Our Firm
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading global law firm providing innovative legal services and business solutions to individuals and institutions. We are one of the world’s largest law firms, with more than 900 lawyers and professionals in 20 offices. Our firm’s clients range from individuals to corporations and foreign governments.
We were founded in Texas in 1945 by Robert Strauss and Richard Gump, with the guiding vision that commitment, excellence and integrity would drive the success of the firm. We incorporated those qualities into the firm’s core values as we grew into an international full-service firm positioned at the intersection of commerce, policy and the law. This dedication to the advancement of these values guides relationships within the firm and, most importantly, with its clients.
Our Practice
Akin Gump is widely recognized for its strength in litigation and international arbitration, high stakes appellate work, financial restructuring, corporate transactions, investment funds, global project finance and international trade and for its depth in public policy, which allow the firm to provide a comprehensive suite of services for governments, companies and individuals worldwide. Our goal in every engagement is to offer a level of client service that not only meets but anticipates our clients’ needs and exceeds their expectations. From reputational defense of headline-makers to down- and midstream energy investments, from precedential class action dismissals to protection of terrorism’s victims, we serve clients in over 85 practices that range from the traditional, such as litigation and corporate, to the contemporary, such as data privacy and national security. Our lawyers, many of them with years of experience in the boardroom, on the bench and in the halls of government, collaborate across borders and practice areas to provide comprehensive counsel.
Accolades
2019
The American Lawyer – A-List
For the fifth consecutive year, Akin Gump was named to The American Lawyer’s A-List, the publication’s ranking of the 20 most elite law firms in the U.S. The A-List rankings are based upon a law firm’s scores across several areas: financial performance, pro bono commitment, associate satisfaction and diversity. For the second year in a row, the list also includes a score for gender diversity among a firm’s partnership ranks.
Yale Law Women – Top Ten Firms for Family Friendliness
Akin Gump was named by Yale Law Women (YLW) as one of the 2019 Top Ten Firms for Family Friendliness. In compiling the report, YLW collected information from the largest U.S. law firms on family accommodations, including billable hours and compensation data, the availability and use of parental and family leave accommodations, and the availability and use of part-time and flexible work schedules. Top-rated firms were those that received the highest overall scores in YLW’s analysis of the survey results.
BTI Consulting Group – BTI Client Service A-Team 2019: The Survey of Law Firm Client Service Performance
BTI Consulting Group named Akin Gump as one of the top 10 law firms for client service. This report is the only law firm ranking based solely on direct, unprompted feedback from corporate counsel. The list was determined through interviews with more than 350 “top legal decision makers at the world’s leading organizations,” with analysis based on 17 objective ranking factors.
WorldECR Awards – Export Controls/Sanctions Law Firm of the Year, Rest of World
Akin Gump was named the winner in the WorldECR Awards category of Export Controls/Sanctions Law Firm of the Year, Rest of the World for 2018. The firm is touted as a “recognized leader in international trade, with renowned export control and sanctions lawyers addressing client needs from the U.S. to Europe and from Asia to the Middle East.”
The National Law Journal – Appellate Hot List
The National Law Journal named Akin Gump to its 2018 Appellate Hot List. The firms on the list were selected for their wins in key matters over the past year before the U.S. Supreme Court and federal courts of appeal.
Law360 – Practice Groups of the Year
Akin Gump’s financial restructuring practice was selected by Law360 as a winner of its 2018 Practice Group of the Year award in the category of bankruptcy.
Minority Corporate Counsel Association – Thomas L. Sager Award
Akin Gump has been honored five times as a recipient of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association’s Thomas L. Sager Award, which is presented annually to a law firm that demonstrates “a sustained commitment to improving the hiring, retention and promotion of diverse attorneys.”
The National Law Journal – 2019 Pro Bono Hot List
Akin Gump and litigation partner Joseph Sorkin were named to The National Law Journal’s 2019 Pro Bono Hot List, a list that includes lawyers, as the publication notes, who “have used their legal expertise to take on some of the biggest issues of our time.” This is the second time in the past three years that Akin Gump has been named to the NLJ Pro Bono Hot List. In addition, the firm has been recognized this year for its pro bono efforts locally in Houston and Washington, D.C.
Chambers Associate, The American Lawyer – Top 10 in Associate Satisfaction
Both Chambers Associate and The American Lawyer ranked Akin Gump in the top 10 of U.S. firms for associate satisfaction, drawing on surveys completed anonymously by firm associates. In Am Law’s city rankings, Akin Gump took first place in Dallas, third in Washington, D.C., and seventh in New York.
Human Rights Campaign Foundation – Corporate Equality Index
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation awarded the firm a perfect score on its Corporate Equality Index (CEI) for the 12th year in a row. Because of its perfect score, Akin Gump was again designated a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality. The CEI rating criteria evaluate a company’s nondiscrimination policies across business entities, equitable benefits for LGBTQ workers and their families and support for an inclusive culture and corporate social responsibility.
Financial Times – Innovative Lawyers North America
Akin Gump was “commended” by the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers North America awards in 2018 in the Technology category for its work on an automated tool to help clients comply with complex U.S. antiboycott regulations.
Global Investigations Review – GIR 30
For the fourth straight year, Akin Gump was named to Global Investigations Review’s GIR 30, a list of the top 30 law firms in the world for handling sophisticated cross-border government-led and internal investigations.
HFMWeek – HFM European Hedge Fund Services Awards
Akin Gump was named “Best onshore law firm client service” at the HFM European Hedge Fund Services Awards 2019, which recognize hedge fund service providers “who have demonstrated exceptional client service, innovative product development and strong and sustainable business growth over the past 12 months.”
SilkRoad Technology – Talent Activation Award
Akin Gump was the recipient of the 2019 Talent Activation Award from SilkRoad Technology, the world’s leader in strategic onboarding for global workforce readiness and transformation. The firm was selected for its new-hire onboarding program.
CTA Intelligence US Services Awards – Best Law Firm – Overall
Akin Gump, for the fifth year in a row, was honored at the CTA Intelligence US Services Awards. The firm won in the category “Best Law Firm – Overall.”