Difference between revisions of "Covington & Burling LLP"
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*[[Erika Mann]], Senior Advisor; former Member of the European Parliament (MEP). | *[[Erika Mann]], Senior Advisor; former Member of the European Parliament (MEP). | ||
*Sir [[Michael Leigh]], became a senior advisor to the firm in Sept 2017; formerly Director-General of DG Enlargement at the European Commission from 2006 to 2011. | *Sir [[Michael Leigh]], became a senior advisor to the firm in Sept 2017; formerly Director-General of DG Enlargement at the European Commission from 2006 to 2011. | ||
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| + | == Israel's FARA adviser search (2017–2018) == | ||
| + | According to leaked Israeli Ministry of Justice documents published by [[Distributed Denial of Secrets]] (DDoSecrets) in July 2024. The files came from a hack claimed by a group calling itself Anonymous for Justice, and their authenticity has not been independently verified.<ref name="DDoSMoJ">Distributed Denial of Secrets, [https://ddosecrets.org/article/israel-ministry-of-justice Israel Ministry of Justice] ''ddosecrets.org'', 25 July 2024, accessed 21 October 2026. DDoSecrets lists the dataset in its "Cyberwar" category, warning of "an increased chance of malware, ulterior motives and altered or implanted data".</ref> In late 2017 Israel's [[Ministry of Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy|Ministry of Strategic Affairs]] rated Covington & Burling's [[Robert Kelner]] its first choice for advice on the [[Foreign Agents Registration Act]] (FARA). A revised request of January 2018 says the ministry dropped him because of "policy considerations… relating to another case in which the attorney is involved". It says he was then advising [[Michael Flynn]], Donald Trump's former national security adviser, "who is involved in the Russia affair". The ministry engaged [[Sandler Reiff]] instead (translated from Hebrew).<ref name="MoJT93">Israel Ministry of Justice leak (Distributed Denial of Secrets), Ministry of Strategic Affairs revised exemption request (form T-93) to engage a US law firm on FARA, updated 24 January 2018 (Hebrew), [https://search.libraryofleaks.org/entities/9397718.9b6a5bbd2d47997609eab88f0b25c78b0c29a8e4 Library of Leaks entity 9397718] ''Library of Leaks'', accessed 21 October 2026. Leaked document; authenticity not independently verified.</ref> | ||
==Contact== | ==Contact== | ||
Latest revision as of 06:17, 21 October 2026
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Part of the Powerbase Brexit Portal. |
Covington & Burling LLP is a US law and lobbying firm.
Founded in 1919, today it has offices in the US, UK, Brussels, Dubai, China, South Korea, South Africa.[1]
Lobbying
Covington & Burling says its public policy and government affairs team employs 'more than 120 former government officials, diplomats, and regulators'. Its website lists a number of 'case studies' of work carried out by the team, including work for 'a global chemical company' facing a World Health Organization (WHO) classification of one of its key products as “probably carcinogenic,” but which other national regulatory bodies 'found to be safe'. Covington was asked to help 'develop a strategy to seek a public clarification from' the WHO.[2]
US lobbying
As of November, Covington and Burling's total lobbying income in 2017 was $13m.
Its US lobbying clients include in 2017 (for a full list, see the Open Secrets website)[3] Qualcomm | Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America | Northrop Grumman | Wal-Mart | Celgene Corp | Microsoft | Bombardier | Consumer Healthcare Products Association | Eli Lilly | BAE Systems | BP | Johnson & Johnson | Wells Fargo | Merck | American Bankers Association
Brussels lobbying
Covington and Burling's Brussel's lobbying clients 2015-16:[4] Uber | Eli Lilly | Vertex Pharmaceuticals | Nike | IMS Health | Illumina | bluebird bio | European Tissue Symposium | General Electric | European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations | BSA The Software Alliance | Microsoft | Cubist Pharmaceuticals | Kosmos Energy | Akamai Technologies | Monster Energy Company | Merck | PJSC Myronivsky Hliboproduct (Ukrainian agro-industrial company, also known as MHP).
Brexit lobbying
In 2017 Covington & Burling set up a Brexit Task Force staffed by lawyers and advisors in London, Brussels, and Washington.
It says it is monitoring events for clients and advising them on the policy and regulatory impact and implications of Brexit, including around: employment and Immigration, data protection, and international trade.[5]
Political ties
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This article is part of the Revolving Door project of Spinwatch. |
UK political links
- Francis Maude: In October 2016, former government minister Francis Maude was taken on as a senior adviser. A spokesperson for Covington said that Maude 'will be assisting the firm and its clients as they navigate complexities around Brexit'. Maude's profile on Covington's website says: 'Lord Maude forms part of a key panel of senior advisors guiding clients through the evolving post-Brexit vote landscape.'
Other European political links
- Carl Bildt: in May 2016, Covington and Burling announced that Bildt, the former Prime Minister of Sweden, had joined the firm as a Senior Policy Advisor in its global Public Policy and Government Affairs practice. Most recently, Mr Bildt served as Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs between 2006 and 2014.[6]
- Peter Balás, senior advisor; Balas was recently Deputy Director General, DG Trade to the European Commission (2005-2014) and Head of the Support Group for the Ukraine in the European Commission (2014-2015); and before that Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Hungary to the World Trade Organisation.
- Jean De Ruyt, senior advisor; described as 'among the most experienced diplomats in Europe', De Ruyt was Permanent Representative of Belgium to the European Union and was chair of the Committee of Permanent Representatives during the 2010 Belgian Presidency of the Council.
- Karel Kovanda, senior advisor; former diplomat who worked as Deputy Director-General of Relex (now the European External Action Service) in the European Commission.
- Erika Mann, Senior Advisor; former Member of the European Parliament (MEP).
- Sir Michael Leigh, became a senior advisor to the firm in Sept 2017; formerly Director-General of DG Enlargement at the European Commission from 2006 to 2011.
Israel's FARA adviser search (2017–2018)
According to leaked Israeli Ministry of Justice documents published by Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets) in July 2024. The files came from a hack claimed by a group calling itself Anonymous for Justice, and their authenticity has not been independently verified.[7] In late 2017 Israel's Ministry of Strategic Affairs rated Covington & Burling's Robert Kelner its first choice for advice on the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). A revised request of January 2018 says the ministry dropped him because of "policy considerations… relating to another case in which the attorney is involved". It says he was then advising Michael Flynn, Donald Trump's former national security adviser, "who is involved in the Russia affair". The ministry engaged Sandler Reiff instead (translated from Hebrew).[8]
Contact
- Address: 265 Strand, London, Greater London, UK, WC2R 1BH.
- Telephone: (020) 7067 2000
- Website: www.cov.com
Notes
- ↑ Company Overview of Covington & Burling LLP, Bloomberg, accessed 27 October 2016.
- ↑ Public Policy and Government Affairs, Covington website, accessed Nov 2017
- ↑ Covington and Burling, Open Secrets, accessed Nov 2017
- ↑ Covington and Burling, EU transparency register, accessed Nov 2017
- ↑ [https://www.cov.com/en/news-and-insights/insights/2016/07/brexit-task-force-provides-insights-on-latest-developments Covington's Brexit Task Force Provides Insights on Latest Developments], Covington & Burling website, accessed Nov 2017
- ↑ Former Prime Minister of Sweden Carl Bildt Joins Covington, C&B website, 19 May 2016
- ↑ Distributed Denial of Secrets, Israel Ministry of Justice ddosecrets.org, 25 July 2024, accessed 21 October 2026. DDoSecrets lists the dataset in its "Cyberwar" category, warning of "an increased chance of malware, ulterior motives and altered or implanted data".
- ↑ Israel Ministry of Justice leak (Distributed Denial of Secrets), Ministry of Strategic Affairs revised exemption request (form T-93) to engage a US law firm on FARA, updated 24 January 2018 (Hebrew), Library of Leaks entity 9397718 Library of Leaks, accessed 21 October 2026. Leaked document; authenticity not independently verified.