Founder-led
law
firms
that
stand
the
test
of
time
must
eventually
negotiate
the
transition
from
personality
cult
with
letterhead.
Not
all
of
them
make
it.
It’s
usually
not
for
lack
of
trying,
but
it’s
just
that
it’s
hard
to
chart
a
path
into
the
future
when
the
founder’s
neutron
star
personality
is
still
down
the
hall
and
even
harder
for
the
founder
to
know
they
no
longer
control
an
institution
that
still
has
their
name
on
the
door.
Quinn
Emanuel
just
took
a
big
step
in
its
process.
John
Quinn,
who
co-founded
the
firm
in
1986
with
Eric
Emanuel
and
built
it
into
a
1,300-lawyer,
35-office,
12-country
litigation
juggernaut,
is
stepping
down
from
firm
management.
He’ll
keep
the
partner
title
and
a
non-executive
chair
role,
which
Bloomberg
Law
reports
will
let
him
focus
on
“promoting
Quinn
Emanuel
and
client
development”
—
which
sounds
a
lot
like
stuff
John
Quinn
has
always
done,
but
without
having
to
deal
with
the
budget.
Co-managing
partners
Bill
Burck
and
Mike
Carlinsky,
who
took
on
those
roles
in
2022,
will
now
run
the
place
in
earnest.
How
smooth
was
the
transition?
Depends
on
who
you
ask.
Bloomberg
framed
it
as
the
natural
next
step
in
a
multi-year
succession
plan.
Law.com
described
the
Quinn
announcement
as
arriving
“abruptly.”
Those
frames
might
not
be
as
different
as
they
appear.
Quinn
reportedly
told
partners
that
he
planned
to
pull
this
string
at
some
point
this
year,
adding
that
“some
recent
events
make
now
an
opportune
time
to
do
so.”
Either
way,
the
underlying
fact
is
the
same.
The
man
who
told
American
Lawyer
last
year
that
he
wasn’t
retiring
or
moving
into
an
emeritus
role
anytime
soon,
inviting
anyone
questioning
his
fitness
to
lead
at
age
72
to
come
run
with
him
at
the
Rose
Bowl,
is
now
moving
to
something
that
looks
an
awful
lot
like
an
emeritus
role.
For
a
guy
who,
when
asked
in
2018
what
he
wanted
his
legacy
to
be,
said,
“When
I’m
gone,
I
don’t
give
a
shit
what
happens,”
Quinn
has
done
a
lot
to
make
sure
his
firm
has
a
strategic
plan
for
after
he’s
gone.
Joe
Patrice is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
Feel
free
to email
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments.
Follow
him
on Twitter or
Bluesky
if
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Joe
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Managing
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