Covington & Burling is to make its first foray into the Asian market with the launch of an office in Beijing today (23 July).

Covington received a license to practise from the Chinese government on 5 June. The opening represents the firm's sixth office and their third outside of the US, with other bases in London and Brussels.

Former management committee chair Stuart Stock will head up the office along with former Warner Bros executive Ellen Eliasoph and Cao Yu from local firm Haiwen & Partners.

Stock was previously chair of the firm for nine years, stepping down in January this year.

The office will play to the firm's regulatory and policy strengths, advising on antitrust, corporate and environmental law among others.

Timothy Hester, chair of Covington's management committee, commented: "Covington has been advising its international clients on legal and business matters in Asia for decades; but we concluded that opening an office in China was the logical next step to serve our clients."

In March this year Covington's London office appointed a new head in the shape of litigation partner Roger Enock.

Last year the Washington DC-based firm saw its firmwide profits per equity partner increase by 8% on the previous year to $1.175m (£582,000), up from $1.085m (£537,000) in 2006.