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Kurt Wimmer is the co-chair of our Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group, and is past chair of the Privacy and Information Security Committee of the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Section. He is rated in the first tier by Legal 500, designated as a national leader in Chambers USA, and is included in Best Lawyers in America in four areas. Sources for Chambers USA describe him as "a leading person in the field" and "extremely gifted at what he does."
Mr. Wimmer represents major social media companies, global technology companies, and multinationals on privacy, cybersecurity, and technology law issues. As a former Fortune 500 general counsel, he “offers clients experience and insight having been both in-house and outside counsel,” according to Chambers USA. His clients include Facebook, Microsoft, Samsung, Accenture, General Mills, ExxonMobil, Instagram, WhatsApp, Evernote, Cloudflare, CBS, the National Football League, and the National Hockey League.
Mr. Wimmer is qualified as a Certified Information Privacy Professional for Europe (CIPP/E) and the United States (CIPP/US) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals. He focused on EU data protection law in Covington’s London office, where he was managing partner, from 2000 to 2003. From 2006 to 2009, he was general counsel of Gannett Co., Inc. Mr. Wimmer has testified before Congress and state legislatures several times, as well as legislative bodies in several other countries. He has represented industry coalitions and published widely on the GDPR and global Internet jurisdiction issues.
- Provides ongoing global privacy advice to a major social media company.
- Represented one of the largest consumer electronics companies in the world in a global privacy assessment, and assisted in crafting new privacy policies in more than 70 languages, a privacy-by-design program, and a privacy governance system.
- Representation of a Fortune 500 media company in obtaining a complete victory in a non-public FTC investigation.
- Negotiation of favorable consent orders for multiple clients before the FTC.
Memberships and Affiliations
- Future of Privacy Forum, Advisory Board
- Immediate Past Chair, Privacy and Information Security Committee of the American Bar Association Section on Antitrust Law
- Global Internet Policy Project, Advisory Board Member
February 2021
As the legal, regulatory, and commercial implications of coronavirus COVID-19 continue to evolve, our lawyers and advisors are helping clients navigate the complex considerations that companies around the world are facing and develop plans and strategies in response. Reach out to our COVID-19 task force at COVID19@cov.com. Below is a compendium of resources ...
January 28, 2021, Inside Privacy
On this special tenth episode of our Inside Privacy Audiocast, we celebrate Data Privacy Day 2021. Join Dan Cooper and Kurt Wimmer as they discuss the key global data privacy developments in 2020 and trends to look out for in 2021. Covington’s Inside Privacy Audiocast offers insights into topical global privacy issues and trends. Subscribe...… Continue Reading
Cybersecurity And Privacy Policy To Watch In 2021
January 3, 2021, Law360
Lindsey Tonsager and Kurt Wimmer are quoted in Law360 regarding the major cybersecurity and privacy policy issues to watch in 2021. Ms. Tonsager spoke about the ramp up in California Consumer Privacy Act enforcement. She says, “The agency [California Privacy Protection Agency] will have the broadest authority in the country to issue regulations on topics like ...
December 24, 2020, Inside Privacy
On December 24th, with a year-end deadline and the holidays fast approaching, European Commission and United Kingdom (“UK”) officials announced they reached a deal on the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (“Agreement”). Once formally adopted by the European Union (“EU”) institutions, the Agreement will govern the relationship between the EU and UK beginning ...
Global Data Review Names Covington to The GDR 100 Elite
December 10, 2020
WASHINGTON—Global Data Review has named Covington to The GDR 100 Elite. The ranking profiles the top 20 firms with a broad international presence and a consistent track record of delivering cutting-edge advice to household name clients around the world, who between them handle the lion’s share of cross-border work in data privacy. The firms featured in The GDR ...
October 27, 2020, Covington Alert
The November 3, 2020 election is likely to be a watershed event in the development of privacy law in the U.S. This client alert provides a high-level overview of the areas in which change is likely to occur, depending on how the election turns out. 1. Federal Legislation Unlike most countries of its size, the U.S. does not yet have a broadly applicable data ...
October 23, 2020, Covington Alert
On October 21, 2020, the National People's Congress (“NPC”), China’s top legislative body, released its first draft of the Personal Information Protection Law (the “Draft Law”) for public comment (official Chinese version available here and Covington’s unofficial English translation here). The period for public comment ends on November 19, 2020 and comments can ...
October 13, 2020, Inside Privacy
The Department of Justice has released a draft bill to amend Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, joining the chorus of voices seeking to limit the statute’s liability protections (covered here, here, here, and here). The DOJ’s draft bill incorporates recommendations from its June 2020 report analyzing Section 230, as well as...… Continue ...
September 17, 2020, Law360
Kurt Wimmer spoke with Law360 about the recent global changes to privacy law. He says, “It's been quite busy in parliaments around the world on the privacy front, and part of the reason for that is the fact that when the GDPR went into effect, a lot of countries saw that and said, 'This is a real development. Now it's our turn to think about what we're going to ...
September 2, 2020
BRUSSELS–Covington has named Dan Cooper to lead its European data protection practice as co-chair of the firm’s global Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice, and he has relocated to Brussels to be closer to the institutions and courts that govern the European data privacy landscape. The firm has more than 100 lawyers focused on data privacy and cybersecurity ...
August 10, 2020, Inside Privacy
Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Merkley) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) recently introduced the National Biometric Information Privacy Act (NBIPA), which would require private entities to obtain consumers’ and employees’ written consent prior to collecting their biometric information and expand nationwide individuals’ access rights and rights to request additional ...
June 27, 2020
WASHINGTON—Covington represented Piramal Enterprises Limited (PEL) in the sale of a 20% stake in Piramal Pharma Limited (Piramal Pharma), a wholly owned subsidiary of PEL that will contain its pharmaceutical businesses, to CA Clover Intermediate II Investments, an affiliated entity of CAP V Mauritius Limited, an investment fund managed and advised by affiliated ...
Center for American and International Law Privacy Symposium
June 23, 2020, Keynote Speaker
Developments in India Data Protection Law
May 8, 2020, Privacy+Security Forum
January 17, 2020
WASHINGTON—Covington represented Piramal Enterprises Limited in itsdefinitive agreement to sell Decision Resources Group to Clarivate Analytics plc, in a deal valued at $950 million. The $950 million purchase price includes $900 million in cash and approximately $50 million in Clarivate ordinary shares to be issued following the one-year anniversary of ...
December 13, 2019, Inside Privacy
More than a year after the Government of India’s Committee of Experts released a draft Personal Data Protection Bill in July 2018 (the “2018 draft”), India is one step closer to passing a comprehensive data privacy law. On December 11, 2019, India’s Minister for Electronics and Information Technology introduced an updated draft of Personal Data...… Continue ...
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 October 10, 2019, California state attorney general Xavier Becerra announced the release of proposed implementing regulations concerning the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Interested stakeholders can submit written comments until December 6, 2019 at 5 PM (Pacific Time). In addition, four public hearings will be held on December 2nd (Sacramento), ...
October 10, 2019, Inside Privacy
A new ballot initiative would create the California Privacy Rights and Enforcement Act (“CPREA”) and would make several changes to the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”). CPREA makes the following changes and additions: California Privacy Protection Agency: This ballot initiative would establish the California Privacy Protection Agency (“CPPA”), which ...
Federal Trade Commission Hosts Workshop to Review the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule
October 10, 2019, Covington Alert
On Monday, the Federal Trade Commission held a workshop to examine whether to update the FTC’s rule adopted under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA Rule”). The Future of the COPPA Rule: An FTC Workshop featured a range of speakers and panelists, including representatives from industry, consumer groups, and academia.
September 27, 2019, Covington Alert
Real estate developer Alastair Mactaggart is making news with the announcement of another privacy ballot initiative, the California Privacy Rights and Enforcement Act (“CPREA”). He intends to include his new initiative on the November 2020 ballot.
August 22, 2019
WASHINGTON—Covington announced that the firm will be serving as part of an international team of lawyers representing media pioneer Maria Ressa, CEO, Cofounder and Executive Editor of Rappler, one of the leading online news platforms in the Philippines, as well as representing Rappler itself. Covington will be serving as U.S. counsel and will coordinate as ...
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.
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, Privacy Laws & Business International Report
January 22, 2019, Covington Alert
On January 21, 2019, the French Supervisory Authority for data protection (“CNIL”) issued a fine of €50 million against Google for violations of the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) (the decision was published in French here).
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.
November 12, 2018
WASHINGTON—Covington is advising private equity firm Veritas Capital on healthcare and other regulatory aspects of its recently announced deal to acquire athenahealth for approximately $5.7 billion. athenahealth is a leading provider of network-enabled services for hospital and ambulatory customers nationwide. Rujul Desai and Ian Brekke are leading the Covington ...
October 2018, Privacy Laws & Business International Report
July 30, 2018, Global Policy Watch
On July 27, 2018, the Government of India’s Committee of Experts released a draft Protection of Personal Data Bill. Together with an accompanying report, the draft bill moves India one step closer towards enacting a comprehensive data protection regime. Last year, the Supreme Court of India issued a landmark decision holding that privacy is a...… Continue Reading
July 30, 2018, Inside Privacy
On July 27, 2018, the Government of India’s Committee of Experts released a draft Protection of Personal Data Bill. Together with an accompanying report, the draft bill moves India one step closer towards enacting a comprehensive data protection regime. Last year, the Supreme Court of India issued a landmark decision holding that privacy is a...… Continue Reading
July 3, 2018, Covington Alert
On June 28, 2018, the Governor of California signed the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”). The new law is the most comprehensive data privacy statute in the United States and introduces significant privacy requirements for covered businesses. The CCPA takes effect on January 1, 2020, but based on comments from both the public-interest and business ...
June 1, 2018, SSRN
EU GDPR: Ripples Across the Atlantic?
April 11, 2018, American Bar Association, Section on Antitrust Law, Spring Meeting, Washington
Third Annual Detlev F. Vagts Roundtable on Transnational Law: Data Protection in a Global World
April 6, 2018, American Society of International Law Annual Meeting, Washington
Truth, Trust and the First Amendment in the Digital Age
April 6, 2018, The 2018 Missouri-Hurley and Price-Sloan Symposium, National Press Club, Washington
Balancing Privacy and Autonomy in the Digital Age: Extraterritorial Application of the GDPR
March 30, 2018, American University School of Law, Washington
March 27, 2018
BRUSSELS—Henriette Tielemans, co-chair of Covington’s global Data Privacy and Cybersecurity practice, has today received the IAPP Privacy Vanguard Award, the industry's top honor, for her lifelong services to the data privacy community. The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) is the world’s largest and most comprehensive global information ...
Extraterritorial Enforcement: Developing Norms for the Information Society
March 9, 2018, Information Society Project, Yale Law School, Connecticut
The Future of Global Privacy: Will the EU Lead the Way?
March 5, 2018, Columbia University School of Law, New York
Extraterritorial Effects of European and U.S. Privacy Law
February 27, 2018, International Privacy+Security Forum, George Washington University School of Law
January 24, 2018, Covington Alert
Digital advertising typically involves a vast network of publishers, advertisers and their agencies, advertising exchanges and networks, technology platforms, and measurement and data analytics providers. To help streamline the commercial dealings of all of these parties in this complex ecosystem, advertising industry self-regulatory groups have developed ...
January 22, 2018
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 ...
Cybersecurity & Privacy Cases To Watch In 2018
January 1, 2018, Law360
Kurt Wimmer is quoted in a Law360 article providing a roundup of cybersecurity and privacy cases to watch in 2018. Commenting on LabMD Inc. v. Federal Trade Commission, Wimmer says, "Both the courts and the FTC are grappling with the meaning of 'harm,' and I believe 2018 will be the year when these efforts will converge, with a more sophisticated understanding ...
Cybersecurity & Privacy Predictions For 2018
January 1, 2018, Law360
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 ...
December 27, 2017, Inside Privacy
As 2017 ends, all of us at InsidePrivacy are grateful for the attention and engagement of our readers. This has been an excellent year for our blog, and we’d like to share with you some information about InsidePrivacy and its readers. First, there are more of you than ever — in fact, an 11% year-over-year...… Continue Reading
December 26, 2017
SILICON VALLEY—The Financial Times has recognized Covington among the most innovative firms in 2017 in the category of "Enabling Business Growth," for advising "Tencent in its acquisition of a $8.6bn majority stake in Supercell, the Finnish gaming company, while maintaining Supercell’s creative culture and retaining its employees by introducing incentive ...
ESPN Ruling Further Narrows Video Privacy Law's Reach
December 4, 2017, Law360
Kurt Wimmer is quoted in a Law360 article regarding the Ninth Circuit’s ruling in a case involving the disclosure of user app data to a third-party. "The court recognized that the concept of being publicly identified has limits, despite technological evolution," says Wimmer. "By reducing ambiguity around what qualifies as PII, this decision permits content and ...
October 18, 2017, Covington Alert
The European Commission published its Report today on the first-annual review of the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield (the Report is accompanied with a Staff Working Document, Infographic, and Q&A).
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 ...
The EU Gets Serious About Cyber: The EU Cybersecurity Act and Other Elements of the "Cyber Package"
September 18, 2017, Covington Alert
Last week, in his annual State of the European Union Address, the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker called out cybersecurity as a key priority for the European Union in the year ahead. In terms of ranking those priorities, President Juncker placed tackling cyber threats just one place below the EU leading the fight against climate change, ...
China Seeks Comments on Updated Draft of Cross-Border Data Transfer Security Assessment Standard
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 25, 2017, Bloomberg BNA
Kurt Wimmer is quoted by Bloomberg BNA in an article regarding the FTC's weekly data security investigation blog. According to Wimmer, the FTC’s "Stick With Security” blog is “serving a highly useful role.” He adds that the initiative is “taking many of the key principles from the ‘Start with Security’ program and the FTC’s consent orders and rolling them out in ...
July 21, 2017, Law360
Kurt Wimmer is quoted in a Law360 article regarding the State of Washington's new law governing the collection and use of consumers’ biometric information. According to Wimmer, the law “is more sensible and targeted than some other biometric laws because it applies only to biometric identifiers stored in a database that matches those identifiers to specific ...
June 20, 2017, Law360
Kurt Wimmer is quoted in a Law360 article regarding LabMD Inc. v. FTC , where the FTC will attempt to justify its data security enforcement authority. “The LabMD argument will provide an important window into how the new FTC will deal with the all-important question of 'harm' in the context of data security enforcement actions,” says Wimmer. “The argument ...
June 19, 2017, Bloomberg BNA
Kurt Wimmer is quoted in a Bloomberg BNA article regarding LabMD Inc. v. FTC , where the FTC will attempt to justify its data security enforcement authority. According to Wimmer, "[o]ral argument “presents an opportunity for the FTC to explain its current view of ‘harm,’ and how it should be applied in the LabMD case."
May 26, 2017, Inside Privacy
The increasing connectivity of vehicles has raised questions about how to maintain the security of connected vehicles. In response, the Cloud Security Alliance released on May 25, 2017 a 35-page research and guidance report on Observations and Recommendations on Connected Vehicle Security. The Cloud Security Alliance is a not-for-profit organization dedicated ...
Artificial Intelligence
May 23, 2017, Cloud, Big Data and AI Conference, Seattle, Washington
European General Data Protection Regulation: What You Need to Know
May 23, 2017, Cloud, Big Data and AI Conference, Seattle, Washington
May 19, 2017, Covington Alert
On May 19, 2017, the Cyberspace Administration of China (“CAC”) invited international stakeholders to attend a seminar to discuss an updated version of the Measures on Security Assessment of Cross-border Data Transfer of Personal Information and Important Data (“the Measures”). Given that the Measures have an intended effective date of June 1, 2017, it is likely ...
May 1, 2017, Covington Alert
In a widely anticipated step, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has released the text of a draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) proposing to change the legal framework that governs broadband providers, eliminate the “Internet conduct standard” for evaluating broadband provider practices on a case-by-case basis, and seek comment on whether to keep, modify, or ...
CNN Video Data Win Leaves Spokeo Door Open For App Users
April 27, 2017, Law360
Kurt Wimmer is quoted in a Law360 article regarding the Eleventh Circuit's decision to reject a proposed class action brought by a CNN app user claiming that CNN violated the Video Privacy Protection Act. According to Wimmer, "Unlike the Yershov court, the CNN panel seems to understand how apps actually work, which will be helpful going forward."
Data Privacy and National Security
April 21, 2017, Luxembourg Forum (Triannual Meeting Between the United States Supreme Court and the European Court of Justice), Washington, DC
April 12, 2017, Covington Alert
On April 11, 2017, the Cyberspace Administration of China (“CAC”) released a draft of the Measures on Security Assessment of Cross-border Data Transfer of Personal Information and Important Data (“the Draft Measures”) for public comment (official Chinese version available here; Covington’s translation of the Draft Measures is appended at the end of this alert).
Spring 2017, Communications Lawyer (American Bar Association)
The Long Arm of the European Privacy Regulator: Does the New EU GDPR Reach U.S. Media Companies?
Spring 2017, Communications Lawyer (American Bar Association)
February 7, 2017, Covington Alert
On February 4, 2017, the Cyberspace Administration of China (“CAC”) released the draft Measures on the Security Review of Network Products and Services (“the draft Measures”) for public comment (official Chinese version available here; Covington’s translation of the draft Measures is here). The comment period ends on March 4, 2017.
International Association of Privacy Professionals, Practical Privacy Series 2016
December 8, 2016, General Data Protection Regulation: Who is the Data Protection Officer, and How Can We Clone Them, Washington, DC
Regulating the Internet of Things and Big Data: The Role of the FTC
October 26, 2016, Privacy+Security Forum, Washington, DC
July 14, 2016, Covington Alert
At a joint press conference on July 12, 2016 in Brussels, EU Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Věra Jourová and the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Penny Pritzker, presented the Privacy Shield (see Press Release here, Adequacy Decision text here, Annexes here, Communication here, and Q&A factsheet here). The press conference followed the ...
Covington Represents Tencent in $8.6 Billion Acquisition
June 21, 2016
SILICON VALLEY—Covington advised Tencent Holdings Limited, a leading provider of internet service in China, in connection with its acquisition of a majority stake in Supercell from SoftBank. A consortium established by Tencent will acquire up to 84% of Supercell for $8.6 billion in a transaction valuing Supercell at approximately $10.2 billion. Supercell is a ...
May 3, 2016, Inside Privacy
As readers of this blog know, China has been increasingly active in proposing new cybersecurity and privacy regulations. In late 2015, China enacted a new counter-terrorism law. In August 2015, it issued a draft network security law. Also last summer, China issued new draft regulations on Internet advertising and clarified requirements for text marketing. ...
April 8, 2016, Covington Alert
On April 6, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, issued a Request for Comment (RFC) seeking public feedback on the benefits, challenges, and potential roles for the government in fostering the advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT). NTIA issued the RFC as part of the Commerce ...
Window on Washington: The EU-U.S. Privacy Shield
February 10, 2016, Council on Foreign Relations
January 21, 2016, MarketWatch
Kurt Wimmer is quoted in this MarketWatch article regarding the FAA’s decision to allow Cape Productions, a drone video startup, to fly drones hundreds of feet closer to people than previously permitted. According to Wimmer, the FAA’s approval for Cape Productions sets a “much more realistic precedent” for future commercial drone usage.
December 2015, Privacy & Data Protection
Improving the Legal Protection of Mobile Sensor-Generated Health Data at Work
October 26, 2015, Privacy Law Scholars Conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Privacy, Security, and Fairness by Design: What the FTC Does (and Doesn’t Do)
October 23, 2015, Privacy+Security Forum, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
October 21, 2015, Law360
Kurt Wimmer was quoted in this article.
Mitigating Privacy Risk Starts at the Top
October 15, 2015, International Association of Privacy Professionals
Covington Tackles Vendor Cybersecurity Risks in New Book for Corporate Directors and Officers
October 13, 2015
WASHINGTON, DC, October 13, 2015 - Covington addresses the critical issue of how to manage risks associated with third-party outsourcing in Navigating the Digital Age: The Definitive Cybersecurity Guide for Directors and Officers. Published in collaboration with Palo Alto Networks and the New York Stock Exchange, the book provides boards, executives and ...
October 2015, Navigating the Digital Age: The Definitive Cybersecurity Guide for Directors and Officers
September 2015, Cyber Security Law & Practice
Kurt Wimmer is quoted in this article.
May 12, 2015, Inside Counsel
Data Security: Are There (Legal) Solutions?
March 13, 2015, Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, Fourth Annual Privacy Law Forum: Silicon Valley
February 19, 2015, Inside Counsel
5 cybersecurity questions in-house counsel should consider in light of the Sony breach
February 19, 2015, Inside Counsel
Covington's David Fagan, James Garland and Kurt Wimmer have authored this article on questions that in-house counsel should be able to answer about his or her organization’s legal and business cybersecurity risk profile: "In the wake of the much publicized North Korean cyber-attacks against Sony — as well as recent favorable rulings for the plaintiffs in class ...
February 17, 2015, Bloomberg BNA Social Media Law & Policy Report, Vol. 4, No. 7
Key Drone Restrictions In FAA And White House Proposals
February 17, 2015, Law360
Covington's Kurt Wimmer and Jack Schenendorf have authored this article on drone restrictions announced in FAA and White House proposals: "On Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration and White House addressed the growing use of unmanned aircraft systems by the private sector and government." "The White House released a memorandum that imposes privacy ...
An Interview with FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez
February 12, 2015, ABA Section on Antitrust Law Consumer Protection Conference, George Washington University, Washington, DC
November/December 2014, E-Commerce Law Reports
October 6, 2014, The American Lawyer
Covington is featured in this article regarding the firm advising the National Basketball Association on a media rights deals with Walt Disney Co. and Time Warner Inc.’s Turner Broadcasting System. "The agreement comes on the heels of the NFL's renewal of its Sunday Ticket game package with DirecTV last week. Covington counseled its longtime client the NFL on ...
Cybersecurity and Government Contractors
September 29, 2014, George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute, Washington, DC
Covington Advises NFL on DirecTV Deal
10/03/2014
WASHINGTON, DC, October 3, 2014 — Covington & Burling represented the National Football League in connection with its recently announced deal to extend DirecTV's exclusive rights to carry NFL Sunday Ticket in a multi-year agreement. The agreement also extends DirecTV’s rights to stream NFL Sunday Ticket, a package that enables subscribers to view out-of-market ...
Ensuring Privacy and Data Security: The US Versus the EU System
September 24, 2014, Columbia University Law School, European Studies Center
Defining privacy in the age of wearable cameras
September 14, 2014, The Kernel
Covington partner Kurt Wimmer is quoted in this article regarding the legal implications of wearable cameras: "The current laws on privacy take hidden cameras and other Glass-type devices into account,” says Wimmer, whose clients include Facebook, Microsoft, Samsung, CBS, Viacom, and the National Football League. “There have been tiny cameras for a long time, ...
August 18, 2014
WASHINGTON, DC, August 18, 2014 — Best Lawyers named Covington & Burling’s Stuart Eizenstat and Gregg Levy each a 2015 “Lawyer of the Year” in international trade and sports law, respectively, citing their “abilities, professionalism and integrity.” Overall, Covington lawyers received 217 individual mentions in 58 areas of law in the newly released annual survey ...
July 25, 2014, Global Policy Watch
As reported in the press, President Obama plans to issue an Executive Order authorizing the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (“NTIA”) to coordinate the development of privacy guidelines for commercial drone operations. More specifically, we understand that NTIA would coordinate a “multi-stakeholder process” — a ...
July 24, 2014, Law360
Covington partner Kurt Wimmer is quoted in this article regarding the Federal Trade Commission pursuing companies such as Snapchat Inc. and Fandango LLC over allegedly misleading privacy promises and lax data security. "To me, the FTC's work in the first half of 2014 has been more about security than privacy — both in advocating for its ability under Section 5 ...
Net Neutrality, the Internet, Public Policy and the Public Interest
July 1, 2014, Variety/IESE Conference on the State and Future of the Media and Entertainment Industry
Privacy Roundtable: A Discussion with the Chief Privacy Officer of the National Security Agency
June 30, 2014, American Bar Association
April 11, 2014, Covington E-Alert
Reclaim Your Name: Privacy in an Era of Big Data
March 27, 2014, ABA Antitrust Section Spring Meeting, Washington, DC
Sources and Secrets: The Press, Government and National Security
March 21, 2014, New York Times/City University of New York, New York, NY
US and EU Privacy Update
March 20, 2014, Japan Commerce Association, Washington, DC
Harmonizing Privacy and Innovation: US and EU Tensions and Possibilities
March 14, 2014, Berkeley Center for Law and Technology Privacy Law Forum, Palo Alto, CA
Transparency Around Do Not Track: Best Practices Around California’s Privacy Amendments
January 29, 2014, Bloomberg (national webinar)
The Scope of Fair Use
January 28, 2014, U.S. House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet of the Judiciary Committee
December 23, 2013
WASHINGTON, DC, December 23, 2013 — Covington & Burling represented Gannett Co., Inc. in obtaining Federal Communications Commission approval of its acquisition of Belo Corp. Completed today, the $2.2 billion transaction nearly doubles the broadcast television portfolio of Gannett. The Covington team was led by Jennifer Johnson with assistance from Kurt ...
November 27, 2013, Covington E-Alert
Covington Advises Gannett in $2.2 Billion Deal with Belo
7/3/2013
WASHINGTON, DC, July 2, 2013 — Gannett Co., Inc. and Belo Corp. announced on June 13 that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement in which Gannett will acquire all outstanding shares of Belo for $13.75 per share in cash, or approximately $1.5 billion, and assume $715 million of Belo’s existing debt. Covington & Burling advised Gannett, the ...
California Privacy Law Developments: What Practitioners Need to Know Today
May 31, 2013, American Bar Association
Sixth Annual Berkeley Center for Law and Technology Privacy Lecture
February 28, 2013, Data Access and Retention in the EU and US
New EU Data Protection Regulations: Strict Requirements Proposed
January 31, 2013, International Association of Privacy Professionals
The International Privacy Rights of the Child
January 28, 2013, Computers, Freedom & Privacy Mini-Conference, Founder, Chair and Moderator, Washington, D.C.
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, ...
Data Protection: Trans-Atlantic Development
December 7, 2012, @Microsoft Privacy Series, Washington, D.C.
Privacy: The Case For and Against Compromising in the Cloud
October 11, 2012, Australian Internet Governance Forum, Canberra, Australia
Legal Frontiers in Digital Media
May 21, 2012, Stanford University/Media Law Resource Center, Palo Alto, California
Covington Lawyers Recognized by D.C. Super Lawyers
May 2, 2012
WASHINGTON, DC, May 2, 2012 — D.C. Super Lawyers selected 64 Covington & Burling lawyers for its 2012 list of top legal talent. Super Lawyers selects no more than five percent of the total lawyers who practice in Washington based on peer review and the publication’s independent research. Deborah Garza and Robert Long have been named among the “Top 100” for ...
Business Model Innovation in Three Critical Industries
March 19, 2012, New York State Technology & Law Center at Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
February 27, 2012, Covington E-Alert
January 9, 2012
WASHINGTON, DC, January 9, 2012 — Law360 named Covington & Burling’s global privacy & data security practice as one of the top five “Privacy & Consumer Protection Practice Groups of the Year.” In a profile about the firm published on Jan. 5th, Law360 pointed to Covington’s broad practice in assisting clients in transactions, on advisory matters, in social ...
Technology and New Media Law: Privacy Legislation
December 8, 2011, Law Seminars International, Seattle, Washington
Wireless Broadband Developments Seminar: Legal, Business, and Regulatory Issues in the Wireless Ecosystem
November 14, 2011, Law Seminars International, Seattle, Washington
Privacy, Defamation and Related Claims
November 10, 2011, Practicing Law Institute Annual Conference on Communications Law in the Digital Age, New York, New York
The Future of the First Amendment in Digital and Social Media
October 4, 2011, Motion Picture Association of America/Media Institute, Washington, DC
Digital Intellectual Property and Challenges to Media
October 3, 2011, Annual Mervis Lecture on Intellectual Property, William & Mary School of Law, Williamsburg, Virginia
Digital Media Law 2.0
May 2, 2011, UNESCO World Press Freedom Day, Newseum, Washington, D.C.
Monetizing the News: The Role of IP in Assuring the Future of Media and Democracy
April 8, 2011, ABA Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference, Arlington, Virginia
February 2011, BNA's Internet Law Resource Center and Internet Law & Regulation
What Boards and General Counsel Need to Know About Privacy
January 20, 2011, Directors’ Roundtable, Washington, D.C.
Viacom v. YouTube and the Future of Media
November 17, 2010, The Media Institute Communications Forum, Washington, DC
Communications Law in the Digital Age
November 11, 2010, Practicing Law Institute, New York, New York
Privacy vs. the First Amendment: Tension in a Digital Age
November 4, 2010, Republican Attorney Generals Association National Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana
June 8, 2010, Policy Views, The Media Institute
Testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee
February 23, 2010, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Full Committee Hearing
Understanding Your Electronic Footprint: Identification Management in New Media
February 20, 2010, Syracuse University Communications Law & Policy Society Annual Symposium
Monetizing Digital Content
December 9, 2009, Bain & Co./Committee of Concerned Journalists, Harvard Club, New York
Washingtonian Names 25 Covington Attorneys ‘Top Lawyers’
11/23/2009
WASHINGTON, DC, November 23, 2009 — Twenty-five Covington & Burling LLP attorneys are recognized as “Top Lawyers” in the December issue of Washingtonian magazine. The list, compiled by the magazine’s editorial staff, identifies leading lawyers in the Washington area. Of the “Top Lawyers,” Washingtonian identified 30 as “stars of the bar.” Among them is Michael ...
Legal Frontiers in Digital Media: User Conduct and User Safety
May 14-15, 2009, Stanford University Center for Internet and Society, Palo Alto, California
The 2008 YouTube Election: The Role and Influence of 21st Century Media
March 13, 2008, Catholic University of America Institute for Communications Law Studies, Washington, DC
Digital Media and Emerging Legal Challenges
September 25, 2007, Federal Communications Bar Association/Northern Virginia Technology Council, McLean, Virginia
September 2007, Media Law (International Bar Association)
New Media Channels and Privacy Implications
March 9, 2007, IAPP Privacy Summit 2007, International Association of Privacy Professionals, Washington, DC
2006, Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 603:202
2006, International Libel and Privacy Handbook: A Global Reference for Journalists, Publishers, Wemaster and Lawyers (C.J. Glasser, ed., Bloomberg Press)
Testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
February 26, 2004, U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Full Committee Hearing
Fall 2003, ABA Communications Lawyer
August 2003, MediaLawLetter (Media Law Resource Center)
April 2003, ILR Special Report (Internet Law & Regulation, Pike & Fischer, Inc.,)
2003, Who Rules the Net?: Internet Governance and Jurisdiction (Cato Institute)
2002, E-Copyright Law Handbook (Aspen Law & Business Publishers, Inc.,)
July 2001, LibelLetter (Libel Defense Resource Center)
Spring 2000, ABA Communications Lawyer
June 1999, Technology Litigation & Insurance
December 1997, Euromoney Magazine, www.lawmoney.com
July 28, 1997, Legal Times
- Legal 500 US, First Tier
- Chambers USA, Leader Designation
- Chambers Global, Data Protection
- Best Lawyers in America, Four Areas
- Washington DC Super Lawyers, Information Technology
- Washingtonian, Best Lawyers
- Who's Who Legal

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California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
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