Fast-growing US law firm lines up raft of global office launches

US litigation specialist Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has set out ambitious plans to expand across Asia and Europe.

The firm has earmarked Germany, Switzerland and Singapore for office launches within the next two years, with an office in Hong Kong planned for a later date.

Germany, where Quinn Emanuel launched a two-partner office in Mannheim in 2010, is expected to gain two new bases, with an opening in Hamburg expected imminently and a launch in Munich expected before the end of the year.

The firm is also targeting Zurich, with recent recruit Thomas Werlen – formerly global general counsel at pharmaceuticals giant Novartis – set to lead the base.

Werlen, who joined the US firm in January this year, is currently splitting his time between London, Mannheim and New York but had been based in Switzerland at Novartis.

As part of the European expansion plans, Quinn Emanuel's London base, which was formed in 2008 with the hire of Kirkland & Ellis litigator Richard East and now counts seven partners, is also pegged for further expansion. In particular, the firm wants to expand its intellectual property and arbitration offering in the City, where revenues increased by 75% in 2011 to £21.8m.

Meanwhile, in Asia the firm plans to add to its Tokyo base – which opened in 2007 and marked the firm's first international office – with a launch in Singapore due to the country's strategic importance as an international arbitration centre.

Founding partner John Quinn (pictured) commented: "We want our European and Asian coverage to reflect our strengths in the US and intend to build a premier international arbitration practice."

Quinn Emanuel, which also launched in Moscow last year, posted a 31% increase in global revenues in 2011 to $723m (£461m), while profits per equity partner rose by nearly 15% to $4.2m (£2.7m).