On five consecutive Wednesdays beginning on September 2nd, the ABA will hold its 5th Annual IoT Institute, together with a session called Data, Data Everywhere, and Not a Chance to Think, addressing the intersection of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Covington was scheduled to host the IoT Institute in our Washington, D.C., offices in April 2020, but the pandemic disrupted those plans. Adapting to the times, the IoT Institute will be a virtual event this year, and Covington lawyers will speak over the course of the conference on a broad range of topics important to companies developing, deploying and using IoT products and services. Our lawyers will bring their perspectives from both private practice and government service, and include:

  • Former Attorney General to the United States and Covington Partner Eric Holder, who will participate in a fireside chat with Jim Dempsey, Executive Director of the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, on The Race Is On: Getting Ahead of Disinformation, Disruption, and Other Digital Threats to Elections (September 30).
  • Michael Chertoff, Senior Of Counsel to Covington, and former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Micaela McMurrough, Co-Chair of our Internet of Things Initiative and a former Military Intelligence Officer for the U.S. Army, who will engage in a fireside chat on IoT and National Security Issues (September 9).
  • Matthew DelNero, Co-Chair of our Communications & Media Industry Group, and former Chief of the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau, who will provide a briefing on Decoding 5G (September 2).
  • Sarah Wilson, Chair of our Product Safety Practice Group, and a former Judge of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, who will provide a briefing on IoT Product Safety and Liability Risk Management – Strategies for Connected and Autonomous Products (September 2).
  • Suzanne Bell, Co-Chair of our Technology and IP Transactions Practice Group, who will share her views on IoT and Contracting (September 16).
  • During the AI and Robotics Institute held on Wednesdays in October immediately following these programs, our colleague John Buchanan, who will share his insights on Insuring Robots and AI Systems based on decades of experience representing insurance policyholders regarding major cyber breaches and novel technology risks (October 14).

Covington’s IoT Initiative has enjoyed contributing to the ABA’s IoT projects over the past few years. Our lawyers authored two chapters in the recent book The Internet of Things: Legal Issues, Policy, & Practical Strategies, where we covered IoT insurance issues and U.S. regulation of IoT products and services across federal agencies, and our colleague Michael Chertoff prepared the forward to that book. We look forward to sharing our experiences and perspectives at the virtual conferences this year.

Click here for more information about the ABA IoT National Institute conference or for registration details.

To see more about our global, cross-disciplinary IoT team and to explore our content, we invite you to visit our Internet of Things resource page and Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Toolkit.

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Photo of Jennifer Johnson Jennifer Johnson

Jennifer Johnson is a partner specializing in communications, media and technology matters who serves as Co-Chair of Covington’s Technology Industry Group and its global and multi-disciplinary Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) Groups. She represents and advises technology companies, content distributors…

Jennifer Johnson is a partner specializing in communications, media and technology matters who serves as Co-Chair of Covington’s Technology Industry Group and its global and multi-disciplinary Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) Groups. She represents and advises technology companies, content distributors, television companies, trade associations, and other entities on a wide range of media and technology matters. Jennifer has almost three decades of experience advising clients in the communications, media and technology sectors, and has held leadership roles in these practices for almost twenty years. On technology issues, she collaborates with Covington’s global, multi-disciplinary team to assist companies navigating the complex statutory and regulatory constructs surrounding this evolving area, including product counseling and technology transactions related to connected and autonomous vehicles, internet connected devices, artificial intelligence, smart ecosystems, and other IoT products and services. Jennifer serves on the Board of Editors of The Journal of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence & Law.

Jennifer assists clients in developing and pursuing strategic business and policy objectives before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Congress and through transactions and other business arrangements. She regularly advises clients on FCC regulatory matters and advocates frequently before the FCC. Jennifer has extensive experience negotiating content acquisition and distribution agreements for media and technology companies, including program distribution agreements, network affiliation and other program rights agreements, and agreements providing for the aggregation and distribution of content on over-the-top app-based platforms. She also assists investment clients in structuring, evaluating, and pursuing potential investments in media and technology companies.