Downtown-based Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan last month added to its global presence with a new office in Beijing.
The new location is the firm’s second in mainland China, after it launched an office in Shanghai in 2016. (The firm also has a practice in Hong Kong.) Some of the dozen attorneys who have staffed the Shanghai office have relocated to Beijing.
“This is a natural extension of our pre-existing China practice from Shanghai, where we have had an office for several years,” said Chairman John Quinn. “The team will continue representing China-based companies and individuals in their most significant cross-border disputes, including litigations in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere, international arbitrations and governmental investigations.”
Partner Xiao Liu, the firm’s chair of the China practice, who launched the Shanghai location, will head the office. He previously worked in Beijing, often with clients based in China’s capital.
“The Beijing office demonstrates Quinn Emanuel’s long-term commitment to the China market,” Liu said in a statement. “It is a privilege to lead the newest addition to this exciting, well-integrated global platform.”
Attorneys at the China practices are bilingual in Mandarin and English and have received legal training in China and the United States. Quinn Emanuel has represented China-based clients in litigation in the U.S. and Europe, international arbitrations and investigations by government agencies including the U.S. Department of Justice, the Securities Exchange Commission and the Office of Foreign Assets Control. The firm has also seen growth in assisting multinational companies with internal investigations and government enforcement actions involving their China operations, the firm said.
“As someone who spent years of my career in China, I am very pleased to see the expansion of our China presence into the country’s capital city,” said Sam Williamson, co-chair of the firm’s white-collar defense and investigations practice who led the firm’s expansion into Shanghai. “We have always done extensive work for our clients in Beijing, but having a permanent presence is critical. I can’t wait to see the many more successes our China team will bring to our clients in China and throughout the region.”
Beijing is the sixth Asian in-house or affiliate office for Quinn Emanuel, a litigation-only law firm founded in 1986 that has since expanded to 32 total locations globally. Quinn added that the firm “remains opportunistic” about where its potential future expansion could be, with market need and available talent being significant factors.
“We have seen major growth in our China practice as we are trusted by many leading Chinese companies and entrepreneurs to handle their most significant cross-border disputes,” Quinn said. “We have an unparalleled deep bench of litigators globally, now coupled with a local team in China who truly understands the clients and the challenges they face and can provide instant, on-the-ground support. That’s a unique combo that few firms could offer.”
