Covington v Debevoise Forum

[AnonCounsel]

...

[dixiecupdrinking]

Without more info (location, practice area, etc.), the most anyone can meaningfully tell you is that these are both excellent, well-regarded firms that are in the same general tier for prestige and reputation.

[Traynor Brah]

Both great firms, but Deb is a big deal in NYC but doesn't have much of a presence in DC, and Covington is a big deal in DC without much of a presence in NYC.

There would essentially never be a situation where it'd make sense to pick between the two firms. Rather, you would choose a preference between NYC and DC and then go to Deb or Cov, respectively, as a result.

[LaLiLuLeLo]

Debevoise doesn't have TTT in its name.

[WeeBey]

Debe NY > Cov NY

[Joscellin]

Both great firms, but Deb is a big deal in NYC but doesn't have much of a presence in DC, and Covington is a big deal in DC without much of a presence in NYC.

There would essentially never be a situation where it'd make sense to pick between the two firms. Rather, you would choose a preference between NYC and DC and then go to Deb or Cov, respectively, as a result.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks guys, OP here. The offices I'm choosing between are actually outside the United States and they have very equal reputations, and I like them equally, so just trying to find any sort of extra guidance!

[Anonymous User]

These firms do entirely different things. They are not comparable without context of what you are looking to do. It is like comparing Wolfgang's Steakhouse with Le Bernadin.

[thermidor9]

That one is easy too. Wolfgang's.

[Anonymous User]

That one is easy too. Wolfgang's.

Not if you're a vegetarian. That's the point.

[Anonymous User]

Is OP really trying to convince us he's choosing between Covington Shanghai and Deb Shanghai??

[Anonymous User]

Is OP really trying to convince us he's choosing between Covington Shanghai and Deb Shanghai??

Why is that so hard to believe haha? Trying to get an assessment of what they're like at their bases. They do v similar things in the offices I am choosing between..

[Anonymous User]

Debevoise doesn't have TTT in its name.

What does that mean?

[Anonymous User]

Is OP really trying to convince us he's choosing between Covington Shanghai and Deb Shanghai??

Why is that so hard to believe haha? Trying to get an assessment of what they're like at their bases. They do v similar things in the offices I am choosing between..

Anon from above. It does seem hard to believe. Deb is a top Wall Street firm and Covington is a top DC firm. All of their non-London offices have less than 30 people, so they're tiny and extremely unlikely to take on summer associates (and I don't believe a practicing lawyer would be clueless enough to ask this question).


OP, why not just tell us which non-US offices you're interested in, and people will tell you about their reputations. the non-US office are so small anyway, they are highly unlikely to have more than 1-3 practice groups. so just because Covington has an amazing FDA Regulation group, doesn't mean that the Brussels office gets any of that work

But I bet you can't, because you're just trying to figure out which is more preftigious

[Anonymous User]

Is OP really trying to convince us he's choosing between Covington Shanghai and Deb Shanghai??

Why is that so hard to believe haha? Trying to get an assessment of what they're like at their bases. They do v similar things in the offices I am choosing between..

Anon from above. It does seem hard to believe. Deb is a top Wall Street firm and Covington is a top DC firm. All of their non-London offices have less than 30 people, so they're tiny and extremely unlikely to take on summer associates (and I don't believe a practicing lawyer would be clueless enough to ask this question).


OP, why not just tell us which non-US offices you're interested in, and people will tell you about their reputations. the non-US office are so small anyway, they are highly unlikely to have more than 1-3 practice groups. so just because Covington has an amazing FDA Regulation group, doesn't mean that the Brussels office gets any of that work

But I bet you can't, because you're just trying to figure out which is more preftigious

The concept of summer associates is an American thing, it doesn't translate overseas, even to US offices which are overseas. Who's to say the OP isn't a lateral, or some other kind of uptake?

Also, think it's clear from above that OP is looking at Shanghai (I think).

[Anonymous User]

Out of interest, how do their London offices compare?

[Anonymous User]

Is OP really trying to convince us he's choosing between Covington Shanghai and Deb Shanghai??

Why is that so hard to believe haha? Trying to get an assessment of what they're like at their bases. They do v similar things in the offices I am choosing between..

Anon from above. It does seem hard to believe. Deb is a top Wall Street firm and Covington is a top DC firm. All of their non-London offices have less than 30 people, so they're tiny and extremely unlikely to take on summer associates (and I don't believe a practicing lawyer would be clueless enough to ask this question).


OP, why not just tell us which non-US offices you're interested in, and people will tell you about their reputations. the non-US office are so small anyway, they are highly unlikely to have more than 1-3 practice groups. so just because Covington has an amazing FDA Regulation group, doesn't mean that the Brussels office gets any of that work

But I bet you can't, because you're just trying to figure out which is more preftigious

The concept of summer associates is an American thing, it doesn't translate overseas, even to US offices which are overseas. Who's to say the OP isn't a lateral, or some other kind of uptake?

Also, think it's clear from above that OP is looking at Shanghai (I think).

This question is even dumber if it pertains to tiny satellite offices that only do a couple of clearly-defined things. I mean how does OP not know what the offices do? Isn't that the relevant question?

For example, Covington lists 2 partners that work exclusively out of Shanghai and 2 others that split time between Shanghai and Beijing. One appears to do FCPA work. Another does pharma regulatory. Another does transactional IP. And the last one is an entertainment lawyer.

So what are you being hired for? That's the whole damn office right there, and it sounds like four hugely different practices with virtually no overlap. You think the entertainment guy is moonlighting in FDA regulatory on the side?

Meanwhile. Debevoise Shanghai has, literally, no partners. None. I can't even imagine how that works. They list a single counsel who appears to do investigations work. Is it just a diligence farm? I don't know.

These granular factors grossly outweigh any and all prestige metrics. Doing investigations doc review for 4 years isn't even prestigious if you were doing it for Williams & Connolly. Doing FCPA compliance isn't going to help you build a career as an M&A lawyer. So I ask again: given how small these offices are and how discrete their practices are, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO.

This thread perfectly illustrates why it is so hard to find competent, normal associates for mainland China offices. You hear crazy stories, and I bet they're all true.

[Yeezus Wept]

Okay people, let's put our detective hats on here. For myriad reasons discussed above, the OP's question makes no sense if he is an attorney.

But, he isn't. He says he wants to know which firm would "look better on a resume." Clearly, OP is an international 0L who has an opportunity to be a paralegal at DB or C, and being the sniveling little prestige whore he is, he wants to know which firm will look more impressive to the WUSTL's of the world when he invariably gets a 162 on his LSAT and refuses to retake.

He also almost certainly got these opportunities through his father, who despite the best efforts of the OP, will never really be proud of him. I think I've cracked the case boys, we can go home now.

[Anonymous User]

.

[Anonymous User]

.