LOS ANGELES – Building on its unparalleled capabilities in antitrust and complex commercial litigation, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP announced today that Debra D. Bernstein has joined the firm as a partner. Bernstein – previously a partner at Alston & Bird – will be based in Atlanta, where she will lead the new office.
Bernstein’s practice spans the country, where she has represented corporate plaintiffs and defendants in antitrust litigation as well as other types of matters. Bernstein helped pioneer the area of large corporate opt-out litigation with her representation of Dell as an opt-out plaintiff in multiple computer parts price-fixing cartel cases. She also has litigated cases at the intersection of IP and antitrust law and is one of the few antitrust lawyers in the country to defend an antitrust case instituted in the International Trade Commission.
“We are delighted to welcome Debra to the firm. She is an elite antitrust practitioner equally adept at representing plaintiffs and defendants,” said firm founder John B. Quinn. “Our antitrust practice has an incredible roster of talent. Debra will fit right in and make the group even stronger, and her reputation will enable us to build a strong foothold in the Atlanta market.”
“Atlanta is a major market, home to many significant companies,” Quinn added. “Hiring Debra is just a start for us here and we are looking forward to growing this office consistent with our model. We opened in New York City in 2001 with one lawyer, and it’s now our largest office. We opened in London in 2008 with two lawyers, and it’s our largest office outside the U.S.”
As a partner at Alston & Bird, Bernstein secured more than $1 billion in settlements and helped Fortune 500 clients avoid liability in bet-the-company litigation. She graduated with honors from the University of Georgia School of Law and the University of Pennsylvania, and she clerked for the Honorable Orinda D. Evans, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Bernstein has spoken at conferences internationally on a wide range of antitrust topics, including international cartels, ACPERA, and the intersection of intellectual property and antitrust law. She has been recognized for her antitrust experience by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and as a female trailblazer by the ABA Antitrust Law Section.
“Quinn Emanuel’s antitrust practice ranks at the highest level. Its reputation as the leading litigation firm in the world made this opportunity impossible to resist,” Bernstein said. “I am excited about this new chapter and look forward to helping the firm expand into the Atlanta market.”
