Quinn Emanuel Nabs Kirkland Litigation Partner

On Monday, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan announced that litigation partner Richard Godfrey of Kirkland & Ellis is taking his practice to their law firm and will serve as the chair of their complex multidistrict litigation practice.

Godfrey joins Quinn Emanuel in Chicago from Kirkland, where he has practiced since 1979 and previously served for 16 years as a member of the global management executive committee.

Godfrey, who officially starts at the firm on Tuesday, said there was a “unique opportunity” to practice at Quinn Emanuel in Chicago, and particularly in the MDL practice.

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He said Quinn Emanuel, which focuses on litigation, will have “far fewer conflicts” than Kirkland, which like other large firms has many practice areas and conflicts can occur more frequently, he said.

Godfrey served as lead outside counsel for automaker General Motors in years-long multidistrict litigation over defective ignition switches from 2014 through 2022, according to Quinn Emanuel. He also represented BP from 2010 through 2015 in the Deepwater Horizon litigation over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.