Tokyo. Photo: Shutterstock

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has hired Hughes Hubbard & Reed's sole lawyer in Tokyo – counsel Tony Andriotis – as a partner in the Japanese capital.

U.S.-qualified Andriotis specialises in international dispute resolution and regulatory law. He has represented Japanese clients in the American Arbitration Association, International Chamber of Commerce, Singapore International Arbitration Centre and Japan Commercial Arbitration Association.

He leaves Hughes Hubbard after more than a decade with the firm. Andriotis joined Hughes Hubbard's New York office in 2007 and seconded to Japan's largest firm, Nishimura & Asahi, in Tokyo for four and a half years. He returned to Hughes Hubbard in 2014 as a counsel in its Tokyo office.

Hughes Hubbard opened its Tokyo office in 2003 – its first and only outpost in Asia. The New York-based firm will maintain its Tokyo office and is looking for a full-time replacement, said Andriotis, adding that New York-based senior corporate and finance counsel Yasuo Okamoto, who is a foreign-registered lawyer in Japan, and litigation partner Seth Rothman, are also part of Hughes Hubbard's Japan practice.

"Having spent over a decade affiliated with Hughes Hubbard, the decision to leave was not an easy one," Andriotis said. "Quinn Emanuel's stellar worldwide reputation, strength in disputes and clear commitment to Asia and Japan, however, made my decision to leave Hughes Hubbard a lot easier than I expected."

Andriotis's appointment brings Quinn Emanuel's Tokyo partner count to three, including intellectual property litigator York Faulkner, who joined last August from IP specialist firm Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner's office in Reston, Virginia. Patent litigator Ryan Goldstein is the other partner in Tokyo and heads the office.

Quinn Emanuel launched an office in Tokyo – its first overseas office – in 2007 after acquiring three-lawyer IP boutique Koda & Androlia in Los Angeles. The firm relocated Koda & Androlia's name partner Henry Koda and Quinn Emanuel partner Goldstein to Japan to launch and co-lead a Tokyo office. Koda left in 2010 to join DLA Piper and Goldstein has been the sole Tokyo office head ever since.

The firm also recently expanded in Shanghai, hiring former Beijing-based Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom counsel Xiao Liu as its second partner in the Chinese city last August. Quinn Emanuel's other Asian office is in Hong Kong, where it has eight lawyers, including three partners; New York-based partner Carey Ramos also spends time in Hong Kong.

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