June 16, 2016), a unanimous Supreme Court affirmed the viability of the “implied false certification” theory of False Claims Act liability, at least in certain circumstances. This portion of the ruling was not unexpected given the overwhelming acceptance of implied certification among ...

Alexander Berengaut Named One of Washington's Top Lawyers Under 40

WASHINGTON—Legal Bisnow has named Covington partner Alexander Berengaut to its 2016 “Top 40 Lawyers Under 40” list. Mr. Berengaut focuses on international arbitration, civil litigation, and government enforcement proceedings. He has experience handling a range of arbitral proceedings and U.S. court litigation matters, including at trial, and has significant ...

National Law Journal Names Covington to "IP Hot List”

WASHINGTON—The National Law Journal has named Covington to its “2016 IP Hot List,” recognizing it as one of 15 firms that “set the bar in intellectual property law in 2015, scoring big wins for clients.” Covington was also one of only two firms last month to receive the highest rating from Chambers USA in its nationwide categories for Intellectual Property and ...

Moving on up in the Big Apple

Timothy Hester, Lanny Breuer, and Arlo Devlin-Brown are quoted in a CDR article regarding Devlin-Brown’s arrival. Devlin-Brown says he is “very pleased” to join the firm’s multinational white collar practice, praising its “extraordinary depth.” According to Hester, “Arlo’s deep experience in white-collar matters, particularly in the financial services sector, ...

Supreme Court Ruling Allows Clean Water Act Suit to Proceed, Offers Clues About Court’s Direction on Other Challenges to Federal Agency Advice

The Supreme Court last week unanimously ruled that property owners seeking to discharge material onto land potentially subject to federal Clean Water Act restrictions may bring direct court challenges to "approved jurisdictional determinations" issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ("Corps"). The Court rejected the Corps' position that property owners must ...

Covington Receives Top Rankings from Chambers USA

WASHINGTON—Covington has again received top rankings from Chambers USA, with 60 practice rankings and 120 individual rankings for lawyers in the publication’s 2016 edition. The legal guide identifies leading lawyers and law firm practices based on interviews conducted by Chambers’ researchers with thousands of lawyers and their clients. The firm was ranked in ...

Longtime U.S. Prosecutor to Join Covington & Burling

Lanny Breuer is quoted in a New York Times article regarding the upcoming arrival of Arlo Devlin-Brown to the firm’s white collar defense and investigations practice. According to Breuer, “[Devlin-Brown] has this exceptional level of experience, having done securities cases and corruption cases.” He continues, “He’ll very quickly become a central figure of the ...

Head of Bharara’s corruption unit departs for law firm

Arlo Devlin-Brown is quoted in a New York Post article regarding his decision to join Covington after serving as head of public corruption for Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara. “It’s been a great honor to serve in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for more than a decade, where I have had the privilege of challenging cases involving fraud and corruption in the worlds ...

Covington Snags Southern NY's Top Public Corruption Atty

Arlo Devlin-Brown is quoted in a Law360 article regarding his decision to join Covington after serving as New York’s top federal prosecutor for public corruption. According to Devlin-Brown, “I’m very pleased to join Covington’s exceptional white collar practice.”

U.S. Department of Labor Finalizes Changes to FLSA White Collar Exemption Rule

On May 18, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) finalized its much-anticipated update to the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) so-called white collar overtime exemption rule. Effective December 1, 2016, an employee must earn at least $913 per week—the equivalent of $47,476 per year, more than double the current rate—in order to qualify as exempt from overtime ...

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"The Regulator Whisperers" White Collar/Regulatory Litigation Department of the Year Contest

National Law Journal Names Covington D.C. Litigation Department of the Year and D.C. Product Liability Department of the Year

Daily Journal Names Three Covington Partners "Top Women Lawyers"

Covington Named to The National Law Journal's Appellate Hot List