Covington & Burling LLP operates as a limited liability partnership worldwide, with the practice in England and Wales conducted by an affiliated
limited liability multinational partnership, Covington & Burling LLP, which is formed under the laws of the State of Delaware in the United States
and authorized and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with registration number 77071..
Businesses in every industry face scrutiny from internal and external stakeholders related to their institutional culture and commitment to promoting equity and inclusiveness, both within their workplaces and the broader communities they serve. They also now face questions from regulators and other stakeholders about their compliance with civil rights and anti-discrimination laws, as well as recent executive orders.
Whether motivated by government inquiries, internal complaints, shareholder proposals, scrutiny by regulators, or media attention, clients turn to Covington for our market-leading experience advising clients in this rapidly evolving space.
Covington pioneered workplace culture reviews, and we regularly conduct sensitive and high-stakes investigations of alleged discrimination, sexual misconduct, and harassment, often involving senior executives or widespread patterns of conduct. Clients also engage us to advise on compliance with laws and regulations in this rapidly changing area, including related to their inclusion efforts, and to conduct assessments of the legal, business, and reputational risks that can arise from concerns about an institution’s culture. Businesses also have turned to Covington to conduct or oversee civil rights or racial equity audits, either prospectively or prompted by requests from shareholders or other stakeholders.
We tailor our teams uniquely to the specific objectives defined by our client, combining Covington’s industry leading investigations practice with the deep expertise of our DEI counseling, employment, congressional investigations, public policy, ESG, and other award winning regulatory practices. For clients that do business with the federal government, we also bring to bear the experience of our preeminent government contracts and False Claims Act practices.
White Collar Defense and Investigations. Covington’s nationally recognized White Collar Defense and Investigations practice regularly conducts highly confidential internal investigations and represents companies and executives in sensitive government investigations. Our team includes former federal prosecutors and enforcement officials, with longstanding professional relationships in the Department of Justice and at other key regulators.
DEI Counseling. Having conducted more than 15 civil rights and racial equity assessments for leading corporations — in the technology, life sciences, and financial services industries, among others — Covington has unique insight into how public companies have approached and designed their DEI strategies in recent years. Our experience in this area includes analysis not only of DEI initiatives related to workforce strategies, but also external initiatives such as supplier diversity, philanthropy, and grant-making. We regularly advise companies on DEI best practices and provide up-to-date benchmarking on these practices in light of the evolving compliance and enforcement environment . We are currently representing and conducting expedited and refreshed reviews of DEI programs for several multinational companies.
Employment. Our employment lawyers regularly advise Fortune 500 companies on employee management and culture, including the lawful and strategic implementation of DEI programs, the risks associated with executive misconduct, and policies and practices that sustain a compliant speak-up culture focused on employee retention and engagement.
Government Contracts. Our lawyers know intimately the statutes, regulations, and enforcement history associated with contract performance, including as related to diversity and other workforce initiatives, and have advised companies on recordkeeping and compliance related to their government contracts.
False Claims Act. We have a 35-year track record representing government contractors in FCA investigations and litigation, including many of the most significant FCA investigations and lawsuits over the last several decades.
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