WASHINGTON— Law360 has named Covington partners Sean Akins, Dustin Cho, Adrian Perry, Jennifer Saperstein, Kayleigh Scalzo, Ashley Simonsen, and William Woolston among its “Rising Stars.” Covington’s seven “Rising Stars” were the most of any firm this year. This annual recognition honors top lawyers under 40 “whose legal accomplishments transcend their age.”
The Covington recipients, along with the categories under which they were recognized, are:
Mr. Akins (Tax) advises corporations, partnerships, international organizations, and tax-exempt entities on Federal tax litigation and controversy matters. He has extensive experience litigating before the U.S. Tax Court, the Court of Federal Claims, and the U.S. District and Circuit Courts. In addition to litigating tax matters, Mr. Akins also provides strategic advice with respect to navigating the Internal Revenue Service administratively.
Mr. Cho (Insurance) is a commercial litigator who focuses on representing corporate policyholders in coverage disputes with their insurers. He has helped his clients obtain hundreds of millions of dollars in insurance recoveries for a wide range of liabilities, including shareholder claims, mass torts, government investigations, professional liability, environmental remediation, employment claims, product liability, and antitrust claims.
Mr. Perry (Sports and Betting) focuses on matters involving emerging and innovative uses of technology, intellectual property, and data. He works with clients across a range of industries, with a particular focus on advising sports leagues and teams, record companies, television programmers, and other entertainment companies on technology transactions and data and content licensing through digital and mobile platforms.
Ms. Saperstein (Compliance) advises clients on compliance issues arising under anti-corruption laws, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”). An experienced compliance counselor, she frequently conducts risk assessments and compliance program assessments, and has developed anti-corruption compliance programs for clients across a wide range of industries.
Ms. Scalzo (Government Contracts) represents government contractors in high-stakes litigation matters with the government and other private parties. She litigates bid protests at the Government Accountability Office, in the Court of Federal Claims and state courts, and before federal and state agencies. Ms. Scalzo also litigates Administrative Procedure Act cases and other civil matters in the U.S. Courts of Appeals and U.S. District Courts.
Ms. Simonsen (Banking) is a litigator whose practice focuses on defending complex class actions and antitrust litigation in state and federal court. She has deep experience representing clients in the financial services, consumer brands, and sports industries.
Mr. Woolston (Benefits) helps employers solve tough employee benefits and executive compensation problems. His practice focuses on all aspects of global employee benefits and executive compensation for companies in a variety of industries, including specialty chemicals and performance materials, disruptive technology, defense and aerospace, gaming and entertainment, and sports.