Quinn Emanuel co-founder John Quinn on building a global disputes powerhouse

John Quinn is one of the most influential figures in modern Big Law. In this episode, he reflects on how Quinn Emanuel grew from a four-lawyer spin-out in Los Angeles into the world’s leading litigation-only firm - which is constantly rated as the the “most feared” firm.

Quinn explains that the disputes-only model wasn’t fully formed on day one, but became a powerful differentiator once the firm realised that “we do one thing and we think we’re the best at that,” rather than trying to be everything to everybody.

A central theme of the conversation is why specialisation - particularly being willing to act against the world’s largest commercial banks - created an “unmet need in the marketplace” that full-service firms couldn’t fill because of conflicts. Quinn also discusses how that focus helped build internal cohesion: “we’re all litigators,” he says, which avoids the fragmentation he sees inside large full-service partnerships.

Quinn offers a candid comparison between litigation in the US and the UK, from the power of depositions and jury trials to the cost structures and role of regulators like the DOJ. He also shares his perspective on the evolution of Big Law, including rising concentration at the top end, the erosion of lockstep, the growth of non-equity partnerships, and why he thinks the business of law itself “hasn’t changed much,” despite constant talk of transformation.

The episode closes with Quinn’s views on AI, private equity investment in law firms, and what actually makes a great lawyer.

Chapters

00:01 Introduction

00:55 On launching Law Disrupted and staying busy

03:38 Founding Quinn Emanuel and the early years

05:02 Why Quinn Emanuel became a litigation only firm

08:14 Suing the banks and finding an unmet market niche

09:40 Opening London before the financial crisis

10:07 Building the world’s largest patent litigation practice

11:51 US vs UK litigation and the power of depositions

16:04 Costs, risk and why US litigation works differently

20:52 How Big Law has changed and why the strongest firms win

22:23 Why law is a “stupid business” structurally

24:26 Lockstep, partner pay and the rise of superstar compensation

33:14 Private equity, external capital and law firm ownership

35:11 Why AI won’t replace litigators anytime soon

40:26 What makes a great lawyer and why judgment matters most

About Non-Billable

Non-Billable is the media company for modern legal professionals across private practice, in-house and legal tech.

Visit our website: ⁠⁠https://www.nonbillable.co.uk