Covington & Burling LLP

The Trump Administration’s implementation of significant and widespread tariffs – and the potential for additional and farther-reaching tariffs – represents more than just a trade challenge. This blog highlights four key questions for assessing and mitigating commercial dispute risks: https://okt.to/WmsRav

Congratulations to Paul Bryant for being named to the National Black Lawyers Top 40 under 40. Paul regularly represents public and private companies, as well as private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies on a broad range of corporate transactional and advisory matters, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate formations, capital markets transactions, corporate governance and other commercial and strategic matters. Paul’s recent pro bono work includes representing United States military veterans secure benefits and discharge upgrades, as well as small businesses and non-profit organizations in connection with corporate and tax matters: https://okt.to/GTEVa4

The Belgian High Court (Hof van Cassatie) has upheld the decision of the Market Court in a case that pitched the GDPR right to file a complaint against the general legal principle in Belgian law that prohibits the abuse of law. Kristof Van Quathem discusses the case and its implications: https://okt.to/14lm9a

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation advanced two nominations key to the Trump Administration’s technology policy: Mark Meador as a Commissioner for the Federal Trade Commission, and Michael Kratsios as Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In this blog, we summarize their nomination hearings in front of the Committee: https://okt.to/75mSBv

The Cyberspace Administration of China has released the final Measures for Labeling Artificial Intelligence-Generated Content and the mandatory national standard GB 45438-2025 Cybersecurity Technology – Labeling Method for Content Generated by Artificial Intelligence, which will take effect on September 1, 2025. Yan Luo and Xuezi Dan provide an overview: https://okt.to/2Cs8A6

A recent order in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California could be persuasive in challenges of other Age-Appropriate Design Code state laws. Natalie Maas and Bryan A. Ramirez explain: https://okt.to/x4p3WA

The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee has held a hearing entitled “Ending the Scourge: The Need for the STOP CSAM Act.” First introduced in 2023, the Strengthening Transparency and Obligations to Protect Children Suffering from Abuse and Mistreatment Act did not receive a vote on the Senate floor last Congress, despite being unanimously advanced by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Nicholas Xenakis and Diana Lee explain: https://okt.to/qNmJ0p

Now that the first risk assessment obligations under the UK Online Safety Act have come into force, join Madelaine Harrington and Shóna O. to discuss how the OSA’s obligations and Ofcom’s codes and guidance hang together, Ofcom’s expectations and the outlook on enforcement. This webinar will be of interest to social media services; photo- and video-sharing services; instant messaging services; and gaming services. Find out more and register: https://okt.to/BIzAph

Providers who operate under the UK’s Office of Communications’ regulatory regimes should understand three key points: responding to requests for information, disclosing confidential information, and cooperating with other regulators. Jane Pinho provides actionable takeaways in this video. Watch more here: https://okt.to/HBSvzx

In this Law360 UK Practice Leader Insights column, Sonia Campbell, head of Covington's U.K. insurance recovery practice, discusses the challenges of working during the COVID-19 pandemic, why cyber underwriting risk will be critical for sector reform, and how junior lawyers need to be resilient and tenacious: https://okt.to/hSQLsJ