The Legal 500

The firm

Covington & Burling LLP is an international law firm of more than 800 lawyers with offices in Beijing, Brussels, London, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Washington DC. The Beijing office, opened in 2008, is active in a range of international transactions, and contentious, regulatory and policy matters. Clients come from the life sciences, technology and media, financial services, energy and other industries.

Areas of practice

Life sciences: Covington provides a full range of transactional and advisory services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, dietary supplement, organic food, veterinary and agricultural companies worldwide. Its clients include many of the major multinational pharmaceutical, food and agriculture companies, as well as a wide array of biotechnology, diagnostic and medical device companies, ranging from start-up ventures to industry leaders.

ITC/IP: combining the resources of its strong global IP litigation practice, its patent group and its Beijing office, Covington & Burling provides practical and effective solutions to many business issues that implicate IP in China. Covington’s attorneys have appeared in over 65 s337 cases spanning more than 20 years, including some of the largest and most high-profile matters to have come before the ITC. In addition to its track record of successfully litigating original investigations before the ITC, the firm’s attorneys routinely remain involved after an order issues, and have significant experience in working with customs and the ITC to properly implement and enforce both limited and general exclusion orders.

Trade law and trade policy: Covington advises US and international clients on a broad range of issues related to US-China trade policy, particularly as these issues evolve in tandem with the bilateral relationship. Covington represents Chinese clients in proceedings arising under the trade laws of the US, including the anti-dumping and countervailing duty laws, the US safeguards provision, and s301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The firm represents clients in proceedings before the United States Trade Representative concerning the Generalised System of Preferences, and advise clients on proceedings arising under the World Trade Organisation’s Dispute Settlement Understanding.

FCPA: Covington’s unique command of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) dates back to the law’s enactment in 1977, when Covington lawyers helped to draft the statute. For more than 30 years, Covington has advised clients in every aspect of the FCPA, from representing clients in government investigations to designing anti-corruption compliance programmes. The firm has represented numerous US and non-US clients in FCPA matters that have arisen in China.

CFIUS: Covington advises US and foreign companies on all aspects of the US national security review process of foreign investment acquisitions administered by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The firm’s practice covers transactional, regulatory, and policy and legislative matters related to CFIUS and special issues associated with acquisitions by government-owned companies or sovereign wealth funds. Covington attorneys have held senior positions in six of the 12 key CFIUS agencies, including in the White House, the office of the US Trade Representative, and the Departments of State, Commerce, Treasury and Justice.

Languages
Cantonese
English
Mandarin
Shanghainese
Taiwanese

Other offices
Brussels
London
New York
San Diego
San Francisco
Silicon Valley
Washington DC

International groupings
American Chamber of Commerce in Beijing
US-China Business Council
US Information Technology Office

Number of lawyers 816

at this office 9