John B. Quinn is always on the lookout for new developments in international law, especially where innovation and tech are concerned. As co-founder and chairman of esteemed global law firm, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, his firm boasts an impressive global reach, employing over 1000 lawyers across 34 offices in eleven countries, with the largest patent litigation practice in the world. As such, Quinn is an unmatched authority when it comes to spotting cross border trends and potential areas for business development—two interests that have brought him to India with increasing frequency.

In an interview with Apn News, Quinn shared his insights into his firm’s fierce reputation and unique practices, and how he sees innovation transforming not only the legal sphere, but the world at large.

When asked how the organisation manages to work cohesively across its many locations, Quinn stressed the importance of communication. “Our lawyers are always working together across offices, since so much of our work is cross-border,” he added.

While Quinn reports Quinn Emanuel has no plan to open an office in India at present, the firm has expanded its presence in Asia in recent years, setting themselves apart from other international firms with their expertise in litigation and international arbitration. “Disputes are our raison d’être,” he explains. “All other law firms that come to the region focus principally on cap markets or mergers and acquisitions, with maybe some litigation or arbitration on the side. We focus only on disputes, which means if you are in Asia and you are looking for the best possible team to make your case, Quinn Emanuel is who you want to hire.”

The firm does indeed have a peerless reputation as a fierce competitor, being deemed one of the “most feared law firms” to face in court  among American lawyers. Commenting on the firm’s aggressive approach to litigation, Quinn notes that, while their lawyers “will never get near the edge of what is ethical,” they are fearless in defending their clients’ rights within appropriate bounds. This devotion to the clients’ needs has served the firm well. “Our experience is that if we can get a great result for a client, they will come back.”

In spite of Quinn Emanuel’s fearful reputation as opposing counsel, the firm prioritises developing positive relationships with other law firms. Quinn admits this runs contrary to business as usual in the international legal space. “In most of the world, there is a standoffish attitude toward competitor law firms, but we have always believed we should be close to our competitors—they should be our best friends. You never know when there is work for us to do together, whether it’s conflicts, referrals, or representing co-parties.”

Over nearly four decades, Quinn Emanuel has grown and evolved with changing times, but thanks to new technologies and business models, the past few years have shown some of the most drastic evolution to date. “We have to be constantly upgrading software and document management,” Quinn comments. “Learning how to integrate the latest technologies into our practice to best serve our clients has always been a central part of our approach. The next big advancement we’re looking into is AI such as Chat GPT. This will revolutionise what we do.”

It’s fitting that the firm maintains an open, future-minded approach to technology, given their strong focus on intellectual property law. Quinn Emanuel has played a key role in a number of significant IP cases, which have shaped precedents in tech law. Quinn discussed a number of noteworthy cases the firm has handled, including several against tech giant Apple. The firm successfully defended the Android-powered handset manufacturers, helping ensure Apple never succeeded in taking an Android product off the market, and secured a $1.1 B ruling on behalf of CalTech against Apple and Broadcom for unlicensed use of Wi-Fi technology patents.

The firm also made headlines last year defeating UC Berkeley in the U.S. patent and trademark office, which determined that Harvard and MIT’s Broad Institute was first in developing the revolutionary gene-editing tech, CRISPR-Cas-9, over the Nobel prize winners.

Whether defending the IP of visionary underdogs or bringing their clout to international arbitration, Quinn Emanuel shows no signs of slowing down—nor does their globe-trotting chairman. “I’ve spent years doing what I love, supporting the growth of our firm. To me, we’ve only just begun.”