Recognized as a legal and lobbying powerhouse in Washington, D.C., Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has worked hard to enhance its litigation mojo nationwide. Has it succeeded? The answer is a resounding yes for such clients as Starbucks Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, and the nursing home operator Golden Living LLC, which can thank the firm for erasing billions of dollars of liability over the past two years. Meanwhile, Akin’s foes—Alcoa Inc., Momenta Pharmaceuticals, the U.S. Department of Justice—learned the hard way that the firm’s reach extends far beyond the nation’s capital.
With 348 litigators around the world—anchored by heavyweights like the recently confirmed U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit judge Patricia Millett in Washington and appellate partner Rex Heinke in California—Akin Gump tried 36 cases to verdict in the period covered by this contest. More importantly, it lost just three. Building a reputation for litigation prowess isn’t easy, and the competition is fierce. But if Akin Gump’s litigators keep schooling their opponents, politics won’t be the first thing that comes to mind upon hearing the firm’s name. It will be dread.
