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- International Arbitration
Covington’s International Arbitration Group, comprising more than 50 lawyers, handles cases under the rules of every major arbitration system in the world, under common law and civil law systems, and in English, Spanish, French, and other languages. We handle disputes in a wide variety of industries, including energy, mining, manufacturing, transportation, telecommunications, insurance, construction, finance, sports, and life sciences.
We are lead counsel in commercial and investment-treaty disputes arising in Western and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, and the Middle East, involving claims valued in the billions of dollars. Several lawyers in the group are fully trained in more than one legal system, and our lawyers are regularly selected as chairs and party-appointed arbitrators in both commercial and investor-state arbitrations.
We are consistently ranked as a leading arbitration practice in Chambers, Legal 500, and Global Arbitration Review, and many of our lawyers are individually ranked as leaders in the field in these and similar publications.
Why Clients Choose Covington
- Strategy with Results. We are regularly called upon to serve as lead counsel in some of the world’s most complex and high-profile arbitration matters. We have obtained awards valued at over $3.3 billion and defeated claims worth hundreds of millions of dollars. What sets us apart is the application of thorough analysis and creative strategic thinking to difficult cases; attention to detail; and a commitment to practical, business-minded lawyering.
- Depth of Quality. Covington is known for its deep, highly skilled and unusually experienced bench of multilingual, multi-qualified lawyers. From top to bottom, we offer uncompromising quality.
- Inter-disciplinary Expertise. Our case teams combine first-rate advocates, who are known for their "stand up" skills and credibility before tribunals, with leading lawyers in the substantive fields at issue — a reflection of our firm’s breadth of expertise and our team-oriented culture.
LCIA Arbitration Against a Russian Investment Firm
Representation of a Bermuda company in a pending LCIA arbitration against a Russian investment firm arising out of investment brokerage arrangements.
Representation of Metal-Tech in an ICSID arbitration
Representation of Metal-Tech, a metals refining company, in an ICSID arbitration against Uzbekistan arising out of the failure of a joint venture with state-owned enterprises.
Successful Representation of Spanish Investors in Yukos Oil Company in Arbitration Against Russia
Represented Spanish investors in Yukos Oil Company in an SCC arbitration against the Russian Federation arising from Russia’s expropriation of the company. The tribunal issued an award in our clients’ favor that valued Yukos at more than $60 billion at the time the company was expropriated.
Representation of Investment Company in $80 Million Dispute
Representing an investment company in an LCIA arbitration relating to an oil terminal connected to the CPC Pipeline near the Black Sea. The value in dispute is over $80 million.
Representation of European Oil and Gas Client in Investment Dispute
Advising a European oil and gas company on an investment-related dispute in Uzbekistan.
Represented Mining Company in ICSID and SCC Arbitrations
Represented Newmont Mining in related ICSID and SCC arbitrations against Uzbekistan concerning termination of rights to exploit mineral resources.
Advising on Expropriations of Investments
Advising U.S. shareholders in a Russian oil and gas company on securing compensation for the expropriation of their investments.
Victory Secured for Ukraine’s Naftogaz
Representation of Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas company, NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine, and six of Naftogaz's subsidiaries in a U.S. $5.05 billion investment-treaty claim against the Russia Federation for Russia's expropriation of Naftogaz's assets in Crimea following Russia’s claimed annexation of the peninsula.
Multiple Cases Against the Russian Federation
Representation of Ukraine adverse to the Russian Federation before the International Court of Justice and numerous international tribunals defending Ukraine's rights under the Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and the UN Law of the Sea.
Victory in U.S. Related Enforcement Action
Representation of NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine in connection with its efforts to enforce a $2.6 billion arbitral award that Naftogaz won in a Stockholm-seated commercial arbitration against Russian state-controlled gas company Gazprom. As part of Covington’s role, the firm filed three applications for discovery—in the Southern District of New York, in the Southern District of Texas, and in the Northern District of Texas—in the United States under section 1782 of the U.S. Code and succeeded in having two of the three applications granted. One application remains pending.
March 2021
As the legal, regulatory, and commercial implications of coronavirus COVID-19 continue to evolve, our lawyers and advisors are helping clients navigate the complex considerations that companies around the world are facing and develop plans and strategies in response. Reach out to our COVID-19 task force at COVID19@cov.com. Below is a compendium of resources ...
May 17, 2020, Kyiv Post
Covington Represents Ukraine in Securing Favorable Ruling Under U.N. Law of the Sea Convention
February 21, 2020
WASHINGTON—Covington secured a major ruling for Ukraine in an arbitration against the Russian Federation under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The ruling, issued today by a five-member arbitral tribunal, rejected the majority of Russia’s jurisdictional objections and permits Ukraine’s case to proceed to the merits. “The Tribunal’s ...
Covington Secures Decisive Victory For Ukraine Before the International Court of Justice
November 8, 2019
WASHINGTON—Covington has secured a decisive win for Ukraine in proceedings against the Russian Federation before the International Court of Justice (“ICJ”) concerning violations by Russia of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (“ICSFT”) and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial ...
October 1, 2019, Law360
Law360 covered William Phillips, David Pinsky, Joshua Picker, Marney Cheek, and William Lowery’s representation of Naftogaz, Ukraine's state-owned oil and gas company, in its pursuit of documents from Gazprom's Dallas-based oil and gas reserves auditor as the company pursues litigation in the Netherlands to enforce a $2.56 billion arbitral award against the ...
June 14, 2019
LONDON—The American Lawyer and Legal Week have named Covington its Transatlantic Arbitration Team of the Year. The award focuses on a single case that involved significant lawyering on both sides of the Atlantic and that demonstrated excellence in legal expertise and innovation, project management skills, and teamwork. The publications recognized Covington for ...
April 23, 2019, Commercial Dispute Resolution
Commercial Dispute Resolution mentioned Covington as legal counsel to Naftogaz, Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas company, advising the company in its victory over the Russian government that illegally expropriated the oil company’s assets in Crimea. David Pinsky described it as “an important day” for the oil company, explaining: “Russia targeted Naftogaz’s ...
March 1, 2019
WASHINGTON—Covington secured a major victory on behalf of Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas company, NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine, in an international arbitration against the Russian Federation. A tribunal sitting at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, in The Hague, concluded that Russia unlawfully expropriated Naftogaz’s assets in Crimea, in violation of Russia’s ...
Covington Files Memorial in International Court of Justice on Behalf of Ukraine in Case Against the Russian Federation
June 13, 2018
WASHINGTON—Covington submitted a Memorial to the International Court of Justice on behalf of Ukraine that documents violations of international law by the Russian Federation. The Memorial, accompanied by a substantial evidentiary record, establishes that the Russian Federation has violated the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of ...
May 31, 2016
NEW YORK—Covington is advising MagtiCom Ltd., the leading mobile operator in the Republic of Georgia, on its definitive agreement to acquire retail and corporate ISP cable assets from Caucasus Online LLC. The deal is expected to close on or around August 1, 2016. Following the successful conclusion of the transaction, MagtiCom will be the first and only operator ...
David Pinsky Named Law360 'Rising Star'
April 21, 2016
New York — Law360 has named Covington international arbitration partner David Pinsky a “Rising Star.” This annual recognition honors top attorneys under the age of 40 “whose legal accomplishments belie their age.” Law360 recognized how Mr. Pinsky, who leads Covington’s arbitration group’s Russia and Eurasia initiative, helped develop the firm’s Russia-focused ...
Covington’s arbitration app
July 23, 2015, Global Arbitration Review
A piece on our new arbitration app quoting Marney Cheek and Jeremy Wilson and mentioning William Lowery’s and Catherine Karia’s roles in developing the app.
Standing up for the little guy
September 16, 2014, CDR
Covington partners Marney Cheek and Jonathan Gimblett are featured in this article regarding their representation of Yukos minority shareholders: “The writing is on the wall. Once again, Russia has been held accountable for its actions,” Marney Cheek, a Covington & Burling partner who represented the Spanish investors, tells CDR. Indeed, Jonathan Gimblett, ...
Yukos award survives Swedish action
September 12, 2014, Global Arbitration Review
The articles above reference the Stockholm District Court dismissing the Russian Federation’s jurisdictional challenge to a previous arbitration ruling that ordered Russia to compensate a group of Spanish investors for the losses they suffered when the government expropriated the Yukos Oil Company, one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world. The ...
- Law360, International Arbitration Practice Group of the Year (2019)
- Legal Week and the American Lawyer, "Transatlantic Arbitration Team of the Year" (2019)
- Named by Latinvex as one of the "Top Arbitration Firms" (2015-2019).
- The American Lawyer, winner of “Global Dispute of the Year - International Arbitration” award (2013)
- Chambers Global, Arbitration (International): Latin-America-wide (2020)
- Chambers Latin America Award for Excellence, shortlisted for International Arbitration (International Counsel in Latin America) Law Firm of the Year (2013)
- GAR 100, International Arbitration (2014-2017)
- GAR 30, International Arbitration (2013)
- "They have an impressive client base and expertise in international arbitration." (Chambers UK 2018).
- "The group operates well as an integrated team and demonstrates good commercial awareness." (Chambers Europe 2013)
COVID-19: Legal and Business Toolkit
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