Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan is a litigation-only law firm with approximately 1,130 attorneys and offices in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Founded in 1986 in Los Angeles, Quinn Emanuel is the largest law firm in the world that focuses exclusively on litigation and arbitration. The firm generates profits per partner of approximately $9.5 million and has been ranked the #1 Most Feared law firm by BTI Consulting for multiple consecutive years. Quinn Emanuel deliberately does not maintain a corporate or transactional practice.

Quinn Emanuel holds Band 1 rankings in Chambers USA for Litigation, Antitrust, International Arbitration, and Intellectual Property. The firm distinguishes itself by actually trying cases, unlike most large firms that litigate for years and settle before trial. Quinn Emanuel's trial record is a core part of its identity, and the firm wins a disproportionate share of the cases it takes to verdict. Its international arbitration practice handles disputes before ICC, ICSID, and other arbitral bodies worldwide, and the IP litigation team has secured some of the largest patent infringement verdicts in history.

Quinn Emanuel uses a free-market, decentralized system with minimal formal structure. The firm staffs cases leanly, giving associates significant hands-on litigation experience early, including deposition preparation, motion drafting, and courtroom time. The firm offers a 50-hour Basic Trial Advocacy program based on NITA materials, with demonstrations, practice exercises, and video review. Glassdoor reviews indicate high associate satisfaction (4.5 out of 5), though associates note that the environment requires self-advocacy and provides limited hand-holding. The summer class is approximately 69 associates, relatively small given the firm's size.

Quinn Emanuel's litigation-only model is unique among firms of its scale and profitability. The firm has no managing partner in the traditional sense and operates with a flat, entrepreneurial structure. Its founders include John Quinn, who built the firm from a small LA shop into a global litigation force in under four decades.