Quinn Emanuel to settle in Shanghai with Kirkland hire
Posted on May 27, 2015
After Tokyo and Hong Kong, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan will open its third Asian office in Shanghai, headed by Samuel Williamson, a former Kirkland & Ellis partner.
This expansion is mostly driven by clients’ demand, as managing partner John Quinn explained: “China has become a major focus of US regulatory enforcement efforts. We felt we needed a white-collar presence on the ground in Asia.”
Described by Quinn as, “the right man for the job,” Samuel Williamson is the only Chinese-speaking former federal prosecutor resident in China. Before heading Kirkland & Ellis’ Asia government enforcement and investigations practices, he served as a white collar supervisor at the U.S. Department of Justice during nearly six years. He has extensive experience living and working in China, Japan and Singapore, and speaks Mandarin Chinese and Japanese.
Earlier this year, U.S. firm Duane Morris also opened its Shanghai office in March through its joint law venture in Asia, Duane Morris & Selvam LLP.
J. Y.
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Original photo: S?awomir Kowalewski