Kim Koopersmith had a clear mission in mind when she stepped into the chair role at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in 2013 as the first woman elected to lead the firm.

"I wanted to see the firm soar in its performance and standing and reputation, and I wanted to do all of that while strengthening the culture of the firm," she said, adding the firm also "wanted to have a more global presence."