Akin Gump has made great strides toward becoming an inclusive organization and we are continually working to surpass our previous efforts by improving recruitment, retention and promotion of diverse attorneys, and by reaching out to an increasingly diverse cross-section of the legal community through our diversity initiatives, business development, community involvement and pro bono engagements.

Akin Gump is proud that our diversity efforts have yielded measurable results and significant recognition, including—

• In January 2011, Kim Koopersmith, Akin Gump’s Managing Partner for U.S. offices was named by InsideCounsel magazine as the recipient of the Thomas A. Mars Pathmaker Award. This prestigious award, named after the executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Walmart U.S., recognizes a law firm managing partner or law firm senior leader “whose courage, unyielding vision, integrity, conviction and authenticity has carved a groundbreaking path and laid a new foundation to accelerate the economic empowerment of attorneys of color or women in law firms.”
• In November 2010, the firm was awarded the Coca Cola Legal Division’s award for Diversity in the Legal Profession, Living the Values 2010. Established in 2006, the award recognizes the law firm that best demonstrates its commitment to diversity with creative and innovative solutions that advance the Coke legal division’s diversity goals.
• For the past four years, Akin Gump has received a top rating of 100 percent on the Corporate Equality Index, an annual survey administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. The firm received top marks for its treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees and clients.
• Akin Gump is a four-time recipient (1999, 2001, 2002 and 2007) of the Thomas L. Sager Award from the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, which recognized the firm’s “demonstrated sustained commitment to improve the hiring, retention and promotion of minority attorneys.” In addition, the Akin Gump was nominated as one of three finalists for the 2011 Mid-Atlantic Region Sager Award.

The firm’s female and minority attorneys across the firm have received recognition for personal achievements in the areas of both client representation and through their involvement in the community. Examples of these recognitions include—

• Vernon Jordan Jr. of the Washington, D.C., office will be honored with the Minority Corporate Counsel Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in September 2011 at the MCCA’s Diversity Honors Gala.
• James Meggesto, a partner in the Washington office’s American Indian Law and Policy practice is recognized in the June 2011 issue of Washingtonian as one of “40 lobbyists under 40 with the most influence in Washington.” James was cited as being in an elite class of up-and-coming lobbyists who will be influential in shaping the future of policy and politics.
• Dino Barajas, a partner, the Los Angeles office’s corporate practice was recognized as one of the “Top 25 Clean Tech Lawyers” by Daily Journal in March 2011.
• Kerry Berchem of the New York office was named as one of "the best of the best young women lawyers" in the Am Law 200 by The American Lawyer in January 2011.  In choosing its list of the top 45 female lawyers under the age of 45, the magazine sought women “leading billion-dollar deals or financings, first-chairing high-stakes litigation, arguing appeals, or managing important firm clients.”
• Vernon Jordan Jr. of the Washington, D.C., office was honored by the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia with the 2010 Servant of Justice Award. This award recognizes individuals who have “demonstrated remarkable achievement in ensuring that all persons have equal and meaningful access to justice.”
• Dianne Elderkin of the Philadelphia office was named by The American Lawyer as a Lateral All Star who made one of the most significant partner moves of 2010.
• Tony Pierce, Partner-in-Charge of the Washington office, was honored in December 2010 at the Georgetown Law Brothers Forum for demonstrating excellence in his legal practice and for serving as an example for the group’s members.
• Patricia Millett of the Washington, D.C. office was named “Litigator of the Week” in September 2010 by The American Lawyer in recognition of her successful oral argument in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on behalf of Galleon Group founder Raj Rajaratnam.
• Sarah Schultz of the Dallas office was selected as a “40 Under 40” honoree by the Dallas Business Journal in June 2010.  The “40 Under 40” recognizes those business leaders who have achieved an outstanding level of success before the age of 40.
• Dianne Elderkin of the Philadelphia office was named in 2010 as a “Woman of Distinction” by The Legal Intelligencer for her efforts in securing the largest patent infringement verdict in U.S. history: a $1.67 billion award to Johnson & Johnson’s Centocor unit in a patent-infringement case against drug maker Abbott Laboratories.
• Kate Katchen of the Philadelphia office was named in 2010 by Law360 as one of just 10 Rising Legal Stars nationwide in the field of insurance law.  David Park of the Washington, D.C., office was named in 2010 by Law360 as one of 10 Rising Legal Stars nationwide in the field of international trade law.  The newswire named individuals who have “catapulted to the top of their profession” before the age of 40.
• California Lawyer magazine named Los Angeles partner Cathy Conway to its 2010 Attorneys of the Year list in recognition of her appellate victory on behalf of Starbucks in Chau v. Starbucks Corp.
• Dallas partners Gemma Descoteaux, Mary O’Connor and Sarah Schultz were named by D Magazine to its 2010 list of the Best Women Lawyers in Dallas.
• Los Angeles partner Cathy Conway was recognized in 2010 among the Top 100 Lawyers in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal in the category of Labor and Employment.