2024 DIVERSITY DATABASE UNDERWRITER Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Find a Mentor: 

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP Mentors

Our Survey Says

VAULT’S VERDICT:

Founded by a pair of FBI agents in 1945, Akin’s culture is described by one of their associates as “really kind nerds.” Partners respect and value associates, and the firm gets high marks for transparency in performance and decision-making. The firm has a bonus-eligible hour requirement of 1,950, and attorneys are encouraged to work a hybrid three-days-per-week in-office schedule. Akin pays top-of-market rates in salaries and bonuses, and quickly adopts new market scales when shifts occur. Work assignments are generally substantive and appropriate to associate experience levels. The firm’s technology is fully supportive of a hybrid work schedule, and most tech works with no issues. The firm offers several initiatives supporting physical and mental health, and while formal training is available, most associates emphasize the value of informal training and mentorship from partners and other associates. Partnership is regarded as realistically achievable, but difficult to attain; the firm offers viable non-partner senior roles, and exit opportunities are abundant. The firm has a very strong commitment to pro bono work, and pro bono hours count as bonus-eligible with no cap. Finally, the firm is strongly committed to DEI initiatives, supporting several affinity groups and offering bonus-eligible hours for DEI activities.

FIRM PERSPECTIVE

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 21 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 these 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.
Akin 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.