Quinn Emanuel’s London arm posts 47% increase in revenue

‘Material’ one-off success fee drives eye-catching results as profit soars 60%

Quinn Emanuel’s London office has posted an eye-catching 47% increase in revenue for the 2023 financial year. 

Fee income at the US litigation specialist climbed to £196.6m from £133.6m against a 60% increase in profit to £153.6m. 

Those results were helped by a one-off success fee the firm’s London office founder and senior partner, Richard East, described as “material”.  

“We are extremely pleased with our 2023 results,” East said. “It is a stunning achievement for a ‘disputes only’ practice to approach £200m in revenue, especially taking into account the number of partners that we have in London.  

“This year’s results were boosted by a material one-off success fee, but even without this fee the office has very significantly improved revenue and profit as against 2022.” 

The results were also driven by a growing London team, the firm having ended the year with 29 partners and 76 associates, up by three partners and 18 associates from the start of the year. 

The office’s profit margin likewise increased, to 78% from 71% in 2022. The results follow moderate growth in 2022 after 2021’s flat revenue and a 6% fall in profits, which at the time the firm chalked up to rising costs associated with associate salaries and bonuses and the taking up of larger office space. 

That year also saw the high-profile departure of the office’s co-head of competition, Boris Bronfentrinker, to Willkie Farr along with two other partners and a team of associates.  

Bronfentrinker was credited with building the office’s highly rated competition litigation practice; his move had led to predictions from rivals that Quinn Emanuel would struggle to replace him and his team. 

However since then the firm has attracted top talent, including RPC’s head of competition Lambros Kilaniotis in 2022, and David Lancaster from Pinsent Masons last year to launch a contentious IP practice in London.  

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