Twenty years later we have become the premier business litigation firm in the United States. With over 375 lawyers in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Tokyo, we are the largest firm in the United States that only does business litigation. We are on the short list for any major case anywhere in the United States. We are the only firm in the United States that has won three nine-figure verdicts in the last five years. In the same period we won three nine-figure settlements -- and we are primarily a defense firm. In 2005 we tried more cases than any Am Law 200 firm in the United States, except one -- a 2200+ firm that has been around more than 100 years. This year we were ranked #8 in litigation nationally in the Vault 2008 Law Rankings. In July 2006, The American Lawyer featured the firm in a cover story, "The Mighty Quinn," in which they described us as a "litigation tour de force".
In 2006, we reached the Am Law 100 by achieving stellar results in the most high-profile cases, against firms that have been in the Am Law 100 since its inception. We have grown to over 375 lawyers in this short time all by recruiting the best litigators and law students in the country -- none of it by merger -- one lawyer at a time. We have earned our reputation for cut-to-the-chase thinking and vigorous action. Our clients appreciate our tough-mindedness because we live in a winner-take-all environment and the stakes are almost always high.
Our growth from 4 lawyers to over 375 lawyers in 20 years with offices in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Tokyo, has been fueled by a demand for our services. Since opening in Northern California in 1997, the San Francisco and Silicon Valley offices have tripled in size. In September 2001 we opened a New York City office. Because of the demand for our services, the New York office has grown to more than 100 lawyers in less than six years. We also opened the Tokyo office in November 2007, in order to allow us to strengthen our presence in Japan and better serve our Japanese clients. Quinn Emanuel’s Tokyo office will be the first office in Asia opened by a western firm that is devoted solely to litigation.
Great law school recruiting has been key to our growth. We have found that a firm that only does litigation attracts the best law students in the country who want to try lawsuits. We attract the students who excelled in moot court, mock trials and clinical programs; people who went to law school because they wanted the challenge and excitement of trial—not because they wanted to keep their options open.
The demand for our representation continues to increase. We expect to continue to grow. However, we do not need to grow, and we will only grow with quality lawyers. We are one of the few law firms that does not have annual hiring targets. We make offers to people we think will be great lawyers.