Akin Gump Welcomes Elizabeth Miller as Chief Legal Talent Officer

(Washington, D.C.) – Akin Gump is pleased to announce that Elizabeth Miller has joined the firm as chief legal talent officer, resident in its Washington, D.C. office. Ms. Miller brings to Akin Gump more than 15 years’ experience in the legal recruitment and talent development field, including most recently serving as managing director, legal personnel and development, at WilmerHale.

In this role, Ms. Miller will lead Akin Gump’s global strategy to attract and retain the highest-caliber legal talent. She will also drive efforts to ensure that lawyers across the firm are reaching their full potential via the development, implementation and advancement of best-in-class legal talent management programs. In addition, Ms. Miller will collaborate closely with the firm’s diversity & inclusion and human resources teams to support inclusive efforts in recruiting and developing legal talent across the firm.

Ms. Miller represents the latest addition to Akin Gump’s management and talent development teams. Last year, the firm welcomed Nimesh Patel as its new chief diversity and inclusion officer (read more here); in 2018, it welcomed Carrie Marker as its first director of career counseling and planning.

Akin Gump chairperson Kim Koopersmith commented, “Our success as a firm is driven by our people. So it’s crucial that we continue recruiting the best talent to the firm and providing our lawyers and advisors with the support they need to thrive and provide the highest levels of service to our clients. That’s why I am so excited to welcome Beth to the firm. She has a great track record and a clear vision of how to ensure that our legal talent recruitment and development efforts are focused and effective.”

While at WilmerHale, Ms. Miller had responsibility for all facets of professional development, recruiting and training. This included leading efforts to link those pieces together to help lawyers grow and succeed in their careers.

Akin Gump has been the recipient of multiple industry recognitions for its talent recruitment and development efforts, and is regularly ranked among the top firms nationally and in regional markets in The American Lawyer’s Midlevel Associates and Summer Associates surveys.

In 2019, the firm rolled out its innovative Akin JUMP! program, which allows associates and counsel to “jump” to another Akin Gump office for two weeks for purposes of meeting clients and colleagues in other offices and practice groups and to learn more about their practices. The firm also partnered with Georgetown Law School’s Executive Education program to host the firm’s annual New Counsel Academy, which included workshops related to leadership skills development, a panel discussion on the path to partnership, and a panel of firm alumni who talked about their careers and the transition from Big Law.

Akin Gump has also received recognition for “Be Well,” its groundbreaking, holistic wellness program designed to support the well-being of its employees across many facets of their lives. Over the past year, the firm has introduced or expanded a number of initiatives under the program, including onsite behavioral health counseling at offices across the firm, firmwide employee assistance plan benefits, and a fitness reimbursement program.

“Akin Gump has a very strong and forward-thinking recruitment, retention and development platform, with a number of great programs in place,” said Ms. Miller. “The creation of this role shows that the firm is committed to building on these efforts in order to ensure that they continue recruiting the best and brightest legal talent and then helping that talent grow and succeed. That’s precisely what I have been focused on throughout my career, and, so, this represents a really exciting opportunity for me.”

Ms. Miller holds a J.D., with honors, from Southern Methodist University School of Law, and a B.A. in government from the College of William & Mary.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers and advisors in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

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