McDermott disputes heavyweight joins Quinn, takes aim at 'inhibiting' conflicts

Quinn Emanuel has hired senior disputes partner Andrew Savage from US rival McDermott in London, in a move he linked to growing frustration with big firm conflicts.

Savage brings more than 25 years’ experience handling cross-border disputes and arbitrations. He joined McDermott in 2019 to build its London commercial disputes practice, having previously been at Watson Farley & Williams, where he became partner in 2004 and later led its litigation and arbitration group.

Conflicts frustration

Savage said he was drawn to disputes-only Quinn - the firm famously built its name by acting against major banks and financial institutions that full-service rivals were conflicted out of.

"Having built a diverse, complex international disputes practice, it has become increasingly apparent to me that the conflicts presented by large transactional firms seriously inhibit case strategy and constrain business development generally. These effects are only growing more intense," he said.

Savage added that he has long admired Quinn: "Its relentless drive to perform at the highest levels resonates strongly with my clients and I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with the many talented lawyers at the firm."

London momentum

Savage’s arrival takes Quinn's London office to 31 partners and over 110 lawyers. The office - the firm’s second largest - reported £220 million in revenue last year and is seeing one of its busiest periods yet, with 10 major trials scheduled to take place this year, according to London senior partner Richard East, who discussed the pipeline on The Non-Billable Podcast in July.

The hire follows the return of Robert Hickmott as general counsel and partner in August, after the departures of competition litigator Leo Kitchen to Paul Weiss and a three-partner construction team to boutique Joseph Hage Aaronson earlier this year.

East called Savage "a natural fit" with a "track record for winning complex, multi-jurisdictional disputes," while firm founder and chairman John Quinn said the firm is "only interested in hiring the best disputes lawyers globally and Andrew is firmly in that category."