Legal Business

Quinn makes record number of promotions as US firms announce partner elections

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US firms have begun to announce their partnership promotions with Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan making the largest number of partner promotions in the firm’s history, while Sidley Austin, Bingham McCutchen and Dechert all announced a decrease in associates to be made up on 1 January.

Quinn Emanuel announced today (13 December 2013) it is appointing 13 new partners in the firm’s largest promotion round yet. For the last three years, the firm has steadily increased its number of partner promotions with 10 new partner elections in 2012, up from eight in 2011 and seven the year before.

Aside from one partner promotion in Paris, the rest were all made up in the US, with seven being elected in the firm’s New York office. Three of those promoted were women compared to one female partner promotion in 2012.

Managing partner John Quinn (pictured) said: ‘We do not go into our partner election meeting with some artificial cap on the number of new partners in mind. Throughout our firm’s history we consistently recognise hard work and talent. We have promoted every attorney who has earned it.’

The steady increase in partner promotions is in line with the firm’s remarkable revenue growth over the last few years, with turnover rising 18% to £852.6m – an increase of 122% from 2007 to 2012.

Meanwhile, Sidley Austin has elected 24 new partners to its ranks across nine of the firm’s offices. In the US, seven were made up in Chicago, six in Washington DC, five in New York and one each in Dallas, Los Angeles and Houston, while three were made up outside of the US with one each in Beijing, Brussels and Geneva.

Last year, the firm made up 26 lawyers in nine offices, promoting two lawyers in London, one in Singapore and the remaining 23 in the US across its corporate, litigation and regulatory practices.

Bingham McCutchen has also revealed a reduced number of promotions, making up ten lawyers down from the 12 partners announced at the start of the year. The new partners will span New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Boston, Hartford and Hong Kong. None were made up in London, compared to two City promotions that took place previously.

Promotions were across a range of specialisms including investment management, structured transactions, private equity and M&A, financial restructuring, commercial real estate transactions, financial regulatory and litigation, corporate finance, and antitrust litigation.

Bingham chairman and CEO Jay Zimmerman said: ‘Our clients are involved in complex, cross-border matters, and we continue to build upon our platform providing high-quality legal services worldwide. The addition of these highly qualified lawyers to the partnership further strengthens the firm’s deep bench of talent.’

Similarly, Dechert promoted 11 lawyers to partnership, making up two in London and one in Hong Kong, down from 12 promotions last year when three lawyers were promoted in London.

The new partners are spread across the firm’s antitrust, corporate, finance and real estate, financial services, international dispute resolution and litigation groups, in eight of the firm’s 26 offices, four of which are outside the US.

Dechert CEO Daniel O’Donnell said: ‘The diversity of practice areas and locations represented by this partnership class reflects our global footprint and will help us in our efforts to serving clients across an expanding network.’

Jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

Revolving doors: KWM disputes head joins Quinn Emanuel start-up in Sydney

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The fallout from upheaval within firms in the upper echelons of the Australian legal market continues with news today (5 December) that King & Wood Mallesons‘ (KWM) global head of disputes Beau Deleuil has quit to join Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan in Sydney.

The exit follows KWM merging with SJ Berwin, which went live on 1 November and after Deleuil was appointed to the newly created role of global practice co-ordinator of disputes.

The recruit is the third significant hire for US litigation boutique Quinn, which launched in Sydney in May this year after picking up two partners from another Anglo-Australian hybrid – Herbert Smith Freehills duo Michael Mills and Michelle Fox.

Deleuil joined Mallesons Stephen Jacques in Perth ten years ago as a solicitor and became a partner in 2001. He was named managing partner King & Wood Mallesons in Sydney in 2012 and national head of dispute resolution.

He has experience of advising on contentious and insolvency-matters within the financial services and property sectors, and specialises in commercial litigation, with a particular focus on insolvency, banking, professional indemnity and competition law, including pricing, access and regulatory matters.

Quinn Emanuel managing partner, John Quinn (pictured) said: ‘We are delighted that a lawyer of Beau’s stature has joined us. Beau instinctively understood the benefits of our firm. He is a litigator first and foremost. With Beau joining Michael and Michelle, we now have three of Australia’s top commercial litigation lawyers leading our Australian litigation team.’

Sydney managing partner at the firm Michelle Fox added: ‘Since opening, we have met with many of Australia’s leading companies and their general counsel. Beau’s name constantly came up as one of the most highly rated litigators in Australia. We also received very positive reactions to QE’s pure litigation model and global capability, all of which similarly appealed to Beau.’

Deleuil will join the Quinn’s Sydney office in April next year.

Jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

Litigation watch: Weil and Quinn Emanuel successful in high profile Barclay brothers Court of Appeal case

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A high profile Court of Appeal decision has today (3 July) seen Weil Gotshal & Manges and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan see off a challenge against the Barclay brothers and their associated companies over the ownership of three iconic London hotels.

Sir Frederick and Sir David Barclay, represented by Weil Gotshal’s head of litigation Matthew Shankland, successfully defended an appeal by Irish developer Patrick McKillen in a long running dispute over the ownership and control of Claridges, the Berkeley and the Connaught.

McKillen, advised by Herbert Smith Freehills litigation partner John Whiteoak, had alleged that the Barclay brothers used unfair means to bypass his shareholder pre-emption rights to buy more shares in the hotels’ holding company, Coroin, after they took control of shares in the name of Irish financer Derek Quinlan. Quinlan was defended by Quinn Emanuel London managing partner Richard East and Matthew Bunting and represented in court by Stephen Auld QC, Michael Fealy and Michael d’Arcy.

However, the Court of Appeal led by Lord Justices Arden, Moore-Bick and Rimer found unanimously in favour of the defendants, concluding that the High Court was right to find that the arrangement between the Barclay brothers and Quinlan ‘did not breach’ rules in the shareholders agreement, did not trigger McKillen’s pre-emption rights, that they had not caused McKillen unfair prejudice and that they did not act in bad faith.

In a case notable for its heavyweight line up of legal advisers, the Barclay brothers were represented in court by Ken MacLean QC, Lord Grabiner QC, Jeffery Onions QC, Sa’ad Hossain and Edmund Nourse, all of One Essex Court.

At the Court of Appeal stage HSF instructed Lord Goldsmith QC, Philip Marshall QC, Richard Hill QC and Gregory Denton-Cox. The case was originally led by HSF litigation partner Kevin Lloyd, who left for Debevoise & Plimpton this year.

Bunting said: ‘This case has always been utterly misconceived, as should have been apparent to Mr McKillen and his advisors from the outset. We are pleased that both the High Court and Court of Appeal have agreed with us about this.’

Shankland added: “Mr McKillen has lost every major point in this appeal. His entire case has now been emphatically rejected in a series of judgments. The Barclay interests have been shown, beyond doubt, to have acted lawfully and fairly at all times in their dealings over Coroin. This has been one of the most significant and complex company cases in the High Court during recent years and certainly one of the most high profile.’

McKillen now faces legal costs approaching £20m.

caroline.hill@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

The Last Word – litigation boutiques

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With the continued success of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and the rise of the litigation boutique, we ask leading disputes partners if the market could become saturated and whether litigators sit better within full-service firms?

Legal Business

Asia round-up: Morrison Foerster and Quinn Emanuel expand in Asia

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Singapore has been in focus over the past week after Morrison Foerster launched an anti-corruption practice and as UK and US firms vie for the next round of local law licences.

Morrison, which opened in Singapore in January, this week relocated litigation partner Daniel Levison from its Tokyo office to spearhead its Southeast Asia anti-corruption practice.A member of the firm’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and anti-corruption task force, Levison focusses on cross-border disputes and compliance matters, including conducting internal investigations across the Asia-Pacific region.

At its January opening, Morrison’s Singapore office was staffed by Asia managing partner Eric Piesner and tax partner Eric Roose, who remain in the office together with Levison, senior of counsel Marshall Horowitz and corporate associate Lip Kian Ang.

Piesner said: ‘Dan’s move underscores our commitment to expanding our coverage to ensure we are where our clients need us as they expand their businesses while navigating an increasingly challenging regulatory environment.’

Morrison is understood to be interested in applying for a Qualifying Foreign Law Practice (QFLP) licence, which enable firms to practice Singapore law in all areas except domestic litigation and general practice such as criminal and family law.

In February, Linklaters, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Jones Day and Sidley Austin were the only four out of 23 law firm applicants awarded QFLP licences, after the Singapore Ministry of Law considered factors including the value of offshore work the firm’s Singapore office will generate; the number of lawyers based in the region; the areas of legal practice that the Singapore office will offer; and the extent to which the Singapore office will act as an Asian headquarters.

Sidley has had an office in Singapore since 1982 and offices across Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney and Tokyo, while Jones Day’s Singapore office opened in 2001.

Firms awarded a QFLP in the first round of licensing in 2009 – Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Herbert Smith Freehills, Norton Rose, Latham & Watkins and White & Case – will need to again demonstrate that they meet the commitment and performance criteria in order to receive a renewed QFLP next year.

The deadline for the previous two licencing rounds was 31 August.

According to Ministry figures, the nominal value of Singapore’s legal services sector has grown by more than 25% from S$1.5bn in 2008 to an estimated S$1.9bn in 2012, with the value of legal services exported from Singapore up from S$363m in 2008 to S$551m in 2011.

Elsewhere in Asia, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan last week announced its plans to open an office in Hong Kong with the hire of a partner from Korean firm Kim & Chang.

Kim & Chang senior foreign attorney John Rhie will head expansive Quinn Emanuel’s latest office once it receives the necessary approval. Quinn Emanuel New York partner Carey Ramos is also set to join Rhie in Hong Kong as a senior partner. Ramos, who has media and intellectual property expertise, concentrates on complex business litigation, particularly in cross-border disputes and international arbitration.

Managing partner John Quinn said: ‘We have been planning the opening of another office in Asia for some time, and of course we would like this to be in Hong Kong, when we get the approvals. John was our number one choice.’

The office would be the firm’s 14th, having just opened in Sydney this month.

david.stevenson@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

Quinn’s global master plan – elite disputes shop hits HK for third foreign launch of the year

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Having only launched its first foreign office in 2008, US disputes leader Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan clearly now has the taste for foreign expansion. The latest stop on its global tour is Hong Kong, with the ultra-profitable litigation shop today (15 May) unveiling details of its long-awaited local launch, coming only days after it sealed a deal to enter the Australian legal market.

Quinn Emanuel has recruited senior arbitrator John Rhie, who joins as managing partner of the new office. The Seoul-based Rhie joins from South Korea’s top commercial law firm, Kim & Chang. Rhie, a former Herbert Smith partner, will relocate to Hong Kong as partner and chair the firm’s Asia international arbitration practice.

New York partner Carey Ramos will also join the new office to advise Quinn Emanuel’s Asian clients on litigation in the US and the EU, as well as develop the firm’s international arbitration practice across Asia. Ramos’s practice also covers intellectual property disputes, another core focus of the 600-lawyer firm.

Managing partner John Quinn said: ‘Rhie is a perfect fit for our international arbitration platform and our Asia strategy in particular. Carey brings a wealth of experience in representing Asian companies in complex business disputes.’

Previously, Stephen Jagusch, global chair of the firm’s international arbitration practice, told Legal Business the firm was keen to open in Hong Kong and indicated Singapore would be the next attractive location, as both are key jurisdictions for international arbitration. The firm has been making a concerted pitch to position itself as a leader in international arbitration, having recruited Jagusch last year from City giant Allen & Overy, where he co-headed the practice.

Jagusch commented: ‘John is the leading arbitration specialist of his generation in Asia and a first-rate lawyer. I could not think of a person better suited to help us build our Asian arbitration practice.’

Quinn Emanuel recruited two senior partners from Herbert Smith Freehills, Michael Mills and Michelle Fox, to lead its new office in Sydney. Australian-born Quinn Emanuel litigation partner James Webster will also join the Sydney branch, which is expected to open next month. The top 50 US law firm also launched a Paris branch earlier this year with the appointment of Shearman & Sterling arbitrator Philippe Pinsolle.

The Hong Kong and Sydney launches come amid an expansive period for the Los Angeles-bred law firm, which has stormed the global legal market over the last five years after sustaining sharp growth in income and profitability. Profits per equity partner for 2012 hit $4.4m, while revenues increased by 18% to $853m. The scale of its City ambitions were underlined by the recruitment in March of Herbert Smith Freehills partner Ted Greeno, one of the City’s most high profile litigators.

jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

Quinn Emanuel goes down under with HSF team

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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.

 

david.stevenson@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

Lateral push sees key UK players switch to US firms

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US firms in the City continue to demonstrate their appetite for big name lateral hires from leading UK firms, with Latham & Watkins and Reed Smith picking up experienced partners from Clifford Chance (CC) recently, while Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan announced the hire of disputes expert Ted Greeno from Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF).

Latham & Watkins’ acquisition of CC’s global head of private equity, David Walker, particularly caught the eye last month. This is one of the most significant blows to CC’s corporate practice since the departure of Adam Signy to Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in 2009.

Legal Business

Disputes revival has huge implications for City law

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A few years ago – during what in retrospect turned out to be a boom – you knew where you stood with City law. The market kept growing and, while the man in the street associated lawyers with courts and disputes, those in the industry knew success came from the other side of the equation. In short, you made the real money from deal-doing and associated disciplines, not the contentious side of practice.

Legal Business

Revolution on a shoe string

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Quinn Emanuel’s no-frills, high-end approach to law has re-written the rules on what US advisers can achieve in London after a startling run of growth. Legal Business asks how the iconoclastic disputes shop does it.

It’s the day after Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has moved into its new London office at Fleet Place and boxes bursting with paperwork still occupy the small reception hall. There is no fancy artwork on these walls, nor much in the way of hi-tech gadgets; everything is basic, minimal, functional. On entering the interview room, tap water is offered and greetings take place with London co-managing partner Richard East and former Allen & Overy (A&O) arbitration partner Stephen Jagusch – last year’s star UK signing – the latter dressed in jeans.