Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM

Steven Edwards, who waged litigation battles for banks, health care companies and other corporate giants at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and Hogan Lovells, died Wednesday after contracting COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, Quinn Emanuel said. He was 73.

His death comes a month after Quinn Emanuel said an unnamed lawyer at the firm—identified as a partner in New York—had tested positive for COVID-19, leading to the closure of its Manhattan office earlier than most firms. Representatives for the firm did not answer whether Edwards' case was related to the earlier diagnosis.

An Iowa native, Edwards attended the Iowa Writers Workshop and later earned his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. After beginning his career at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in 1972, he started his own law firm in New York, Davis Weber & Edwards, in 1980. It was acquired in 2000 by Hogan & Hartson, which became Hogan Lovells in 2010, and Edwards led Hogan Lovells' New York litigation team until he joined Quinn Emanuel as of counsel in January 2016.

His practice focused on complex commercial litigation, including antitrust, contract disputes, fraud, insurance coverage, intellectual property and securities litigation. Among other matters over the years, he successfully represented U.S. Bank when it sought damages from UBS for its role in the 2008 mortgage crisis. He was lead national counsel for Bristol-Myers Squibb in average wholesale pricing cases involving more than 30 states and plaintiffs classes, and he represented IBM and United HealthGroup in antitrust cases. His past clients also included Estee Lauder, Morgan Stanley and the Ford Motor Co.

Steven Edwards, pictured above, "was able to combine legal skills with a gentlemanly-ness you rarely find in lawyers today or in the past," said Quinn partner Peter Calamari.

"Steve came to the firm with a strong background in antitrust, and even when he was assigned to something in particular, he was always willing to take on more work," said David Brockett, chair of the firm's financial institution litigation practice.

"He was midwest nice," Brockett said. "Very patient, and all the associates loved working with him. He extremely patient, and cared about clients and cared about getting good results."

Peter Calamari, Quinn Emanuel's presiding partner and chair of the firm's national banking and financial institutions practice, was an associate at Cravath with Edwards. He said that beyond his legal expertise, Edwards would be remembered for his character.

"I think the legal accomplishments speak for themselves," he said. "He was able to combine legal skills with a gentlemanly-ness you rarely find in lawyers today or in the past, and he was somebody that everyone liked, appreciated and admired."

"The most important thing about Steve is that no one didn't like Steve," he said.

Edwards was a leader in multiple corners of the legal community: He was president of the Federal Bar Council from 1998 to 2000; chair of the antitrust section of the New York State Bar Association; president and co-founder of the Federal Bar Council American Inn of Court; an advisory committee member for Civil Rules of the United States District Courts of the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York; and founder and editor emeritus of the Federal Bar Council News.

"I don't know how he had time to carry an active practice and do all he did, but somehow he found the time," said Brockett.

Edwards also championed social justice issues, the firm noted. He was a board member and president of Nazareth Housing; the treasurer for the National Center for Law and Economic Justice; and an advisory board member for the Pro Bono Partnership. He led a multiyear, class action battle against New York City Housing Authority over mold in residents' apartments.

Outside of his law practice, Edwards was a musician who was on the board and executive committee of both the Jazz Foundation of America and WGBO, a not-for-profit radio station, and he is a member of the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He also played bass in a group called the Law Dogs.

"I remember going to see Steve play in the bottom floor of Red Rooster Harlem," Calamari said. "He just loved his lawyer band."