Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has added to its international bench yet again, with Allen & Overy (A&O) global co-head of arbitration Michael Young alongside the Paris hire of Herbert Smith Freehills’ (HSF) Paris disputes head Isabelle Michou (pictured)
Paris-based Young, who has a focus on energy, chemicals and natural resources disputes, is a vice-president of the ICC Court of Arbitration.
He joins former A&O colleagues Stephen Jagusch and Anthony Sinclair who moved to Quinn to launch the firm’s arbitration practice back in 2012.
Quinn will gain Michou’s experience in international arbitration and international law, with the disputes partner advocating in all major arbitration forums including the International Chamber of Commerce, International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, London Court of International Arbitration and the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce. Her experience includes representing an oil and gas major company in ICC arbitration proceedings as part of a dispute arising out of the termination of a long-term gas supply agreement
Managing partner John Quinn noted the firm’s international arbitration practice is growing quickly, particularly in Paris. He added: ‘Isabelle is one of the top arbitration advocates in Europe. She will provide more depth to an already deep bench.’
The pair are the latest to join Quinn this month following Macfarlanes’ financial services head David Berman joining its London office in a rare defection from the LB 100 firm.
The new hires will soften the blow of the loss of Quinn’s Moscow-based arbitration partners Ivan Marisin and Vasily Kuznetsov in September to US rival Baker Botts, leaving its ten-lawyer Russia outpost with one full-time partner.
HSF has seen a number of exits over the past few months, including losing a ten-partner project finance team from its Australian offices to US firm White & Case.
A senior partner at White & Case told Legal Business that the departing Australian team controlled around £30m of business, based on an average of billings over the last three years, while HSF put the figure closer to £20m.