Akin - The Inside View

You know the name. “The more I looked into other firms, the more often I kept coming back to Akin,” one associate told us. “The camaraderie was there; the culture was there – it was all so easy and comfortable.” As one of the world’s largest legal practices, it’s only apt that Akin’s got the reputation to match its stature. With almost 1,000 lawyers working across eleven US offices and a further seven internationally, the firm is no stranger to success – areas like bankruptcy/restructuring, government relations, healthcare, privacy & data security,and even more niche practices like Native American law have been awarded top-tier recognition nationwide in Chambers USA, and with Akin operating in over 90 countries, it’s no surprise that it sweeps up a range of accolades from Chambers Global too.

For Akin’s juniors, the deciding factor was the people. “What stood out to me was that people took a second to introduce themselves to me and say hello to everyone – they seemed to get along and were cracking jokes with each other,” one associate shared. Another affirmed that “they wanted to get to know me as a person rather than just looking for the next associate they could staff on a deal.” Attorneys were described as “inquisitive, curious, kind, respectful, and easy to talk to,” and the “great reputation” of the firm was certainly a bonus for many. The combination of the “realistic path to partnership” and the position of pro bono as “one of Akin’s highest values” gave our interviewees the confidence that they’d picked a firm with a “unique atmosphere which not many BigLaw firms can compete with. This place sets the mark for others on how to treat not just associates, but everyone who works at the firm.” While the juniors on our list were fairly spread out, just under half were based in New York with most of the others found between DC and Dallas, save for a few scattered across the firm’s remaining eight US offices.

Strategy & Future

Akin’s been busy in the last year! “We opened an office in Boston in 2023 to be able to provide services to the alternative asset management client base, which was very exciting,” says chairperson Kim Koopersmith. And that’s not the only place they’ve been expanding: “We’ve continued to invest in natural restructuring, and in the private credit market which is one that is really transforming where our clients are turning to for funding. In a world in which there are so many regions under sanctions, in conflict and with different regulatory frameworks, our leading international trade practice continues to be a key part of the tools available to address these challenges. We have been particulary well situated and have been able to invest in regulatory practices.”

AI is also influencing the strategy of the firm, as Koopersmith comments that “understanding AI, what our clients are using AI for and how we can partner with them, is now part of how we develop opportunities and strategies to make sure we are in sync with our clients.” Looking to the future of AI, “there’s no question that technology will have an impact” and “over the next five years, it will be a helpful trend,” but it allows for “a great opportunity for growth and to make a difference.”

Read more from Kim Koopersmith under the Get Hired tab.

The Work

At the firm, corporate boasted the largest number of juniors, followed closely bygeneral litigation and then investment funds, but a few associates could be found across other practices like tax, financial restructuring, and international trade.  Practice groups at Akin each have assigning partners, but there’s also a free-market staffing approach. Associates in the investment funds group were especially pleased with this because the assignment process was “pretty collaborative,” and their staffing partner was “not just someone who does that all day long – it’s actually a partner who you’re working with and, more importantly, works with the other partners.” A slight point of contention came from corporate juniors who expressed that while “in theory we’re all supposed to be going through the staffing team,” work more often came directly from partners, meaning a lot of an associate’s workload can be dependent on the relationships they build. But since juniors in almost every practice start as generalists within their group, there is at least an “opportunity to work on a wide variety of matters,” which our juniors appreciated, nonetheless.

“I’ve been a crucial member on every deal that I’ve been on.”

As generalists, corporate associates can work on a range of matters. One source detailed that they “focus on debt finance M&A and capital markets deals, and we also have a project finance team focusing on long-term ESG finance,” while another told us that they had “been doing mostly real estate and structured finance,” as well as “a little entertainment.” Our interviewees appreciated this variety, with one sharing that it will “make me a better lawyer in the long run,” giving them the ability to “make an informed decision when I ultimately want to specialize because I can say I’ve tried it all.”

Tasks include “anything and everything the team needs assistance on,” with another agreeing that this involved “everything related to the project management of the deals.” While responsibility fluctuates,one New York junior in particular told us that they’d been given tons of responsibility: “I’ve led plenty of calls with clients and teams on other sides. Another big thing is running through checklists and incorporating comments on documents, making sure they’re cleaned up.” We heard from multiple sources that they felt they’d been “a crucial member on every deal that I’ve been on because we don’t overstaff. I’m not sitting around waiting for someone to tell me what to do.”

Corporate clients: Open AI, Cineworld Group, Apollo Global Management. Advised Baker Brothers Investments in connection with Pfizer’s $43 billion acquisition of Seagen, a biotechnology company focused on cancer treatments.

Litigation juniors can gain experience across a number of different areas, too: “We have a really strong cybersecurity group and government investigations group. We do complex commercial litigation, business disputes, a lot of that… we also have a strong bankruptcy practice that generates a lot of work.” Happy with the amount of responsibility given to them early on, an associate told us that they’ve “done a little bit of doc review as every junior associate does, but it’s not the lion's share of what we do. I’ve already had the opportunity to draft sections of motions, participate in client and witness interviews, prepare outlines for hearings, and do lots of legal research, too.”

Litigation clients: SpaceX, CEVA Group, Acacia Research Corporation. Served as counsel to Celsius Network and its affiliated debtors, collectively one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency-based finance platforms, in multiple litigations.

Associates working in investment funds do lots of work in both general and limited partner spaces, including fund formation and secondaries alongside the firm’s “big regulatory practice.” We heard that “an overwhelming amount of work for juniors is on the general partner side,” and sources also highlighted the opportunities to work with attorneys across offices, as “the funds teams frequently staffs attorneys from different offices on the same matter because it’s easy to collaborate.” Another even told us that they’d been “working more with London and Singapore colleagues.”

“You’re totally embedded as part of the team. Nine times out of ten, the request comes from the client, and you’re already on the email chain.”

One junior shared that what’s “really special about the group is that the junior person manages all client communication,” so “you’re totally embedded as part of the team. Nine times out of ten, the request comes from the client and you’re already on the email chain, knowing why they need something.” When asked about their responsibilities, associates explained that the subscription document is the main document that juniors work on in the funds practice,and “it’s kind of the main document that investors and general partners rely on.” Interviewees were happy to have been able to “do those substantive projects almost immediately at Akin.”

Funds clients: Apollo Global Management, Jasper Ridge Partners, BlackRock Investment Management. Advised BlackRock in its investment in Zenyth Partners’ sponsored continuation fund.

Career Development

“There are so many career development talks and Zooms – I’m getting constant emails like twice a week for things I can attend.”

Our interviewees were huge fans of the mentoring systems in place at the firm, both formally and informally. Juniors are assigned a specific formal mentor upon joining the firm, though we heard there are also many different avenues to develop mentors organically. “There are people I’ve just worked with once and we’ve hit it off, and they’ve been really interested in my career,” said one interviewee.There are “so many career development talks and Zooms – I’m getting constant emails like twice a week for things I can attend.” Even though some associates shared that it’s “a little less formal” than they’d like it to be, rest assured that “if you take the time to solicit feedback, I feel that my coworkers are willing to be honest and detailed.”

Culture, Hours & Compensation

Billable hours: 1,950 target

For many of our juniors, a typical day in the office starts around 9am and while “most people head home around 6:30pm,” they “definitely pop back on afterwards” for at least an hour. Even though a litigation associate divulged that they had “definitely been up until 2am because there was a filing we needed to get out first thing in the morning,” fret not: “There’s not an expectation that we need to be available at all hours just because.” The consensus was also that “vacations are really respected, and partners will bend over backwards to make sure you’re not working while you’re on your European vacation or whatever!” Another praised Akin for “understanding that we’re humans – we need to sleep and have other activities outside of work.”

Associates told us that partners are very aware of working hours, too: “I’m constantly getting emails from partners, and the subject is ‘please don’t look at this until Monday!’” This source added that “if I have a month where my hours are a little higher than normal and the staffing partner sees that, they’ll check in to see if I need help.” Speaking to juniors across the firm’s practices and offices, some juniors expressed that their target didn’t always feel achievable, and there was some confusion regarding billable hour targets and bonuses. Thankfully, the firm “has recently gone through and re-done its handbook, so now it’s very clear.” So overall, while long hours are to be expected, Akin’s keeping an eye on its people, ensuring hours aren’t quite as grueling as you’d expect in the world of BigLaw. In fact, according to our survey, associates reported working around 47.8 hours on average per week – just shy of the market average of 48.

“Everyone is both the smartest and nicest person you’ve ever met!”

At Akin, “people really care,” as one associate told us, “I don’t feel like I’m thought of as a cog in the machine. I really think that from the top down, starting with Kim Koopersmith, people are people: we’re multidimensional, have feelings and personal lives, and our day-to-day lives are constantly changing. People here really respect that.” There was also lots of love to go around between colleagues at the firm, with one source gushing that “people are awesome to work with because everyone is both the smartest and nicest person you’ve ever met!”

Pro Bono

All the associates we spoke to thought pro bono at the firm was viewed very positively and each had a unique experience to share with us, which only proves that pro bono is “a really integral part of Akin.” Pro bono “counts 100% towards your billable hours” and is encouraged by the firm leadership. “Our chairwoman Kim is also a big proponent of pro bono, so she sends out emails herself encouraging everyone to get involved,” a junior told us: “Pro bono is part of the everyday conversation here.” Upon joining the firm, associates were “immediately getting emails from our pro bono team asking what I wanted to get involved in and offering opportunities,” and there is a “pretty wide spectrum” of these pro bono matters. Some included a number of immigration and asylum cases, work with small businesses looking for corporate governance support, and work on parole cases too. Our sources were super-pleased with getting lots of responsibility on these matters, as it gives you the chance to “flex different muscles” as the work is “much different to things that you usually do in your day-to-day.” 

Pro bono hours

• For all (US) attorneys: 93,411
• Average per (US) attorney: 110

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Firm-wide Resource Groups (FRGs) are Akin’s affinity groups and were a popular topic of conversation amongst our associates. “Every month, there are at least one or two programs open to everybody at the firm,” one associate let us know. This is yet another area where the firm’s chairperson gets a shout out from the associates, as a junior told us that “Kim Koopersmith is outstanding, and she certainly prioritizes diversifying the workforce in all ways.” For example, interviewees highlighted the support Akin provides working parents too: “They are trying to include people who have generally been pushed out of the workforce for one reason or another.” A junior involved in the Latinx FRG told us that the group “always does some kind of event with the new associates and the summers. We have quarterly meetings and when you’re on those calls, it’s not just New York - it’s people from all over asking for feedback. If they’re hearing the same voices, they’ll ask the juniors or newer associates to make sure that everyone is being heard.” The FRGs make an effort to be inclusive across offices and different levels of the firm, and Akin “does a good job of emphasizing inclusion as a firm value,” in part thanks to its dedicated DEI councils.

Get Hired

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus  

OCI applicants interviewed (2023): 748 

Interviewees outside OCI (2023): 36  

Akin participates in OCI at a number of top law schools, but also encourages students to apply directly to its recruiting programs on the firm website.  

Akin attorneys conducting OCI and other screening interviews will typically be a partner or senior associate who may be a member of the firm’s hiring committees. “At this point in the process, we are asking questions about the candidates’ experiences, assessing their skills, and explaining what sets our firm apart from others,” Lauren Leyden, hiring partner, says. Questions are aimed at evaluating whether the candidate exhibits Akin’s core values: future-focused, diversity-minded, dedicated to excellence, service-oriented and collaborative.   

Top tips for this stage: 

“Even if someone is ridiculously qualified, it’s taken very seriously if they wouldn’t work well with others and fit the culture of the firm.” – a third-year associate 

“Regardless of your experience, it will impress the interviewer if you can sell yourself, both as a person and a future associate.” – hiring partner Lauren Leyden  

Callbacks 

Applicants invited to second stage interview (2023): 314  

During callbacks, candidates typically meet four to five attorneys for one-to-one interviews lasting around 30 minutes each. Lauren tells us: “We strive to include attorneys from various levels of experience and practice groups on the callback interview schedule in order to provide the candidate with as many perspectives on the firm as possible.” She adds that interviewers “often look for more information regarding the candidate’s interest in a particular practice and for more information regarding their interest in the firm.” 

Top tips for this stage: 

“Take time to do your research and get to the know firm and its practice areas before your callback interview.” – a second-year associate   

“Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate why they are interested in our firm and what skills they believe will make them successful.” – hiring partner Lauren Leyden  

Summer program   

Offers (2023): 92 

Acceptances (2023): 72   

During Akin’s ten-week summer program, summer associates work on an assortment of projects “in order to get to know who we are and what we do,” says Lauren. Attorneys in the office manage assignments by identifying projects for each summer associate based on available assignments and their practice areas of interest. Summers are assigned two to three mentors who provide informal feedback and get formal feedback via a mid-summer and end-of-summer meeting. There are also training and networking events throughout the program.   

The firm discusses summer associates’ interests and preferences for practice areas and makes final assignments before the summers return as first-year associates based on that discussion and the needs of the firm. Lauren says “nearly all of our first-year associate classes are comprised of former summer associates.”   

Top tips for this stage: 

“Equally important with work is getting to know people so you have relationships in place; they organize a lot of events structured around introducing you to the firm’s attorneys.” – a second-year associate   

“We want our summer associates to get to know us, as lawyers and people.  Asking us about our practices, what we do on the weekends, and how we feel about Akin will help summer associates understand why this firm is special.” – hiring partner Lauren Leyden 

And finally…  

Associates say that when it comes to hiring at Akin, everyone’s opinion matters: “Obviously partners have more authority but there needs to be buy-in from the associates as well as the recruiting team. I’ve been in meetings where people are discussing candidates, and even if all the partners like someone and they have great grades, that person won’t get an offer if very few associates and recruiting does not agree.”  

Interview with Kim Koopersmith, chairperson

Commercial strategy, market position and trends 

Chambers Associate: How would you define your firm’s current position and identity in the legal market? What differentiates your firm from your peer firms in the market? 

Kim Koopersmith: I think we’re a leading law firm that plays to its strengths. For us, that means providing the greatest value for our clients, anticipating what we need to navigate to show our clients why Akin is the best firm for their work.

We are a firm that really does play to our strengths and for us that is the strategy that has worked. 

CA: Have there been any developments at the firm over the past year that you’d like law students to know about? 

Koopersmith: The last few years have been years of growth and building on our success. We opened an office in Boston in 2023 to continue to be able to provide services to the alternative asset management client base, which was very exciting. We’ve continued to invest in financial restructuring, and in the private credit market which is one that is really transforming where our clients are turning to for funding; that has been an exciting opportunity. In a world in which there are so many regions under sanctions, in conflict and with different regulatory frameworks, our leading international trade practice continues to be a key part of the tools available to address these challenges. We have been particularly well situated and have been able to invest in regulatory practices.  

CA: Are there any domestic or international events/trends [legal, economic, political, social] that are affecting any of the firm’s practices at the moment? Are there any trends that you think are affecting the business of law firms more generally, and how is that playing out with your firm? 

Koopersmith: I do think the expansion of private credit as an alternative source of capital is affecting the market as a whole and is a real opportunity for us as a law firm. In addition to that, understanding AI, what our clients are using AI for and how we can partner with them, is now part of how we develop opportunities and strategies to make sure we are in sync with our clients. 

CA: What is your firm’s commercial strategy focusing on, and how do you expect the next year to unfold? 

Koopersmith: Our strategy has been a constant, and that strategy is to make sure that our clients see us as a point of distinction in the quality of our legal services and how those are developed. We’re innovative in our approach and steadfast in our commitment to excellence. 

CA: Pro bono is listed on the firm’s website in the same place as your other services, and your associates were keen to tell me about their pro bono work. What kind of importance do you think pro bono work has, and how do you encourage it across the firm? 

Koopersmith: This is a firm where pro bono matters a great deal. Last year there were over 90,000 pro bono hours done by the lawyers at our firm, which tells you something about the commitment. What it really tells you about the commitment though is the number of lives that have been affected by our work.  

It’s important that that message comes from the top, and everyone at the firm knows my commitment to pro bono and to providing services to those in need. It’s a global commitment too, in London, and wherever we are, that commitment remains strong. In addition to my leadership, we were an early adopter of making pro bono considered a practice area. We have a partner who is 100% pro bono as his practice area, and he helps us to make sure we are cultivating the best opportunities, supervising so it’s a growth experience, and having the maximum impact we can have. 

CA: As a firm with particular strengths in areas such as government and international trade, how have international conflicts been impacting your practices over the last year? 

Koopersmith: As I said before, the world is a very complex place and that creates challenges, responsibilities, issues for our clients. Our job is to make sure that we can help guide our clients through challenging times. We’re very fortunate to have the expertise that we do that aligns so well with what our clients’ needs are. Whilst I will always hope deeply that there are less conflicts in the world, we will continue to make sure that in the time that challenges remain so prevalent, we maximize how we help our clients. 

Inside the Firm 

CA: How is the firm evolving to accommodate the needs/expectations of the next generation of lawyers? 

Koopersmith: The starting point for making sure that you are evolving and meeting the needs of the next generation of lawyers is to talk to them and make sure you are hearing directly what is on their minds, what their concerns are, and how they’re looking at their career. I think listening is key and it’s something that I do, and many of the other partners involved in development do. Some of the best ideas we’ve had as a firm come from asking good questions and getting great answers. It was actually at a mid-level associate academy that the suggestion was made to create a program where associates could spend a few weeks in another office working with other people. It started before the pandemic, and we’re thrilled to be back doing it again. We call it our Akin JUMP program. We could have an associate in London working on financial restructuring or international trade, and for the last couple of months there have been people in the office just two doors down from me who have done an ‘Akin Jump’ from a different office. This idea came from listening to what associates are telling us would be meaningful and would help them stay connected. Multiplying those ideas means we’re in sync with what areas have challenges, particularly since the pandemic and what we’re getting right and will continue to do. 

It's so great for me as I visit the different offices too because I go to the Houston office, and I get to see and speak to associates who I just saw in London a few months before. 

CA: What’s the firm’s approach to bolstering diversity, equity, and inclusion?  

Koopersmith: Leadership comes from the top on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as well. This is something that I care deeply about, and in my role as leader of the firm I convey on an ongoing regular basis how important this is, again, to meet the needs of our clients and to meet the obligations of providing services at the highest level possible. So as a firm we have a chief DEI officer, and he reports directly to me. I meet with him every single month and we have a firm-wide diversity council that I co-chair with him, which is a way to send a message about how important this is. The good news is that those efforts focus on leadership, clients and professional development, which has all resulted in increased success in what our entering classes and our summer classes look like in terms of diversity, as well as who’s getting promoted to partner. 

The Legal Profession 

CA: How do you predict the legal profession will change in the next five years? Are there any particular challenges the industry is facing? 

Koopersmith: I think about this topic all the time of where we are going? Where is the industry evolving to? In many ways I think the base line of excellence in work product and service delivery will continue, only it will continue to have a higher bar for clients to feel that their needs are being met. There’s no question that technology will have an impact, AI and more broadly, I believe over the next five years it will be a helpful trend, not one that will limit opportunities at all. I can see ways that the more routine work is done with technology-based solutions, but there will always be a need for talented lawyers to take them, apply them to the nuanced circumstances and analyze what we need to know beyond the data. It’s a great opportunity for those starting out in the legal field; there’s a great opportunity for growth and to make a difference. 

The Fun Bit 

CA: Is there any advice you’d give to your younger self starting out your career? 

Koopersmith: I would say I should have taken it easier on myself. You don’t have to have all of the answers in the beginning. The second thing would be, it’s not a straight line and the journey is part of what helps you grow, and it’s hard to know that when you’re starting out. Did I think as a first year that I would be running the firm… not in a million years! 

CA: The hours in BigLaw can be punishing. How do you unwind at the end of a long day/week? 

Koopersmith: I’m a very good cook, so I would say my zone for relaxing is to the benefit of my family members, who can generally expect when they see me over the weekend that there will be some bolognaise sauce that they go home with, or pesto, or something more delicious for dessert. That’s a big plus for me, and I exercise quite regularly too but that’s less exciting than cooking good food. 

CA: Is there a movie/TV show/books about lawyers or the legal profession that you particularly enjoy? And how accurate would you say it is? 

Koopersmith: I’m not a big… it’s more that I… cooking shows I can tell you about! I live this life; I don’t need the movie or the TV show!