W. Andrew Jack

March 5, 2021, Law360

Andrew Jack and Kevin Poloncarz spoke with Law360 about Covington’s creation of an initiative dubbed Sustainability Solutions, which advises clients on how to build sustainable and environmentally conscious strategies. As mentioned in the article, Covington offers a toolkit for general counsels who may want some information about topics ranging from climate ...

March 3, 2021, Inside Energy & Environment

The Biden Administration has promulgated interim figures for the social cost of carbon (SCC), which will support key policy efforts in the next year until a final, revised figure can be established. As we noted in a prior post, the SCC is a concept, developed by the Obama Administration’s Interagency Working Group, that seeks to...… Continue Reading

March 2, 2021, Covington Alert

Summary On February 24, 2021, President Biden signed an Executive Order entitled “Executive Order on America’s Supply Chains” (the “Order”). Among other things, the Order is an initial step toward accomplishing the Biden Administration’s goal of building more resilient American supply chains that avoid shortages of critical products, facilitate investments to ...

February 26, 2021, Financial Times

Andrew Jack is quoted in the Financial Times regarding the SEC’s announcement that it is updating its guidance for corporate climate change disclosures. Mr. Jack says the SEC’s announcement will spark “open season” for agency staffers to raise concerns about companies’ climate change information disclosures. “The most ripe target will be companies that are ...

November 20, 2020, Covington Alert

On November 17, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) took long-awaited action to modernize its electronic filing requirements to permit the use of electronic signatures in SEC filings. The rule amendments will become effective immediately upon their publication in the Federal Register. We expect that public companies and other filing persons ...

October 21, 2020, Thomson Reuters

Andrew Jack and Kevin Poloncarz are quoted in a Thompson Reuters article regarding the emergence of ESG and sustainability focused practices within major law firms.  The article describes Covington's 100+ lawyer cross-disciplinary sustainability solutions team as the largest ESG Big Law undertaking and highlights the firm's focus on carbon reduction; corporate ...

August 31, 2020, Covington Alert

On August 26, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments to the business (Item 101), legal proceedings (Item 103) and risk factor (Item 105) disclosure requirements of Regulation S-K. These amendments are part of the SEC’s ongoing Disclosure Effectiveness Initiative, the goal of which is to modernize the business and financial ...

July 27, 2020, Covington Alert

On July 22, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted several proxy rule amendments dealing with proxy advisory firms as part of its ongoing effort to modernize the proxy voting system. The proxy rule amendments, which were proposed in November 2019, codify the SEC’s view that proxy voting advice generally constitutes a solicitation under the ...

June 2, 2020, Covington Alert

Increased attention has recently been given by both investors and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to promoting clear and comparable disclosures of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. On May 21, the SEC's Investor Advisory Committee (Committee) debated and endorsed recommendations of the Investor as Owner Subcommittee that the SEC ...

May 22, 2020, Inside Energy & Environment

On May 21, in an open virtual meeting the SEC’s 23-member Investor Advisory Committee debated and endorsed the Investor as Owner Subcommittee’s long-awaited recommendations that the Commission begin in earnest an effort to update the reporting requirements of Issuers to include material, decision-useful, environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors.  That ...

April 16, 2020, Inside Energy & Environment

Next week – April 22, 2020 – brings the 50th anniversary of the inaugural Earth Day, a public awakening inspired and promoted by Wisconsin U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson that prompted over 20 million Americans (at that time 10% of the national population) to participate in events and activities around the country to demonstrate for government...… Continue Reading

March 19, 2019, ACORE Executive Meeting, Washington DC

February 4, 2019, Covington Alert

With potential liabilities in excess of $30 billion stemming from a series of deadly wildfires that ignited across Northern California in 2017 and 2018, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and its holding company PG&E Corp. (PG&E) filed for Chapter 11 relief in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California on Tuesday.

February 1, 2019, Inside Energy & Environment

With potential liabilities in excess of $30 billion stemming from a series of deadly wildfires that ignited across Northern California in 2017 and 2018, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and its holding company PG&E Corp. (PG&E) filed for Chapter 11 relief in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California on Tuesday....… Continue ...

November 19, 2018, Inside Energy & Environment

As more companies recognize the value of enhanced sustainability reporting and publicize the positive environmental features of their products and services, they should also be attentive to greater public scrutiny of “green” claims.  Companies that engage in greenwashing – asserting exaggerated, misstated, or immaterial environmental claims – are increasingly ...

November 16, 2018, Covington Alert

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

September 24, 2018, The Climate Group, New York

September 2018, Out Leadership, Washington DC

August 1, 2018

SAN FRANCISCO— Kevin Poloncarz has joined Covington as a partner in its Energy Industry Group in San Francisco. Mr. Poloncarz represents electric power, petroleum, and chemicals companies, financial institutions, and project developers on federal and state air quality regulation and carbon markets matters. He has been deeply involved in legal and regulatory ...

June 5, 2018, Bloomberg

Andrew Jack is quoted in a Bloomberg article regarding the push by employees and investors of Google's Alphabet Inc. to tie executive pay to progress on workplace diversity, According to Jack, investors care about environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. “Boards and compensation committees would be well advised to review their company’s published ESG ...

April 4, 2018, Inside Energy & Environment

On March 8-9, 2018, a bespoke group of approximately 200 leading entrepreneurs, investors and advisors focused on deploying and commercializing cutting edge technologies gathered in Monte Carlo from across the globe for the 11th annual CleanEquity® Monaco Conference. Complementing other plenary sessions and emerging company presentations, the conference ...

April 2018, George Washington University - Institute for Corporate Responsibility, Denit Trust Challenges in Corporate Governance Series

March 2018, ACORE Executive Roundtable

December 28, 2017, Covington Alert

On December 22, 2017, the President signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “2017 Tax Act”). On the same day, the staff of the SEC’s Office of the Chief Accountant and Division of Corporation Finance (the “Staff”) issued guidance regarding the 2017 Tax Act in Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (“SAB 118”),1 which addresses certain financial statement ...

August 31, 2017, Inside Energy & Environment

Today The Vanguard Group, the Nation’s second largest fund group with over $4 trillion in assets under management, issued three publications — a press release, an open letter by Vanguard’s CEO, and its 2017 Investment Stewardship Annual Report  — highlighting Vanguard’s evolving view that responsible disclosure and management of climate risk is an essential ...

Third Quarter 2017, Corporate Board Member

Andrew Jack is quoted in a Corporate Board Member article regarding the pressures facing boards to increase companies' sustainability efforts. "The direction of global capitalism is still toward reducing the carbon intensity of the energy infrastructure and continuing to invest in technology that drives greater efficiency," Jack says. "Capital tries to get the ...

April 27, 2017, Covington Alert

On April 26, 2017, the U.S.-based solar manufacturer Suniva, Inc. filed a petition for global safeguards with the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”). In particular, Suniva requests the imposition of tariffs on solar cells and the establishment of a minimum price for solar modules imported into the United States. The petition was filed under Section 201 ...

March 27, 2017, Inside Energy & Environment

While the direction of Trump Administration policymaking on climate risk appears to deny concern, the largest U.S. public equity funds are sharpening their focus and concern about this subject. Last week BlackRock, the Nation’s largest funds group with $5.1 trillion in assets under management, updated its investment stewardship guidance and highlighted climate ...

March 5, 2017, Monaco Life

Andrew Jack was interviewed by Monaco Life for its “Becoming Clean” feature ahead of the 2017 CleanEquity Monaco conference. Commenting on the evolution of Covington’s Clean Energy and Climate Industry Group, Jack says, “We started up in late 2008 and we now have about 85 of the approximately 1,000 lawyers in the firm who are devoting a fair amount of their time ...

February 7, 2017, Covington Alert

While the general direction of the Trump Administration to “scrap the Clean Power Plan” and promote more fossil fuel production is reflected in the “America First Energy Plan” released by the White House on inauguration day, the first two weeks of the Administration have revealed little new information on specific policies the Administration intends to pursue ...

February 2017, National Association of Corporate Directors - From Battlefield to Boardroom Conference, Washington, DC

January 25, 2017, Inside Energy & Environment

Moving forward, in part, on a campaign promise to adopt an infrastructure plan to “transform America’s crumbling infrastructure,” today President Trump issued an Executive Order titled “Expediting Environmental Reviews and Approvals for High Priority Infrastructure Projects.” Notably, the order states: it is the policy of the executive branch to streamline and ...

January 23, 2017, Inside Energy & Environment

As expected, with the inauguration of President Trump all Obama Administration content on the White House website has been replaced with content of the new Administration. The new content includes “An America First Energy Plan”, the entire focus of which is national security and job creation benefits of the Administration’s “embrace” and promotion of greater...… ...

December 2016, SEIA Finance Seminar, Washington, DC

November 9, 2016, IJ Global

Andrew Jack is quoted in an IJ Global article regarding the implications of Donald Trump’s election for U.S. infrastructure. According to Jack, although there is much uncertainty about what might change, “there’s a lot of things that are going to continue regardless of who is in government.”  Jack points out that there will continue to be technological ...

March 2016, CleanEquity Monaco, Monte Carlo

February 2016, SEIA Solar Goes Corporate Conference, New York

February 2016, SEIA Finance Seminar, New York

October 1, 2015, Presented by Covington and the Bipartisan Policy Center

March 2015, CleanEquity Monaco, Monte Carlo

February 2015, SEIA Finance Seminar, New York

June 2014, 8th China New Energy International Forum, Beijing

April 7, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC, April 7, 2014 — Covington & Burling partners Simon Amies, Scott Anthony and Andrew Jack spoke at the 2014 CleanEquity Monaco conference in the Principality of Monaco on March 27 and 28. The annual conference, sponsored in part by Covington and hosted by London-based Innovator Capital, aims to accelerate cleantech innovation and provide expert ...

April 2014, SEIA Finance Seminar, San Francisco

March 2014, CleanEquity Monaco, Monte Carlo

January 6, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC, January 6, 2014 — Law360 named Covington & Burling’s energy practice as one of the top five “Energy Practice Groups of the Year.” In giving this award, Law360 recognized the breadth of Covington’s practice capabilities (including litigation, transactions, regulatory and government policy) in both the traditional and emerging energy sectors and ...

October 24, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC, October 24, 2013 — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce yesterday released a significant report, co-authored by Covington & Burling, assessing the opportunities for Chinese participation in the U.S. infrastructure sector. The other co-authors were the economic research and advisory firm The Rhodium Group and the strategic advisory firm Sphere Consulting. ...

October 2013, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

9/27/2013

WASHINGTON, DC, September 27, 2013 — Marisa Lago, assistant secretary for international markets and development at the U.S. Treasury Department, addressed a symposium held at Covington & Burling earlier in September about trends in Chinese foreign direct investment in America. The symposium, co-hosted with the China General Chamber of Commerce, examined the ...

July 2013, SEIA Finance Seminar, New York

July 2013, ACORE Transportation Industry Review

February 2013, SEIA Finance Seminar, New York

July 2012, SEIA Finance Seminar, New York

July 2012, American Council on Renewable Energy, Transportation Forum -- Navigating Today’s Challenges to Reach Tomorrow’s Opportunities: Expanding the Market for Renewable Transportation, Washington DC

May 2012, Asian Americans in Energy, the Environment and Commerce, First Annual Conference, Washington DC

April 2012, 6th China New Energy International Forum, Beijing, China

February 2012, Counsel to Counsel Forum, Washington DC

January 2012, SEIA Finance Seminar, New York

September 2011, Department of Energy, Second Annual U.S. - China Renewable Energy Forum, Washington, D.C.

August 31, 2011

NEW YORK, August 31, 2011 — Joy Global Inc. (NASDAQ: JOYG), a worldwide leader in high-productivity mining solutions, reported today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the drilling products business of its recently acquired LeTourneau Technologies, Inc. to Cameron International Corporation (NYSE: CAM) for $375 million in cash, subject to ...

July 15, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC, July 15, 2011 — Joy Global Inc. (NASDAQ: JOYG), a worldwide leader in high-productivity mining solutions, reported yesterday that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire approximately 41 percent of the outstanding common stock of International Mining Machinery Holdings Ltd. (IMM), a Hong Kong listed designer and manufacturer of ...

July 2011, SEIA Finance Seminar, New York

June 10, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC, June 10, 2011 — Covington & Burling LLP received 123 individual mentions and 45 practice mentions in Chambers USA 2011. The guidebook, which ranks lawyers by state and national practice area, is designed to identify the most skilled legal practitioners based on the qualities most valued by clients. Here are the Covington lawyers and practices ...

June 9, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC, June 10, 2011 — Covington & Burling LLP received 92 individual mentions and 32 practice mentions in the Legal 500 US 2011 edition.  Legal 500 reviews the strengths and strategies of law firms in more than 90 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North and South America, and the Caribbean. Here are the Covington lawyers and practices ...

5/16/2011

WASHINGTON, DC, May 16, 2011 — Joy Global Inc. (NASDAQ: JOYG), a worldwide leader in high-productivity mining solutions, reported today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100 percent ownership interest in LeTourneau Technologies, Inc. (“LeTourneau”) from Rowan Companies, Inc. (“Rowan”) (NYSE: RDC) for $1.1 billion in cash. LeTourneau designs, ...

March 2011, 5th China New Energy International Forum, Beijing, China

February 2011, Bloomberg New Energy Finance - Solar Leadership Forum, Napa, California

November 2010, SEIA Solar Finance Summit, New York

September 30, 2010, Covington E-Alert

June 16, 2010

WASHINGTON, DC, June 16, 2010 — Covington & Burling LLP received 112 individual mentions and 44 practice mentions in Chambers USA 2010. The guidebook, which ranks lawyers by state and national practice area, is designed to identify the most skilled legal practitioners based on the qualities most valued by clients. Here are the Covington lawyers and practices ...

8/27/2009

WASHINGTON, DC, August 27, 2009 — NYSE Euronext announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire, through its wholly-owned subsidiary NYSE Technologies, Inc, NYFIX, Inc. The total value of the all-cash deal is approximately $144 million. Covington & Burling LLP advised the NYFIX Special Committee on the transaction, which is expected to ...

7/22/2009

WASHINGTON, DC, July 22, 2009 — Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD), a NASDAQ-listed leading global manufacturer of thin-film flexible solar laminate products for the building integrated and commercial rooftop markets, and Solar Integrated Technologies, Inc. (SIT), an AIM-listed leading provider of building integrated photovoltaic roofing systems, today ...

June 12, 2009

WASHINGTON, DC, June 12, 2009 — Covington & Burling LLP received 100 individual mentions and 40 practice mentions in Chambers USA 2009. The guidebook, which ranks lawyers by state and national practice area, is designed to identify the most skilled legal practitioners based on the qualities most valued by clients. Here are the Covington lawyers and practices ...

4/15/2009

WASHINGTON, DC, April 15, 2009 — Covington & Burling LLP has announced the formation of a Clean Energy and Climate industry group designed to enhance the firm’s ability to help clients navigate the business challenges and opportunities presented by rapidly transforming energy and transportation infrastructures and by developments in climate change policy, both ...

June 16, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC, June 16, 2008 — Covington & Burling LLP received 81 individual mentions and 45 practice mentions in the newly released 2008 Chambers USA. The guidebook, which ranks lawyers by state and national practice area, is designed to identify the most skilled legal practitioners based on the qualities most valued by clients. Here are the Covington ...

1/8/2008

WASHINGTON, DC, January 8, 2008 — Joy Global Inc., a worldwide leader in high-productivity mining solutions, reported today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the stock of NES Investment, Co., the parent holding company of Continental Global Inc. Continental designs, manufactures, installs and services highly engineered bulk material ...

June 18, 2007

WASHINGTON, DC, June 18, 2007 — Covington & Burling LLP received 44 practice mentions and 74 individual mentions in the newly released 2007 Chambers USA guidebook. The 2007 edition of Chambers USA attempts to identify the most skilled legal practitioners throughout the country based on the qualities most valued by clients. Covington attorneys have been ...

February 2007, Insights

January 19, 2007

WASHINGTON, DC, January 19, 2007 — Barclays has announced that it will pay an undisclosed amount for naming rights to the new Barclays Center located in Brooklyn, New York for a term of 20 years. Covington & Burling LLP advised Barclays on the transaction.The new Barclays Center is the core feature of the Frank Gehry designed $4 billion Atlantic Yards ...

10/16/2006

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 16, 2006 — The board of directors of JLG Industries, Inc. (NYSE: JLG) has approved an all cash offer of $28.00 per common share to merge with, and become, a subsidiary of Oshkosh Truck Corporation (NYSE: OSK). According to JLG’s press release, the $3.2 billion merger is dependent on the approval of JLG shareholders. The transaction is ...

May 26, 2006, Covington Advisory

February 1, 1999, Public Company Advocate

March 23, 1998, APTC Voice: Notes from Counsel