When a top US disputes firm with only six offices outside its home territory has launched two of those in under half a year, it’s probably one to watch.
Expansive Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan is continuing to widen its international footprint with a launch in Sydney via the hires of two Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) rated litigators.
Michael Mills and Michelle Fox will found the US disputes leader’s Sydney offering, alongside Australian born Quinn Emanuel litigation partner James Webster.
Mills – who was co-head of HSF’s insurance solutions and products liability practice – will co-manage the office alongside Webster, who specialises in complex litigation, including advising Samsung Electronics in multi-billion patent actions filed by Apple for alleged patent infringements of its iPhone and iPad technology.
Mills and Fox have advised on litigation stemming from some of Australia’s largest corporate fallouts including representing the directors and officers of Babcock & Brown after its $10.2bn collapse in 2009.
The Australian office, which will open in June, is the second international launch this year after Paris, which opened in January. The firm has also made a string of key hires including – also from HSF – top London litigator Ted Greeno in March. Stateside it has raided Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and Weil Gotshal & Manges.
Its expansion is underpinned by an impressive financial performance. Last year the firm’s gross revenues grew by just under 18% to almost $853m and its net profits grew by a similar 17% to $586.3m. Outside of the US it has offices in Tokyo, Moscow, Mannheim, Hamburg and now Paris and Sydney.
With average profits per equity partner of almost $4.5m and a clear mandate to build its arbitration practice and widen its commercial litigation coverage, the odds are there is more of the same in the pipeline.
See Top HSF litigator Greeno defects to Quinn Emanuel’s City arm for more on Quinn Emanuel’s recent hires.