Barrie Covit is a partner in the Firm’s Corporate Department, where he is Co-Head of the Investment Funds Practice, Chair of the Firm’s Investment and Pension Committee and a member of the Firm’s Compensation Committee. Concentrating on alternative asset management, Barrie represents some of the largest, best-known sponsors of private equity funds, including Carlyle, KKR, Lexington Partners, BlackRock, J.C. Flowers, Corsair Capital and EQT. He has represented sponsors of funds that focus on investments in specific asset classes—including energy, financial services and the secondary market—throughout the world, including in Western Europe, South Africa and Brazil. In addition, Barrie represented the U.S. Treasury Department in connection with the $30 billion Public-Private Investment Program to purchase legacy assets from financial institutions. Barrie is ranked in the top tier of U.S. private funds practitioners by Chambers & Partners. Chambers has noted Barrie’s “deep experience across the private equity fund formation industry.” Additionally, Chambers has cited him as a "brilliant lawyer" and noted that "he is incredibly smart and he has a great commercial sense about him." Recently, Barrie was named by Law360 as an “MVP” for 2024. Barrie has also been named to the “Hall of Fame” and as a leading lawyer by The Legal 500 United States. In addition, he is referred to as a market leader by IFLR1000 and noted as a “Thought Leader” in the Lexology Index.
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Work Highlights
- Carlyle in a number of fundraisings, including the establishment of the $18.5 billion Carlyle Partners VII, the $8 billion Carlyle Realty Partners IX, the €6.4 billion Carlyle Europe Partners V, the $6.5 billion Carlyle Asia Partners V, the $2.2 billion Carlyle Global Infrastructure Opportunity Fund, the $1.3 billion Carlyle Partners Growth, and the $1.1 billion Carlyle Financial Services Partners
- Lexington Partners in the establishment of the $22.7 billion Lexington Capital Partners X and the $14 billion Lexington Capital Partners IX
- BlackRock in the establishment of the approximately $5 billion BlackRock Global Infrastructure Fund IV
- EQT in the establishment of the €22 billion EQT X, the €15.6 EQT IX, the €15.7 billion EQT Infrastructure V and prior funds
- Northwood Partners in raising over $8.5 billion for an evergreen real estate fund
- J.C. Flowers in the establishment of its financial services funds including the $1.1 billion J.C. Flowers V and the $2.3 billion J.C. Flowers III
- Benefit Street Partners in the establishment of the approximately $850 million Benefit Street Partners Special Situations Fund II
- U.S. Treasury in its $30 billion Public-Private Investment Program to purchase legacy assets from financial institutions
Education
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Columbia Law School, 1998 J.D.
Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar; Columbia Business Law Review
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McGill University, 1995 B.C.
James McGill Scholar
Barrie Covit is a partner in the Firm’s Corporate Department, where he is Co-Head of the Investment Funds Practice, Chair of the Firm’s Investment and Pension Committee and a member of the Firm’s Compensation Committee. Based in the Firm’s New York office, he focuses on private funds and other facets of “alternative asset management.” He has represented some of the largest and most well-known sponsors of private equity funds including Carlyle, KKR, Lexington Partners, BlackRock, J.C. Flowers, Corsair Capital and EQT. He has also represented sponsors of funds that focus on investments in specific asset classes (including energy, infrastructure, financial services and the secondary market) in regions throughout the world (including Western Europe, South Africa and Brazil).
Barrie represented the United States Treasury Department in connection with the $30 billion Public-Private Investment Program to purchase legacy assets from financial institutions.
Chambers USA has recognized Barrie as a leading lawyer in private equity fund formation in each year from 2008 to 2025. Barrie’s work on the investor matching program for Carlyle Partners VI was recognized by the Financial Times in its “US Innovative Lawyers” issue. Barrie is ranked in the top tier of U.S. private funds practitioners by Chambers & Partners. Chambers has noted Barrie’s “deep experience across the private equity fund formation industry.” Additionally, Chambers has cited him as a "brilliant lawyer" and noted that "he is incredibly smart and he has a great commercial sense about him."Recently, Barrie was named by Law360 as an “MVP” for 2024. Barrie has also been named to the “Hall of Fame” and as a leading lawyer by The Legal 500 United States. In addition, he is referred to as a market leader by IFLR1000 and noted as a “Thought Leader” in the Lexology Index.
Barrie graduated from McGill University in 1995, where he was a James McGill Scholar. He received his J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1998, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and a member of the Columbia Business Law Review. Barrie joined Simpson Thacher in 1998.