Covington & Burling LLP operates as a limited liability partnership worldwide, with the practice in England and Wales conducted by an affiliated
limited liability multinational partnership, Covington & Burling LLP, which is formed under the laws of the State of Delaware in the United States
and authorized and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with registration number 77071..
A former federal prosecutor, Steve Anthony represents clients in high-stakes matters, especially those involving parallel criminal investigations and civil litigation.
Steve represents corporations and individuals in government investigations of alleged:
Consumer fraud
Violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)
Bribery
Accounting fraud
False statements
International trade control violations
Violations of laws governing the manufacture and marketing of pharmaceutical products
Data breaches
Drawing on his experience as a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and as a Trial Attorney in the Criminal Division of the DOJ, Steve guides his clients through internal and government investigations. He is particularly skilled at assisting clients in investigations with the potential for overlapping investigations, collateral civil litigation, and/or reputational damage. Chambers USA recognized Steve as an “even-keeled defense lawyer who knows how to navigate the dangerous terrain of a criminal case and parallel civil proceedings.”
In addition to his investigations practice, Steve is a skilled litigator, having tried 34 cases before juries that ranged from complex criminal cases involving bribery, fraud, and obstruction of justice to patent infringement claims. Steve’s courtroom experience in civil and criminal cases enables him to handle every aspect of a complex litigation matter for his clients. Leveraging his trial experience to identify dispositive issues early, Steve has achieved highly favorable pre-trial outcomes in multi-billion-dollar disputes over alleged financial fraud and patent infringement claims.
Steve is Deputy Chair of Covington’s global litigation practice, and he serves as a General Counsel of the firm. Steve previously spent five years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and three years as a Trial Attorney in the Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
In addition to his work and roles at Covington, Steve is a member of the D.C. Circuit Advisory Committee on Admissions and Grievances. He was President of the Assistant United States Attorneys' Association of the District of Columbia from 2015 to 2016. From 2016 to 2020, he was Chair of the Board of Trustees of the McLean School in Potomac, Maryland. Steve served as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center from 2019 to 2022, teaching an ethics course titled Counseling the Corporation in Crisis.
Secured a declination on behalf of a leading global media entity in a DOJ FCPA investigation.
Successfully defended AstraZeneca in a $1.9 billion patent infringement case brought by a leading medical university, by obtaining court rulings invalidating both of the asserted patents.
Represented Johnson & Johnson in a years-long investigation by a coalition of 43 state attorneys general, arising from recalls of over-the-counter drugs.
Successfully represented a top coal mining executive, avoiding any criminal charges in a federal criminal investigation arising from an explosion that killed 29 miners.
Successfully defended the Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa by obtaining a hung jury and subsequent dismissal of the indictment in a complex jury trial involving conspiracy, fraud, bribery, and obstruction charges.
Defended Gilead Sciences, Inc. in a government investigation concerning the marketing and promotion of several prescription drugs, resulting in the declination by the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene in several related qui tam cases.
Defended Leiner Health Products Inc. in a criminal prosecution of alleged violations of current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) relating to the manufacture of over-the-counter drugs.
Defended JPMorgan Chase & Co. in civil litigation and related government investigations arising out of the default of $2 billion in asset-backed securities issued by National Century Financial Enterprises, Inc.
Defended the former Chief Financial Officer of a real estate investment trust in an SEC investigation of alleged accounting irregularities, resulting in the Enforcement Division’s decision not to recommend any enforcement action.
Defended a former analyst of the Defense Intelligence Agency in an investigation of allegations of improper disclosures of classified information.
Obtained summary judgment for a leading manufacturer in a qui tam action alleging the sale of defective products to the U.S. Army.
Conducted an internal investigation for a leading IT company regarding allegations of misconduct by its Chief Executive officer.
Represented a Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Adelphia Communications Corp. in connection with widely publicized allegations of mismanagement by the company’s senior executives.