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Morning Roundup

joshua — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 15:59:34 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Wednesday, December 22, and after a brief hiatus we are returning to bring you a quick review of the week’s top stories.

King & Spalding is expanding its government investigations practice in California…

Jones Day has a new Partner In Charge of its Dallas office…

Fulbright & Jaworski is relocating its Austin office…

Covington & Burling picked up a former Bush appointee…

Quinn Emanuel announced its new partnership class…

And Cleary Gottlieb has a new managing partner…

Wilkie Farr & Gallagher Adds Pair to Bankruptcy Practice

joshua — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:43:52 +0000

Wilkie Farr & Gallagher has bolstered its New York business reorganization and restructuring department with the addition of two partners. Joining the firm are Mary K. Warren, who was formerly a partner at Linklaters, and Joseph G. Minias, a former partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan.

Warren brings experience in banking and bankruptcy litigation with a focus on matters related to bankruptcy cases and litigation trust claims. She regularly represents institutional creditors and recently handled complex international bankruptcy issues in connection to the Lehman Brothers proceedings, the firm said in a press release.

Minias’ practice focuses on the representation of creditors, creditor committees and sophisticated investors. Last year he was one of 12 attorneys nationwide selected as a top “outstanding young restructuring lawyer” by Turnarounds and Workouts.

Wilkie Farr & Gallagher is an international law firm with approximately 650 attorneys with offices in New York, Washington, Paris, London, Milan, Rome, Frankfurt and Brussels.

Morning Roundup

sara — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:41:19 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Friday, March 12, and here’s a quick look back at yesterday’s news…

The Asian Pacific American Legal Center files a lawsuit against Trinity Law Associates for allegedly defrauding 30 Korean immigrants…

King & Spaulding reveals a new pay scale and bonuses…

Former U.S. Senators Lott and Breaux are in talks with Patton Boggs…

Snell & Wilmer opens a sports agency…

The Obama administration nominates two federal judges…

The Zeughauser Group reports that BigLaw hasn’t fared as badly as predicted…

Quinn Emanuel changes their name…

Howrey is cutting partners after a tough 2009…

White & Case promotes five to partner…

Quinn Emanuel Gets Name Change

joshua — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:22:58 +0000

The firm formerly known as Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges has changed its name to Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP.

Joining the firm’s masthead is Kathleen M. Sullivan, who is a partner in the firm’s New York office and heads its national appellate practice.

““Kathleen Sullivan would be on anyone’s list of the top three or four advocates practicing in the United States today,” the firm said in a press release. “She has not only built a thriving appellate practice at the firm, but has played a key role in the firm’s trial practice, arguing important motions in federal and state courts around the country.

“Her inclusion in the firm’s name reflects the integration of our trial and appellate practices and our strengths as a national law firm.”

Sullivan is a former Harvard Law professor and dean of Stanford Law School. She joined Quinn Emanuel in 2005. Among her notable achievements since joining the firm was a recent victory the New York Times called “stunning.” In it she persuaded the New York Court of Appeals to uphold New York Gov. David Paterson’s power to appoint Richard Ravitch as lieutenant governor.

Quinn Emanuel has more than 400 lawyers with offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Chicago, Tokyou, London and Mannheim.

David Quinto: Oscar’s Legal “Guardian”

sara — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:11:50 +0000

And the Oscar goes to….David Quinto for his role at Quinn Emanuel as the guardian of the Academy Awards trademark. Quinto, an intellectual property attorney at the Los Angeles firm, spends a great deal of time protecting the copyrighted image of the Academy Awards worldwide. He also gets to guard the door on Sunday night during the actual ceremony. The Hollywood Reporter conducted a terrific interview with Quinto which it published on March 2.

The Academy Awards are extremely controlling of their image and Quinto is largely responsible for preventing any damage to the symbol of the Oscar. He most likely will sue those who try to sell someone else’s Oscar, try to make and sell a fake Oscar or call yourself an Oscar winner. As he says in the interview,

“The Oscar should remain a symbol of achievement in motion picture making and it should demonstrate exclusivity. If there’ a perception that anyone with money can buy one, then people may start to lose interest in it.”

Quinto says that the Academy operates on a limited budget and must pick its fights carefully. He describes what he does partly as “bluffing and persuasion”. It is his belief that many people infringe because they assume the Oscar symbol is in the public domain. He describes his letters to those in violation of the trademark to be educational for the recipient. He educates companies who believe they may market party products or reproduction Oscars and in one instance people who made little candy Oscars for a local party.

Quinto won’t be sitting around in his pajamas on Sunday night. He’ll be stationed outside the Academy Awards venue, at a location called “The Help Table”. If someone attempts to gain admission to the theatre and there is a problem or discrepancy with their ticket they must go to the Help Table. Quinto and several associates interview these people to figure out what is going on, identify them correctly and get them seated. Quinto makes a final determination along with Academy Awards in house lawyer Scott Miller,

“After they gather all the facts, they present them to me or to Scott Miller, and then we make a determination: should the person be admitted? Should the person be identified and escorted off the premise? Or should the person be arrested?”

Morning Roundup

joshua — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:26:05 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Monday, February 1, and I hope everyone had a great weekend. Let’s get the week rolling with a look back at Friday’s news…

Latham & Watkins picked up four from White & Case in London…

Goodwin & Procter’s profits and revenue were down in 2009…

Same story at Quinn Emanuel…

But Hughes Hubbard saw increases to both…

Vinson & Elkins thawed out salaries and issued bonuses…

McDonald Hopkins picked up an IP litigator from Kirkland & Ellis…

Lathrop & Gage settled a legal malpractice suit with the FDIC for $7.4 million…

A new study shows that female judges are still under represented across the country…

In California a federal judge will hear motions in a case asking for accommodations for a blind law student taking the bar exam…

And the former White House Deputy Counsel accused of attacking his wife is being sued by her…

Quinn Emanuel Reports Decline in Revenue & PPP in 2009

sara — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:32:32 +0000

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges reported a 6% decline in profits per partner for 2009 with the firm’s 388 partners averaging $3.1 million in profits. In 2008 Quinn Emanuel reported an average of $3.3 million in profits per partner. Revenues declined 5%, from $442 million to $420 million. Revenue per lawyer dropped from $1.1 million to $1 million.

William Urquhart believes the declines can be attributed to a lagging first quarter. After a packed final half of 2008, the firm saw billable hours suddenly drop as important cases were settled or concluded. Urquhart says the workload began to pick up in the second quarter of 2009.

Quinn Emanuel was founded in 1986 by John B. Quinn. It is headquartered in Los Angeles with other offices in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, New York, Chicago, Tokyo and London. The firm has 400 lawyers and focuses on business litigation. In 2008 Quinn Emanuel had the third highest profits per partner in the Am Law 100.

Holiday Roundup

joshua — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:03:37 +0000

Good morning everyone. Today is Wednesday, December 23. We’ll be taking a break for a few days to celebrate Christmas so this is your last roundup until Monday…

UC Irvine students who start next year will get a 50% scholarship for all three years…

Quinn Emanuel announced bonuses…

So did Wachtel Lipton…

HBJ Gateley Wareing bought out a small Scottish firm…

A new law prohibits mandatory arbitration clauses in employment contracts of defense contractors…

Hogan & Hartson is paying a bonus and partially thawing compensation…

Quinn Emanuel Bonuses

joshua — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:22:13 +0000

Quin Emanuel is making its naughty and nice list. Those who were naughty are getting a lump of coal, and those that were nice are getting a bonus – in some cases a very nice bonus.

Bonuses are being paid by class depending on the number of hours billed. To qualify for the smallest bonus, an associate needs to have 2000 hours. At 2100 hours, associates hit the Cravath bonus scale, but it doesn’t stop there. Bonus go up again at 2400 hours, 2600 hours, and those that managed to bill 2800+ hours will get an even bigger bump. In this economy? Did anyone actually find 2800 billable hours? Presumably, the firm wouldn’t offer bonuses for that level without having some earners, so congratulations to any Quinn Emanuel associate earning the top chart bonuses – now take a day off!

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges LLP was founded in 1986 by John B. Quinn. It is headquartered in Los Angeles, with major offices in San Francisco, the Silicon Valley, and New York.

Confirmed: Layoffs at Quinn Emanuel

Erik Even — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:50:43 +0000

A JDJournal tipster informed us yesterday that Quinn Emanuel held layoffs at their Los Angeles office.

Today the firm confirmed that our tipster was reliable: Quinn Emanuel laid off 10 staff members in LA this week.

No lawyers were affected.

Quinn Emanuel’s revenues climbed 15% to $442 million in 2008, and profits per partner rose 11% to $3.34 million. I’m sure the laid off staff were happy to hear it.

The firm also laid off “a handful” of people in March.

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges LLP was founded in 1986 by John B. Quinn. It is headquartered in Los Angeles, with major offices in San Francisco, the Silicon Valley, and New York.

Tipster: Quinn Emanuel Layoffs in Los Angeles

Erik Even — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:13:43 +0000

According to a JDJournal tipster, Quinn Emanuel held more layoffs at their Los Angeles Office yesterday.

There are no further details. The last rumored layoff was held last month, and there were no numbers released then as well.

If you know anything about the situation at Quinn Emanuel, please — send us a confidential tip!

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges LLP was founded in 1986 by John B. Quinn. It is headquartered in Los Angeles, California with major offices in San Francisco, the Silicon Valley, and New York.

Quinn Emanuel Holds Layoffs Today

Erik Even — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:05:32 +0000

Quinn Emanuel has confirmed it laid off “a handful” of people for lack of work today.

Rumors in the blawgosphere say six people were let go. The firm denied a rumor that up to 25 were sacked.

There are no further details available at this time. If you know anything about what’s going on at Quinn, send us an anonymous tip!

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges LLP was founded in 1986 by John B. Quinn. It is headquartered in Los Angeles, California with major offices in San Francisco, the Silicon Valley, and New York.

ALSP Opens Los Angeles Chapter

Erik Even — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 02:31:48 +0000

Los Angeles recently became the host city for the newest regional chapter of the Association of Litigation Support Professionals (ALSP). ALSP’s mission is to establish global standards for the litigation support profession through collaboration, education and certification. The organization also focuses on further advancing the profession and contributing to the career development of professionals from around the world. Members of ALSP help attorneys, general counsel and government officials navigate the increasingly complex world of technology and law.

The newly established Chapter has formed a Steering Committee comprised of seasoned litigation support professionals to implement ALSP’s mission and drive chapter objectives. Committee members include: Steven Britton, Precision Discovery; Greg Chan, Bingham McCutchen LLP; Jonathan Land, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges LLP; Monica L. Moore, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP; and Robert Newcombe, O’Melveny & Myers LLP.

The chapter’s first meeting will be held on April 2 at the offices of Bingham McCutchen.

ATL: IP Partners Ankle Latham & Watkins

Erik Even — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 23:16:54 +0000

Tipsters are telling Above the Law that two intellectual property partners at Latham & Watkins are leaving, and setting up shop at Quinn Emanuel.

Sean Pak and Dave Nelson were both patent litigators at Latham.

ATL quotes a tipster:

This is on top of the NY IP partners all leaving last year. Expect several associates to follow. Right now LW has no IP practice in NY, and soon to have no substantial IP practice in Chicago. Rats leaving the sinking ship?

Quinn Emanuel confirmed that Pak and Nelson have joined the firm.

Via ATL.

Partners Come and Go at O’Melveny

Erik Even — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:32:34 +0000

James Asperger, head of the white-collar crime practice at Los Angeles-based O’Melveny & Myers, has left for Quinn Emanuel.

Kenneth L. Wainstein, former homeland security adviser to President George W. Bush, has joined O’Melveny in Washington.

Asperger, an assistant US attorney in Los Angeles from 1983 to 1993, joins LA’s Quinn Emanuel as a partner, and will be co-chairman of the firm’s white-collar group. He was at O’Melveny for 15 years.

Wainstein, who served as US attorney for DC from 2004 to 2006, is joining O’Melveny’s Washington office as a partner in the white-collar defense & corporate investigations group.

Last year, Wainstein was named homeland security adviser, coordinating the nation’s counterterrorism, homeland security, infrastructure protection and disaster response and recovery efforts.

O’Melveny & Myers LLP is the 19th largest law firm in the world. It employs 1200 attorneys in 14 offices worldwide.