Key Takeaways
- • Akin Gump hired Naboth van den Broek, a partner with 20+ years of international trade experience, from WilmerHale to strengthen its global trade practice across London, Washington DC, and Geneva offices.
- • Van den Broek specializes in complex treaty-based international dispute settlement, WTO and ICSID arbitration, and international trade/investment policy—areas experiencing "unprecedented demand" according to firm chair Kim Koopersmith.
- • The hire reflects broader expansion activity at Akin Gump, which has simultaneously promoted 12 lawyers to partnership (effective January 1, 2026) and hired multiple partner-level practitioners across trade, Latin American disputes, and Asia offices.
- • Van den Broek's appointment signals strategic positioning in geopolitical and trade-related legal services, an area generating heightened client demand in the current regulatory and tariff environment.
- • The partner brings academic credentials (adjunct professor at Georgetown Law Center since 2012) and board experience at Georgetown's Institute of International Economic Law, adding thought leadership capacity to Akin's practice.
Summary
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has hired Naboth van den Broek as a partner from WilmerHale to bolster its international trade practice. Van den Broek brings more than two decades of experience advising multinational corporations and governments on international dispute settlement, trade policy, and regulatory matters. He will operate across the firm's London, Washington DC, and Geneva offices, positioning Akin to serve global clients navigating complex cross-border trade environments.
Van den Broek's background at WilmerHale included partnership status and co-chairmanship of the firm's international practice group, with bases in Washington DC, Brussels, and London. His expertise encompasses treaty-based international dispute settlement under WTO and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) frameworks, as well as EU and US tribunal proceedings. His practice also covers international trade negotiations, free trade agreement structuring, and geopolitical compliance matters—areas increasingly central to corporate and government strategy.
Akin Gump Chair Kim Koopersmith characterized van den Broek's arrival as a "major addition" to the firm's trade practice, which she described as "the largest and deepest in the world" and currently experiencing "unprecedented demand from clients." The timing aligns with broader market dynamics around trade disputes, tariff negotiations, and international regulatory scrutiny. Beyond private practice, van den Broek has served as an adjunct professor of international trade and investment at Georgetown University Law Center since 2012 and sits on the board of Georgetown's Institute of International Economic Law, adding policy influence and thought leadership to Akin's capabilities.
The hiring occurs within a broader partner expansion cycle at Akin Gump, which announced the promotion of 12 lawyers to partnership effective January 1, 2026, alongside simultaneous hires of specialized partners in Latin American disputes and other practice areas. This multi-front growth strategy reflects the firm's revenue momentum—it posted record revenue growth of 14.5% in 2025, marking its third consecutive record year.
Van den Broek's background at WilmerHale included partnership status and co-chairmanship of the firm's international practice group, with bases in Washington DC, Brussels, and London. His expertise encompasses treaty-based international dispute settlement under WTO and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) frameworks, as well as EU and US tribunal proceedings. His practice also covers international trade negotiations, free trade agreement structuring, and geopolitical compliance matters—areas increasingly central to corporate and government strategy.
Akin Gump Chair Kim Koopersmith characterized van den Broek's arrival as a "major addition" to the firm's trade practice, which she described as "the largest and deepest in the world" and currently experiencing "unprecedented demand from clients." The timing aligns with broader market dynamics around trade disputes, tariff negotiations, and international regulatory scrutiny. Beyond private practice, van den Broek has served as an adjunct professor of international trade and investment at Georgetown University Law Center since 2012 and sits on the board of Georgetown's Institute of International Economic Law, adding policy influence and thought leadership to Akin's capabilities.
The hiring occurs within a broader partner expansion cycle at Akin Gump, which announced the promotion of 12 lawyers to partnership effective January 1, 2026, alongside simultaneous hires of specialized partners in Latin American disputes and other practice areas. This multi-front growth strategy reflects the firm's revenue momentum—it posted record revenue growth of 14.5% in 2025, marking its third consecutive record year.
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