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Akin

Interesting selling points

  • A US-based global law firm with a London office that Chambers and Partners have awarded a Band 1 ranking for its restructuring/insolvency department.
  • Akin is notable for its sector work in Public Policy in the US and Media & Entertainment. 
  • Akin prides itself on its small number of trainees, around eight per year, enabling more responsibility for trainees from the beginning. 
  • First year trainees can apply to become a Pro Bono Scholar, which includes a US summer training bootcamp, networking, and a comprehensive Social Justice programme. 
  • Commitment to innovation demonstrated by the launch of OverRuled, a platform which enables lawyers and compliance practitioners to access consolidated data on US sanction trends and risks. 
  • Notable clients of the firm include Cineworld, Alder, Nordic Aviation Capital, Sea Drill and Apollo Global Management. 
  • Akin undertakes a broad range of pro bono work, including for Kids in Need of Defense, Not Beyond Redemption, and Praxis.

We cover these selling points in more detail below, alongside other relevant firm facts and characteristics.

Practice areas / services

Akin has grown from its US criminal law roots into a renowned US law firm with a broad range of practice areas including:  

  • Corporate & Finance 
  • Disputes & Investigation 
  • Financial Restructuring 
  • Intellectual Property   
  • International Trade
  • Investment Management 
  • Labour & Employment 
  • Lobbying & Public Policy
  • Pro Bono  
  • Regulatory 
  • Tax 

Chambers and Partners, a leading analyst of the legal market, has awarded Akin its highest ‘Band 1’ ranking for the firm’s restructuring/insolvency department. See here for more information Chambers and Partners, a leading analyst of the legal market, ranked Akin’s Restructuring/Insolvency department in London as Band 1. Overall, Akin’s London Office has 9 Chambers and Partners ranked departments and 21 ranked lawyers. See here for more information 

Key sectors / industries

Akin services a range of industries, but its most notable are: 

In addition, Akin also services the following industries: Education, Investment Management, Private Credit, Private Equity, Real Estate and Technology. 

Work

Some notable examples of Akin’s work include: 

  • Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC): The firm assisted Nordic Aviation Capital with its restructure following the impact COVID-19 had on the organisation. Akin has advised NAC on a $6 billion global restructuring across multiple borders. 
  • Sea Drill: Akin acted on Sea Drill’s bankruptcy filing, demonstrating the firm’s strength in this area and also the calibre of its work within the energy sector. The firm acted for an ad hoc group of new secured noteholders, which involved restructuring approximately $620m of outstanding note liabilities.
  • Adler: the firm represented Adler in a $6 billion restructuring and a successful appeal of Adler’s sanctioned UK restructuring plan. 
  • Cineworld: Akin was involved in Cineworld’s bankruptcy in the US. 

Offices / global footprint / expansion

Headquarters: Dallas, 2300 N. Field Street. 

Offices: Akin has 18 offices across the world, including in Dubai, Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi. The firm’s international hub is London, Ten Bishops Square.

Insights, internships and other opportunities

Akin offers one two-week summer vacation scheme, which includes a guaranteed training contract interview. Vac schemers sit in two practice areas, and have a supervisor for each seat during the scheme and a trainee buddy. The vacation scheme is the firm’s principal way of recruiting trainees. 

Whilst there are limited in-person ways to get to know the firm, Akin has an extensive social media presence which includes three podcasts: Akin Accelerate ESG, Akin Healthcare and Akin On AIR. Have a listen here. 

Training contract

Akin takes on eight trainees per year. From 2024, trainees will undertake their SQE with the University of Law before beginning their training contract. Trainees can choose to sit in Financial Restructuring, Corporate/M&A/Energy, Financial Regulation, Funds, Investment Management, Disputes, International Trade, EU Competition or Tax (the seats are six months long). Over the two years, it is mandatory for trainees to sit in at least one flagship transactional seat and one contentious seat. 

During the first year of the training contract, trainees can apply for the Pro Bono Scholarship, which includes a US summer boot camp of training, networking and a comprehensive Social Justice Programme. The chosen scholar also works with the firm’s Pro Bono Committee. All prospective trainees can work with the Pro Bono Committee prior to their official start date if they wish. 

Secondments

Trainees have the option to apply for a client or international secondment. International secondments take place at the firm’s Dubai or Hong Kong offices.

Technology and innovation

Akin is committed to utilising technology to provide clients with flexible and innovative legal services, with related initiatives including:  

  • AI Law & Regulation Tracker: The firm has launched its own AI Law & Regulation Tracker which is a platform focused on identifying key trends affecting AI and machine learning technologies to keep readers ahead of the curve. 
  • OverRuled: The firm launched a platform which enables lawyers and compliance practitioners to access consolidated data on US sanction trends and risks. Akin claims that this will be to sanction practitioners what LexisNexis and Westlaw are to litigators.
  • Akin Intelligence: Akin combines its specialism in public policy with knowledge of AI to publish regular thought leadership pieces on how governments are dealing with and should be dealing with AI. Such pieces are available to read in the firm’s regular Akin Intelligence newsletters. 
Corporate social responsibility

Akin’s approach to corporate social responsibility is centred around leveraging “the experience, knowledge and passion” of its employees to “maximise access to justice, community development and the rule of law”. The firm’s pro bono work includes: 

  • Kids In Need of Defense (KIND UK): Akin Gump became a partner of KIND in 2020. The firm’s lawyers work on cases of undocumented children and young people via KIND’s hub at the Migrant and Refugee Children’s Legal Unit. 
  • Not Beyond Redemption: The firm’s lawyers provide support at Not Beyond Redemption’s clinics and takes on cases on a pro bono basis. The organisation focuses on providing free family law advice and representation to mothers in prison. 
  • Praxis: Akin Gump provides pro bono legal advice and support to Praxis, an organisation which supports people marginalised by hostile immigration policies with legal advice and community support. 

Diversity and inclusion

Akin states that diversity and inclusion is “woven” into everything it does. This includes: 

  • Resource Groups: These groups operate on a firm-wide and local office basis helping members of the firm of the Abilities, Asian, Black, Latinx, LGBTQ+, Parents/caregivers and Women communities to come together to discuss ideas and share solutions. Allies are also encouraged to join these groups. 
  • Diversity and Inclusion Councils: There is a firm-wide council as well as local councils in each US office and London. These councils are made up of employees of the firm and include trainee representation. The councils help with diversity and inclusion strategies within the firm. 
  • Akin/Robert S Strauss Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship: This two-year programme, offered to US students, enables outstanding diverse law students to work at Akin following their first and second years of law school. The programme also introduces them to life working in-house, as scholars spend part of the programme at one of the firm’s clients.