24 Mar 2026
Marcus Childress and Abigail Kohlman Join Akin Gump as Co-Heads of Congressional Investigations Practice
"Akin Gump names Marcus Childress and Abigail Kohlman co-heads of its congressional investigations practice; Childress joins as partner from the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and Kohlman brings DOJ Office of Legislative Affairs experience."
Marcus Childress joins Akin from his role as senior advisor and special counsel to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, where he served as senior advisor to Ranking Member Jamie Raskin and oversaw complex investigations involving the Department of Justice, higher education, big tech, health care and antitrust. He is described as one of the most respected congressional investigations practitioners on Capitol Hill. Childress previously served as an Air Force Assistant Staff Judge Advocate and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, first-chaired felony criminal trials and advised senior military officers on criminal investigations. Outside government, he has represented companies and executives in high-stakes congressional investigations and prepared senior executives for public hearings. His practice encompasses congressional investigations, state attorney general matters, criminal defense and complex civil litigation.
Abigail (Abby) Kohlman, a congressional investigations partner who returned to Akin in 2025, has been named co-head of the group. Kohlman previously served as chief of staff and special counsel to the Department of Justice’s Office of Legislative Affairs. She advises corporations, institutions and individuals on complex and politically sensitive oversight matters, has represented numerous CEOs in high-profile congressional investigations, and draws on extensive experience preparing witnesses for congressional appearances. Kohlman guides clients through high-stakes inquiries and related criminal, civil and regulatory proceedings.