2024 Vault Rankings
At a Glance
“The people and culture. Partners across different practice groups frequently work well together to deliver the best work product for the clients.”
“Firm culture of collaboration and teamwork; having colleagues of all levels support you and want you to succeed.”
“The hours and the hybrid work policy (i.e., the requirement and enforcement to be in the office three days a week).”
“There is no management training.”
About Covington & Burling
This “brain trust” law firm is known for quietly (and smartly) going about its business—that business being antitrust, litigation, white collar defense & investigations, corporate, IP, export controls, data privacy and cybersecurity, and regulatory work—with particular strengths in the sports, insurance, life science/pharma, energy, tech, and media/entertainment industries.
Capital Roots
Judge J. Harry Covington and Edward B. Burling founded their firm in Washington, DC, in 1919, with a (then unique) concept of a firm focused on regulatory issues. Since that founding, it would be hard to find many members of the Fortune 200 that have not worked with Covington. The firm played significant roles in many of the leading legal matters that arose from the New Deal. Later, in the 1950s, Covington lawyers wrote the key briefs in the Steel Seizure cases. As the federal government expanded, so did Covington, with a focus on issues involving the FDA, the IRS, the FAA, the FCC, and any number of other multi-lettered agencies. With this Washington-focused practice, it’s no wonder that the firm has numerous former government officials among its ranks.
Major League
Covington counsels across myriad industries, including aerospace; consumer brands; digital health; energy; financial services; gaming; life sciences; media, internet, and technology; mining and metals; sports; and transportation.
The firm is well known for its white collar team, which boasts more than 100 lawyers—including former high-profile government lawyers—and sits comfortably within Vault’s top five firms for White Collar Defense & Internal Investigations. Clients regularly call on the firm to handle matters involving crisis management, the False Claims Act, internal investigations, regulatory issues, shareholder litigation, whistleblower claims, and much more.
One simply can’t discuss Covington without mentioning its robust sports practice. With more than 50 years of experience, Covington’s sports law department is an all-star team in and of itself. The group has represented the likes of MLB, MLS, NASCAR, NBA, NFL, NHL, USGA, and USTA, to name some. The firm has also counseled college sports leagues on a variety of matters and advised both the pros and colleges on their broadcast contracts. The sports practice is multi-faceted, but Covington lawyers meet the challenge, handling everything from antitrust and collective bargaining to financings and insurance to media rights and regulatory affairs to sponsorships and tax—plus much more.
Giving Associates a Voice
At Covington, when associates speak, people listen. The firm’s Associate Advisory Committee includes both associates and partners and provides an outlet for associates to offer opinions on firm decisions. The firm also offers a confidential outlet for associates to request advice through the “associate ombudspersons.” The ombudsperson is a senior lawyer to whom associates can go for confidential advice.
News & Awards
- Covington Saves TikTok from Trump Administration Ban
- Covington Advises Merck on $11.8B Acquisition of Acceleron in Largest Biopharma Deal in Years
- Covington Wins First Opioid Distributor Trial to Reach Verdict
- Covington Pro Bono Team Secures Order from World Court Requiring Russia to Suspend Its Unlawful Invasion of Ukraine
- Firm of the Year, 2019-2023—Law360
- #1 Pro Bono Hours per Lawyer in the United States, 2019-2023—The American Lawyer
- California Powerhouse, 2022—Law 360
- Pharma and Biotech Dealmaker of the Year, 2022—The Deal
- Trials Practice Group of the Year, 2023—Law 360
Why Work Here
Working at Covington
Our distinctively collaborative culture allows us to be truly one team globally, drawing on the diverse experience of lawyers and advisors across the firm by seamlessly sharing insight and expertise. What sets us apart is our ability to combine the tremendous strength in our litigation, investigations, and corporate practices with deep knowledge of policy and policymakers, and one of the world’s leading regulatory practices. This enables us to create novel solutions to our clients’ toughest problems, successfully try their toughest cases, and deliver commercially practical advice of the highest quality.
One CityCenter
850 Tenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 662-6000
Chair, Management, and Executive Committees: Doug Gibson
Hiring Partners: Ben Block, Ranga Sudarshan (DC); Neema Sahni, Ashley Simonsen (LA); Arlo Devlin-Brown, Matthew Gehl, Clea Liquard, , Jenna Wallace(NY);Rani Gupta, Megan Rodgers, (Palo Alto); Denny Kwon, Cortlin Lannin, Ingrid Rechtin, Doug Sprague (SF); Ruixue Ran (Beijing); Daniel Cooper (Brussels); Rupert Harper (Dubai); Walter Born (Frankfurt); Ben Donovan (Johannesburg); Greg Lascelles, Daniel Pavin, (London); William Park (Seoul); Eric Carlson (Shanghai)
Total No. Attorneys (2023):
1K - 1.5K
No. of Partners Named 2022:
15
Base Salary (2023)
1st year: $215,000
2nd year: $225,000
3rd year: $250,000
4th year: $295,000
5th year: $345,000
6th year: $370,000
7th year: $400,000
8th year: $415,000
Summer Associate: $4,134/week
California
Kelsey Donovan
Legal Recruiting and Professional Development Manager
(424) 303-4800
legalrecruitingca@cov.com
New York
Ilyssa Pastolove
Legal Recruitment Manager
(212) 841-1000
legal.recruitingny@cov.com
Washington, DC
Grace Seery
Manager of Legal Recruiting
(202) 662-6200
legal.recruiting@cov.com
Recruiting contacts for all offices may be found www.cov.com/en/careers/lawyers/
No. of U.S. Offices: 5
No. of International Offices: 8
Los Angeles, CA
New York, NY
San Francisco, CA
Palo Alto, CA
Washington, DC |
Beijing
Brussels
Dubai
Frankfurt
Johannesburg
London
Seoul
Shanghai
Advertising and Consumer Law
Anticorruption/FCPA
Antitrust & Competition Law
Appellate and Supreme Court
CFIUS/National Security
Communications & Media
Corporate/M&A & Capital Markets
Energy
Financial Institutions
Government Contracts
Insurance Coverage
Intellectual Property
International Trade/Export Controls
Life Sciences
Litigation and International Arbitration
Privacy & Cybersecurity
Public Policy
Sports
Tax
White Collar Defense & Investigations
*See firm website for complete list of practice areas and industries.