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Renowned Copyright Lawyer Bill Patry Joins Quinn Emanuel

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Patry brings extensive experience in copyright law, including over 17 years at Google, to the firm.

NEW YORK, NY – Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, the global litigation powerhouse, today announced that Bill Patry has joined the firm as of counsel in the firm’s New York City office. Patry has over 40 years of experience as a copyright lawyer, including 17 years at Google, where he served as Senior Copyright Counsel working on product, policy, and litigation matters. During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s approach to artificial intelligence issues, drawing on his deep expertise in fair use, an increasingly critical area in AI-related legal disputes.

Patry spent 13 years in private practice, advising clients and litigating at both the trial and appellate levels. Before joining private practice, he served as copyright counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives and as Policy Planning Advisor to the Register of Copyrights at the U.S. Copyright Office. After transitioning from the public sector, Patry shared his expertise with the next generation of legal professionals as a law professor at Cardozo School of Law in New York City.

“Bill’s unparalleled experience in global copyright law and his sharp insights into emerging issues in the field make him an invaluable addition to our team,” said Michael Carlinsky, Co-Managing Partner and Global Head of Complex Litigation and Co-Chair of Insurance Litigation at Quinn Emanuel. “His proven ability to bridge the gap between law, business, and technology will be a tremendous asset for our clients as we continue to tackle complex, technical legal challenges.”

Patry is also a prolific author, having written numerous influential treatises and law review articles, including Patry on Copyright and Patry on Fair Use. His writings have been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court 12 times, most recently in the 2023 Andy Warhol opinion, and nearly 1,000 times by courts at all levels.

“I am thrilled to join Quinn Emanuel and contribute to the firm’s strong track record of delivering exceptional results for its clients,” said Patry. “I’ve always believed that business problems are best solved with business solutions, but when litigation is necessary, it’s crucial to focus on a legal strategy that supports the client’s broader business objectives. That’s the approach I’m excited to bring to Quinn Emanuel, and I look forward to working with such a talented and dynamic team of lawyers.”

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Quinn Emanuel is a 1000+ lawyer business litigation firm—the largest in the world devoted solely to business litigation and arbitration with 36 global office locations. Surveys of major companies around the world have named it the “most feared” law firm in the world three times. Firm lawyers have tried over 2,500 cases, winning 86% of them. When representing defendants, Quinn Emanuel’s trial experience gets better settlements or defense verdicts. When representing plaintiffs, Quinn Emanuel lawyers have won nearly $80 billion in judgments and settlements. Quinn Emanuel has also obtained seven nine-figure jury verdicts, four 10-figure jury verdicts, 51 nine-figure settlements, and 20 10-figure settlements.

Quinn Emanuel has been named the No. 1 “most feared” law firm by The BTI Consulting Group three times in its annual “Most Feared Law Firms in Litigation” guide, in which in-house counsel named 46 firms they “want to steer clear of” when it comes to litigation. The American Lawyer named Quinn Emanuel the top IP litigation firm in the U.S. and the firm as one of the top six commercial litigation firms in the country. The UK legal periodical, The Lawyer named us “International Firm of the Year.” Law360 has most recently selected us as having Securities and Cyber Security & Privacy “Practice Groups of the Year.” Managing IP twice recognized us as having the “Best ITC Litigation Practice” and honored us with the “Patent Contentious West” award. Legal Business has named us “US Law Firm of the Year” three times, and our German offices have twice been named both “IP Litigation Firm of the Year” and “Patent Litigation Firm of the Year” by JUVE, Germany’s most prestigious legal publication. Global Investigations Review, a leading legal periodical covering global white-collar investigations, named us the “Most Impressive Investigations Practice of the Year.” Global Arbitration Review named us one of the top 10 best arbitration practices in the world. Global Competition Review named our antitrust and competition practice among the “25 Global Elite,” and has included us in their list of the world’s top 10 competition litigation practices.