Beloved colleague served as Chair of Quinn Emanuel’s National Securities Practice and as firm’s General Counsel
LOS ANGELES – Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP announced today that long-time partner Harry A. Olivar, Jr. died tragically in an automobile accident on Friday, May 15. The accident, which occurred in central Georgia, also took the life of his stepson, David Jackson. Mr. Olivar's wife, Leigh, was seriously injured in the accident and is currently hospitalized. He is survived by his wife and four sons: Jordan Olivar, David Olivar, Harry Olivar III, and Robert Jackson.
Olivar, 62, had been with Quinn Emanuel for 26 years, serving as Chair of the firm’s National Securities Practice and Co-Chair of the Domestic Arbitration Practice. He also served as General Counsel to the firm and was resident in the Los Angeles office.
Colleagues across the firm's global offices have expressed profound grief at Mr. Olivar's passing, describing him as the heart of Quinn Emanuel and a universally trusted and beloved partner. Partners, associates, and staff alike remembered him as an extraordinary mentor whose unassuming manner, impeccable judgment, and genuine warmth made everyone feel that they belonged. Many noted that his influence extended well beyond the practice of law, touching their families and personal lives, and have pledged to honor his memory by carrying forward the values of integrity, kindness, and care for others that he exemplified every day.
During Mr. Olivar’s career, he recovered over $4.9 billion in verdicts, judgments, and settlements on behalf of plaintiffs, appearing against nearly every major financial institution in more than twenty cases involving mortgage-backed securities. His defense practice featured a specialty in class action litigation, where he successfully defeated class certification at the trial and appellate levels in nine- and ten-figure cases involving securities, antitrust, and product liability claims. He received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1989, where he served as Executive Editor of the Harvard Law Review, and his B.A., summa cum laude, from Yale University in 1985.
Beyond his legal practice, Mr. Olivar dedicated himself to civic and community service. Harry and Leigh were devoted patrons of the Pasadena Playhouse. He served on the Board of Directors of the Stone Trust and the Board of Trustees of the Philatelic Foundation, and was a Trustee of La Salle College Preparatory. He was a former Board member of the Western Justice Center Foundation and served on the Executive Committee of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. His many professional honors included recognition in Chambers USA, Legal 500, The Best Lawyers in America, and he was selected to the Lawdragon 500 Hall of Fame in 2024.
“Harry has been a leader in our Los Angeles office for a quarter century. He had an unassuming manner that naturally lent itself to commanding respect. He enjoyed and was excellent at mentoring our younger lawyers, but our colleagues of all ages, including myself, learned from him every day. We will miss him tremendously,” said Christopher Tayback, Co-Managing Partner of the firm’s Los Angeles office.
“We are devastated by the loss of our partner and friend, Harry Olivar. Harry was an exceptional lawyer and an even more exceptional human being who profoundly impacted our firm, our clients, and the broader legal community. We will always think of him as the heart and part of the essential fabric of our firm,” said William Burck, Co-Managing Partner of the firm and Co-Chair of the firm’s Government and White Collar Criminal Defense Practice.
"We tragically lost one of life's greatest individuals. Harry was a gentle giant who was brilliant, devoted, always upbeat, and always willing to help anyone at the firm, whether partner, associate, or staff. He was a mentor to many and a loyal friend to us all. No one ever had anything negative to say about Harry, and all who knew him loved him. The enormity of this loss has yet to sink in," said Michael Carlinsky, Co-Managing Partner of the firm and Global Head of Complex Litigation.
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