Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, commonly known as Akin Gump or Akin, is an American multinational law firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. Its origins date to a Dallas, Texas, practice founded in 1945 by Robert Strauss and Richard Gump. Over subsequent decades, the firm added partners and changed its formal name, eventually adopting the Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld name after the addition of Henry Akin and the elevation of Alan Feld to named-partner status. The firm operates as a broad-based professional-services organization rather than a consumer brand. Its work spans corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, banking and finance, restructuring, energy, healthcare, intellectual property, investigations, arbitration, commercial litigation, appellate matters, and regulatory compliance. Akin also has a substantial government-affairs, lobbying, international trade, and public-policy practice. Its Washington presence supports work involving federal agencies, Congress, foreign governments, regulated industries, and organizations navigating public-sector decision-making. Akin has maintained a significant Texas presence while developing an international network of offices and practices in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Publicly described locations have included Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth, Washington, D.C., New York, Philadelphia, Hartford, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Irvine, London, Moscow, Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Frankfurt, and Geneva. In December 2023, the firm announced that it would wind down its Beijing operations during 2024, illustrating the effect of changing geopolitical and regulatory conditions on international legal networks. The firm has represented corporations, financial institutions, government-related bodies, and national governments, including the governments of Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, the Maldives, and Nicaragua, according to published reference material. Its lawyers have also participated in high-profile public matters, including the Russia investigation involving Paul Manafort and the 2019 U.S. House impeachment inquiry concerning Ukraine. These matters reflect the firm's intersection of litigation, investigations, political law, government relations, and public policy. Akin is privately held through its partnership structure and does not have publicly traded shares or a stock ticker. In 2013, it moved to a single-tier partnership model under which partners hold equity, replacing a two-tier arrangement that included nonequity partners. The firm has received recognition for appellate work, corporate practice, diversity and inclusion, family-friendly policies, and workplace equality. Reference material also reported that it ranked second among U.S. lobbying firms by revenue in 2024; the underlying amount is not included here because a verified figure and appropriate financial source are not supplied.

Akin Gump's institutional history begins in Dallas, Texas, where Robert Strauss and Richard Gump established the predecessor practice in 1945. In September 1950, Irving Goldberg and William P. Fonville joined Strauss and Gump, producing the name Goldberg, Fonville, Gump & Strauss. The firm continued to expand its named-partner group as its practice developed. Jack Hauer joined in 1963 after leaving another firm, and the organization became known as Goldberg, Fonville, Gump, Strauss & Hauer. Goldberg departed in 1966 to accept a federal judgeship on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Henry Akin subsequently joined the named partnership. Fonville later departed, while Alan Feld, who had joined the firm in 1960, became a named partner. These changes produced the name Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld that the firm uses today. The firm grew from its Texas base into a national and international practice. It retained multiple Texas offices while establishing a major Washington, D.C., presence and offices in other U.S. cities. Its practice broadened beyond traditional commercial and trial work to include corporate transactions, finance, securities, restructuring, intellectual property, healthcare, energy, international trade, government relations, lobbying, and public policy. The combination of legal practice and government-affairs capabilities became a defining feature of the brand. In 2012, the partnership elected Kim Koopersmith as chairperson, succeeding R. Bruce McLean, who had led the firm for approximately two decades. Koopersmith was described as one of the relatively few women at that time to lead an Am Law 50 firm. In 2013, Akin changed its governance and compensation structure by adopting a single-tier partnership, giving all partners equity status rather than maintaining a separate nonequity partner tier. The firm formalized its diversity leadership in 2017 by hiring Michele Meyer-Shipp as its first chief diversity and inclusion officer. Nimesh Patel succeeded her after joining in February 2019. Akin has also received recognition from legal and professional organizations for appellate results, corporate work, diversity initiatives, family-friendly policies, and LGBT workplace inclusion. Reference material reported repeated appearances on The American Lawyer's A-List and National Law Journal appellate rankings, along with recognition from the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, Yale Law Women, and the Human Rights Campaign. Akin's lawyers have handled matters with substantial public significance. During the 2017 special-counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, Melissa Laurenza was required to testify in the Manafort trial about prior legal work. In 2019, Akin lawyers represented Catherine Croft during congressional testimony related to the Ukraine impeachment inquiry. The firm has also represented foreign governments and advised clients on government relations and public policy. The international network has changed with market and geopolitical conditions. In December 2023, Akin announced plans to wind down its Beijing operations in 2024. The firm remains an active privately held international law practice, but detailed current information about partnership leadership, financial performance, lawyer numbers, and office-by-office operations requires verification from current official disclosures.

1. 2023Beijing operations wind-down announced

   Akin announced plans to wind down its Beijing operations during 2024.

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2. 2017First chief diversity and inclusion officer appointed

   Michele Meyer-Shipp became the firm's first chief diversity and inclusion officer.

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3. 2013Single-tier partnership adopted

   The firm replaced its two-tier partnership structure with a single-tier model in which all partners hold equity.

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4. 2012Kim Koopersmith elected chairperson

   Kim Koopersmith succeeded R. Bruce McLean as chairperson.

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5. 1966Akin and Feld enter the named firm history

   After Goldberg left for a federal judgeship and Fonville later departed, Henry Akin and Alan Feld became associated with the named partnership, producing the modern firm name.

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6. 1963Jack Hauer joins the firm

   Jack Hauer joined the partnership, adding Hauer to the firm's formal name.

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7. 1950Goldberg and Fonville join

   Irving Goldberg and William P. Fonville joined Strauss and Gump, leading to the Goldberg, Fonville, Gump & Strauss name.

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8. 1945Predecessor practice founded in Dallas

   Robert Strauss and Richard Gump established the predecessor law practice in Dallas, Texas.

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A full-service international law firm focused on complex corporate matters, disputes, investigations, regulatory work, government affairs, international trade, and public policy.

• Corporate and transactional legal servicesLegal services

  Akin advises companies, investors, financial institutions, and other organizations on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, joint ventures, securities, capital markets, and other complex transactions. The practice supports clients through structuring, negotiation, diligence, regulatory issues, execution, and post-transaction matters.

• Finance and restructuringLegal services

  The firm provides counsel on banking, lending, debt and equity capital markets, project finance, bankruptcy, restructuring, and insolvency. These services address transactions and financial disputes involving companies, creditors, lenders, investors, and other market participants.

• Litigation, arbitration, and investigationsLegal services

  Akin represents clients in commercial litigation, arbitration, appeals, internal investigations, government investigations, and related enforcement matters. Its lawyers handle disputes involving businesses, regulated sectors, public bodies, and politically sensitive or cross-border issues.

• Government affairs and public policyGovernment and regulatory services

  This practice helps clients engage with Congress, executive agencies, foreign governments, and other public institutions. Work may involve lobbying, policy strategy, regulatory advocacy, government relations, political-law compliance, and issues affected by changing legislation or administration priorities.

• International trade and regulatory adviceLegal services

  Akin advises organizations on international trade, sanctions, export controls, customs, national-security regulation, and other cross-border compliance questions. The practice is relevant to companies and governments operating across jurisdictions with complex political and regulatory constraints.

• 2023Wind down Beijing operationsStrategy

  The firm reassessed its international footprint amid changing geopolitical and operating conditions.

  What changed. Akin announced that it would begin winding down its Beijing operations during 2024.

  Aftermath. The announcement indicated a reduction in the firm's mainland China presence; the final operational outcome requires current-source verification.

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• 2013Move to a single-tier partnershipStrategy

  The firm operated in a legal market where many large practices used separate equity and nonequity partner categories.

  What changed. Akin adopted a single-tier partnership structure under which all partners have equity.

  Aftermath. The change became a notable governance feature of the firm's partnership model.

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• 2017Manafort investigation and testimony involving former counselControversy

  Melissa Laurenza, an Akin partner who had previously represented Paul Manafort, was compelled to testify in his trial during the special-counsel investigation. The testimony concerned legal work and filings related to foreign-agent registration and lobbying disclosures. The available material describes the firm's involvement in the proceeding but does not establish misconduct by Akin.

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• 2023Akin announces planned wind-down of Beijing operations

  The firm announced in December 2023 that it would begin winding down its Beijing operations during 2024.

  Other
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• 2023Akin joins law-firm letter addressing campus antisemitism

  Akin was among major law firms that sent a letter to law-school deans expressing concern about reported antisemitism on campuses after the start of the Gaza war and calling for workplaces free from discrimination and harassment.

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• 2019Akin lawyers represent Catherine Croft in impeachment inquiry testimony

  Lawyers from Akin represented State Department specialist Catherine Croft in testimony before the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence during the Ukraine-related impeachment inquiry.

  Other
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• 2017Akin partner compelled to testify in Manafort case

  Partner Melissa Laurenza was compelled by the Office of Special Counsel to testify in Paul Manafort's criminal trial concerning work related to foreign-agent registration and lobbying disclosures.

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• 2013Akin adopts single-tier partnership structure

  The partnership adopted a structure in which all partners hold equity, ending the firm's prior two-tier partnership model.

  Leadership change
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1. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
2. Akin Gump official website