Covington is pleased to announce that it has revised and updated its comprehensive 50-state survey of pay-to-play laws for 2026.

Companies doing business with the federal government or state and local governments and companies operating in regulated industries are subject to a dizzying array of “pay-to-play” rules. These rules effectively…

Continue Reading Covington Announces Pay-to-Play Survey (2026 Edition)

With the midterm elections rapidly approaching, Democratic lawmakers in both the House and Senate have begun to return to an increasingly familiar tactic of the minority: firing off a flurry of document preservation letters that are a harbinger for the subpoenas to come.  These early letters signal that key Democrats…

Continue Reading The Paper Trail Starts Now: Minority Document Preservation Letters and Preparing for Oversight to Come

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. This week, the firm released the latest edition of the primer, featuring new analysis of recent Department of Justice…

Continue Reading Covington Releases Updated Version of “FARA:  A Guide for the Perplexed”

Earlier this month, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced the Litigation Funding Transparency Act of 2026, which would impose significant new disclosure obligations on third‑party litigation funding in major federal civil actions. The bill applies to class actions, multidistrict litigation, and large coordinated federal proceedings involving one hundred or more cases.

Continue Reading Senator Grassley Introduces Legislation Requiring Disclosure of Foreign Third‑Party Litigation Funding

Congressional investigations are now a common reality across corporate America, and companies large and small are therefore more focused than ever on the potential effects of congressional inquiries into business activities, goals, and strategies. In this new reality, the most sophisticated companies, private equity firms, and other corporate players are…

Continue Reading A Potentially Overlooked Risk Area: Incorporating Congressional Investigations into Transactional Due Diligence

Almost every election cycle, some outcomes come down to a small handful of votes. With months of long days, late nights, and lost weekends and millions of dollars in donor investments on the line, campaigns, ballot measure committees, and their donors need certainty that every vote is fairly counted. Combining…

Continue Reading Election Recounts and Disputes

If the upcoming midterm elections result in a Democratic majority in the House next year, companies, organizations, and individuals can expect a new wave of congressional investigations, hearings, and oversight, with a familiar focus on the Trump administration and an emphasis on a variety of private sector targets. The Democratic…

Continue Reading Democratic Investigations Agenda is Coming Into Focus

More than one billion dollars were spent in 2024 elections supporting or opposing state and local ballot measures. With high-profile and contentious issues expected to be on the ballot, such as congressional redistricting, AI regulation, minimum wage increases, and more, that number promises to be even larger in 2026. As…

Continue Reading Covington’s Guide to Ballot Measures

Shortly before adjourning for 2025, the Senate passed two bills to broaden disclosure and registration requirements related to the regulation of foreign agents under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”) and the Lobbying Disclosure Act (“LDA”): the Disclosing Foreign Influence in Lobbying Act (S. 856 / H.R. 1883)…

Continue Reading Senate Advances Bills To Broaden Foreign Agent Disclosures in Lobbying Reports

Among a wave of noteworthy results in this fall’s off-year elections, Zohran Mamdani’s selection as the next Mayor of New York City was perhaps the most closely watched and widely discussed. Though much of that commentary has focused on the new Mayor himself, the New York City Council appears poised…

Continue Reading New York City Council Poised to Reinvigorate Investigative Authorities and Issue Subpoenas to the Private Sector