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- Antitrust / Competition
Ranked among the top antitrust and competition firms in the world, Covington guides clients through the complex web of antitrust and competition laws to help them secure their most important business objectives. Our Antitrust Litigation, Cartel Defense and Investigations, and Antitrust Transactions practices help clients secure their most important business objectives.
Built upon a foundation of unsurpassed regulatory and policy insight from more than 120 former government officials as well as extensive litigation and investigatory experience and corporate deal work, Covington is a one-stop shop for global antitrust and competition concerns.
Regulatory Insight
Describing us as “an antitrust team rich in former senior enforcement officials,” Global Competition Review ranked Covington among the best in the world. With former regulators and enforcement officials among our ranks, we are powerfully equipped to help clients anticipate potential issues, navigate merger reviews efficiently, respond to investigations and enforcement actions effectively, and develop compliance programs to reduce risks proactively. Our team includes:
- five former U.S. Justice Department Antitrust and Criminal Division heads;
- several former EU Parliament and EU Council officials and former ambassadors;
- several former U.S. Federal Trade Commission officials; and
- two former DG Competition Heads of Unit.
Smart, Tough Response to Litigation and Investigations
Citing our “superb trial lawyers and outstanding legal analysts,” Chambers and Partners ranks Covington among the best firms in the world for antitrust and general litigation, and The American Lawyer listed us among its litigation departments of the year. With more than 400 litigators—seven of whom are members of the American College of Trial Lawyers—Covington has decades of experience before U.S. courts, European courts, the EU Commission, and arbitral tribunals around the world.
We also represent clients through the full life cycle of civil and criminal cartel and abuse of dominance investigations, providing seamless management of parallel investigations in multiple jurisdictions and critical insight on agency goals.
Seamless Transaction Support
We assist clients of all sizes in obtaining timely transaction clearances, including complex transactions crossing jurisdictions and markets. From the Exxon/Mobil and Merck/Schering-Plough mergers to Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype, Covington’s antitrust and competition team handles major cases for some of the biggest companies in the world.
Bank One and JP Morgan Chase
In securing a stay of antitrust and related class-action claims in deference to arbitration clauses in credit-card agreements. 361 F.Supp. 2d 237 (S.D.N.Y. 2005).
Chemical/manufacturing joint venture
Advising one of the world’s largest specialty chemicals companies regarding its manufacturing joint venture activities in China.
Criminal investigations of automotive manufacturers
Represent several Japanese and European manufacturers of automotive parts in investigations of alleged anticompetitive activity.
AstraZeneca Transactions
Representation of AstraZeneca in relation to the creation of a $3.4 billion diabetes joint venture with BMS, and the subsequent acquisition of sole control over that venture; in its acquisition of the rights to Almirall’s respiratory franchise (for initial consideration of $875 million and up to $1.22 billion in development, launch and sales-related milestones); assisting in the acquisition of the Takeda respiratory portfolio; and in relation to the creation of an oncology joint venture with Fujifilm Kyowa Kirin Biologics (FKB).
Sanofi/Verily Life Sciences Transaction
Representation of Sanofi in connection with obtaining clearances from the European Commission and in China, Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and Ukraine for its collaboration with Google Life Sciences, Inc., now Verily, relating to diabetes management products and services.
Qualcomm/CSR Transaction
Representation of Qualcomm in connection with its acquisition of CSR plc, with filings in China, Germany, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
China National Tire & Rubber Co. Transactions
Representation of China National Tire & Rubber Co., in its $7.7 billion acquisition of Pirelli.
Communications and Media Joint Ventures
Counseling for joint ventures for a variety of clients in media and communications, including cable channel ventures, joint ventures for video programming and content, and satellite, wireless, and broadcast joint ventures.
Tencent in $8.6 Billion Acquisition of Clash of Clans Developer
Represented Tencent Holdings Limited in its $8.6 billion acquisition of a majority stake in Supercell Oy, developer of Clash of Clans, Clash Royale, Boom Beach and Hay Day, from SoftBank.
High Profile Section 337 Dispute Between U.S. Steel and the Chinese Steel Industry
Representation of Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. in a trade secret, antitrust and false designation of origin dispute in the International Trade Commission involving processes for making Advanced High Strength Steel. In November 2016, Sturgis Sobin, Derek Ludwin, and James O’Connell were named “Litigators of the Week” by American Lawyer for an initial determination at the ITC on behalf of our client. This was the first price-fixing case in almost 40 years at the agency, terminating U.S. Steel’s antitrust claim.
January 2021
Recapture of Excess COVID-19 Payroll Tax Credits Addressed in New Regs 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 ...
March 11, 2019, Covington Alert
This alert summarizes the major antitrust/competition developments in 2018 and offers a view on what to expect in 2019 in the U.S., EU and China.
Yan Luo Named to Global Data Review's “40 Under 40”
September 19, 2018
BEIJING — Global Data Review has named Covington’s Yan Luo to its inaugural “40 Under 40” list, recognizing the 40 individuals who represent the best and the brightest of the data law bar around the world. Based in the firm’s Beijing office, Ms. Luo advises clients on a broad array of regulatory matters in connection with data privacy, international trade, ...
June 26, 2018, Covington Alert
On June 21, 2018, the European Commission (“Commission”) started a new investigation to determine whether so-called destination clauses in Qatar Petroleum’s liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) supply contracts with European buyers infringe the European Union (“EU”) antitrust rules.
International Trade Commission Drops US Steel's Antitrust Claims Against Chinese Steelmakers
March 23, 2018, The American Lawyer
Derek Ludwin and James O'Connell are quoted by The American Lawyer in an article examining a decision by the ITC stating that United States Steel cannot bring antitrust claims against 40 Chinese steel manufacturers over alleged price-fixing. Ludwin, who represents Baosteel America with O'Connell and Sturgis Sobin, says that even though Section 337 is not often ...
January 9, 2018, Covington Alert
2017 was another year of active enforcement globally—including in the U.S., despite the start of a new Presidential Administration touting an aggressive deregulatory agenda. Transactions in consolidated industries drew enforcement fire in both Europe and the United States (Dow/DuPont, ChemChina/Syngenta, Bayer/Monsanto, AT&T/TimeWarner). And, in March, the UK ...
December 26, 2017
SILICON VALLEY—The Financial Times has recognized Covington among the most innovative firms in 2017 in the category of "Enabling Business Growth," for advising "Tencent in its acquisition of a $8.6bn majority stake in Supercell, the Finnish gaming company, while maintaining Supercell’s creative culture and retaining its employees by introducing incentive ...
Covington Advises SK Holdings in Acquisition of Significant Minority Interest in Eureka Midstream
October 27, 2017
NEW YORK—Covington represented SK Holdings Co., Ltd. in its acquisition of a significant minority interest in Eureka Midstream Holdings, LLC, a midstream energy company that owns and operates approximately 340 miles of gas gathering pipelines in Ohio and West Virginia. The transaction closed in early October 2017. SK Group is a top three conglomerate in South ...
January 19, 2017, The Litigation Daily
The Litigation Daily highlights a recent client alert on competition law enforcement trends by Johan Ysewyn, Thomas Barnett, and Deborah Garza. Under President Trump, Covington lawyers "expect enforcement policy to shift back to a more traditional conservative approach similar to that of the George W. Bush administration. We will also be watching the extent to ...
January 18, 2017, Covington Alert
2016 was another year of active enforcement globally. It was also a year of big changes of uncertain impact. June saw the dramatic vote by the United Kingdom to withdraw from the European Union—a development which we do not expect will have concrete antitrust implications in 2017, given that the UK government has not yet formally started the “Brexit process,” ...
November 18, 2016, The Litigation Daily
Sturgis Sobin, Derek Ludwin, and James O’Connell were named “Litigators of the Week” by The Litigation Daily for an initial determination at the ITC on behalf of Baosteel in the first price-fixing case in almost 40 years at the agency, terminating U.S. Steel’s antitrust claim. According to Sobin, the argument was as much about educating the judge about the ...
September 21, 2016
SHANGHAI—China Law & Practice has named Covington as “Regulatory & Compliance Firm of the Year” at its annual award ceremony. The leading Chinese legal publication also recognized Shanghai partner Eric Carlson as “Regulatory & Compliance Lawyer of the Year” and the firm for its role in the “Outbound Deal of the Year,” China National Tire & Rubber’s $7.8 billion ...
Antitrust Enforcement Trends in the U.S., Europe and China: Looking Back at 2015 and Ahead to 2016
January 8, 2016, Covington Alert
Court Revives Samsung Antitrust Suit Against Panasonic
April 4, 2014, The AmLaw Litigation Daily
Timothy Hester, Robert Long, Derek Ludwin and Jonathan Gimblett are mentioned regarding their representation of Samsung.
March 28, 2013
WASHINGTON, DC, March 28, 2013 — Lanny A. Breuer, most recently the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, is returning to Covington & Burling as Vice Chair of the firm. Mr. Breuer’s practice will encompass a wide range of civil and criminal litigation matters, as well as governmental and internal investigations. ...
- Law360, Competition/Antitrust Group Of The Year (2019, 2014)
- Global Competition Review" GCR 100 Global Elite" (2012-2013; 2015-2019)
- Ranked among the world's top 25 antitrust practices
- Chambers USA, Antitrust (2019)
- Chambers Global, Competition/European Law (2018-2020)
- Chambers Europe, Competition/European Law (2018-2020)
- FT Innovative Lawyer Awards, "Highly Commended" in the category "Creating a new standard" (2018)
- Belgian Legal Awards, "Best Competition and Antitrust Law Firm" (2017)
- Am Law Litigation Daily, Sturgis Sobin, Derek Ludwin, and James O'Connell, “Litigators of the Week“ (11/18/2016)
- Global Competition Review, ranked among the "Elite" antitrust practices in Washington, DC (2015, 2018)
- Global Competition Review Awards 2015 - shortlisted in the following categories:
- Behavioral Matter of the Year - Europe
- Merger Control Matter of the Year - Europe
- Matter of the Year
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