Covington & Burling LLP
Covington & Burling LLP is a global law firm founded in 1919, headquartered in Washington, D.C., with 1,400+ lawyers across 14 offices serving multinational corporations, financial institutions, and government entities on complex M&A, litigation, regulatory, and public policy matters.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1919
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Covington & Burling LLP does
Covington & Burling LLP is a global law firm founded in 1919 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., operating as a limited liability partnership under the laws of the District of Columbia. The firm delivers full-service legal counsel through three integrated practice pillars — Corporate, Litigation and Investigations, and Regulatory and Public Policy — supplemented by specialized industry groups in Technology, Life Sciences, Artificial Intelligence, Financial Services, and Fintech. Its delivery model is anchored by 1,400+ lawyers and advisors and 900+ non-legal staff across 14 offices on four continents (North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Middle East), enabling coordinated cross-border mandates spanning M&A, regulatory navigation, and high-stakes litigation.
The firm's revenue model is traditional professional services: hourly billing, fixed fees for defined matters, and transaction-based fees for M&A deals, with monthly billing cadence to enterprise clients. Go-to-market is direct, relationship-led enterprise engagement targeting global corporations, financial institutions, government contractors, and sovereign entities; major disclosed clients include Microsoft, AstraZeneca, Tencent, Roche, Novartis, Salesforce, Uber, BBVA, SK Innovation, and Ericsson, with an aggregate $750B+ in M&A deal value across 550+ deals in recent years. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, consistent with the bespoke, quote-based nature of complex legal advisory work.
Covington's competitive positioning rests on a bench of 120+ former government officials and diplomats that few peers can match, supporting work at the intersection of law, regulation, and public policy. The firm invests in proprietary client-facing resources (AI Toolkit, Datacenter Insights Hub, Sustainability Toolkit) and content channels (Inside Privacy, Inside Energy & Environment, Global Policy Watch) to maintain top-of-funnel visibility. Ownership is by partner-equity holders with no external institutional investor or parent company, preserving the traditional partnership governance model.
Covington & Burling LLP firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Covington & Burling LLP
- Legal name
- Covington & Burling LLP
- Website
- https://cov.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1919
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Covington & Burling LLP is a global law firm founded in 1919, headquartered in Washington, D.C., with 1,400+ lawyers across 14 offices serving multinational corporations, financial institutions, and government entities on complex M&A, litigation, regulatory, and public policy matters.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Covington & Burling LLP industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Legal Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cross-Border M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAH), Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG), Derivatives Documentation & Legal (ISDA, CSA, Regulatory) (FSACADAN)
Keywords
Where Covington & Burling LLP is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices14 records
Markets served
Covington & Burling LLP business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Legal Services - Transactional: Hourly billing and transaction fees for M&A advisory, corporate transactions, and regulatory counsel.
- Legal Services - Litigation: Hourly billing and contingency arrangements for complex litigation, investigations, and dispute resolution.
- Regulatory and Compliance Advisory: Ongoing regulatory counsel and compliance advisory services, typically billed hourly or through fixed fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Enterprise legal services billed hourly or at fixed fees based on matter complexity. |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Covington & Burling LLP product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Covington & Burling LLP is an international law firm that provides legal advisory services across corporate transactions (M&A, private equity, securities), litigation and investigations (commercial litigation, white collar defense, patent litigation, class actions), and regulatory and public policy (antitrust, data privacy, FDA/life sciences, financial services, government contracts). The firm delivers these services through 1,400+ lawyers and advisors across 14 offices on four continents.
Product overview
Covington & Burling LLP operates as a full-service international law firm organized around three core legal practice areas (Corporate, Litigation and Investigations, and Regulatory and Public Policy) supplemented by specialized industry groups. The firm's offerings span across practices including M&A, private equity, patent litigation, data privacy, FDA regulatory counsel, and AI policy advisory services. Rather than a unified product platform, Covington delivers legal services through its integrated global team of 1,400+ lawyers across 14 offices on four continents, with specialized industry practices for Technology, Life Sciences, Artificial Intelligence, Financial Services, and other sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Corporate Practice
Quantifiable outcome
- 550+ M&A deals valued at over $750B in aggregate value in recent years
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Covington & Burling LLP
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Covington & Burling LLP technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Covington & Burling LLP partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- European Life Sciences Coalition (ELSC)coreCovington is a member of the European Life Sciences Coalition, a group of European life science venture capital firms and research institutions launched to address structural funding gaps in the sector. The coalition aims to strengthen Europe's biotech investment environment and reverse the trend of European biotechs listing abroad.
- MicrosoftminorMicrosoft hired Covington & Burling LLP in December 2025 to conduct an independent review following their own investigation into GDPR compliance concerns related to cloud services used by the Israeli military. The engagement followed reports that Microsoft cut off service to Israeli military unit 8200 after August media reports.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Covington & Burling LLP competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP: Global elite law firm with comparable M&A, litigation, and regulatory practices serving large corporations and financial institutions. Direct competitor for cross-border transactions and high-stakes mandates.
- Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz: Premier US law firm renowned for high-end M&A, corporate governance, and litigation. Direct competitor for the largest public-company M&A mandates Covington pursues.
- Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP: Elite New York-based law firm with leading M&A, securities, and litigation practices. Competes directly for the highest-profile transactional and litigation mandates.
- Sullivan & Cromwell LLP: Global law firm with strong M&A, securities, and financial regulatory practices. Comparable cross-border M&A franchise and elite client roster.
- Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP: International law firm with deep cross-border M&A and antitrust expertise. Competes directly with Covington on regulatory-heavy cross-border transactions.
- Latham & Watkins LLP: Global law firm with a major M&A, capital markets, and litigation practice. Direct competitor for tech, life sciences, and large-cap corporate transactions.
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP: Elite US firm with leading M&A, securities, and financial regulatory practices. Competes for the largest transactional and advisory mandates.
- Hogan Lovells LLP: Global law firm with comparable regulatory, life sciences, and technology practices. Direct competitor in heavily regulated sectors such as healthcare, energy, and technology.
- Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP: Magic Circle firm with leading global M&A and antitrust capabilities. Direct competitor for cross-border M&A, and source of recent lateral departures to Covington (Fisher, Rua).
Broad incumbents
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP: Largest law firm globally by revenue, dominating private equity, M&A, and litigation. While broader in scope, it competes for many of the same high-value corporate and deal mandates.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Covington & Burling LLP social profiles
Digital presenceCovington & Burling LLP financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Covington & Burling LLP leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Covington & Burling LLP subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Covington & Burling LLP funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Covington & Burling LLP M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Covington & Burling LLP
What does Covington & Burling LLP do?
Covington & Burling LLP is an international law firm that provides legal advisory services across corporate transactions (M&A, private equity, securities), litigation and investigations (commercial litigation, white collar defense, patent litigation, class actions), and regulatory and public policy (antitrust, data privacy, FDA/life sciences, financial services, government contracts). The firm delivers these services through 1,400+ lawyers and advisors across 14 offices on four continents.
Is Covington & Burling LLP a public or private company?
Covington & Burling LLP is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Covington & Burling LLP founded?
Covington & Burling LLP was founded in 1919. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Covington & Burling LLP based?
Covington & Burling LLP is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Covington & Burling LLP make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Legal Services - Transactional is the primary driver. The others are legal Services - Litigation and regulatory and Compliance Advisory.
Who are Covington & Burling LLP's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Hogan Lovells LLP and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP. Kirkland & Ellis LLP is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Covington & Burling LLP have an API?
No public API is recorded for Covington & Burling LLP.
What industry is Covington & Burling LLP in?
Covington & Burling LLP's product category is Legal Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAAAI, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law, with a secondary code of FSAEAGAH, Cross-Border M&A Advisory. Its NAICS code is 541110 and its SIC code is 8111.