Affinity Groups

• The Asian Pacific Islander Affinity Group hosts a variety of activities designed to enable the firm’s Asian Pacific Islander lawyers to connect with one another and to foster mentoring, learning, and development opportunities.
• The group supports various organizations, including the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and its local affiliates including APABA-DC, the South Asian Bar Association (SABA), Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area (AABA), Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), and the Asian Law Caucus.
• Recently, the group has been involved in activities such as:
  • Covington hosted a naturalization and immigration clinic training event organized by Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) and the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC).
  • Covington hosted a public speaking skills training event organized by APABA-DC for members of Washington, D.C. APA legal community.
  • Covington lawyers attended and participated in a re-enactment of Korematsu v. United States, honoring the courage of Fred Korematsu in fighting for the civil rights of Japanese-Americans. The Asian Pacific American Bar Association of DC (APABA-DC) organized the event.
• The group supports the efforts of Asian and South Asian law student associations at law schools throughout the United States.

Leadership and Key Contacts

Birlie Lau, Ken Leung, Henry Liu, Neema Sahni, and Chris Yeung

• The Black Affinity Group provides a touchpoint for employees at all levels of seniority to engage with each other on a range of issues, including strategic firm matters, diversity, professional development, recruiting, and public service.
• As a founding member of the “Washington, DC Road Show”—established over four decades ago by major Washington, DC law firms—Covington is committed to encouraging Black law students to practice in large law firms in the capital. For nearly a decade, Michael Baxter, one of our Black Counsel, organized the road show for all Washington, DC firms.
• The group supports the work of the Black Law Students Association at law schools throughout the United States.
• The London office participates in and sponsors the Warwick University Multicultural Scholars Programme.

Leadership and Key Contacts

Paris Aboro, Michelle Barren, Ashley Joyner Chavous, Charles "Chas" Hamilton, Aaron Lewis, Hakeem Rizk, Raymond Smith, and David Sneed

• Our Latino Affinity Group supports various organizations, including the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF).
  • Serving as a sponsor, Covington also sends representatives to the HNBA’s Annual Convention.
• Covington is proud to be a part of the HNBA/Microsoft Intellectual Property Law Institute (IPLI) which facilitates and increases Hispanic representation in the field of IP law. 

Leadership and Key Contacts

José E. Arvelo, Nicole Duclos, Miguel López Forastier, Michael Lamb, Gabriel Mesa, Jason Santiago, and Veronica Yepez

• Covington is a member of Out in Law, the “first annual LGBT leadership organization for the legal industry, by the legal industry.”
• Covington supports the LeGaL Foundation, one of the nation’s first bar associations of the LGBT legal community.
• We hosted several educational events with Lambda Legal, including tax and family planning seminars for LGBT families concerning recent changes in federal tax policy that allow for federal recognition of community property of LGBT couples and programs providing a legal update on marriage equality litigation in California.  

Leadership and Key Contacts

Wade Ackerman, William Collins, Brian Crider, Stefanie Doebler, Heather Finstuen, Cort Lannin, and Sepp Stalmans

• The MENA Affinity Group hosts a variety of activities designed to enable the firm’s Middle Eastern and North African lawyers and staff to connect with one another and to foster mentoring, learning, and development opportunities.
• The group supports the work of the Middle Eastern Law Students Association and Middle Eastern North African Law Students Association at law schools throughout the United States.

Leadership and Key Contacts

Tarek Khanachet, Ali Mojibi, Dalia Deak, Natalie Oveyssi, and Antonio Michaelides.

• The Veterans Affinity Group provides a more formalized structure for veterans and those interested in veterans’ issues to meet regularly, both socially and to discuss professional development, and to provide a resource for our recruiting efforts in identifying and helping to encourage candidates with prior military experience to choose Covington.
• Click here for a list of Covington attorneys with prior military experience.
• Click here for a representative list of veterans-related matters handled by Covington attorneys.

Leadership and Key Contacts

Ben Block, Ashden Fein, Micaela McMurrough, and Kim Velez

The Women’s Forum hosts a variety of activities designed to enable the firm’s women lawyers to connect with one another and to foster mentoring, learning, and development opportunities.

Leadership and Key Contacts

Natalie Derzko, Sarah Franklin, Laurie-Ann Grelier, Jennifer Gui, Rani Gupta, Alexa Hansen, Amanda Kramer, Shiva Krishnan, Sinead McLaughlin, Catharina Min, Mosa Mkhize, Lucinda Osborne, Robyn Polashuk, Ruixue Ran, Carolyn Rashby, Julie Teperow, Joanna Tudor-Blakeway, and Michelle Woodyear