What Amsterdam & Partners does

Amsterdam & Partners LLP is an international law firm specializing in politically sensitive, high-stakes legal disputes across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. The firm is headquartered in London (4 Devonshire Street) with a regional hub in Washington, DC, and is registered as a limited liability partnership in England and Wales under SRA number 499805. It serves sovereign states, governments, political leaders, opposition figures, multinational corporations, high-net-worth individuals, religious institutions, and other law firms in matters involving political persecution, human rights violations, extradition, sanctions, international arbitration, corporate disputes in frontier markets, and media/reputation management.

The firm's core offering is organized into six practice areas — Sovereign Advisory, Corporate Disputes in Frontier Markets, Human Rights and Asylum, Criminal Defense/Extradition/Sanctions, International Arbitration, and Media & Reputation Management — supplemented by a body of published white papers used as a top-of-funnel content engine. There is no proprietary software, API, or AI/ML product; the underlying technology is the firm's methodology for assembling bespoke virtual teams that combine senior partners with local counsel across jurisdictions. The senior team is small: founder and managing partner Robert Amsterdam, partner Liliya Aubakirova, and senior counsel Andrew J. Durkovic.

The business model is professional services revenue earned through client-specific, quote-based engagements billed on multi-year contracts. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales executed directly by senior partners, supported by earned media, white papers, a podcast (Departures with Robert Amsterdam), and op-eds in major publications. Notable outcomes include the American Lawyer 2013 Global Pro Bono Dispute of the Year Award and successful representation of clients in extradition, arbitrary detention, and political prisoner matters across multiple continents.

Name

Amsterdam & Partners

Legal name

Amsterdam & Partners LLP

Website

https://amsterdamandpartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Amsterdam & Partners LLP is an international law firm specializing in politically sensitive, high-stakes legal disputes, serving sovereign states, political leaders, corporations, HNIs, and religious institutions across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: The firm generates revenue through professional legal fees for representing sovereign states, political leaders, multinational corporations, high-net-worth individuals, and law firms in international disputes, human rights advocacy, corporate litigation, international arbitration, criminal defense, extradition matters, and sanctions cases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Amsterdam & Partners LLP is a premier international law firm delivering legal representation, political advocacy, and media strategy advisory across six practice areas: Sovereign Advisory, Corporate Disputes in Frontier Markets, Human Rights and Asylum, Criminal Defense/Extradition/Sanctions, International Arbitration, and Media & Reputation Management. Services are delivered by senior partners directly to governments, political leaders, multinational corporations, high-net-worth individuals, and law firms through bespoke, multi-year engagements in volatile jurisdictions across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Product overview

Amsterdam & Partners LLP is a premier international law firm, not a technology product company. Its offering is a unified set of legal and advocacy services delivered across six interconnected practice areas: Sovereign Advisory Practice, Corporate Disputes in Frontier Markets, Human Rights and Asylum, Criminal Defense/Extradition/Sanctions, International Arbitration, and Media & Reputation Management. These practice areas are supported by published white papers and reports documenting human rights, democracy, and judicial concerns. The firm operates from offices in London and Washington, DC, and does not offer software products, APIs, or AI-powered tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sovereign Advisory Practice Advisory services to sovereign states, governments, and political leaders on politically sensitive matters, international disputes, and geopolitical strategy.
• Corporate Disputes in Frontier Markets Representation of corporations and entrepreneurs in high-stakes commercial disputes, business expropriation cases, and political-risk matters in emerging markets.
• Human Rights and Asylum Advocacy and legal representation for individuals and groups facing human-rights violations, political persecution, and asylum matters internationally.
• Criminal Defense, Extradition and Sanctions Criminal defense representation, extradition proceedings, and sanctions-related legal work for individuals facing politically motivated charges.
• International Arbitration International commercial and investment arbitration across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America.
• Media & Reputation Management Strategic counsel combining legal representation with political advocacy and media strategy to protect client interests and reputations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Won American Lawyer 2013 Global Pro Bono Dispute of the Year for Georges Tadonki vs. United Nations case
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Minkowski & Partners (Paris)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 February 2026Amsterdam & Partners announced affiliation with Paris-based Minkowski & Partners, expanding the firm's European network and capabilities.
• Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 2 February 2025Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP serves as leading US law firm co-counsel in Sara Saleem lawsuit against Iraqi officials under Anti-Terrorism and Torture Victims Protection Acts. Described as forging 'a new path in obtaining redress for victims of Iran's stranglehold over important actors in the Iraqi system.'
• Brian Kahn Attorneys (Johannesburg, South Africa)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 July 2013Strategic partnership with Brian Kahn Attorneys of Johannesburg, South Africa, serving clients across Africa. Brian Kahn, head of the firm, has stated the partnership has served clients well across Africa and expressed commitment to expanding together.
• Holtzman Vogel (US Counsel)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHoltzman Vogel serves as US counsel for Sara Saleem case in US District Court for Eastern District of Virginia. Partner Akiva Shapiro stated: 'Sara Saleem showed extraordinary courage in standing up to powerful actors.'

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Three Crowns LLP: Elite international arbitration and public international law boutique founded in 2014. Like Amsterdam & Partners, it is a small, specialist firm handling cross-border disputes between states, sovereigns, and corporations, with offices in London, Washington, Paris, and Singapore.
• Essex Court Chambers: Leading London barristers' chambers specialising in international arbitration, commercial disputes, and public international law. Its barristers regularly appear in the same cross-border and politically sensitive mandates (sovereign immunity, sanctions, human rights) that Amsterdam & Partners handles as solicitors, making it a frequent co-counsel and direct competitor for talent.
• Boies Schiller Flexner LLP: US litigation boutique known for high-profile, often politically charged disputes (US v. Microsoft, Florida v. Trump). Comparable in headcount, brand-driven model, and willingness to take on controversial mandates, though it focuses more on US matters than frontier-market politics.
• Brick Court Chambers: London barristers' chambers with a strong international arbitration, commercial, and public international law practice. Its barristers act in many of the same cross-border, sovereign, and human-rights matters, and the set is a natural peer to Amsterdam & Partners for talent and mandate overlap.
• Matrix Chambers: London chambers recognised for human rights, public law, and international law work. Overlaps with Amsterdam & Partners on politically sensitive mandates involving asylum, extradition, religious freedom, and claims against state actors.

Broad incumbents

• Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Global law firm with a prominent international disputes, sanctions, and government investigations practice and longstanding political connections in Washington. A natural competitor for sovereign advisory and political-risk mandates, but operating as a full-service firm rather than a specialist boutique.
• Covington & Burling LLP: Global law firm with leading international arbitration, human rights, and public policy practices and deep US/EU regulatory expertise. Competes for the politically sensitive, multi-jurisdiction mandates Amsterdam & Partners pursues, but with much broader service offerings and bench depth.
• Hogan Lovells: Global law firm with a sizeable international arbitration, sanctions, and public international law practice. Has the geographic reach and government-affairs capability to take on the same sovereign advisory and emerging-market dispute matters that Amsterdam & Partners serves.
• Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan: Litigation-only global firm with a strong international arbitration and cross-border disputes practice. Frequently retained on high-stakes, bet-the-company matters that overlap with Amsterdam & Partners' mandate profile, though at much larger scale.
• Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer: Magic Circle firm with one of the leading international arbitration practices globally and growing public international law and sanctions capability. Competes for the same sovereign, investor-state, and cross-border dispute matters as Amsterdam & Partners but with far greater resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/amsterdamllp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/amsterdam-&-partners-llp
• Facebookfacebook.com/amsterdampartnersllp

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Amsterdam & Partners