2024 DIVERSITY DATABASE UNDERWRITER Covington & Burling

Covington & Burling is a “brain trust” law firm known for quietly (and smartly) going about its business—antitrust, litigation, white collar defense & investigations, corporate, intellectual property, 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 focusing on regulatory issues. Since its founding, most members of the Fortune 200 have 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, attending to issues involving the FDA, IRS, FAA, FCC, and other multilettered agencies. With this Washington-based practice, it’s no wonder that the firm has numerous former government officials among its ranks.

Major League

Covington counsels across myriad industries including technology, life sciences, financial services, AI, entertainment and media, digital health, consumer brands, and sports.

The firm is 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 other matters.

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. The group has represented the likes of MLB, MLS, NASCAR, the NBA, the NFL, the NHL, the USGA, and the USTA. The firm also counsels college sports leagues on a variety of matters and advises both the pros and colleges on their broadcast contracts. The sports practice is multifaceted, but Covington lawyers meet the challenge, handling everything from antitrust, collective bargaining, financings, insurance, media rights, and regulatory affairs to sponsorships and tax.

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 process for associates to request advice through “associate ombudspersons.” An ombudsperson is a senior lawyer from whom associates can seek confidential advice.

• Covington helped secure approval for Nippon Steel Corporation's historic $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel. Covington negotiated the national security agreement with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
• Covington represented Novartis in its $12 billion acquisition of Avidity Biosciences. This was the second-largest deal of the year in the pharmaceutical industry.
• Covington served as lead regulatory counsel for ByteDance/TikTok on the creation of its U.S. joint venture. The firm supported the development of the joint venture's comprehensive national security safeguards and ongoing third-party auditing and certification.
• Covington guided Hino Motors through its most significant legal matter in its history. Hino potentially faced billions of dollars in fines and years of a third-party compliance monitor, which could have crippled its operations, because of allegations that it falsified engine emissions and fuel consumption data. Instead, Hino Motors received one of the largest percentage discounts ever granted in a criminal resolution and no monitorship.

• Firm of the Year, 2019-2026—Law360
• California Law Firm of the Year, 2025—The American Lawyer
• Product Liability Litigation Department of the year, 2025—The American Lawyer
• Most Impressive Litigation Department of the Year, 2025—The American Lawyer
• Government Relations/Lobbying Firm of the year, 2026—The National Law Journal