Akin

Chairperson: Kim Koopersmith

Number of lawyers and advisors: 900+

Firm Overview:

Akin is a global law firm with more than 900 lawyers and advisors who pride themselves on dedication to their clients and their communities. With 18 offices worldwide, the firm is renowned for numerous market-leading practices; its strengths in complex transactions and restructurings, high-stakes litigation, and public policy and regulatory matters; and its unyielding pro bono commitment. The firm partners with clients from both established industries and cutting-edge markets to deliver creative solutions to business-critical issues, helping them seize opportunities and anticipate challenges. Driven by its forward-thinking leadership, the firm has built a strong culture of innovation and collaboration as well as a talented and diverse workforce committed to the success of its clients and each other. The firm is intentional about fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees are supported and given the tools to succeed. It is focused on recruiting and nurturing the next generation of exceptional legal talent and is proud that its recruitment and professional development efforts are recognized as among the best in the industry.

Main Areas of Practice:

Corporate & Finance:

Akin advises investment funds, public and private companies and their boards, management and entrepreneurs on their transactional and ongoing business needs. It advises on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and other finance transactions, and special situations and distressed transactions.

Energy:

Akin is deeply rooted in all aspects of the energy industry in the United States and worldwide, including oil and gas, petrochemicals, liquefied natural gas, coal, utilities and renewables. The firm's lawyers represent public and private companies, sponsors and portfolio companies, management teams and investors throughout the energy value chain in transactions, including M&A, securities, capital markets, finance, investments, restructuring, and project finance, development and operations.

Financial Restructuring:

Akin’s Financial Restructuring practice is widely recognized as a powerhouse in the industry, with more than 100 lawyers dedicated to distressed situations in the key global financial centers. Companies, ad hoc groups, creditors' committees, and institutional investors seek our counsel for their most sensitive and complex restructuring, liability management, and special situations matters, trusting our international and integrated platform to manage every facet and issue that may arise. It has played leading roles in groundbreaking matters, including SVB Financial, Diamond Sports, Avaya, Cineworld, PG&E, Aeroméxico, Intelsat, Purdue, Sears, Revlon, Brazos Electric and Chesapeake Energy.

Intellectual Property:

Akin’s renowned IP trial team is sought out by Fortune 500 companies and multinational corporations for its achievements in litigating complex patent disputes in federal courts around the country and before the ITC and PTAB. It handles all aspects of IP litigation and counsels clients in transactional matters involving the licensing or transfer of IP rights and on the management of global IP portfolios.

Investment Management:

For over 40 years, our global investment management practice has been a recognized leader in providing comprehensive legal representation to large institutional and entrepreneurial fund sponsors and managers in the formation of investment funds. We also serve as lead counsel to premier investors, assisting them in accessing opportunities in markets worldwide. With a focus on fund formation and ongoing operations, our practice covers all aspects, from fund structuring and management to investor relations and portfolio company representation. This includes navigating diverse jurisdictions, including fast-growing markets like China, India, and the Middle East.

Labor & Employment:

The firm represents and advises employers regarding all aspects of employment law including handling complex wage-and-hour class actions and EEO litigation; high-stakes investigations and counseling matters; litigation related to contract disputes and restrictive covenants; and traditional labor matters such as collective bargaining, union corporate campaigns and grievance arbitrations. Lawyers advise on the labor aspects of major corporate reorganizations, acquisitions and bankruptcies and represent companies in OSHA matters.

Disputes & Investigations:

With more than 250 lawyers, the litigation group includes attorneys who have clerked at every level of the federal and state court systems; veterans of the Solicitor General’s office and former Supreme Court clerks; former prosecutors; and former officials at the SEC, FTC, DOJ, PCAOB and many other federal agencies. Litigators are accustomed to handling matters of exceptional complexity, such as nationwide class actions, parallel civil and administrative proceedings, and nationwide and multi-district litigation.

Lobbying & Public Policy:

Akin distinguishes itself from peer law firms with its distinct ability to provide clients with an all-encompassing platform to address any type of government-facing problem. Our full-service solution involves more than 75 lawyers and other professionals providing legal, policy, political, public relations and compliance advice. As an elite law firm with a leading lobbying practice, Akin offers a substantive, bipartisan team to help clients anticipate and address complex legislative and regulatory challenges through innovative and effective advocacy strategies.

Regulatory:

Akin offers a suite of services to help clients address technical and often complex regulatory schemes across a broad span of compliance obligations based on industry, products and distribution, among others. Disciplines include antitrust/competition; telecom, media and technology; cybersecurity, privacy and data protection; energy; environment and natural resources; food and drug law; financial services; government contracts; health care and life sciences; international trade; and transportation. Work encompasses compliance counseling, investigations, enforcement, classification and licensing, transactional due diligence, and foreign investment, among other activities.

Tax:

The global tax practice offers multidisciplinary services, including guidance to U.S. and international investors regarding the merit of tax issues facing entities doing business or making investments overseas; tax advantaged structuring during hedge and private equity fund formation; as well as counsel on M&A, international corporate restructuring, ERISA, bankruptcy reorganizations, capital markets, regulatory matters, project financings, tax controversies and private client services.