Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, today announced that it has once again increased its placement among the nation's top 100 largest law firms. The firm grew to no. 80 on The National Law Journal's "NLJ 350" list, climbing an impressive 16 spots since 2011 in the annual ranking of U.S. law firms by number of lawyers. Akerman's new ranking is consistent with the firm's record growth for three consecutive years.
Akerman grew its lawyer headcount by more than 6 percent to more than 600 lawyers and government affairs professionals during the 2013 fiscal year, with a presence in such markets as Dallas, Denver, Miami and Washington, D.C., as well as New York, which continues to be Akerman's fastest growing office. Headcount within the New York office increased last year to more than 70 lawyers and real estate development professionals. More recently, the firm opened an office in Chicago, the firm's 20th location in the U.S., which has nearly doubled in size since it opened in February. The new teams in Chicago and New York collectively expand Akerman's national capabilities in commercial litigation and IP litigation, and complement the firm's core strengths in middle market M&A, within the real estate and financial services industry, as well as in cross-border transactions and disputes in Latin America.
"Our recruiting strategies continue to compound the success for Akerman and our clients," said Andrew Smulian, chairman and CEO of Akerman. "We are focused on assembling teams that enhance the client experience on all fronts."
Akerman's commitment to recruit the highest quality talent, while fostering a culture of collaborative innovation, was featured last month in an article by Forbes. In the article titled, "Andrew Smulian of Akerman LLP: 'Creating An Ethos Of Collaborative Innovation'," Smulian was quoted: "As an institution, we are narrowing in on our core strengths and focusing on our recruiting efforts. We build teams that are skilled in niche markets to become ever-more-hyper-specific. This type of growth doesn’t happen overnight; it’s a far more strategic and thoughtful process to ensure that we hire exceptional lawyers who add the most value for our clients and share our commitment to the client experience. We think that doing it with the right people, who bring the right kind of chemistry and the right human element into our picture is a very successful way for us to grow." Click here to read the Forbes article.
In addition to growing its lawyer headcount, Akerman achieved record-breaking financial performance for the third consecutive year with gross revenues of $298 million for 2013, maintaining its placement on The American Lawyer's annual "Am Law 200" list as the 108th highest-grossing law firm in the U.S.
About Akerman LLP
Akerman LLP is a leading transactions and trial law firm known for its core strengths in middle market M&A, within the financial services and real estate industries, and for a diverse Latin America practice. With more than 600 lawyers and government affairs professionals and a network of 20 offices, it is ranked among the top 100 law firms in the United States by The National Law Journal NLJ 350 (2014). Akerman also is ranked among the top 50 law firms for diversity in The American Lawyer's Diversity Scorecard (2014).
More information can be found at akerman.com or twitter.com/akerman_law.