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Private company

Covington & Burling

Logo: Covington & Burling, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons4

U.S. law firm based in Washington, D.C.

Covington & Burling LLP is an American multinational law firm. Known as a white-shoe law firm, it is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and advises clients on transactional, litigation, regulatory, and public policy matters. The firm has additional offices in the United States, as well as in Belgium, China, England, Germany, South Africa, South Korea, and United Arab Emirates.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1919Founded1
  • HeadquartersWashington, D.C.1
  • Websitewww.cov.com
  • Legal formLimited Partnership (including Limited Liability Limited Partnership)3
  • Kind of organizationLimited partnership1
  • LEI549300I8983BCL6N5S873
  • StatusActive3
  • LEI statusIssued and current3
  • Registered addressc/o C T CORPORATION SYSTEM, 20005 Washington, United States3
  • Registered withDepartment of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, P260913

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Covington & Burling LLP is an American multinational law firm. Known as a white-shoe law firm, it is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and advises clients on transactional, litigation, regulatory, and public policy matters. The firm has additional offices in the United States, as well as in Belgium, China, England, Germany, South Africa, South Korea, and United Arab Emirates.2

The story

Judge J. Harry Covington and Edward B. Burling founded Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C., on January 1, 1919.

In 1988, Covington opened a London office that was followed in 1990 by opening a Brussels office. In 1999, Covington merged with Howard, Smith & Levin, a New York firm of 60 attorneys and the firm opened its first West Coast office in San Francisco. In 2008, Covington entered into a strategic alliance with Institution Quraysh for Law & Policy, a Qatar-based transnational law firm and think-tank, for the joint provision of legal and consulting services in the Middle East.

The firm was listed as #15 among the Vault Law 100 in 2025.

Targeting by the second Trump administration

On February 25, 2025, President Donald Trump revoked security clearances held by employees of the Covington & Burling law firm, citing its provision of pro bono legal services to former Special Counsel Jack Smith, the prosecutor in two criminal cases charging Trump, both of which were dropped following the results of the 2024 election. Smith had received $140,000 in free legal services from the firm, according to a January 10 disclosure by his office. Politico reported that at least two attorneys at the firm, Peter Koski and Lanny Breuer, have represented Smith.

From Wikipedia’s article on Covington & Burling, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5

Timeline

  1. 1919Founded Founded1

Sources

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