The Legal 500

Within Financial services, tier 6

Covington & Burling LLP focuses on advising banks, investment managers, institutional funds and broker-dealers, with an emphasis on the asset management sector. Simon Currie is recommended.

Within Flotations: small and mid-cap, Covington & Burling LLP is a third tier firm,

The ‘extremely good’ team at Covington & Burling LLP advised Baltic Oil Terminals on a £4.1m placing on AIM in 2010, and Piper Jaffray on the placing and open offer of Vernalis. Simon Amies provides ‘solid and commercial legal advice’; and Peter Laveran-Stiebar handles US matters. Paul Claydon, Natalie Diep, James Halstead and James Gubbins joined from Morrison & Foerster (UK) LLP, significantly boosting the practice.

Within M&A: lower mid-market, £50m-£250m,

Morrison & Foerster (UK) LLP’s life sciences and technology expertise is highly valued by clients, and has translated into instructions on deals such as NTT Data’s acquisition of Keane for around $1.4bn. The London team suffered a blow in 2011, with four corporate partners leaving for Covington & Burling LLP, including corporate head Paul Claydon.

Within M&A: upper mid-market and premium deals, 250m+, tier 8

Covington & Burling LLP ‘provides an excellent level of service’, and the firm’s sector expertise in life sciences, media/telecoms and energy led to a good flow of work in 2010. It advised Baltic Oil Terminals on its acquisition of Petroval Bunker, with a team led by Simon Amies.

Within M&A: US law capability, Covington & Burling LLP is a second tier firm,

Covington & Burling LLP’s strength in the life sciences, regulatory and technology areas has led to a string of high-profile mid-market deals, regularly acting for Merck & Co and HealthpointCapital among others. Peter Laveran-Stiebar is highly acclaimed by clients.

Within Venture capital, Covington & Burling LLP is a third tier firm,

Headed by the ‘focused and attentive’ Louise Nash, Covington & Burling LLP provides an ‘excellent service based on extensive industry knowledge and experience’. It continues to assist clients such as SR One with portfolio management, and has attracted new-money work from the likes of Gothaer Asset Management, which it advised on its investment in Silkroutefinancial, a UK-based hedge fund. The arrival in May 2011 of the ‘superb’ Paul Claydon and three other partners from Morrison & Foerster LLP significantly enhances the team’s expertise in the life sciences sector.

Within Fraud: corporate crime, Covington & Burling LLP is a third tier firm,

Covington & Burling LLP has a strong US presence, and recently welcomed Robert Amaee, previously head of the anti-corruption unit at the SFO, adding to the firm’s capabilities in advising international companies on anti-bribery and money laundering issues involving UK and US regulators. John Rupp leads the team.

Within Commercial litigation, tier 6

Covington & Burling LLP acts in disputes involving complex corporate transactions, product liability for pharmaceutical and manufacturing clients, wrongful denials of insurance coverage for policyholders, and IP disputes involving software publishing and life sciences. The team is also experienced in cross-jurisdictional investigations. Roger Enock is recommended.

Within International arbitration, tier 4

Covington & Burling LLP’s London-based team is led by Gaëtan Verhoosel and senior of counsel Stephen Bond, a former ICC International Court of Arbitration secretary general. Bond is ‘an excellent strategist and a consummate advocate’. The practice stands out for its investment treaty work and insurance coverage practice for policyholders.

Within Investment funds, Covington & Burling LLP is a third tier firm,

Covington & Burling LLP’s high-calibre private equity practice has focused on investments and secondary transactions recently. Clients include Brookings Institute and Pantheon. Practice head Simon Goodworth is recommended.

Within Employment, tier 7

Covington & Burling LLP regained the ‘calm and measured’ Chris Walter and his team from Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP in 2010. Clients include Merck/Schering-Plough; Marsh & McClennan Group; and Microsoft.

Within Insurance litigation: for policyholders , Covington & Burling LLP is a first tier firm,

Covington & Burling LLP’s London practice undoubtedly benefits from the firm’s US coverage practice, with transatlantic coverage matters a key area of work. Recent matters include commercial coverage disputes, London coverage arbitrations (mainly in product liability), and challenges to solvent schemes of arrangement. The team continues to represent Textron, ExxonMobil, Goodrich, ITT and Zapata in their challenge to the Scottish Lion solvent scheme. Clients appreciate the ‘easy access to senior lawyers’, and highly recommend Roger Enock and of counsel Richard Mattick.

Within Product liability: defendant, tier 4

Covington & Burling LLP’s practice is now led by Grant Castle and Roger Enock, following Anne Ware’s departure to Kennedys. The firm enjoys an international reputation for acting on high-profile cases.

Within Public affairs, Covington & Burling LLP is a second tier firm,

The ‘excellent’ team at Covington & Burling LLP ‘goes above and beyond the call of duty’. It advised the Business Software Alliance regarding reforms to regulatory rules governing cloud computing, and also advised US and UK investment funds on EU regulations governing hedge and private equity funds. Lisa Peets heads the team, and associate Mark Young is also recommended.

Within Intellectual property, tier 4

Covington & Burling LLP handles complex licensing, patent and trade mark work. Lisa Peets advises technology and e-commerce clients Microsoft and the Business Software Alliance, and Morag Peberdy focuses on trade mark matters and transactional support.

Within IT and telecoms, tier 5

At Covington & Burling LLP, Lisa Peets advises the Business Software Alliance on matters including the E-Commerce Directive. The ‘tenacious, practical’ Daniel Pavin advised O2 on data protection and retention matters.

Within Media and entertainment, tier 5

Covington & Burling LLP advises clients such as Sony NetServices and Microsoft on partnership agreements and digital content protection. Louise Nash is recommended. Lisa Peets leads the London media practice, advising major publishers and multinationals, and Michael Kingston is also recommended.

Within Overview,

In life sciences, Covington & Burling LLP hired four partners from Morrison & Foerster (UK) LLP; Howrey LLP’s Marjan Noor joined Simmons & Simmons; Paul Inman joined Wragge & Co LLP; and Claire Tunstall and her patent litigation team joined Pinsent Masons LLP from Roiter Zucker Solicitors.

Within Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, Covington & Burling LLP is a first tier firm,

Covington & Burling LLP recruited Paul Claydon, Natalie Diep, James Gubbins and James Halstead from Morrison & Foerster (UK) LLP, and compliance specialist Robert Amaee from the Serious Fraud Office, strengthening the group’s ‘comprehensive life sciences offering’. The practice is supported by a broad international footprint and strength in IP and data protection. ‘Strong advisers’ Grant Castle, Richard Kingham and Mike Kingston are advising Merck and Schering Plough on post-merger integration. A ‘tenacious, practical adviser’, Daniel Pavin advised biopharmaceuticals company UCB on a strategic partnership agreement with Synosia Therapeutics, and the ‘thorough, pragmatic’ Lucinda Osborne is also recommended. Product liability specialist Anne Ware joined Kennedys, and Joanna Wheeler joined CMS Cameron McKenna LLP.

Within Sport, tier 6

Michael Kingston heads Covington & Burling LLP’s European corporate department and its sports practice. The sports team advises major US and UK sporting entities on commercial rights.