In 2018, Covington published the original version of its widely read primer on the Foreign Agents Registration Act, “FARA: A Guide for the Perplexed.” We have updated this primer periodically. Today, the firm released the latest edition of the primer, featuring new analysis of recent Department of Justice guidance regarding the scope of agency
January 2023
Building a sustainability strategy – what companies can (not) do from a competition law perspective
Sustainability governs all policies and sectors of social and economic life. The goal of sustainable development is to meet the needs of today’s generations without compromising the self-sufficiency of future generations. Companies are called upon to innovate as economic conditions indicate a change in the direction of sustainability. Sustainability considerations and green developments have increasingly…
UK Employment: Top Five Hot Topics in 2023
2023 will likely see employment lawyers and HR professionals (in the UK and further afield) grappling with a number of key employment-related legal and policy developments. In this alert we highlight some of the most important ones.
When the UK left the European Union on 31 December 2020, a “snapshot”…
The EU Stance on Dark Patterns
On December 9, 2022, the European Commissioner for Justice and Consumer Protection, Didier Reynders, announced that the European Commission will focus its next 2023 mandate on regulating dark patterns, alongside transparency in the online advertising market and cookie fatigue. As part of this mandate, the EU’s Consumer Protection Cooperation (“CPC”) Network, conducted a sweep…
Building a sustainability strategy – what companies can (not) do from a competition law perspective
Sustainability governs all policies and sectors of social and economic life. The goal of sustainable development is to meet the needs of today’s generations without compromising the self-sufficiency of future generations. Companies are called upon to innovate as economic conditions indicate a change in the direction of sustainability. Sustainability considerations and green developments have increasingly…
EDPB Releases Outcome of its Investigation into the Use of Cloud-Based Services by the Public Sector
On January 18, 2023, the European Data Protection Board (“EDPB”) published a report on the outcome of its investigation into the use of cloud-based services by the public sector.
The EDPB prepared the report as part of its first coordinated enforcement action under the Coordinated Enforcement Framework (“Framework”), a key part of the EDPB’s…
UK PMCPA Publishes First Ever Guidance to Pharmaceutical Companies about Social Media

On 26 January 2023, the UK’s Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (“PMCPA”) published its “Social Media Guidance 2023” (the “Guidance”).
The Guidance is the first of its kind in the UK and is long-awaited.
The PMCPA is the self-regulatory body that administers and enforces the ABPI Code (the voluntary advertising code that…
Class Action Suit Brought Under CIPA Section 637.7 for Alleged Location-Based Tracking of Vehicles Is Dismissed
A U.S. District Court Judge in California dismissed a putative class action asserting claims under section 637.7 of the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA) in a case that could have useful implications for automotive and other device manufacturers whose products have the ability to track location. Plaintiff claimed that a third-party company, Otonomo Inc.,…
Colombia in 2023: A Crucial Year for Petro’s Reform Agenda

Executive Summary
In this alert, we look at Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s first months in office and the outlook for his reform agenda in 2023. We discuss the implications for U.S.-Colombia relations and for doing business in the country.
- Petro’s election has led to a reconfiguration of power structures in Colombia and a change in
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EDPB Publishes Report of Cookie Banners Taskforce
On January 18, 2023, the European Data Protection Board (“EDPB”) published a report setting out the common positions of the EDPB and EEA member state supervisory authorities (“SAs”) with respect to interpreting the EU rules applying to cookies. SAs will take these common positions into account when handling cookie complaints.
The report was drafted by…