Regulatory Concerns: Episode 45 – A Conversation with One of the World’s Most Powerful Trial Lawyers with John B. Quinn | Thomas Fox – compliance evangelist

John B. Quinn is the founder and president of the nearly four-decade-old Los Angeles law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. The firm has been named the “most feared law firm” in the world ten times by independent research firm BTI Consulting, which surveyed more than 300 key legal decision-makers at the world’s largest organizations.

In BTI’s annual survey, when respondents were asked which law firm they would least like to face as an adversary, Quinn Emanuel consistently ranked number one as the world’s most feared litigation law firm.

Since 1986, John and his partners have tirelessly built the largest law firms in the world dedicated exclusively to commercial litigation and arbitration – a feat that has been recognized by The Wall Street Journal as a “global litigation powerhouse.” During that time, Quinn Emanuel expanded to 35 offices in 12 countries on four continents, employing more than 1,100 lawyers and generating revenues exceeding $2 billion annually. In recent years, the firm has recovered more than $80 billion for plaintiffs, a testament to John’s unwavering dedication to his profession.

Jan’s interests go beyond the legal sphere. For 33 years, he served as general counsel of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization responsible for the Oscars. He is also an avid mountain climber, Ironman triathlete and father of five children. His diverse activities reflect his multi-faceted personality and provide a unique perspective on his legal career. He also hosts the popular podcast “Law, Disrupted” – www.law-disrupted.fm.

In this episode of Regulatory Ramblings, he talks to host Ajay Shamdasani about how he got into the legal profession, how he represents Bank of China, Alibaba, AliPay and Ant Financial – giants in mainland China’s banking and fintech/digital payments scene – and his faith the importance of Singapore as a dispute resolution center in the Asia-Pacific region. He also comments on how Hong Kong is dealing with the Lion City.

The conversation also covers the business case for why Quinn Emanuel Urquhart focuses on pure litigation and does not represent the largest financial center banks in the world, despite the deep pockets for top-quality legal services that the world’s most important financial institutions have. This approach has earned the firm much praise from plaintiffs’ attorneys.

John also shares his candid thoughts on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues at a time when such considerations of corporate operations and investing are under attack – often from prominent business figures. It also comments on what can be done at the level of political and legal reforms to attract more foreign direct investment to the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region.

The discussion ends with John emphasizing his commitment to the arts and philanthropy. He believes in giving back to society once you achieve a certain level of success. His many years of service to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and his initiative to open the Museum of Broken Relationships in Los Angeles are just a few examples of his commitment to philanthropy that the public can appreciate.

Podcast discussion:

2:41 From Greenwich to Harvard: The Lawyer’s Path

5:07 The competitive nature of arguments: balancing aggression and strategy

6:52 Banking and fintech in China – observations

8:41 Litigation as a last resort: the role of ADR and mediation

10:35 Expansion in Singapore: strategic development in international arbitration and regional markets

14:57 Choosing litigation instead of representing large banks

20:04 Do investors understand ESG? Challenges and definitions

25:38 Common law and civil law: perspectives on legal systems and business development

27:46 Passion for art and giving something back

31:57 Faith in Los Angeles: Adopting a Lifestyle in the Face of Economic Challenges

34:34 Hollywood incident: Will Smith and Chris Rock in the spotlight

37:15 The intersection of law and life: the importance of broad interests in litigation

39:51 The best preparation for becoming a lawyer

43:01 The importance of verbal and writing skills in legal practice

45:45 Burnout: Recognizing when the law is not appropriate

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