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.