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Foreign Agents Registration Act: Regulatory Update, Enforcement, Proposed Rulemaking, New Administration Priorities

A live 90-minute CLE video webinar with interactive Q&A

This program is included with the Strafford CLE Pass. Click for more information.
This program is included with the Strafford All-Access Pass. Click for more information.

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

1:00pm-2:30pm EDT, 10:00am-11:30am PDT

Early Registration Discount Deadline, Friday, April 18, 2025

or call 1-800-926-7926
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This CLE webinar will examine the current Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) landscape, including possible changes under the new administration. After an initial overview of key provisions and compliance considerations under FARA, the expert panel will explore notable recent enforcement actions as well as the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) proposed rulemaking and new guidance to assess what to expect in 2025 and beyond under FARA. The panel will also offer best practices for mitigating risk of enforcement action.

Description

The past year has seen no slowdown in DOJ's focus on the robust administration and enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) which requires that anyone acting as an "agent of a foreign principal," as defined by the statute, register with DOJ unless an exemption applies.

On Jan. 2, 2025, DOJ published its highly anticipated proposed changes to FARA's implementing regulations, including significant changes to the registration exemptions under FARA. Shortly thereafter, Attorney General Bondi published guidance related to criminal enforcement priorities under FARA.

Moreover, recent enforcement activity and increased congressional attention on foreign influence in certain sectors, such as on college campuses and within U.S. trade associations, reinforce the importance of understanding the FARA legal triggers and having a robust compliance program in place.

Listen as our expert panel provides a FARA update on these and other key developments. The panel will examine lessons learned from notable 2024 enforcement actions and what we may expect under the new administration. The panel will also offer best practices for FARA compliance.

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Outline

  1. Introduction to FARA
    1. Background
    2. FARA triggers
    3. Exemptions
    4. FARA registration requirements
  2. Recent developments in civil and criminal enforcement
    1. Wynn and retroactive registrations
    2. DOJ letters of inquiry
    3. Increased scrutiny of LDA registrations
    4. Sun, Menendez, and other notable enforcement actions
  3. State legislative initiatives
  4. Congressional efforts
    1. Inquiries
    2. Legislative proposals
  5. What’s next?
    1. Proposed DOJ rulemaking
    2. AG Bondi memo on enforcement priorities
  6. Practitioner takeaways

Benefits

The panel will review these and other important considerations:

  • What are key FARA regulatory changes recommended by DOJ in its recently published proposed rule? How may AG Bondi's memo impact FARA compliance measures?
  • What lessons may be learned by counsel from key 2024 FARA enforcement actions?
  • What effect may the new administration have on FARA enforcement?

Faculty

Capeloto, Tessa
Tessa Capeloto
Partner
Wiley Rein

Ms. Capeloto represents clients in a variety of international trade matters, including antidumping and countervailing...  |  Read More

Sweet, Mark
Mark B. Sweet
Partner
Wiley Rein

Mr. Sweet is an investigations and trial attorney with 20 years of experience. He has a deep knowledge of the False...  |  Read More

Attend on May 14

Early Discount (through 04/18/25)

Cannot Attend May 14?

Early Discount (through 04/18/25)

You may pre-order a recording to listen at your convenience. Recordings are available 48 hours after the webinar. Strafford will process CLE credit for one person on each recording. All formats include course handouts.

To find out which recorded format will provide the best CLE option, select your state:

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