Abigail Kay Kohlman

Abby co-heads Akin Gump’s congressional investigations practice, which represents clients before Senate and House committees. She advises public and private companies, boards, institutions and individuals facing congressional scrutiny and other government inquiries, including matters that carry criminal, civil, regulatory or reputational risk. Her practice also includes internal investigations and white collar matters. She has represented numerous CEOs in prominent congressional investigations.

Abby works with clients from the earliest stages of an inquiry through hearings, enforcement defense and related proceedings. Her counsel covers congressional requests for information, oversight inquiries, depositions and subpoenas, as well as negotiations with committee staff. She prepares witnesses for briefings, hearings and other proceedings, and advises executives and boards on risks arising from congressional scrutiny. Early engagement is a significant part of her practice: she helps clients assess congressional risk, respond before a subpoena is issued and anticipate potential downstream exposure.

Congressional investigations can unfold alongside inquiries by the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and other regulators. Abby advises on these parallel proceedings and the associated crisis-management and public-messaging issues. Her work includes government investigations with potential criminal or civil exposure and matters involving more than one agency.

Before entering private practice, Abby served as Special Counsel for Oversight and Chief of Staff in the Justice Department’s Office of Legislative Affairs. In those roles, she prepared senior DOJ officials for congressional hearings, briefings and depositions, and negotiated with Senate and House staff over responses to subpoenas. She later served as a federal prosecutor in the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, investigating and prosecuting matters involving foreign corruption under the FCPA, money laundering, securities and wire fraud, sanctions issues and other complex financial crimes. That experience informs her advice on how congressional and other government investigations may develop into DOJ or regulatory action.

• Represented one of the largest financial institutions in response to multiple federal agencies including the OCC, SBA, and others, following recent executive orders.
• Represented a CEO and President at a hearing before the DOGE subcommittee in connection with a review of funding.
• Represented a former government official in a deposition before the Committee on House Oversight.
• Represented a CEO of a public company in a Committee on House Oversight hearing regarding data privacy.
• Represented a leading SPAC-sponsor in connection with congressional investigations of the industry.
• Represented a global pharmaceutical manufacturer in multiple congressional investigations concerning drug pricing issues.
• Represented a leading oil and gas company in connection with climate-related congressional investigations.
• Represented an iconic U.S. company in connection with congressional and other investigations related to its pursuit of a loan through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. This included co-leading an extensive investigation on behalf of a special committee of the board.
• Represented a special committee of a board of a public company in an independent investigation and related state, federal and congressional governmental inquiries.
• Represented public companies and c-suite level executives in multiple DOJ and SEC investigations into allegations of violating the FCPA.

• J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, cum laude, 2013

• B.A., Cornell University, with distinction, 2009

• District of Columbia

• Virginia

• Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Meritorious Contribution, 2024.
• The Justice Potter Stewart Award from the Council for Court Excellence, 2022.
• Outstanding Achievement Award from the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, 2019.
• Named “Rising Star” by Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers (2016, 2018, 2020, 2022).

• Co-author, “From Forest to Felony: Boise Cascade’s $6.3 Million Lacey Act Plea Signals a New Front in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Trade Fraud Crackdown,” Global Trade Law Journal, November-December 2026, Vol. 3, No. 6.
• Panelist, “Six Months In: Key Milestones, Trends and What Lies Ahead for the Trade Fraud Task Force,” Akin Webinar, March 2026.
• Co-author, “Cooperating with the authorities: the US perspective,” Global Investigations Review, October 31, 2025.
• “Navigating the Intensifying U.S. Customs Enforcement Landscape,” Retail Industry Leaders Association, October 2025.