Shanghai

May 21, 2020, Covington Alert

In an effort to curtail access by China’s Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. to products made using U.S. semiconductor software and technology, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) on May 15, 2020, released an Interim Final Rule expanding and extending U.S. export controls jurisdiction to certain non-U.S. items when destined for Huawei or ...

May 2020, Covington Alert

On April 13, 2020, China’s National Healthcare Security Administration (“NHSA”) released a draft opinion titled “Guiding Opinions on Establishment of a Drug Pricing and Procurement Creditworthiness System (the “Draft Opinion”; Covington’s translation is available here) setting forth proposed requirements for a creditworthiness evaluation and disciplinary system ...

April 29, 2020, Covington Alert

On March 30, 2020, the State Administration of Market Regulation of China, the parent agency of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), released a revised Drug Registration Regulation (Revised DRR).

April 27, 2020, Covington Alert

Companies should ask themselves five key questions about their compliance programs to ensure they are ready to face any crises—including the coronavirus pandemic—and be ready for current and future business disruptions.

March 9, 2020, Covington Alert

As we reported this past Friday, on March 6, 2020, President Trump issued only the sixth Executive Order (the “Order”) in history formally prohibiting the acquisition of a U.S. business by a foreign person, pursuant to the authorities that allow the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS” or the “Committee”) to review foreign mergers and ...

March 4, 2020, Covington Alert

The following alert is a summary of the district court’s acquittal of UK citizen Lawrence Hoskins, a former senior vice president at the French power and transportation company Alstom S.A. (“Alstom”), on FCPA bribery and conspiracy charges. Alstom pleaded guilty in 2014 to two counts of violating the FCPA in connection with a worldwide bribery scheme that ...

January 17, 2020, Covington Alert

On January 15, 2020, President Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He signed the much-anticipated “Phase One” trade agreement between the U.S. and China. Set to take effect no later than February 14, 2020, the “Economic and Trade Agreement Between the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China” (the “Agreement”) is the first formal accord ...

December 13, 2019, Covington Alert

On December 13, 2019, the United States and China formally announced a limited initial agreement to relieve trade tensions between the two countries that have been ongoing for the past 20 months. Under what the countries call a “Phase One” trade agreement, the United States will lower the rate on some already-imposed additional tariffs on Chinese imports and ...

December 12, 2019, Covington Alert

On November 8, 2019, a federal jury convicted Lawrence Hoskins, the former senior vice president of Alstom, of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) for his role in a multi-million dollar bribery and money laundering scheme in Indonesia.

December 6, 2019, Covington Alert

The General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council of China jointly published Opinions on Strengthening Intellectual Property Protection (“Opinion”) on November 24, 2019, with the purpose of effectively deterring the occurrence of IP infringement by 2020. The Opinion provides specific and concrete guidelines to strengthen ...

November 15, 2019, Law360

October 31, 2019, Covington Alert

On October 26, 2019, China enacted a landmark Encryption Law, which will take effect on January 1, 2020. The Encryption Law significantly reshapes the regulatory landscape for commercial encryption, including foreign-made commercial encryption products, but leaves many questions to be answered in future implementing regulations.

October 11, 2019, Covington Alert

On September 27, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced a $4.1 million settlement with Westport Fuel Systems, Inc. (“Westport”) and its former chief executive officer, Nancy Gougarty. Based in Vancouver, Canada, Westport is a clean fuel technology company that has shares listed on the NASDAQ. The SEC’s cease-and-desist order finds that ...

October 10, 2019, Covington Alert

On October 9, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued a Final Rule adding 20 Chinese government entities and eight Chinese private sector entities (“Listed Entities”) to the Entity List maintained by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”).

October 2, 2019, The American Lawyer

October 1, 2019

WASHINGTON—Covington has promoted to its partnership 14 lawyers based in eight different offices, including nine women and six lawyers of ethnically diverse backgrounds.   “Our new partners are exceptionally talented lawyers from a wide range of the firm’s offices and most important practices, and they are extremely well-positioned to carry the firm forward,” ...

September 9, 2019, Covington Alert

On August 26, 2019, China’s Standing Committee of National People's Congress (“NPC) adopted a significant revision of the Drug Administration Law (“DAL”). The newly adopted DAL (“Revised DAL”) will go into effect on December 1, 2019. The Revised DAL is the first overhaul of the DAL since 2001.

September 5, 2019, The FCPA Blog

August 30, 2019, Covington Alert

On August 27 and 29, 2019, the U.S. Administration released notices concerning increases in certain tariffs on Chinese imports, marking the latest escalation in bilateral trade frictions.

August 28, 2019, Covington Alert

On August 23, 2019, President Donald J. Trump tweeted: "Our great American companies are hereby ordered to immediately start looking for an alternative to China, including bringing . . . your companies HOME and making your products in the USA."

July 17, 2019, Covington Alert

On July 5, 2019, China’s Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) published a new draft Encryption Law (“the draft Law”) for public comment. The draft Law, if enacted as drafted, would bring significant new changes to China’s commercial encryption regime.

July 8, 2019, Pharmaceutical Executive

Eric Carlson spoke with Pharmaceutical Executive about the compliance challenges prevalent in the Asia-Pacific region.   On the emergence of general compliance in the region, Mr. Carlson says, “When I first moved to Beijing in 2008, there were only a couple of dozen people who had compliance on their business card. It just wasn’t a job in China then. Ten years ...

June 21, 2019, Covington Alert

Earlier this week, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced a process through which companies can request that their products be excluded from duties imposed on $200 billion in Chinese imports under Section 301 of the Tariff Act of 1974 (Section 301). Tariffs on these imports have been in effect since September 2018, and recently increased ...

June 18, 2019, Covington Alert

On June 10, 2019, the State Council (China’s chief executive agency) promulgated the long-awaited Regulation on the Administration of Human Genetic Resources (the “Regulation”), which will become effective on July 1, 2019.  The Regulation supersedes the currently effective regulations and guidance on human genetic resources (“HGR”).  

June 18, 2019, GIR - The Guide to Cyber Investigations

May 23, 2019, Law360

May 14, 2019, Covington Alert

On May 13, days after increasing tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports, the U.S. Administration proposed imposing an additional 25 percent tariff on a new list of $300 billion in Chinese imports. The Administration cited China’s “failure to meaningfully address” problematic intellectual property (IP) practices and its retaliatory responses to U.S. tariffs ...

May 2019, Covington Alert

This article describes the attorney-client privilege under U.S. law and where care must be taken in internal investigations in China to maintain the privilege and avoid inadvertently waiving its protections.

April 25, 2019, Covington Alert

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 ...

April 17, 2019, China Business Review

April 8, 2019, Covington Alert

On March 15, 2019, China’s National People’s Congress voted to adopt a new Foreign Investment Law (the “FIL”).  The FIL will come into effect on January 1, 2020 and may significantly change China’s framework for regulating foreign investment.  Foreign invested entities (“FIEs”) established prior to the FIL’s effective date will have five years to amend their ...

March 20, 2019, CGTN

Daniel Levine spoke with CGTN news about China's 2019 government work report and the latest draft of a new foreign investment law. He noted that the financial performance of state-owned entities lags that of China's private sector. He added that increased foreign investment could benefit Chinese consumers.

March 4, 2019, Covington Alert

On December 29, 2018, the State Council (China’s chief executive agency) opened a new pathway for drugs to come into China through a special zone in southern China. It suspended certain central regulations in the Bo Ao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone in Hainan Province (“Pilot Zone”) and permitted local authorities to make marketing decisions ...

February 19, 2019, Covington Alert

Late last week, President Trump signed an appropriations bill to keep the government funded. In its Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying this legislation, Congress directed the Trump Administration to establish an exclusion request process for tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports by March 17, 2019, in line with the process provided for prior rounds of ...

February 11, 2019, Covington Alert

On February 1, 2019, China’s National Information Security Standardization Technical Committee (“TC260”) released a set of amendments to GB/T 35273-2017 Information Technology – Personal Information Security Specification (“the Standard”) for public comment. The comment period ends on March 3.

February 2019, Covington Alert

This International Employment Update summarises recent international employment law developments in China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

January 16, 2019, Project Finance International

January 10, 2019, Covington Alert

On January 7, 2019, EU Regulation 2019/5 was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The Regulation is part of a package that makes numerous significant amendments to the EU’s regime for veterinary medicines and medicated feed, and it also made some key changes to the EU financial penalties regime.

January 10, 2019, Covington Alert

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.

January 2, 2019, Covington Alert

The past year was a particularly significant one for the development of Chinese privacy law. During 2018, the Chinese government systematically established the country’s regulatory requirements for cybersecurity and data privacy and continued to implement the Cybersecurity Law, which took effect on June 1, 2017.

December 3, 2018, Covington Alert

On December 1, during a working dinner meeting in Buenos Aires following the G20 Summit, U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to temporarily ease trade tensions as both sides continue negotiating over longer-term solutions to U.S. concerns about bilateral economic relations.

December 3, 2018, Legaltech News

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 ...

November 27, 2018, Covington Alert

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 ...

November 14, 2018, Covington Alert

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.

November 8, 2018, Covington Alert

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.”

September 18, 2018, Covington Alert

On September 17, 2018, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) released its final list of approximately $200 billion in Chinese imports subject to an additional ad valorem tariff. The final list, which covers 5,745 product categories, will take effect on September 24, 2018.

August 8, 2018

The Trump Administration has released its final list of approximately $16 billion in Chinese imports that will be subject to an additional 25 percent ad valorem tariff, which will go into effect on August 23, 2018. The Administration has announced that it will provide an opportunity to request that "particular products" subject to the additional duties be ...

July 30, 2018, Covington Alert

On May 24, 2018, China filled the top positions at the State Bureau of Film (Film Bureau) and State Administration of Press and Publication (SAPP). Both appointments fill vacancies created by the dismantling of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) and continue apparent Communist Party of China (CPC) efforts to ...

July 11, 2018, Covington Alert

Last night, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”) released a new proposed list of $200 billion worth of products from China that could face an additional 10 percent ad valorem tariff. The list covers 6,031 product categories, including a multitude of consumer goods such as luggage, tires, furniture, apparel, mattresses, household goods, components ...

July 10, 2018, Covington Alert

As anticipated, an additional 25 percentage point ad valorem tariff on $34 billion worth of Chinese imports into the United States (covering 818 product categories in sectors including aerospace, information communication technology, machinery, and medical instruments) went into effect on July 6, 2018.

July 5, 2018, Covington Alert

On June 27, 2018, China’s Ministry of Public Security (“MPS”) released for public comment a draft of the Regulations on Cybersecurity Multi-level Protection Scheme (“the Draft Regulation”). The highly anticipated Draft Regulation sets out the details of an updated Multi-level Protection Scheme, whereby network operators (defined below) are required to comply ...

June 27, 2018, Covington Alert

We write to report on two important developments regarding the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA), a bi-partisan effort to reform the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), and the broader policy debate within the U.S. government on regulatory mechanisms to address foreign investment, particularly from China. On June ...

June 20, 2018

SILICON VALLEY—Covington was ranked sixth among “The Best Law Firms for Minority Attorneys” and ranked seventh among “The Best Law Firms for Minority Partners” by Law360 for firms with more than 600 lawyers.  "While there is much progress still to be made, these results are a reflection of Covington's sustained efforts to recruit, mentor, develop, promote, and ...

June 15, 2018, Covington Alert

As anticipated, the Trump Administration today released its final list of Chinese imports subject to an additional 25 percent ad valorem tariff. The imposition of the tariffs follows the Administration’s determination in March that China’s technology transfer and intellectual property (“IP”) policies are harming U.S. companies, and the submission of public ...

May 4, 2018, Covington Alert

The Trump Administration’s senior economic and trade officials held talks with their Chinese counterparts in Beijing, May 3-4. The talks concluded with no agreement, and each side tabled expansive demands that appear well beyond what the other side would be able to accept.

April 26, 2018, Covington Alert

On April 23, 2018, Dun & Bradstreet Corporation (“D&B”), a professional services company providing credit reporting information and other commercial data to businesses, agreed to pay more than $9 million in connection with a cease and desist order with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to settle allegations that it violated the books and ...

April 20, 2018, Covington Alert

On April 15, 2018, the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) lifted its suspension of a denial order against two companies, Zhongxing Telecommunications Equipment Corporation of Shenzhen, China (“ZTE Corporation”) and ZTE Kangxun Telecommunications Ltd. of Hi-New Shenzhen, China (“ZTE Kangxun,” and together with ZTE Corporation, ...

April 16, 2018, The Hill

April 4, 2018, Covington Alert

On April 3, the Trump Administration proposed a list of approximately 1,300 products originating from China that would bear an additional 25 percent ad valorem import tariff and requested public comments on the list, following the Administration’s determination last month that China’s technology transfer and intellectual property (“IP”) policies are harming U.S. ...

March 29, 2018, Covington Alert

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.

March 27, 2018, Covington Alert

China has reorganized many of the ministries and commissions under its chief executive body, the State Council, creating a new super-ministry to replace the China Food and Drug Administration (“CFDA”) and other healthcare agencies.

March 15, 2018, Covington Alert

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 ...

March 15, 2018, Covington Alert

Following the recent U.S. announcement of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the United States is now poised to implement trade sanctions against China stemming from an investigation of that country’s intellectual property (“IP”) practices.

March 7, 2018

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 ...

March 5, 2018

BEIJING—China Business Law Journal has recognized Covington as one of the top international law firms in the Entertainment & Sports category.  Covington’s Entertainment and Media practice in China has advised nearly every major Hollywood studio and many of the leading independents on their China activities and has been involved in some of the most significant ...

February 6, 2018

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  

February 1, 2018, Covington Alert

This International Employment Update summarises recent international employment law developments in China, India, Italy, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

January 19, 2018, Law360

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 ...

January 15, 2018, Covington Alert

On December 26, 2017, China’s National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”) released the final Administrative Measures for Enterprise Outbound Investment (the “Final ODI Rules”), which will go into effect as of March 1, 2018 and govern NDRC's regime for reviewing Chinese outbound investment projects. The Final ODI Rules contain limited changes relative to ...

January 9, 2018, Covington Alert

2017 was another year of active enforcement globally—including in the U.S., despite the start of a new Presidential Administration touting an aggressive deregulatory agenda. Transactions in consolidated industries drew enforcement fire in both Europe and the United States (Dow/DuPont, ChemChina/Syngenta, Bayer/Monsanto, AT&T/TimeWarner). And, in March, the UK ...

November 24, 2017, Covington Alert

Earlier this month, China’s National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”) released the draft Administrative Measures for Enterprise Outbound Investment (“Draft ODI Rules”) for public comment. Comments are due on December 3, 2017.  

November 16, 2017

WASHINGTON—The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC) has awarded Covington a perfect score of 100 percent for the tenth consecutive year on its Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices pertinent to LGBTQ workplace equality. Covington is among 609 major U.S. businesses that earned a perfect ...

November 13, 2017, Covington Alert

On November 7, 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) unsealed criminal charges against five individuals in connection with an alleged bribery scheme to assist Rolls-Royce plc (“Rolls-Royce” or the “Company”) in obtaining a US $145 million government contract to supply equipment and services for a gas pipeline from Kazakhstan to China.   

November 6, 2017, Covington Alert

China has recently announced several initiatives to reform its regulation of drugs and medical devices that could have a significant impact on pharmaceutical and medical device companies doing business in China.

October 13, 2017, Covington Alert

In a draft regulation released earlier this year, China proposed regulating the import, export, manufacture, sale, and use of “commercial encryption products,” building on a patchwork of regulations.1 These regulations have focused on restricting the import and use of encryption products produced by certain manufacturers, and many entities have expressed concern ...

October 3, 2017

BEIJING—China Law & Practice has named Covington as the international winner for “Trade Firm of the Year” at its annual awards ceremony in Beijing. The leading Chinese legal publication also recognized the firm for its role in the Technology, Media, and Telecom “Deal of the Year,” Tencent’s $8.6 billion acquisition of Supercell. The awards focus on “innovation ...

September 26, 2017, The China Investor, Vol. 1, Issue 2

September 13, 2017, The FCPA Blog

September 11, 2017, The FCPA Blog

September 8, 2017, Covington Alert

On August 18, 2017, the General Office of China’s State Council released to the public new guidance regarding the regulation of outbound investment. The guidance is set forth in a notice, dated August 4, 2017, forwarding “guiding opinions” (the “Opinions”) from the National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”), Ministry of Commerce (“MOFCOM”), People's ...

August 31, 2017, Covington Alert

On August 31, 2017, China’s National Information Security Standardization Technical Committee (“NISSTC”), a standard-setting committee jointly supervised by the Standardization Administration of China (“SAC”) and the Cyberspace Administration of China (“CAC”), released an updated draft of the Information Security Technology - Guidelines for Data Cross-Border ...

August 2, 2017, China Business Review

July 21, 2017, Covington Alert

On June 16, 2017, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) released for public comment a draft of the Export Control Law (“the Draft Law”). While China has a number of regulations relating to export controls and has signed numerous nonproliferation agreements, the Draft Law would be China’s first law specifically addressing export controls and would implement an ...

July 12, 2017, Covington Alert

On July 11, 2017, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) released the draft Regulation for the Protection of the Critical Information Infrastructure (“Draft Regulation”) for public comment (official Chinese version available here). The comment period ends on August 10, 2017.

June 7, 2017, Covington Alert

Pursuant to the State Council’s directive to build harmonious labor relationships and to strengthen the system for resolving labor disputes, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) recently revised two sets of arbitration rules. The revisions address new issues and provide clarification of existing regulations. The key objectives are to ...

May 9, 2017, Covington Alert

On April 13, 2017, China’s State Cryptography Administration (“SCA”) published a draft Encryption Law (“the draft Law”) for public comment. After several years of drafting, the draft Law, if enacted as drafted, would be the first Chinese statute to systematically address encryption, covering “the research, production, management, import and export, testing, ...

May 3, 2017, Covington Alert

On May 2, 2017, the Cyberspace Administration of China (“CAC”) released the final version of the Measures on the Security Review of Network Products and Services (Trial) (“the Measures”), with an effective date of June 1, 2017 (official Chinese version available here). The issuance of the Measures marks a critical first step toward implementing China’s ...

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 ...

April 7, 2017, Covington Alert

On March 17, 2017, the China Food and Drug Administration (“CFDA”) released a notice to seek public comments on four proposed adjustments to China’s drug registration requirements (“Proposed Adjustments”) that will remove some barriers to applications for clinical trials and drug registrations of imported drugs (drugs that are manufactured outside of China). The ...

March 2, 2017, Covington Alert

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 ...

March 2017

February 27, 2017

WASHINGTON—Law360 has named four Covington practice groups among its “Practice Groups of the Year.” The practice groups recognized by Law360 are as follows: International Trade Life Sciences Product Liability Sports  

February 19, 2017, Financial Times

Eric Carlson is quoted in a Financial Times article regarding an initiative by the Chinese Government to reduce marked-up prices and corruption in multi-tier distribution chains of pharmaceuticals, known as the “two invoice reform.” According to Carlson, the crackdown on small distributors would accelerate sector consolidation, “centralising distribution in a ...

January/February 2017, EuroBiz

January 23, 2017, Covington Alert

On January 9, 2017, eight Chinese ministries announced a significant new policy that aims to reduce marked-up prices and corruption in multi-tier distribution chains. The policy effectively requires that under most circumstances, at most two invoices may be issued throughout the distribution chain, with one from the manufacturer to a distributor and another from ...

January 3, 2017, Covington Alert

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 ...

December 21, 2016

WASHINGTON—The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC) has awarded Covington a perfect score of 100 percent for the ninth consecutive year on its Corporate Equality Index, a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. Covington is among 517 major U.S. businesses that earned a perfect score this ...

December 21, 2016

SHANGHAI—China Business Law Journal has named Covington partner Weishi Li to its “A-List” of the top 100 private practice lawyers in China. Ms. Li is one of two life sciences lawyers recognized by the magazine. China Business Law Journal’s inaugural A-list is based on interviews of in-house counsel in China and around the world, as well as partners at Chinese ...

December 15, 2016, Law360

December 7, 2016, Covington Alert

In October 2014, the Nagoya Protocol entered into force. It created a new international regulatory system affecting all life science companies that conduct R&D on biological material such as animals, seeds, flowers, viruses, fragrances, flavonoids, essential oils, enzymes, yeasts, and so on. So far, compliance by companies is progressing slowly due to ...

December 5, 2016, Covington Alert

Acting on the recommendation of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”), President Barack Obama issued an Executive Order on Friday, December 2, prohibiting the acquisition of the U.S. business of Aixtron SE (“Aixtron”) by a company ultimately owned by investors in China. This is the first time that a President formally has utilized ...

November 8, 2016, Covington Alert

On November 7, the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress (“NPC”) passed China’s first Cybersecurity Law (the “Law”), which will take effect starting June 1, 2017. Described as China’s “fundamental law” in the area of cybersecurity, the new Law articulates the government’s priorities with respect to “cyberspace sovereignty,” consolidates ...

October 7, 2016, Covington Alert

On September 29, 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) issued letters of declination to NCH Corporation (“NCH”) and HMT LLC (“HMT”). Both companies are Texas-based “domestic concerns.” The letter to NCH, an industrial supply and maintenance company, relates to an investigation into possible violations of the anti-bribery provisions of the U.S. Foreign ...

October 5, 2016, Covington Alert

The International Employment Update summarises recent international employment law developments in the United Kingdom, France, Poland, China and the United States of America.

September 28, 2016, The FCPA Report

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 ...

September 21, 2016

SHANGHAI—China Law & Practice has named Covington as “Regulatory & Compliance Firm of the Year” at its annual award ceremony. The leading Chinese legal publication also recognized Shanghai partner Eric Carlson as “Regulatory & Compliance Lawyer of the Year” and the firm for its role in the “Outbound Deal of the Year,” China National Tire & Rubber’s $7.8 billion ...

September 19, 2016, Covington Alert

On September 13, 2016, Jun Ping Zhang (“Zhang”), former head of Harris Corporation’s (“Harris”) subsidiary in China, agreed to pay $46,000 to settle allegations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) that Zhang knowingly authorized and facilitated bribes to Chinese government officials at state-owned hospitals and local health departments and ...

September 7, 2016, Covington Report

July 18, 2016, Covington Alert

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 ...

July 12, 2016, Covington Alert

On July 5, 2016, China’s National People’s Congress (“NPC”) released a new draft of the Cybersecurity Law for public comment (official Chinese version available here; unofficial translation from AmCham China available here). The revised draft contains a number of significant changes from the first draft, which was released in July 2015, but retains many of the ...

June 24, 2016, Covington Alert

The UK has voted to leave the European Union in an advisory referendum. 52% leave - 48% remain. Were the UK to leave the EU, this would have significant implications for the UK and for international businesses operating in the UK. The longer term impact of the decision on the regulatory framework for the UK will depend, in part, on the relationship that the UK ...

June 23, 2016, Covington Alert

China amended its Population and Family Planning Law in December 2015. It abolished the one-child policy and eliminated incentives for late marriage and late parenthood. Many provinces are announcing changes to local regulations to comply with the national amendment.

June 13, 2016, Covington Alert

On June 7, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced a non-prosecution agreement (“NPA”) with Akamai, Inc., an internet cloud services company, in connection with an investigation of possible violations of the books and records and internal accounting controls provisions of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) based on payments by ...

June 13, 2016, Covington Alert

On June 7, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced a non-prosecution agreement (“NPA”) with Nortek, Inc., a manufacturer of construction and remodeling products, in connection with an investigation into possible violations of the books and records and internal accounting controls provisions of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) ...

June 7, 2016, EURObiz

May 6, 2016, Insight

May 2, 2016, Covington Alert

China has just released its 13th Five Year Plan. This includes a mandate to encourage foreigners to work and reside in China by rolling out policies to relax entry, visa and residency requirements for qualified foreign talent. As part of this focus, the Ministry of Public Security has issued, effective March 1, 2016, a number of preferential immigration ...

May 2, 2016, Law360

April 21, 2016, Covington Alert

On April 5, 2016, the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”), through the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, announced a one-year Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) enforcement pilot program (the “Pilot Program”) intended to motivate companies to voluntarily disclose FCPA-related misconduct and increase transparency around the Fraud Section’s approach ...

April 2016, Covington Alert

On April 7, 2016, Las Vegas Sands Corp. (“LVSC”) agreed to pay $9 million to settle allegations by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) that LVSC, through its subsidiaries in China and Macao, violated the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”). The settlement resolves allegations that, from 2006 through at least 2011, LVSC and its subsidiaries ...

April 2016, Covington Alert

On April 18, 2016, the Chinese government released a judicial interpretation that clarifies certain aspects of the PRC Criminal Law with regard to bribery and corruption. The Interpretation provides additional clarity in understanding the amendments to the Criminal Law that took effect last year, most notably by (1) expanding the definition of bribes to include ...

March 25, 2016, Covington Alert

On March 23, 2016, Novartis AG (“Novartis”) agreed to pay $25 million to settle civil charges with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) alleging that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”) by paying bribes to healthcare professionals (“HCPs”) in China from 2009 to 2013 to increase sales. Employees and managers of its two ...

March 2016, Covington Alert

On March 1, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced an agreement with Qualcomm Incorporated to settle charges that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by hiring relatives of Chinese government officials to gain business advantages in the Chinese telecommunications market. The SEC also alleged that Qualcomm provided gifts, travels, and ...

February 29, 2016, Covington Alert

February 25, 2016, Law360

February 22, 2016, Covington Alert

February 21, 2016, Covington Alert

February 9, 2016, Covington Alert

January 28, 2016

WASHINGTON, DC - Law360 has named six Covington practice groups among its “Practice Groups of the Year.” The practice groups recognized by Law360 are as follows: Government Contracts Insurance International Trade Life Sciences Product Liability Sports

January 27, 2016, Covington Alert

January 8, 2016, Covington Alert

January 5, 2016, Covington Alert

2016, Covington Report

December 28, 2015, Covington Alert

December 16, 2015, Covington Alert

December 9, 2015, Covington Alert

December 4, 2015, China Daily

Jason Goldberg was quoted in this article.

December 4, 2015, China Daily

Jason Goldberg participated in a discussion at the Asia Leadership Roundtable forum titled "The Strategic Implications for Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong's Film Industry under the IP Era." China Daily quoted Goldberg, who said, "Movie companies should think long-term how IP protection can provide income in the future.” He continued, "The awareness of IP ...

November 18, 2015

WASHINGTON, DC, November 18, 2015 - The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC) has awarded Covington a perfect score of 100 percent for the eighth consecutive year on its Corporate Equality Index, a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. Covington is among 400 major US businesses that ...

October 29, 2015, Covington Alert

October 9, 2015, Covington Alert

September 17, 2015

SHANGHAI, September 17, 2015—China Law & Practice named Covington "International Firm of the Year - Life Sciences" at its annual awards ceremony. The leading Chinese legal publication also named Hui Xu a "Rising Star" in regulatory and compliance law and recognized the firm for its role in its "Deal of the Year," Lenovo’s acquisition of IBM's server ...

September 2015, Covington Alert

September 2015, Bloomberg BNA World Data Protection Report

August 20, 2015

SAN FRANCISCO, August 20, 2015 — Covington advised Tencent Holdings Ltd. on its US$50 million investment in Ontario-based Kik Interactive, Inc., a messenger application with more than 200 million registered users. Tencent is a Chinese company that provides value-added Internet, mobile and telecom services and online advertising. Its messaging app WeChat has ...

August 2015, Bloomberg BNA World Data Protection Report

July 29, 2015, Covington Alert

July 23, 2015

LONDON, July 23, 2015 — Covington has launched a new app designed specifically for smart phones and tablets called ‘The Arbitration Handbook’. The app compiles over 90 resources (arbitral rules, treaties, national laws and guidelines) commonly used in international arbitration into one convenient electronic resource, while enabling users to bookmark and ...

July 13, 2015, China Law & Practice

July 10, 2015, Covington Alert

7/10/2015, Covington Alert

July 7, 2015, Covington Alert

July 6, 2015

WASHINGTON, DC, July 6, 2015 — Former U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., is returning to Covington as a partner after more than six years of service as the nation’s top law enforcement officer. Mr. Holder will be resident in the firm’s Washington office and focus on complex investigations and litigation matters, including matters that are international ...

July 2, 2015, Covington Alert

July 2, 2015, Law360

July 2015, Bloomberg BNA World Data Protection Report

June 23, 2015, Covington Alert

June 3, 2015, LegalStudio

June 2015, Bloomberg BNA World Data Protection Report

May 21, 2015, Covington E-Alert

May 20, 2015, Covington E-Alert

April 21, 2015, Covington E-Alert

March 27, 2015

LONDON, 27 March, 2015 — Covington received 56 individual mentions and 29 practice mentions in the 2015 edition of Chambers Global. The guidebook, which ranks lawyers globally by pan-regional and country practice area, is designed to identify the most skilled legal practitioners based on the qualities most valued by clients. The Covington lawyers selected as ...

March 26, 2015, The Lawyer

March 6, 2015

LOS ANGELES, March 6, 2015 — Covington will open a new office in Los Angeles on March 9. The office will be staffed by current firm lawyers and three new senior lawyers and will focus initially on insurance coverage, media and content distribution, patent litigation, public policy/government affairs and white collar defense. "We believe there is a strong base ...

March 2015, Covington E-Alert

March 2015, Life Sciences Law Review

Winter 2015, Covington Advisory

February 2015, Bloomberg BNA World Data Protection Report

January 27, 2015

WASHINGTON, DC, January 27, 2015 — Covington was named one of the top 2014 “Media and Entertainment Practice Groups of the Year” by Law360.Law360 highlighted the practice for its involvement in “the most-talked-about sports media rights deals last year,” including the NFL's Sunday Ticket agreement with DirecTV, Steve Ballmer’s bid for the Los Angeles Clippers, ...

January 16, 2015

WASHINGTON, DC, January 16, 2015 — For the second consecutive year, Law360 named Covington’s antitrust and competition practice one of the top “Competition Practice Groups of the Year.”Law360 recognized Covington for securing the dismissal of separate antitrust suits against clients Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., JP Morgan Chase & Co., and Expedia, Inc. The ...

January 5, 2015, State Administration for Industry and Commerce

December 22, 2014, Luxury Legal Post

December 18, 2014, Covington E-Alert

December 17, 2014, Covington E-Alert

December 1, 2014, Covington E-Alert

December 1, 2014, Covington E-Alert

November 19, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC, November 19, 2014 — For the seventh consecutive year, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation has awarded Covington & Burling the top rating of 100 percent in the 2015 Corporate Equality Index. Covington’s rating reflects its support for same-sex partners of employees through health insurance, bereavement and family leave policies, as well as its ...

November 13, 2014

Shanghai, November 13, 2014 — Covington & Burling has been named “Compliance / Regulatory Firm of the Year” by Asian-MENA Counsel magazine. Asian-MENA Counsel bases the award on a survey sent to over 21,000 in-house counsel and company directors across Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Covington partner Eric Carlson, who leads the firm’s compliance practice ...

November 6, 2014, Covington E-Alert

October 20, 2014, The Washington Post

"Covington & Burling of the District appointed Ashley Bass, Robin Blaney, Krista Carver, Jeffrey Davidson, Nicole Duclos, Shankar Duraiswamy, Scott Freling, David Garr, Jason Goldberg, Andrew Lazerow, Michael Lechliter, Anne Lee, Scott Schrader, Nathan Shafroth and Ranganath Sudarshan partners."

October 17, 2014, Law360

October 17, 2014, Law360

Tim Stratford authored this article on China’s tightly regulated health care sector: "The Chinese government has announced the launch of a pilot scheme allowing for the establishment of wholly foreign-owned hospitals (“WFOHs”) through greenfield investment or mergers and acquisitions in three centrally governed municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai), ...

October 1, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC, October 1, 2014 — Covington & Burling is pleased to announce that it has elected 15 lawyers to its partnership effective today. “Our new partners come from six firm offices and practice in a variety of areas that are of great importance to the firm’s clients,” said Timothy Hester, chair of Covington’s management committee. “These are all superb ...

September 25, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC, September 25, 2014 — Covington & Burling has been named “International Firm of the Year for Trade” by China Law & Practice magazine. The award recognizes Covington’s “innovation, complexity, and market impact” and is “based on the extent to which their work has influenced the legal market and benefited the quality and development of China’s legal ...

August 25, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC, August 25, 2014 — Covington & Burling has been named to Latinvex’s “Legal 50,” a list of top international law firms doing work in Latin America. The firm ranked seventh among the top 15 firms doing international arbitration work in Latin America and 27th overall. Latinvex evaluated more than 100 international law firms and selected the top 50 ...

August 22, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC, August 22, 2014 — The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has cleared Lenovo Group’s bid to acquire International Business Machines’ x86-based server business in a $2.3 billion acquisition. Covington & Burling represented Lenovo in securing CFIUS approval. David Fagan, Mark Plotkin, Stuart Eizenstat and Jonathan Wakely ...

June 3, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC, June 3, 2014 — The National Law Journal has named Covington & Burling to its 2014 “Intellectual Property Hot List,” which recognizes 20 firms that have “become leaders on the latest trends in intellectual property law.” This is the second time since 2012 that Covington has been named to the list. In naming Covington to the list, the NLJ cited the ...

May 27, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC, May 27, 2014 —Covington & Burling was named the “Transfer Pricing Advisory Firm of the Year - Washington D.C.” by Corporate LiveWire, a global news resource for corporate finance professionals. The Corporate LiveWire Global Awards honor law firms, individuals and businesses who have demonstrated distinction in corporate finance, and consistently ...

April 29, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC, April 29, 2014 — Mythili Raman, most recently Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, is joining Covington & Burling as a partner. Ms. Raman will practice in the firm’s litigation and white collar groups and be resident in the Washington office. Ms. Raman joined the Justice Department in ...

April 20, 2014, Forbes

Covington's John Balzano writes about a recent announcement by the China FDA and the Ministry of Public Security that China is creating a special police unit for food and drug law violations.

April 2, 2014

BEIJING, April 2, 2014 — Global Investigations Review magazine has named Covington & Burling partners Tammy Albarrán and Eric Carlson to its inaugural list of 40 leading investigations lawyers under the age of 40. The list recognizes the “next generation that will lead the global investigations bar.” Ms. Albarrán, 39, is based in Covington’s San Francisco ...

March 6, 2014, Covington E-Alert

March 3, 2014, Covington E-Alert

February 20, 2014, Covington E-Alert

January 24, 2014, Covington Advisory

January 13, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC, January 13, 2014 — For the second consecutive year, Law360 has named Covington & Burling’s life sciences practice as one of the top five “Life Sciences Practice Groups of the Year.” In a profile of the firm, Law360 noted that Covington “delivered for drugmakers on three continents in 2013, spearheading a momentous investment by U.K.-based ...

January 7, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC, January 6, 2014 — For the second consecutive year, The National Law Journal has named Covington & Burling to its “Pro Bono Hot List.” This year’s list recognizes nine firms and one corporate law department for their strong commitment to public service. In the profile of Covington, the NLJ features the pro bono efforts of the firm’s New York ...

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 ...

January 2014, Covington Advisory

December 31, 2013, Covington E-Alert

December 9, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC, December 9, 2013 — For the sixth consecutive year, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation has awarded Covington & Burling the top rating of 100 percent in the 2014 Corporate Equality Index. Covington’s 100 percent rating reflects its written non-discrimination policy, sexual orientation and gender identity training, and support for same-sex ...

November 20, 2013, Covington E-Alert

November 6, 2013, Covington E-Alert

November 2013, Bloomberg BNA World Data Protection Report

October 24, 2013, Covington E-Alert

October 24, 2013, Ethisphere

October 21, 2013, Covington E-Alert

October 2013, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

September 23, 2013, Covington E-Alert

August 20, 2013, Covington E-Alert

August 14, 2013, Covington E-Alert

August 11, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC, August 12, 2013 — Covington & Burling is pleased to announce the promotion of three lawyers to special counsel, effective August 1, 2013. Michael Clancy (Brussels) focuses his practice on EU competition law, and has extensive experience advising clients in regulated industries such as life sciences (pharmaceuticals, biotech, and medical devices) ...

July 19, 2013, Covington E-Alert

July 12, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC, July 12, 2013 — Covington & Burling has been recognized as an honoree with two American Lawyer Global Legal Awards: Global Dispute of the Year, Investment Arbitration and Global M&A Deal of the Year, Canada. Covington’s International Arbitration Group, comprised of more than 50 lawyers, handles cases under the rules of every major arbitration ...

July 11, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC, July 11, 2013 — For the third consecutive year, Covington & Burling has received a Gold Standard Certification from the Women In Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF), a leading organization dedicated to assisting women in law to assume leadership roles in private law firms, corporate legal departments, and the legal community at large. The certification ...

7/11/2013

WASHINGTON, DC, July 11, 2013 — Thomson Reuters has ranked Covington & Burling among the Top 20 legal advisers worldwide in completed M&A transactions in emerging markets during the first half of 2013. Covington ranked among the top 10 for deals involving China and the Asia Pacific region, and among the top 15 for deals involving Latin America. “We have made a ...

June 28, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC, June 28, 2013 — Covington & Burling’s international arbitration practice has been shortlisted for a Chambers Latin America Award for Excellence. The awards recognize notable achievements over the past year, including outstanding work, impressive strategic growth, and excellence in client service. The Chambers Latin America Awards for Excellence ...

May/June 2013, Update (Reprinted with Permission of FDLI)

May 17, 2013, Covington E-Alert

April 9, 2013, Covington E-Alert

April 2013, Data Protection Law & Policy

Released April 2013, Acore US-China Market Review 2012 Year-End Edition

March 28, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC, March 28, 2013 — Lanny A. Breuer, most recently the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, is returning to Covington & Burling as Vice Chair of the firm. Mr. Breuer’s practice will encompass a wide range of civil and criminal litigation matters, as well as governmental and internal investigations. ...

March 14, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC, March 14, 2013 — Congressman Howard Berman, a widely respected leader in the U.S. Congress, is joining Covington & Burling’s global public policy and government affairs practice. The addition of Rep. Berman, the former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, comes a week after Sen. Jon Kyl joined Covington’s public policy and government ...

March 6, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC, March 6, 2013 — Senator Jon Kyl, who recently left Congress as the second-highest ranking Republican in the U.S. Senate, is joining Covington & Burling’s global public policy and government affairs practice. “Senator Kyl’s deep knowledge and extraordinary legislative skills from his years as a senior leader in Congress make him ideally suited to ...

February 25, 2013

London, February 25, 2013 — Global Arbitration Review has named Covington & Burling to its list of the world’s top 30 international arbitration practices. In announcing the GAR 30 list, the publication notes Covington’s major arbitral victories last year, including the award for Spanish investors in Yukos Oil Company in Quasar de Valores SICAV S.A., et al. v. ...

February 15, 2013, Covington E-Alert

January 22, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC, January 22, 2013 — For the second straight year, Law360 named Covington & Burling’s global privacy and data security practice as one of the top five “Privacy & Consumer Protection Practice Groups of the Year.” In a profile highlighting the firm’s privacy-related work, Law360 noted the group’s recent litigation win for LinkedIn Corp. In that case, ...

1/22/2013

WASHINGTON, DC, January 22, 2013 — Law360 named Covington’s life sciences practice as of one of the top five “Life Sciences Practice Groups of the Year.” In a profile highlighting Covington’s life sciences practice, Law360 noted that the group has “grown to develop an increasingly global reach that has made it a go-to for complex transactions, high stakes ...

January 11, 2013, Covington E-Alert

January 9, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC, January 9, 2013 — Covington & Burling has launched its Shanghai office, its third in Asia, following the opening of offices in Beijing in 2008 and Seoul in late 2012. The firm will now have a total of 20 lawyers resident in these three offices, placing it among AmLaw’s Top 50 U.S. firms with a presence in Asia. The move strengthens the firm’s ...

January 2013, Covington E-Alert

November 27, 2012, Covington E-Alert

May 15, 2012, Covington E-Alert

Spring 2012, Antitrust

January 11, 2012, Covington E-Alert

November 30, 2011, Covington E-Alert

November 18, 2011, Covington E-Alert