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John Nields is senior of counsel in the firm’s Washington, DC office and specializes in antitrust and other civil litigation, arbitration, and white collar criminal defense. He has particular expertise in criminal appeals and matters involving the U.S. Congress. As special counsel for the Justice Department, Mr. Nields successfully prosecuted top FBI officials for authorizing secret searches into the homes of innocent American citizens, and copying their private papers. In private practice, he defended Webster Hubbell against a series of indictments filed by the independent counsel investigating former President Clinton. He also served as chief counsel of the House panel investigating the Iran-Contra scandal.
- American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 37 Health & Security Plan v. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Southern District of New York. Representing Bristol-Myers Squibb in a class action lawsuit alleging that BMS’ co-pay assistance program for its blockbuster drug Abilify® violates RICO and Robinson Patman Act § 2(c).
- FTC v. Schering-Plough, 402 F.3d 1056 (11th Cir. 2005). Successfully defended antitrust case brought against pharmaceutical company alleging that so-called “reverse payment” patent settlements were anticompetitive. Case involved a successful nine-week trial, and a landmark decision in the Court of Appeals dismissing all allegations in the case.
- In Re K-Dur Antitrust Litigation, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Civil Action No. 01-CV-1652 (JAG), MDL No. 1419. Successful defense of class actions filed in the wake of FTC v. Schering-Plough mentioned above. Summary judgment granted in Schering’s favor on March 25, 2010.
- In Re Wellbutrin XL Antitrust Litigation. Representing Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (formerly Biovail Corporation) in class action litigation consolidated in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania involving allegations of sham litigation.
- In Re Schering-Plough Corporation Securities Litigation, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Civil Action No. 01-0829 (KSH). Defended and eventually settled a securities fraud class action arising out of FDA enforcement action against, and large penalties extracted from, Schering-Plough as a result of alleged manufacturing deficiencies.
- In Re Schering-Plough Corp. Securities Litigation, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Civil Action No. 01-CV-4965 (KSH). Won dismissal of a putative securities fraud class action in which Plaintiffs tried to turn an alleged Reg FD violation into a securities fraud case.
- United States v. Kuehne. Represented prominent attorney charged with money laundering, wire fraud, and obstruction of justice. Obtained pre-trial dismissal of multiple counts, as well as a landmark decision by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirming dismissal of the central count in the case, following which the Department of Justice voluntarily dismissed the remaining counts of the indictment.
- United States v. Felt. As Special Counsel for the Department of Justice, successfully prosecuted the second and third ranking officials of the FBI for secretly breaking into homes of US citizens, copying their private documents and falsifying FBI records to conceal the manner in which the documents were obtained, all in violation of the Fourth Amendment. Witnesses included five former Attorneys General and a former President of the United States.
- United States v. Hubbell. Defended Webster L. Hubbell against repeated indictments by Independent Counsel over a five-year period. Obtained the dismissal of one such indictment on the ground that it was tainted by documents produced under immunity, and obtained an affirmance of that dismissal in the U.S. Supreme Court.
- United States v. Heller. Obtained, in the same criminal tax case, two reversals by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in 1986 and 1987. The first was based on ethnic slurs uttered by the jury during its deliberations. The second was based on threats made to the defendant’s accountant by the IRS, resulting in the accountant’s untruthful testimony against the defendant.
Pro Bono
- Led a successful challenge to an HHS regulation which would have required federally funded birth control clinics to notify parents before prescribing birth control to teenagers.
- Atchison v. Barry. Represented a class of homeless persons seeking to enforce rights under the Right to Overnight Shelter Law. Obtained a preliminary injunction, consent decree and several contempt findings. As a result, shelter space was expanded and conditions improved. The court placed $4 million in contempt fines into a trust for the benefit of homeless people, and 400 new units of housing have been constructed.
Memberships and Affiliations
- American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow
- District of Columbia Bar, Past President; Pro Bono Committee, Chair
Previous Experience
- Special Counsel for Rhode Island's commission to investigate the failure of Rhode Island's Insured Financial Institutions (1991-1992).
- House Select Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with Iran, Chief Counsel (1987)
- U.S. Department of Justice, Special Counsel (1979-1980)
- U.S. House of Representatives, Chief Counsel to the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (1977-1979)
- Senior Law Clerk to Associate Justice Byron R. White, U.S. Supreme Court (1974-1977)
- Assistant U.S. Attorney, Southern District of New York (1969-1974)
September 28, 2020
WASHINGTON—Covington partner Jennifer Saulino has been named a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America. Ms. Saulino is the eighth Covington lawyer among the current Fellows, joining Lanny Breuer, Robert Haslam, Carolyn Kubota, John Nields, George Pappas, William Phillips, and Robert Sayler. Ms. ...
March 5, 2018
LOS ANGELES—Covington partner Carolyn Kubota has been named a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America. Ms. Kubota is the seventh Covington lawyer among the current Fellows, joining Lanny Breuer, Robert Haslam, John Nields, George Pappas, William Phillips, and Robert Sayler. Ms. Kubota is a ...
BTI Names Nields and Shin "Client Service All-Stars"
February 10, 2017
SAN FRANCISCO—The BTI Consulting Group has named Covington lawyers John Nields and Clara Shin to its 2017 “Client Service All-Stars” list, which recognizes “remarkable attorneys and their ability to rise above all others with the most demanding clients.” Mr. Nields, based in Washington, is a highly regarded trial lawyer and member of the firm’s litigation and ...
October 6, 2015
NEW YORK, October 6, 2015 - Covington partner C. William Phillips has been named a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America. Mr. Phillips is the seventh Covington lawyer among the current Fellows, joining Lanny Breuer, Robert Haslam, James McKay, John Nields, George Pappas, and Robert Sayler. Mr. ...
October 27, 2014
WASHINGTON, DC, October 27, 2014 —U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres recently granted summary judgment to Acorda Therapeutics in a nearly three-year-old antitrust and false advertising lawsuit brought by Apotex. Covington & Burling represented Acorda. Apotex alleged that Acorda Therapeutics had engaged in anticompetitive conduct to delay entry of Apotex’s ...
August 18, 2014
WASHINGTON, DC, August 18, 2014 — Best Lawyers named Covington & Burling’s Stuart Eizenstat and Gregg Levy each a 2015 “Lawyer of the Year” in international trade and sports law, respectively, citing their “abilities, professionalism and integrity.” Overall, Covington lawyers received 217 individual mentions in 58 areas of law in the newly released annual survey ...
November 21, 2013
WASHINGTON, DC, November 21, 2013 — Washingtonian magazine has named 34 Covington & Burling attorneys as “Best Lawyers” in its December issue. The biennial list, compiled by the magazine’s editorial staff, identifies leading lawyers in the Washington area. Of the hundreds of “Best Lawyers” identified in the issue, Washingtonian spotlights 14 leading Washington ...
August 27, 2012
WASHINGTON, DC, August 27, 2012 — Covington & Burling LLP lawyers received 196 individual mentions in 57 areas of law in the 2013 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. This annual compilation of top U.S. lawyers is based on peer-review surveys and is used as a referral guide in the legal profession. The Covington lawyers recognized are as ...
Covington Scores Antitrust Defense Victory for Valeant
May 17, 2012
WASHINGTON, DC, May 17, 2012 — Covington & Burling scored a major victory recently in an antitrust class action case involving allegations of sham litigation, when the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia granted summary judgment in favor of Covington’s client Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (formerly Biovail Corp.) and co-defendant ...
Covington Lawyers Recognized by D.C. Super Lawyers
May 2, 2012
WASHINGTON, DC, May 2, 2012 — D.C. Super Lawyers selected 64 Covington & Burling lawyers for its 2012 list of top legal talent. Super Lawyers selects no more than five percent of the total lawyers who practice in Washington based on peer review and the publication’s independent research. Deborah Garza and Robert Long have been named among the “Top 100” for ...
Covington Named to GCR’s Global Elite
February 6, 2012
BRUSSELS, 6 February, 2012 — The Global Competition Review has named Covington & Burling to the Global Elite, a list of the top 20 competition practices worldwide recognised in its annual GCR 100 rankings. The 2012 edition of the publication’s GCR 100 provides extensive analysis of antitrust groups in 41 jurisdictions around the world. In honoring Covington, ...
November 30, 2011
WASHINGTON, DC, November 30, 2011 — Washingtonian magazine has named 34 Covington & Burling attorneys as “Best Lawyers” in its December issue. The biennial list, compiled by the magazine’s editorial staff, identifies leading lawyers in the Washington area. Of the approximately 800 “Best Lawyers” identified in the issue, Washingtonian included profiles of 31 ...
September 7, 2011
WASHINGTON, DC, September 7, 2011 — Covington & Burling LLP lawyers received 184 individual mentions in 56 areas of law in the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. This annual compilation of top US lawyers is based on peer-review surveys and is used as a referral guide in the legal profession. The Covington lawyers recognized are as follows: ...
June 10, 2011
WASHINGTON, DC, June 10, 2011 — Covington & Burling LLP received 123 individual mentions and 45 practice mentions in Chambers USA 2011. The guidebook, which ranks lawyers by state and national practice area, is designed to identify the most skilled legal practitioners based on the qualities most valued by clients. Here are the Covington lawyers and practices ...
June 9, 2011
WASHINGTON, DC, June 10, 2011 — Covington & Burling LLP received 92 individual mentions and 32 practice mentions in the Legal 500 US 2011 edition. Legal 500 reviews the strengths and strategies of law firms in more than 90 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North and South America, and the Caribbean. Here are the Covington lawyers and practices ...
Covington Lawyers Recognized by D.C. Super Lawyers
May 17, 2011
WASHINGTON, DC, May 17, 2011 — D.C. Super Lawyers selected 55 Covington & Burling lawyers for its 2011 list of top legal talent. Super Lawyers selects no more than five percent of the total lawyers who practice in Washington based on peer review and the publication’s independent research. Deborah Garza has been named among the “Top 50 Women,” and Robert Long ...
- Named to the BTI Consulting Group's “Client Service All-Stars” list (2017-2018).
- Chambers USA, Litigation: General Commercial and White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (2014-2017)
- Washington DC Super Lawyers, Criminal Defense (2014-2017)
- Best Lawyers in America, Appellate (2013-2017)
- Benchmark Litigation, Local Star: District of Columbia (2013-2014)
- Listed as a leading lawyer in Who’s Who Legal, Investigations (2017) and Business Crime Defence (2014)
- Washingtonian, Criminal Defense White Collar "Top Lawyer" (2013)