Akin Gump
Overview
Akin is positioned as an elite, international full-service law firm advising global corporations, financial sponsors and governments across complex transactional, regulatory and disputes work. The firm emphasises sector-focused strength in private equity, capital solutions, energy & infrastructure, technology and international arbitration while leveraging a global footprint across the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The firm’s recent growth strategy highlights targeted partner and team hires to scale private equity, restructuring and energy capabilities in key financial centres. The firm is classified in supplementary information as a Magic Circle firm and markets itself as a future-focused, client-value driven global adviser.
- Lawyers: 900+
- Trainees: 8
- Offices: 19
Values & Culture
Practice Areas
- Corporate & M&A
- Private Equity & Venture Capital
- Banking & Finance
- Capital Markets
- Insolvency & Restructuring
- Energy & Natural Resources
- Technology & Digital
- International Arbitration
- Dispute Resolution & Litigation
- Regulatory & Compliance
- Investment Funds
- Employment
- White Collar Crime
- Tax
- Intellectual Property
- Media & Entertainment
Geographic Focus: Akin operates as a truly international firm with a strong US base and significant presence in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The firm focuses on cross-border work out of major financial and regulatory hubs (New York, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Geneva, Dubai/Abu Dhabi/Riyadh) and coordinates multi-jurisdictional teams for complex private equity, capital markets, energy and regulatory matters. The firm is explicitly positioning growth in private equity, capital solutions and restructuring in
Training Contract
- Starting Salary: £60,000 (Year 1) / £65,000 (Year 2)
- NQ Salary: £167,000
- Trainee Intake: 8
- Qualification Rate: 83%
- Academic Requirements: Minimum degree requirement: 2:1. Minimum A-level requirement: No minimum.
- Application Deadline: 4 January 2026
Sponsorship
PGDL/PGDL grant: £20,000. SQE grant: £20,000 (figures taken from supplementary data).
SQE Support
SQE grant: £20,000 (supplementary data).
International Opportunities
Akin offers international short-stay programmes such as Akin JUMP to deepen cross-office collaboration. Supplementary data indicates a ~13% chance of an overseas secondment for trainees; international placements are available in the firm’s global offices (New York, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Geneva, Dubai/Abu Dhabi/Riyadh and others).
Client Secondments
Supplementary data indicates a ~13% chance of a client secondment for trainees. The firm’s materials reference client collaboration and corporate client partnerships for pro bono and secondment-style projects.
Mentorship
Formal mentorship and development features include a dedicated partner advisor for individual career guidance, in‑house career coaching, the ACE skills framework (Akin Client Excellence) integrated into training and onboarding, and mentoring from supervising partners and practice-group lawyers during seats.
Programmes & Schemes
A ten-week summer associate programme (US) that provides hands-on legal work, practice-specific and firmwide training (Summer Program Academy), mentoring, networking events, wellness programming and pro bono opportunities. The programme places summers in firm offices across the US and collects practice preferences near the end of the programme to guide fall associate placements.
- Duration: 10 weeks
- Deadline: TBC
A structured pro bono scholars programme that places students with partner legal services organisations (examples include NVLSP and Veterans Consortium). Scholars undertake sustained pro bono placements and some scholars have spent summers at partner organisations; the programme feeds into Akin’s wider pro bono pipeline and training.
- Deadline: TBC
The two-week spring vacation scheme is the perfect way to experience what life is really like as an Akin trainee. They have carefully designed a comprehensive programme of interactive training sessions, workshops, networking opportunities and exciting social activities to help you get to know your fellow scheme participants and reps from across the London office. When you're not attending timetabled sessions, you will split your time between two practice groups and work alongside our partners, associates, and current trainees. Whether it be drafting documents, researching points of law, or attending client meetings — you'll be supported and guided each step of the way by your dedicated scheme supervisor. At the end of the scheme, you will be offered the chance to interview for our two-year training programme staring in September 2028.
- Duration: Runs from Monday 13 – Friday 24 April 2026.
- Places: London
- Deadline: 4 January 2026
Notable Matters
Akin advised Apollo-managed funds on the acquisition of a strategic minority interest in Apex Service Partners (press release dated May 28, 2026). The firm acted as legal adviser to the Apollo-managed funds on the transaction, providing cross-disciplinary transactional support.
Private Equity & Venture Capital
Akin advised Coller Capital as sole lead investor on a €635 million multi-asset continuation vehicle, acting on fund-formation, acquisition and transactional documentation for the vehicle (press release dated May 11, 2026).
Investment Funds
Akin lawyers were engaged on the Spire acquisition of the Tennessee Piedmont Natural Gas business from Duke Energy — advising on the acquisition and related transactional, regulatory and financing aspects (matter cited within private equity/transactions reporting).
Energy & Natural Resources
The team that joined Akin has recent representations for Apollo-managed funds in definitive agreements to acquire Emerald Holding, Inc. and Questex, LLC, advising on high‑value sponsor-driven acquisitions and related corporate documentation.
Corporate & M&A
As part of its pro bono practice, Akin represented Holocaust survivor interests and helped broker an historic bilateral treaty between the US and France to establish a $60 million fund to compensate those deported to Nazi camps by the French railroad SNCF — a high‑impact public interest engagement handled on a pro bono basis.
Charities & Not-for-Profit
What Akin Gump Looks For
Key Competencies
- Commercial awareness
- Teamwork and strong peer collaboration
- High academic attainment (2:1 degree or above)
- Client service orientation
- Initiative and resilience
- Pro bono commitment and community service
- Interest in cross-border and sector-led work (private equity, energy, tech)
Evidence Signals
- Meaningful transactional or commercial work experience (internships, paralegal work)
- Pro bono or public-interest legal experience (or evidence of commitment to service)
- Mooting, advocacy or dispute-resolution experience for litigation/arbitration roles
- Sector-specific exposure (tech, energy, private equity) or policy/regulatory experience
- International experience or multi-jurisdictional projects for global practice groups
- Demonstrable commercial writing and research examples
Benefits & Wellbeing
- Trainee salary Year 1: £60,000
- Trainee salary Year 2: £65,000
- NQ salary: £167,000
- PGDL/PGDL grant: £20,000
- SQE grant: £20,000
- Annual leave: 25 days
- Be Well employee well-being programme (firm-wide wellbeing initiative)
- Firmwide resource groups and mentoring programmes
- Firm-supported pro bono opportunities and Secondment/Exchange opportunities (Akin JUMP)
- Access to practice-technology and eDiscovery/Trial Services teams
Wellbeing
Akin runs the firm-wide 'Be Well' initiative promoting physical, emotional, financial and social well-being and was an early signatory to the ABA mental health and wellness campaign; local green teams and wellbeing programming are integrated into workplace activity.
Awards & Recognition
- ABA Pro Bono Publico Award (received twice) — (pro bono recognition)
- Bloomberg Law Pro Bono Innovators (2022)
- NLADA Beacon of Justice Award
- Legalweek Leaders in Tech Innovations in Pro Bono Award (Law Firm category) (shortlisted/recognised)
- Ranked 13th on The American Lawyer's 2024 Pro Bono Scorecard: National Report (Am Law 200 firms)
- Akin earns top-20 ranking on American Lawyer’s 2025 Pro Bono Scorecard (press item)
- Chambers rankings (Chambers Global/USA/Europe presence shown on careers page badges)
- Vault and other employer-recognition badges shown on firm careers pages (2025–2026 employer rankings images)
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Public commitment to opportunity and inclusion across recruiting and career development, participation in Law Firm Sustainability Network and pursuit of science-based carbon reduction targets under the Always Green sustainability programme.
- Opportunity & Inclusion (firm programme)
- Firmwide Resource Groups
- Pro Bono Scholars Program
- Equal Justice Works collaboration
- Local Green Teams (sustainability / engagement)
- Mansfield Rule certification imagery (firm careers badges)
- ABA Well-Being Pledge (firm is an early signatory)
Pro Bono
Akin lawyers devote, on average, more than 90 hours to pro bono clients per year and more than 70% of lawyers worked on pro bono matters in recent years. The firm reports 1,000 members of the firm worked on pro bono matters (Akin at a Glance) and documents extensive pro bono collaborations (e.g., NVLSP, Veterans Consortium, projects assisting veterans, Holocaust survivors, hostage release negotiations and refugee/asylum representation).
Innovation
Akin invests in practice technology, eDiscovery/trial services and AI-policy monitoring. The firm runs a dedicated AI Law & Regulation Tracker for clients and has structured IT, practice technology and AI innovation teams (Practice Technology & AI Innovation, PMO, eDiscovery & Trial Services) that support lawyers on complex matters. Insider scoring indicates the firm is rated highly on training and legal tech support, reflecting substantial internal investment in technology-enabled practice delivery.
- AI Law & Regulation Tracker (curated regulatory tracker for AI/ML developments)
- Practice Technology & AI Innovation group
- eDiscovery & Trial Services (specialist teams)
- Project Management Office (PMO) and Practice Technology
- In-house practice technology and lawyer productivity solutions
Quick Application Angles
- Highlight commercial work or internships that show immediate applicability to the firm’s private equity and capital solutions platform — reference recent hires and the firm’s growth in private equity (Gerald Brant and team) to show sector fit.
- Demonstrate tech/regulatory awareness — reference the firm’s AI Law & Regulation Tracker or technology sector capability when applying for technology/regulatory roles.
- Show tangible pro bono engagement or community-service impact — the firm places visible weight on sustained pro bono work and has received multiple pro bono awards.
- Emphasise collaborative examples and peer-support experience — insider grades rate peer support and partner approachability highly, so cite teamwork examples and mentoring/feedback experiences.
- If applying for training/early-career roles, reference the ACE/Akin Advantage frameworks and explain how specific training goals (skills from ACE: prioritising relationships, delivering excellence, taking ownership) map to your development plan.
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