Covington & Burling LLP - True Picture

Covington & Burling training contract review 2024

The Firm

“Covington is different to a lot of other American firms,” one trainee told us. “For one thing, it’s headquartered in Washington DC as opposed to New York, which means it has access to a very different sort of client base, and that really sets the tone of the firm.” After ten decades in DC, Covington & Burling has built a big reputation at the intersection of law and public policy. In fact, after President Obama’s inauguration in 2009, Covington partner Eric Holder became the Attorney General of the United States. But wherever you find yourself, the firm’s focus on heavily regulated sectors like tech and life sciences has brought plenty of that emphasis across the pond. Here in the UK, Covington bags top-tier Chambers UK rankings in both transactional & regulatory life sciences and public affairs, alongside strong showings in data protection & information law and product liability.

“…it has access to a very different sort of client base, and that really sets the tone of the firm.”

While the smaller intake was a big draw for trainees, the current cohort was quick to emphasise that London wasn’t simply a satellite office for Covington’s practices in the US. As one source put it: “The firm has tried since the beginning to keep the small-firm atmosphere here in the London office, while maintaining the reputation of a prestigious law firm standing on its own two feet.” In fact, 100% of survey respondents at Covington indicated that they felt the firm added value to their CV, and with good reason. Covington’s recent work includes client names such as Microsoft, Astra Zeneca and Meta, and the firm has represented Ukraine in its high-profile case against the Russian Federation at the International Court of Justice.

The Seats

Before starting, incoming trainees at Covington attend a ‘seat spotlight’ event, which provides an introduction to the various seat options from the relevant partners and associates. Trainees then rank their options from first to last: “Those rankings stick with you throughout your training contract,” one trainee recalled, “but they understand that your interests adapt and change as you progress, so there is room if you are feeling slightly different to what you signalled at the beginning.” Alongside the standard contentious requirement (one of arbitration, white-collar crime or litigation), there is a compulsory corporate seat (one of corporate, project finance and life sciences transactional). Secondments are also a big part of life at Covington, with time at one of the firm’s pharma clients a popular option, as well as international seats in Dubai (corporate & finance) and Brussels (EU competition law).

As one of the firm’s central practices, it’s relatively common for trainees at Covington to get a taste of life sciences transactions at some stage. “The group works on a lot of commercial agreements, things like licences in relation to the development of drugs and medical devices,” one source explained, “but there’s also a side of the practice that assists with the due diligence on corporate deals with related clients; from small biotech companies to multinational pharmaceuticals.” For trainees in the seat, there will inevitably be some work with household names too - Covington’s life sciences client list includes the likes of Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline and Oxford BioMedica. In one recent deal, the firm advised pharma company AstraZeneca in the sale of its rights to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) medication Eklira to Covis Pharma Group. While typical trainee tasks in the seat revolved around due diligence work and drafting, sources described it as: “very client-facing.” As one put it: “It’s a very technical seat, so the drafting can be a learning curve, especially for someone without a science background. But the team is really good at making it accessible.”

“Whether it’s cybersecurity or AI, we work on the big issues that are catching the attention of the media.”

“Probably one of the firm’s flagship teams” is how trainees described the technology regulatory department at Covington. “The work that we do revolves around dispute regulatory and compliance advice,” one trainee explained; “a lot of what we deal with is quite data protection-heavy, but it isn’t solely data protection. The team is always expanding its practice. Whether it’s cybersecurity or AI, we work on the big issues that are catching the attention of the media.” The department’s client list should be sufficient to keep tech aficionados happy too, with names like Microsoft and Meta to name a few. In one recent matter, the firm advised a number of tech companies on the jurisdiction and scope of the US-UK Data Access Agreement, which was introduced to remove the barriers blocking service providers in one country from sharing user data with law enforcement authorities in another. Where clients need advice of this kind, “there’s a lot of factual legal research,” one source recalled, “whether that’s working out what the law is, or what our response to a certain regulator should be.” 

As trainees were quick to point out, Covington’s corporate department plays host to a variety of work, from private and cross-border M&A, to capital markets, venture capital and private equity. “You really can try your hand at a bit of everything that’s on offer,” one trainee recalled, “because the practice really works together as one.” Covington’s corporate clientele tend to come out of the firm’s sector focuses, so there’s a host of life sciences, energy and tech clients, from Equinor ASA to Arcutis Biotherapeutics. In a recent deal, Covington advised Odyssey Therapeutics in its acquisition of UK biotech quantum machine learning company Rahko. “Depending on where you are on the deal, there is a very high level of client contact,” one source told us. Aside from time sitting in on client meetings and chasing documents from the other side, typical trainee tasks included “drafting emails, board minutes, disclosure letters, and ancillary agreements on joint ventures.”

“The subject matter, the disputes, the relevant laws, they are always very global. You’re operating across time zones and it’s exciting to be a part of.”

The international arbitration team covers both investor-state arbitration and commercial arbitration, though in London it’s more heavily weighted towards the latter: “The international arbitration team, as the name suggests, involves defending clients against various claims made against them by the arbitral institutions,” one trainee explained. Trainees in the seat reported that the commercial side typically involves work on things like licensing and distribution agreements: “It is quite black-letter law heavy, so quite academic. It involves doing research, discussing your findings with your supervisor, and then preparing to draft submissions for a filing.” On the more practical side of these submissions, sources pointed out that with no paralegals in the London office, there can be plenty of more administrative tasks at the junior end too. But on the flipside: “It’s very international. The subject matter, the disputes, the relevant laws, they are always very global. You’re operating across time zones and it’s exciting to be a part of.” In one recent commercial case, the firm represented Ukraine’s national energy company Naftogaz in a multibillion-dollar investment treaty claim against Russia over the seizure of assets in Crimea following Russia’s annexation of the peninsula.

As one of the smaller teams at the firm, an employment seat at Covington provides trainees with an opportunity to play a bigger part in the team's day to day: “Employment is one of the smaller teams at the firm with only seven or eight core staff,” one source commented, “but there is room to have more of a direct project management function as a trainee.” The employment work at the firm covers the advisory side of employment law regarding things like office policies and remote working, as well as close work with the corporate arm of the firm on the employment law aspects of major M&A deals. “We also have a growing ESG practice, and one of the associates in the team has an employment and human rights focus,” one trainee added, “so there is a lot of research into that kind of thing which is really interesting.”

Trainee Life

If you’re looking for a room with a view, then look no further than Covington’s 22 Bishopsgate office: “I think our London office is the biggest part of the draw,” one trainee remarked; “I think it’s the highest office block in Europe west of Moscow, and we’ve probably got the best views in the city from the top.” There’s also a free team lunch on a Wednesday in the office, as well as free coffee at all hours. Trainees are expected to be in the office Tuesday to Thursday: “It used to be three days a week whenever it worked for you, but now they’ve settled on those three specific days.” According to trainees it’s pretty strictly enforced too.

While sources said that the firm is generally one where people’s personal life is left at the door, “there’s a social committee that puts on regular events. We had a denim day where everyone wore denim, with a denim quiz at the end of the day. There’s also drinks trolleys with particular themes and things like that.” When it comes to training, all trainees are enrolled into Covington’s ‘trainee fundamentals’ programme, “where a lawyer from one of the various departments will come and give them an insight into the practical elements to be aware of.”

“We had a denim day where everyone wore denim, with a denim quiz at the end of the day.”

One thing that all prospective Covingtonites should be aware of is that hours at the firm aren’t for the faint-hearted. According to our survey, hours were considerably higher than the market average, and trainees reported plenty of late nights: “there will be certain weeks where you’ll work until 1 or 2am every day including weekends,” one lamented. This was balanced with the fact that the trainee salary at Covington was recently raised to £50,000 in your first year (rising to £55,000 in your second), along with a significant increase in the NQ salary to £151,000 – right at the top of the market. “If you are working ten hours a day, you can also get a £25 meal allowance,” one trainee was quick to highlight; “you also get a mobile phone allowance, which is £25 for your plan and £700 every two years for the phone itself.”

Come qualification time: “It’s based on a number of conversations between you and graduate development,” one told us, “most of which usually take place around midway through your fourth seat.” As is the case at any firm, these conversations are balanced with what the firm needs from a business perspective, before a list of available seats is circulated by HR: “At that point, all of the trainees apply to what’s available, but by this stage, it’s quite clear which seats are for whom.” The likelihood of an interview depends on the department, but the feedback from most was that interviews only take place in cases where there is competition for places. But don’t let that worry you, Covington has a good track record when it comes to retention. In 2023, the firm retained all eight qualifiers.

How to get a Covington training contract

Vacation scheme deadlines:  Winter Vacation Scheme: 20 October 2023, Summer Vacation Scheme: 12 January 2024

Insight day deadline:  CovInsights (first year programme)  9 February 2024

Training contract deadline: The firm recruits exclusively via its vacation schemes.

Applications and Interviews

The first step in securing a training contract at Covington is to complete an online application form, covering work experience (both legal and non-legal) and why the firm appeals to you. As a lawyer you'll need to communicate complex ideas clearly and succinctly, and this is something the firm keeps an eye out for in applications. Finally, Covington look for trainees who are well-rounded, so don’t be afraid to let your personality and passions shine throughout the application process. Successful candidates are then invited to attend an assessment centre which comprises a group exercise and an interview with two senior lawyers. Candidates will also have the opportunity to meet with some trainees on an informal basis.

Vacation Schemes 

Covington run two vacation schemes, a one-week scheme in the winter and a two-week scheme in the summer. Eligible applicants will be in their final year of a non-law degree or penultimate year of a law degree (although graduates and career changers are also welcome to apply). Vacation schemers spend a week sitting within a practice group, sharing an office with a senior lawyer, and are also allocated an associate mentor and trainee buddy, replicating the trainee experience from the outset. Interns complete an independent research project, a group negotiation exercise and attend a training contract interview at the end of the scheme. There's also the opportunity to attend a variety of presentations from practice groups and international offices, and there are a number of social and networking opportunities to allow students to gain a real understanding of the firm.

Apply here.

CovInsights

The CovInsights programme is aimed at first-year law students and second-year non-law students who are still researching their legal careers. This two-day interactive programme provides an insight into the firm, its practice areas, and the skills you will need to develop to become a successful lawyer. The programme is the perfect opportunity for candidates who are not yet eligible to apply for the firm's vacation schemes, and includes an introduction to the firm's key practice areas, group exercises and workshops, and networking opportunities. Applications are open from 7 September 2023 to 9 February 2024.

Apply here.

The ideal candidate

Covington requires applicants to have strong grades at A level and a 2:1 degree. Successful candidates are sharp, articulate, and quick thinking.