Akin Secures Top Rankings in The Legal 500 US 2026

In its 19th edition, the Legal 500 United States has recognized Akin with over 35 ranked practices and over 180 individual recognitions, highlighting the firm and its lawyers as market-leaders.  

Akin secured tier 1 rankings for the 11th consecutive year in both Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate and Government Relations, and for the fourth year running, in International trade: customs, export controls and economic sanctions and International trade: trade remedies and trade policy.  

The firm also earned three new practice rankings in Energy transactions: oil and gas – mid-market (<$500m), General commercial disputes – mid-market ($250-500m) and International Trade: National security. 

A number of Akin lawyers have been recognized for their talents across their respective fields, with 27 ranked as “Leading Partners,” 12 “Next Generation Partners” and three as “Leading Associates”. 

Partner Ira Dizengoff has been ranked in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame for his work in financial restructuring. 

In total, 38 of the firm’s practices are recognized alongside more than 180 individual recognitions for Akin attorneys as key lawyers: 

Antitrust: Merger Control

Practice head(s): 

• Gorav Jindal 

Dispute Resolution: Appellate: Courts of Appeals

Dispute Resolution: Appellate: Supreme Courts (States and Federal)

Leading partners: 

• Pratik Shah  

Practice head(s): 

• Pratik Shah 

Dispute Resolution: Corporate Investigations and White-collar Criminal Defense: Advice to corporates

Dispute Resolution: Corporate Investigations and White-collar Criminal Defense: Advice to individuals

Leading partners: 

• James J Benjamin Jr; Katherine Goldstein  

Practice head(s): 

• Charles F. Connolly; Katherine R. Goldstein; James J Benjamin Jr. 

Dispute Resolution: General Commercial Disputes

Practice head(s): 

• Joseph Sorkin 

Dispute Resolution: Securities Litigation: Defense

Practice head(s): 

• Joseph Sorkin; Douglas Rappaport; Scott Barnard 

Education

Leading associates: 

• Marta Thompson 

Energy Transactions: Electric Power

Leading partners: 

• Matt Kapinos 

Next generation partners: 

• Brad Warner 

Practice head(s): 

• Matt Kapinos; Ike Emehelu; Zachary Wittenberg 

Energy Transaction: Oil and Gas: Mid-market

Leading partners: 

• John Goodgame; Charlie Ofner; Wesley Williams 

Practice head(s): 

• Zachary Wittenberg; Wesley Williams 

Energy: Renewable/Alternative power

Leading partners: 

• Vanessa Wilson 

Next generation partners: 

• Shariff Barakat; April Kim 

Practice head(s): 

• Zachary Wittenberg; Ike Emehelu; Matt Kapinos 

Environment: Transactional

Practice head(s): 

• David Quigley  

Finance: Commercial Lending: Advice to borrowers

Practice head(s): 

• Jaisohn Im 

Finance: Commercial Lending: Advice to direct lenders / private credit

Practice head(s): 

• Jaisohn Im; Dan Fisher 

Finance: Project Finance: Energy and power

Practice head(s): 

• Ike Emehelu; Matt Kapinos; Zachary Wittenberg 

Finance: Restructuring (including bankruptcy): Corporate

Hall of Fame: 

• Ira Dizengoff 

Leading partners: 

• Philip Dublin; Abid Qureshi 

Next generation partners:  

• Sara Brauner; Brad Kahn 

Practice head(s): 

• Ira Dizengoff; Philip Dublin 

Government: Government Contracts

Government: Government Relations

Leading partners: 

• Hunter Bates; Brian Pomper 

Next generation partners: 

• Hans Rickhoff 

Leading Associates: 

• Reggie Babin 

Practice head(s): 

• Hunter Bates; Brian Pomper 

Healthcare: Life Sciences

Leading partners: 

• Nathan Brown 

Next generation partners: 

• Kelly Cleary 

Practice head(s): 

• Nathan Brown 

Intellectual Property: Patents: Litigation (full coverage)

Practice head(s): 

• Steven Maslowski 

International Trade and National Security: CFIUS

Next generation partners: 

• Katherine Padgett   

Practice head(s): 

• Christian Davis 

International Trade and National Security: Customs, Export Controls and Economic Sanctions

Leading partners: 

• Lars-Erik Hjelm; Suzanne Kane; Kevin Wolf; Thomas J McCarthy 

Practice head(s): 

• Jonathan Poling 

International Trade and National Security: National Security

Leading partners: 

• Evan Wolff 

Practice head(s): 

• Jonathan Poling; Christian Davis 

International Trade: Trade Remedies and Trade Policy

Leading partners: 

• Bernd Janzen; Matthew Nicely; Stephen Kho 

Next generation partners: 

• Yujin Kim McNamara; Kelly Ann Shaw; Sarah Kirwin 

Investment Fund Formation and Management: Alternative / Hedge funds

Leading partners: 

• JP Bruynes  

Practice head(s): 

• Barbara Niederkofler 

Investment Fund Formation and Management: Private Equity Funds (including venture capital)

Practice head(s): 

• Barbara Niederkofler 

Labor and Employment Disputes (including collective actions)

Practice head(s): 

• Robert Lian; Rich Rabin; Laura Smolowe; Jessica Rosenberg 

M&A / Corporate and Commercial: Corporate Governance

Practice head(s): 

• Kerry E Berchem 

M&A / Corporate and Commercial: M&A: Large deals ($1bn+)

Practice head(s): 

• Zachary Wittenberg; Wesley Williams; Thomas Yang 

M&A / Corporate and Commercial: Private Equity Buyouts: Middle-market (up to $500m)

Practice head(s): 

• Zachary Wittenberg; Amy Wollensack; Sergio Urias; Thomas Yang; Andy Lehman 

M&A / Corporate and Commercial: Shareholder Activism

Media, Technology and Telecoms: Cyber Law (including data privacy and data protection)

Practice head(s): 

• Natasha Kohne; Evan Wolff 

Media, Technology and Telecoms: Media and entertainment: Transactional

Leading partners: 

• Chris Spicer

Next generation partners: 

• Vanessa Roman

Leading associates: 

• Lauren Epstein 

Practice head(s): 

• Chris Spicer 

Media, Technology and Telecoms: Telecoms and Broadcast: Regulatory

Leading partners: 

• Jennifer Richter 

Practice head(s): 

• Jennifer Richter 

Native American Law 

Leading lawyers 

• Donald R Pongrace; Katie Brossy  

Practice head(s): 

• Donald R Pongrace 

Sport 

Practice head(s): 

• Chris Spicer; Randall Boe 

Tax: U.S. Taxes: Non-contentious

Practice head(s): 

• Stuart Leblang 

For further details on the firm’s rankings and commentary with all recommended and key lawyers, please click here.