In a leadership change at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, Abid Qureshi, a financial restructuring litigator who is partner-in-charge of the New York office, and London corporate partner Daniel Walsh, were elected as the firm's new co-chairs, succeeding longtime chair Kim Koopersmith.

Qureshi and Walsh will take on their new roles on April 1, 2025, after Koopersmith completes her fourth three-year term as chair of the Am Law 50 firm.

Koopersmith said the time is right to turn over the firm's management to new leaders, noting that prior to her 12 years as chair, she was also the U.S. managing partner for five years before that.

"I just felt really good as to where the firm is, and what we have accomplished," she said, adding that "change is always good."

Koopersmith, a litigator, was the firm's first woman leader.

Walsh and Qureshi have each practiced at the Dallas-founded Akin for more than 25 years, and have significant experience in leadership at the firm.

Qureshi, who works on complex and high-profile Chapter 11s and liability management situations, is a member of the firm's management committee along with leading the New York office.

Walsh has served as a member of the firm's management, compensation and partnership admissions committees. As a corporate partner in London, he works on international and U.S. public and private debt and equity acquisitions in industries including energy, telecommunications and technology.

They plan to maintain their practices while serving as co-chairs, in part to maintain closer connections to clients.

Koopersmith expects the two partners to work well together.

Qureshi said they believe they have the right skills and experience to take on the co-chair role, and Walsh notes that their combination of skills as a transactional lawyer and a litigator will be beneficial.

Over the transition over the next nine months, Koopersmith said she will continue to lead the firm, but her goal is to make sure she gets Qureshi and Walsh "fully up to speed" and engaged.

The firm is in a good place, Koopersmith said, and "what I want to do in the next nine months is to ensure the continuation of that trajectory."

According to The American Lawyer's Am Law 100 report, Akin posted a record year in 2023, with revenue up by 11.2%, and profits per equity partner improving by 22.1% as the firm benefited from the strategic expansion of key practices in 2022.

The firm's revenue has grown by 77% during Koopersmith's tenure as chair, and profits doubled. Also, the firm doubled its international footprint, and now more than 20% of its lawyers are located outside the U.S.

Koopersmith is the fourth Akin partner to serve as chair since the firm was founded in 1945.