Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP has a national practice of over 350 litigators supported by an extensive infrastructure of paralegals and cutting-edge technology. The litigation practice has broad and deep experience handling litigation matters in both federal and state court at the trial and appellate levels as well as in arbitrations and other alternative dispute resolution proceedings. Akin Gump’s litigators are equally comfortable representing plaintiffs or defendants and are accustomed to handling matters of exceptional complexity, such as nationwide class actions, parallel civil and administrative proceedings, and nationwide and multidistrict litigation.

Many of our lawyers previously served in the Department of Justice representing the United States in criminal, civil, antitrust, environmental and appellate matters. Others served with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Trade Commission and other federal agencies. A host of Akin Gump litigators also served as law clerks at either state or federal courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States.

Akin Gump is distinguished in two significant respects: its outstanding client service and the results it consistently achieves for its clients. Our litigation ability was recognized by The American Lawyer, who, in 2008, named Akin Gump as a finalist in its Litigation Department of the Year award.

Akin Gump’s approach to client service is summed up in two words: commitment and communication. We are fully committed to providing our clients the highest quality legal services at a predictable and reasonable cost. We recognize that every major commercial dispute comes with a unique set of business risks and opportunities. With this in mind, Akin Gump works aggressively to develop a full understanding of its clients’ immediate and long-term objectives in order to provide them with the most effective and efficient representation possible.

To achieve these goals, Akin Gump puts a premium on communication with, and availability to, its clients. We routinely work with clients to make candid strategic assessments of each case, as we weigh the company’s options in light of relevant legal and business considerations. It is of paramount importance that our clients remain fully apprised of developments related to their cases and the way in which these developments impact litigation strategy, so that, together, we can keep litigation cases in line with the client’s business goals. Although there is no one-size-fits-all approach to lawyer-client coordination, in every case we provide a case plan, laying out the strategy and tactics for reaching the desired result, including analysis of opportunities to win on dispositive motions, the proper scope of discovery, important witnesses to develop and prepare, and the need for expert testimony.

We are also keenly aware that some cases raise especially sensitive internal and public relations issues. Having represented clients in many high-profile cases, we handle these matters with care and diplomacy and work closely with clients to anticipate, understand and ameliorate the potential collateral consequences of litigation. In this same vein, Akin Gump recognizes that litigation must always be conducted with an eye toward the client’s reputation and, accordingly, is absolutely scrupulous about managing and limiting the disclosure of company information stemming from litigation.

At the end of the day, a law firm is only as good as the results it obtains for its clients. In Akin Gump’s view, the key to litigation success is to have the creativity to knock out claims at the earliest possible stage, to have the flexibility to reach advantageous settlements, where appropriate, and to have the experience and talent to take cases to trial, if necessary, and win. All these qualities are essential, but, in many ways, the most important is to have the kind of trial lawyers who command respect and instill a degree of fear in their adversaries. Akin Gump’s trial lawyers—including national and regional “best trial lawyer” award-winners—set us apart.