On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Carpenter v. U. S., a case that involved the collection of 127 days of Petitioner Thomas Carpenter’s cell site location information as part of an investigation into several armed robberies. We attended the argument to gain any insights into how the Supreme Court may resolve
November 2017
Key Conclusions – Cartels: Lessons from Recent Investigations, Brussels Advanced Competition Law Conference
By Johan Ysewyn & Kevin Coates
On 22 November, Johan Ysewyn and Maria Jaspers (DG COMP) presented the highlights of recent EU cartel enforcement in their annual dual-presentation at the Advanced EU Competition Law Conference in Brussels. They covered their traditional three pillars of enforcement, policy and court review.…
Covington’s Net Neutrality and Zero-Rating Webinar
By Kevin Coates
On 20 November, Covington hosted its webinar looking at developments in Net Neutrality and Zero-rating from both a US and a European perspective. Our presenters included ex-FCC Bureau Chief, Partner Matt DelNero from our DC office, and ex-DG Competition Head of Unit, Partner Kevin Coates and Senior Associate Siobhan Kahmann from our Brussels office. The…
House Tax Bill Opens Door to Expanded Political Activity By Charities
UPDATE: The provision in the House bill, discussed below, was not included in the final Conference Agreement that became law.
There is one very important political law provision to watch as the tax bill moves to a final vote in the Senate, and potentially a conference committee reconciles the House and Senate versions. This amendment will…
Key Information Security Pointers from the FTC’s Stick with Security Guidance
Earlier this year, the FTC’s staff released a series of blog posts entitled Stick with Security that updated and expanded upon the prior Start with Security best-practices guide for information security practices. The Stick with Security series draws from FTC complaints, consent orders, closed investigations, and input from companies around the country to provide deeper…
Covington’s Net Neutrality and Zero-Rating Webinar
On 20 November, Covington hosted its webinar looking at developments in Net Neutrality and Zero-rating from both a US and a European perspective. Our presenters included ex-FCC Bureau Chief, Partner Matt DelNero from our DC office, and ex-DG Competition Head of Unit, Partner Kevin Coates and Senior Associate Siobhan Kahmann from our Brussels office. The…
FCC Poised to Release Draft Order on Net Neutrality Overhaul
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced today that at its December 14 open meeting, the FCC will vote on an overhaul of the net neutrality framework adopted by the prior Administration in 2015. The full text of the draft order will be released tomorrow, but Chairman Pai has made certain key details known today. The order…
Senate Tax Reform Legislative Text Clarifies Some Provisions
Earlier today, the Senate Finance Committee released legislative text of its version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Up until now, only “conceptual language” had been available. The text clarifies some of the provisions that we have previously discussed in our posts about the Senate bill (see earlier discussion here) and includes new…
DoD Class Deviations Allow for Greater Contracting Flexibility in Times of Crisis
The Department of Defense (“DoD”) has issued two Class Deviations that provide defense agencies with greater flexibility when procuring in times of crisis. These Class Deviations allow for the use of simplified acquisition procedures and excuse certain procurement obligations when DoD is responding to a cyber-attack or providing relief in support of domestic or international…
Government Contracts 101 Reminder: Certified Claims Must Include a “Signature”
Earlier this Fall, the Armed Service Board of Contract Appeals dismissed an appeal for lack of jurisdiction because the certified claim lacked a proper signature. Appeal of NileCo General Contracting LLC, ASBCA No. 60912 (Sept. 22, 2017). This simple oversight proved decisive. Although this case does not chart a new course in Contract Disputes…