The firm’s 2026 class includes one London white-collar partner and a Munich patent litigation partner, with the remainder of the round centred on the US.
The promotions follow updated UK and US white collar enforcement frameworks and a recent senior London disputes lateral hire.
US litigation powerhouse Quinn Emanuel has elected 12 lawyers to its partnership. The promotions are mainly US-focused with two in Europe.
The class includes one London promotion, white collar and investigations lawyer James McSweeney, alongside Munich-based patent litigator Andreas Hagne, who focuses on national and cross-border litigation. The promotions are effective 1 January 2026.
The round closely mirrors last year’s 11 global partner promotions, two in London.
White collar in focus
McSweeney’s promotion follows the UK and US white-collar enforcement agencies reaffirming their shared commitment earlier this year and signalling closer coordination.
Both the US Department of Justice and UK Serious Fraud Office have updated their enforcement frameworks to encourage voluntary self-disclosure from companies in an attempt to reduce the length of complex investigations and deliver "swifter justice".
Disputes only
Quinn Emanuel also recently picked up senior disputes partner Andrew Savage from McDermott in November. Savage cited a growing frustration with big firm conflicts as a reason for the move, reflecting an advantage that disputes-only firms hold over full-service rival firms.
The hire followed the return of Robert Hickmott as general counsel and partner in August.
Join 10,000+ City law professionals who start their day with our newsletter.
The essential read for commercially aware lawyers.
