As States Grow More Litigious, Quinn Emanuel Launches State AG Practice Group
State Attorney General Practice Group taps QE’s experience on “both sides of the v.” to litigate against as well as partner with state attorneys general.
NEW YORK – At a time of increasing activity by state attorneys general as well as a renewed focus on state-level regulatory issues, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP today announced the formation of its State Attorney General Practice Group, which will represent clients litigating against or facing investigations by state attorneys general. The group will also partner with state attorneys general on certain matters, the firm said.
Quinn Emanuel partners Manisha M. Sheth and John Bash will serve as Co-Chairs of the group. Prior to joining Quinn Emanuel, Sheth served as the Executive Deputy Attorney General for the Division of Economic Justice at the Office of the New York Attorney General from 2016 until 2019; Bash served in the U.S. Department of Justice, first as an Assistant to the Solicitor General and then as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas. He also served as Special Assistant to the President and Associate Counsel to the President.
“Individual states are taking on a more active and high-profile role as litigants, and clients have an increasing awareness of the bully pulpit state attorneys general have at their disposal,” Sheth said. “Our Group boasts lawyers who know government investigations from both sides.”
“Quinn Emanuel’s expansion into this practice area stems from being highly attuned to our clients’ concerns and needs in the current environment,” said William A. Burck, Global Co-Managing Partner of the Firm and co-Chair of the firm’s Crisis Law and Strategy Group, the Government and Regulatory Litigation Group, and the Investigations, Government Enforcement and White Collar Criminal Defense Group.
“Under Manisha and John’s leadership, this group will have an experienced, multidisciplinary team of lawyers who have held senior positions in state attorneys general offices, as well as former federal prosecutors,” Burck added. In addition to his other roles, Burck will be a member of the State Attorney General Practice Group.
The practice group will also include the following Quinn Emanuel partners:
- McKenzie Anderson
- Jonathan Bunge
- Jonathan Cooper
- Stacylyn Doore
- Dawn Yamane Hewett
- Marc Greenwald
- Steven Madison
- Michael Lyle
- Eric Lyttle
- Michael Packard
- Derek Shaffer
- William Weinreb
- Adam Wolfson
“As political—and usually elected—actors, state attorneys general are a unique category of litigant and may view dispute resolution quite differently than private parties or even the federal government,” said Bash. “Interacting with them effectively requires a distinct approach informed by understanding of the players’ institutional priorities, interests, and incentives.”
As the world’s largest litigation-only law firm, Quinn Emanuel has the proven track record on both sides of the “v.” and is equipped to litigate both alongside and against state attorneys general. The firm’s nationwide presence and bipartisan relationships afford it a platform to engage with the Attorney General of any state, the firm said. And its deep bench of trial lawyers positions the firm to successfully represent clients in virtually any type of dispute or investigation involving one or more State Attorney General—including multi-front proceedings that also involve private-party civil litigation and/or federal-government action.