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..
As a partner and co-chair of Covington's White Collar Defense and Investigations practice group, Aaron Lewis represents businesses, boards of directors, and individuals in sensitive, high-stakes government investigations, internal investigations, and regulatory enforcement matters.
He has advised clients facing alleged criminal and civil violations of the False Claims Act (FCA) and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), as well as allegations of public corruption, export controls violations, obstruction of justice, and espionage. Aaron's clients have included companies and independent board committees in the aerospace and defense, automotive, technology, entertainment, and retail industries and he routinely leads internal investigations of alleged misconduct or compliance failures, including several investigations involving allegations of ineffective internal controls and dysfunctional workplace cultures. He returned to Covington in 2015 after six years of service in the Department of Justice (DOJ), first as Counsel to Attorney General Eric Holder in Washington, and later as an Assistant United States Attorney in Los Angeles.
During his service in the Justice Department, Aaron advised the Attorney General on a range of enforcement issues, including intellectual property protections, national security matters and civil rights. He worked closely with senior officials at the White House, the Justice Department, and several law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and DHS. As an Assistant United States Attorney, most recently in the National Security Section, Aaron investigated and prosecuted cases involving thefts of trade secrets, export control violations, and computer network intrusions. He also prosecuted cases involving bank fraud, false statements, and mail fraud. An experienced trial and appellate lawyer, Aaron has tried several cases to verdict, and argued before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Representation of an executive in a federal corruption investigation involving allegations that the executive paid bribes to public officials.
Representation of an individual in a federal economic espionage investigation.
Representation of an aerospace and defense manufacturer in a DOJ False Claims Act investigation involving alleged failures to comply with product testing and qualification requirements.
Representation of a Special Committee of the board of directors of a technology company in an internal investigation involving allegations of a dysfunctional workplace culture and ineffective internal controls.
Representation of a Special Committee of the board of directors of a national retailer in an internal investigation involving workplace culture issues.
Representation of an entertainment company in an internal investigation involving workplace culture issues, including allegations of gender discrimination, in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
Representation of a global automotive manufacturer in an internal investigation involving workplace culture issues, including allegations of gender discrimination.
Representation of a Special Litigation Committee of the board of directors of Hewlett-Packard Co. in its investigation of the board's response to leaks of confidential information to the press.
U.S. Department of Justice – U.S. Attorney’s Office
Judicial Clerkship
Hon. Ronald M. Gould, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 2005 - 2006
Pro Bono
Representation of public interest organizations and minority voters in litigation challenging Alabama’s Photo ID voter law under the Voting Rights Act. Greater Birmingham Ministries et al. v. State of Alabama, et al. (N.D. Ala.).
Representation of an individual in post-conviction proceedings in Alabama.