Office surpasses 20-lawyer mark with strategy of disciplined growth, drawing elite legal talent and strengthening global firm’s flourishing South Florida presence.
MIAMI – Pursuing a strategy of steady, disciplined growth in the three years since it opened, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP’s Miami office just surpassed the 20-lawyer mark, the firm announced today. In the past two months, the firm has added seven new hires to its burgeoning Miami office. The latest recruits include one Of Counsel and six associates, the firm said. These highly accomplished lawyers bring exceptional skills and expertise, further strengthening Quinn Emanuel’s Miami presence, the firm said.
“We’re delighted to welcome this exceptional group of attorneys to our firm,” said Samuel G. Williamson, co-managing partner of the firm’s Miami office and a co-chair of the White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice. “This new group of hires underscores our commitment to hiring and developing top-tier legal talent. They will be a great asset, particularly as we continue to expand our reach in the dynamic South Florida legal market.”
The firm now has 22 lawyers in Miami, with four summer associates slated to start work next May, Williamson said. “A key to our success here has been our disciplined commitment to hiring only the best,” he added. “We’re extremely selective.”
The recent Miami hires include:
Shalia M. Sakona – Shalia joins the firm as Of Counsel from Bilzin Sumberg, a leading Miami firm where she was a partner specializing in commercial litigation in federal and state courts. With expertise in contract disputes, antitrust, financial services, and class action defense, she has successfully represented clients in high-profile cases, including the Miami Formula 1 Grand Prix litigation and the Capacitors Antitrust litigation, securing significant verdicts and dismissals. Shalia has also been deeply involved in firm citizenship, serving as the Litigation Chairperson for her firm’s Training Committee and actively mentoring associates. She holds a J.D. from Boston College Law School, where she graduated cum laude, and a B.A. from American University, where she graduated summa cum laude.
Ashley Knoblauch – Ashley joins as an associate, having recently graduated from the University of Miami School of Law. She garnered numerous honors, including the Lillian R. Levy Award and the John F. Evans Memorial Scholarship, and is the Executive Editor of the Inter-American Law Review. Ashley has experience working as a summer associate at Quinn Emanuel and as a student legal intern at the Children & Youth Law Clinic.
Max Michel – Max joins as an associate, having recently graduated from University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he served as Executive Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review and co-chair of the moot court board. He has accepted offers for clerkships with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, and previously worked as a summer associate position at Quinn Emanuel. Max holds a Master of Science in Finance from Lund University, where he conducted a comparative analysis of portfolio insurance strategies, and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Florida State University, where he graduated summa cum laude.
Osvaldo Rodriguez – Ozzy is a Harvard Law School graduate with extensive experience in appellate and district court clerking, most recently serving as a law clerk for Judge Adalberto Jordan on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Prior to that, he clerked for Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He joins as an associate. His background includes work at Skadden and at the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission.
Julian Spiro – Julian, an associate, is a recent graduate of the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he graduated first in his class, with a focus on environmental law. He has clerked at the Southern District of Florida and interned with prestigious firms and organizations like the Southern Environmental Law Center. He has accepted a clerkship on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
David Walsh – David joins as an associate. He is a 2023 graduate of Harvard Law School, where he held leadership roles in the Harvard Plaintiffs’ Law Association and served as Lead Student Writing Editor for the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. His legal experience includes working as a law clerk at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger LLP, where he managed discovery in wrongful death cases, and as a judicial clerk for Justice John D. Couriel at the Florida Supreme Court.