Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan is establishing a contentious IP practice in London with the hire of partner David Lancaster, who was previously at Pinsent Masons.

Lancaster, who will take up his new post in August, moves across to Quinn after three years as a partner in Pinsents' highly rated patents litigation practice having joined as a legal director from IP boutique Powell Gilbert in 2019. 

He advises and represents client disputes before the English courts and in the European Patent Office. He has experience in all aspects of contentious intellectual property law, including patents, trademarks, copyright, registered and unregistered designs, passing off and confidential information.

Quinn Emanuel’s London co-managing partner Alex Gerbi said: “We have long been looking to build an IP/patent litigation practice in London, to complement our market-leading practices in the EU and US. We see substantial opportunity for us in this area and are delighted that David will be joining us as we move to develop a best-in-class offering.”

With a background in biochemistry, Lancaster has particular experience in the life sciences, technology, telecommunications and energy sectors. Notable representations include advising telecoms clients in proceedings for determination of fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licence terms. He is also a qualified Irish barrister.

Quinn Emanuel’s co-founder and chairman John B. Quinn, said: “Our firm has the foremost patent litigation practice in the world, and our hire of David in London fires the starting gun on building our IP litigation practice there, as we’ve long planned to do.”

Devoted solely to business litigation and arbitration, the firm has 32 offices globally and is the ‘most feared’ law firm in litigation according to the BTI Consulting Group. Currently, it has over 95 lawyers in the London office focusing solely on business disputes, a significant amount of its work is acting against the global, money centre banks.