May 13, 2020
Gibson Dunn’s lawyers regularly counsel clients on issues raised by the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are working with many of our clients on their response to COVID-19. The following is a round-up of today’s client alerts on this topic prepared by the Gibson Dunn team. Our lawyers are available to assist with any questions you may have regarding developments related to the outbreak. As always, for additional information, please feel free to contact the Gibson Dunn lawyer with whom you usually work, or any member of the firm’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response Team.
GLOBAL OVERVIEW
In a speech on May 12, 2020, Steven Peikin, Co-Director of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement, provided insights on the Division’s enforcement priorities in light of the pandemic, as well as how the Division is managing the investigative process under remote work conditions. The remarks provide helpful guidance on how companies and financial institutions can mitigate risk of investigative scrutiny for financial shocks resulting from the pandemic.
In response to the pandemic, the Enforcement Division has formed a Coronavirus Steering Committee, comprised of leadership from the Home and Regional Offices, the specialized units and the Office of Market Intelligence, to identify areas of potential misconduct and coordinate the Division’s response to COVID-19 related issues. The following areas of regulatory focus provide a helpful roadmap for companies and financial institutions, and reinforce the guidance we provided in our prior alert, to reduce the risk of drawing scrutiny.
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This Alert reports on the steady pace of patent litigation and patent review filings during the COVID-19 pandemic, and notes that some aspects of ongoing patent litigation are also proceeding as usual. The Alert also discusses intellectual property litigation involving a hand sanitizer manufacturer, and provides brief updates on the Open COVID Pledge, and on manufacturer 3M’s efforts to combat price gouging of personal protective equipment (“PPE”) (earlier developments reported here and here).
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This weekly bulletin provides a summary and compendium of English law legal developments during the current COVID-19 pandemic in the following key areas: Competition and Consumers; Corporate Governance (including accounts, disclosure and reporting obligations); Cybersecurity and Data Protection; Disputes; Employment; Energy; Finance; Financial Services Regulatory; Force Majeure; Government Support Schemes; Insolvency; International Trade Agreements (private and public); Lockdown and Public Law issues; M&A and Private Equity; Real Estate; and UK Tax.
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