Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) & Covert Foreign Influence Laws

ACI’s 8th National Forum on FARA & Covert Foreign Influence Laws is organized by the American Conference Institute (ACI), as part of C5 Group’s National Security Conference Portfolio.

The conference focuses on the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and covert foreign influence risks affecting strategic communications firms, advocacy groups, nonprofits, global institutions, and their legal and compliance advisors. The program examines federal FARA and 18 U.S.C. § 951 enforcement, state and international foreign influence laws, foreign funding, compliance programs, reputational risk, and emerging enforcement issues.

The main conference will take place December 11, 2026 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, 201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD 20745-1135. In-person and livestream options are available. Two virtual pre-conference workshops will be held on December 2 and December 3, 2026.

The forum is designed for FARA practitioners, general counsel, legal and compliance professionals, and professionals at nonprofits, think tanks, advocacy groups, strategic communications and public affairs firms, and global institutions. It is particularly relevant to professionals managing foreign funding, foreign partnerships, advocacy, lobbying, public affairs, media outreach, nonprofit programming, and other activities that may raise foreign influence compliance risks.

The program brings together professionals from legal services, strategic communications and public affairs, nonprofits and NGOs, advocacy organizations, think tanks, environmental organizations, and other global institutions. The agenda also addresses higher education, state-owned enterprises, sovereign wealth funds, foreign-linked companies, and foreign-funded organizations in the context of multijurisdictional foreign influence compliance.

Topics include FARA and § 951 enforcement, state and international covert foreign influence laws, foreign funding and foreign-principal relationships, FARA exemptions, compliance program design, sanctions and OFAC considerations, lobbying and disclosure rules, reputational and crisis risk, recent court matters, nonprofit and advocacy risks, and compliance issues involving influencers, celebrities, and other public-facing surrogates.

Attendees will learn how to identify and assess FARA and covert foreign influence risks, evaluate registration and exemption questions, and build practical intake, review, escalation, training, monitoring, and documentation procedures. The program also addresses crisis response, reputational risk, foreign funding and donor relationships, state and international requirements, and strategies for maintaining defensible compliance programs as enforcement priorities evolve.

The faculty includes government officials, in-house general counsel and senior legal advisors, FARA and political law practitioners, nonprofit counsel, foreign policy professionals, and attorneys specializing in national security, foreign influence, compliance, lobbying, and related regulatory matters.

Organizations represented on the faculty include Ruder Finn, the U.S. Department of Justice, the House Select Committee on China, Holtzman Vogel Baran Torchinsky & Josefiak PLLC, Venable LLP, Bracewell LLP, Saul Ewing LLP, ArentFox Schiff LLP, The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Mayer Brown LLP, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, Arnold Golden Gregory LLP, Lex Politica PLLC, Natural Resources Defense Council, DLA Piper, Paul Weiss, International Center for Not-For-Profit Law, Frost LLP, King & Spalding LLP, Morrison Foerster, and Nielsen Merksamer Parrinello Gross & Leoni LLP.

The forum includes a morning networking break, networking luncheon, afternoon networking break, and closing networking reception. Attendees can also benchmark with peers through anonymous polling and participate in rotating small-group roundtable discussions focused on FARA exemptions.

Yes. Team registrations from the same organization or firm that are completed together in one transaction receive a 10% conference discount for 4–8 attendees and a 15% conference discount for 9–12 attendees. Groups of 12 or more should call 888-224-2480 for details.

For the most up-to-date information on delegate substitutions and cancellations for American Conference Institute events, please review by clicking on Delegate Substitutions and Cancellation policy here.

American Conference Institute has arranged a limited number of rooms at a negotiated rate at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, 201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD 20745-1135. The guest room block cut-off date is November 24, 2026; after that date, or once the room block fills, availability and the negotiated rate are not guaranteed. Delegates should contact the hotel directly and quote “ACI / American Conference Institute.”

CLE accreditation is available for this program, with accreditation sought in jurisdictions requested by registrants that have continuing education requirements. ACI states that the activity is approved for CLE credit by the New York State Continuing Legal Education Board and the State Bar of California; accreditation varies by state. Each virtual pre-conference workshop also includes three hours of CLE accreditation.