Covington & Burling

Covington & Burling (Covington) is globally known for advising clients on issues “at the intersection of law and policy around the world”, as the firm proudly represents on its tagline. Not coincidentally, the firm has its headquarters and biggest office in Washington, D.C. - the epicenter of government and regulatory activities in the US, and further leverages a network of over 120 former government officials and diplomats in 14 offices globally. Its ranks include a former US Attorney General, a former Prime Minister of Sweden, a former Head of the Cartels Unit at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Competition, and a former UK shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, among others. In a true demonstration of its close ties with governments and supranational bodies, Covington’s Washington office has been representing Ukraine in its historic case in front of the International Court of Justice against Russia. The team seeks to establish that Russia has wrongly accused Ukraine of committing genocide against its own people in the Donbas region, which was used as a false pretext for Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In London, where the firm has been established for nearly 40 years, its regulatory expertise is showcased in life sciences and technology, public affairs, complex disputes and sanctions work. Building on this foundation, the office is expanding its transactional practices, focusing on highly regulated M&A and Middle Eastern project financing. The latest growth efforts also target insurance disputes, bolstered by the recent addition of partner Sonia Campbell. Her expertise enhances Covington’s capabilities in helping policyholder clients manage heightened risks tied to emerging product liability claims, mass torts, and cybersecurity issues. Covington’s London life sciences practice is ranked Band 1 by Chambers UK 2025 for both transactional and regulatory matters. The team supports clients across the entire product lifecycle, handling applications, approvals, and corporate and commercial transactions. A key differentiator is its seamless collaboration with Covington’s US practice, enabling the team to navigate the closely connected European and US life sciences industries in areas such as financing, research and development, collaboration, licensing, antitrust, and commercialisation. For instance, the transatlantic team advised Denmark-based ALK-Abelló on a strategic license agreement with US-based ARS Pharma. The deal provided up to $465 million in financing for the development of ALK-Abelló’s neffy® adrenaline nasal spray, with ARS Pharma gaining future rights to market and sell the product in the US. The team also advised UK-based MultiplAI Health on its $340 million merger with OmnigenicsAI Corp and APx Acquisition Corp. I, a Nasdaq-listed SPAC. In addition, Covington’s regulatory and policy bench in this industry is formidable, with many lawyers having previously served in leadership positions with major industry regulatory bodies, such as the US Food and Drug Administration, or in-house positions with major manufacturers, including two former life sciences General Counsel. Leveraging such connections and expertise, beyond routine commercial and corporate work, Covington’s London life sciences team frequently leads in policy engagement, agency investigations, patent litigation, and commercial litigation. Notably, the team represented Merck, a German multinational science and technology company, in ad hoc London arbitrations against its insurers. The cases resulted in a disclosed recovery of approximately $590 million, plus $45 million in fees and interest, for prescription drug liabilities - one of Europe’s largest commercial awards in recent years. Covington’s regulatory expertise in London further shines in public affairs (Chambers UK 2025 Band 1), data protection and privacy law (Band 1), and competition. Its London lawyers have appeared before key national and regional privacy authorities, including the European Commission, the European Data Protection Board, and the Council of Europe, both to address cutting-edge policy issues in the data privacy field, such as the Internet of Things, Big Data, and facial recognition, and to defend their clients. In October 2024, the team welcomed partner Claudia Berg, a former General Counsel at the Information Commissioner's Office (the UK’s data protection authority) and Senior Legal Director for Antitrust at the Competition & Markets Authority. Claudia’s dual expertise in technology and competition law is a key asset for clients navigating Europe’s rapidly evolving digital regulatory landscape, including the UK’s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act. Finally, an odd-one-out yet notable aspect of Covington’s London office is its Middle Eastern project development and finance practice. Working closely with Covington’s Dubai office, the practice advised on four award-winning deals recognised at the Project Finance International 2023 Awards. The London team led on the “Infrastructure Deal of the Year, Middle East and Africa”, whereby it advised ENGIE on the development and $620 million financing of one of the UAE's largest low-carbon reverse osmosis desalination projects, Mirfa 2 IWP. A key client for the London office in this space is ACWA Power, a leading developer and investor in renewable energy and water desalination projects across the Middle East, Africa, and Central and Southeast Asia.