Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, a prestigious litigation firm known for handling major corporate lawsuits, has announced the establishment of its first office in the state of Delaware, less than six months after securing $266.7 million in legal fees from a case adjudicated in Delaware’s Chancery Court. This new strategic move places the firm in a prospective position for further growth, particularly in the areas of merger and acquisition disputes, disputes in corporate governance, post-closing cases, and commercial conflicts that fall under the purview of Delaware law.
Andrew Rossman, who leads Quinn Emanuel’s M&A litigation practice, noted the advantageous nature of this development. Bloomberg Law quoted him stating that these aforementioned areas of legal disputes “are all natural fits for this office.”
The firm’s new location will be under the leadership of Michael A. Barlow, a former employee of Abrams & Bayliss, who had previously worked closely with Quinn Emanuel’s litigation team. Barlow also served as the chief of staff for former Delaware Governor, Jack Markell. In addition to Barlow, the firm is planning to hire between three to five associates to strengthen their newly established Delaware office.
The news of this office opening follows the firm’s spectacular success in a case decided by the Chancery Court on 31 July 2024, in which it, along with Labaton Sucharow, was awarded $266.7 million in fees. This extraordinary fee was a result of a $1 billion settlement with Dell Technologies Inc., marking the Delaware court’s largest ever settlement. Coincidentally, this fee is also the second-largest attorney fee award ever given out by the said court.
The firm has a long history of dealing with complex cases in Delaware. It is currently representing IT company Soroc Technology Holdings LLC in a case and is fighting derivative claims on behalf of leaders of a Fintech company Bolt Financial Inc. It also manages bankruptcy matters. Barlow has represented AT&T Inc. and a founder who allegedly misled JPMorgan Chase & Co. before the acquisition of his financial-aid support company.
The Delaware’s Chancery Court is known for handling key corporate battles. Eric Talley, a corporate law professor at Columbia Law School in New York, notes the stiff competition in Delaware for elite Big Law dispute resolution firms. According to experts, litigation related to Covid-19, complex commercial cases, and leading M&A cases are likely to continue trickling into the Delaware Court.