Susan Lent and Arshi Siddiqui Discuss Client Demand for Infrastructure Work with Am Law

The American Lawyer has quoted Akin Gump infrastructure and transportation practice head Susan Lent and public law and policy partner Arshi Siddiqui in the article “Big Law Is Investing in Infrastructural Bill Expertise Amid High Business Demand.” The article looks at the impact of the Biden-Harris administration’s infrastructure plan on law firms and their clients.

Akin Gump is noted in the article as one of the firms seeing a sharp uptick in demand for related transactional work, litigation, regulatory, lobbying and policy, among others. Lent said transportation industry clients are contacting the firm, as well as institutional investment clients, hedge funds and private equity funds, all of whom are looking for help on assessing opportunities within the new landscape.

Lent said since the beginning of the year she has seen “a lot more interest from clients and prospects wanting to hear about what they should be doing, what opportunities there are—how we can monitor what’s going on and then take advantage of opportunities once legislation is enacted.” During the past month, in particular, she has been focusing on helping advocate for provisions in upcoming infrastructure legislation and understanding the implications of bills that have and will be introduced.

In addition, Lent said the return of congressional earmarks, which direct funding to a specific project in a district, has brought with it a flood of work from clients looking to understand and secure funding for infrastructure projects.

Beyond infrastructure, Siddiqui said there are also client needs in the areas of “energy, corporate tax, health care, security, innovation and supply chain, just to name a few.” Some clients, she said, are looking for insight into how new legislation will eventually evolve—and what opportunities and risks will arise. Others are seeking ways to influence decision-making on specific issues that will impact their business model.

“Infrastructure policy and the broader effort to modernize the economy won’t be a straight line from point A to point B,” said Siddiqui. “There will be twists and turns, which is why clients need a firm that understands Washington, to decipher what’s real and advise on how to move forward.”