© 2015 The Texas Lawbook.
By Natalie Posgate
(Jan. 21) – After more than 20 years of practicing at Susman Godfrey, Houston litigator Charles Eskridge has agreed to join global litigation boutique Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan as a partner.
Eskridge’s move follows Quinn Emanuel’s recent debut into the Texas legal market. The Los Angeles-based firm entered the Lone Star State in July when it recruited prominent criminal defense attorney David Gerger to spearhead the firm’s new Houston office by merging with his firm, Gerger & Clarke.
Eskridge is the fifth attorney in Quinn Emanuel’s Houston office, but he says the firm wants “to build the office up with several more outstanding lawyers.” He follows Karl Stern, who left his Houston managing partner role at Vinson & Elkins in December to join Quinn Emanuel.
“What will determine our growth is when we find extraordinary lawyers to grow with us,” said Gerger, who serves as Quinn Emanuel’s Houston managing partner. “Charles was a no-brainer.”
Gerger said this week the Houston office also added associate Alex Hughes, a University of Texas School of Law graduate who previously was in Quinn Emanuel’s Los Angeles office.
Eskridge said he had been familiar with Quinn Emanuel for a while because he has tried cases with and against some of the firm’s attorneys. Quinn Emanuel attorneys had always impressed him, but he said the firm’s founding partner, John Quinn, was the main draw.
“When he comes calling, it’s hard to say no,” Eskridge said. “It was a great opportunity to open up a new office for a firm like Quinn Emanuel.”
In addition to helping clients with litigation in Texas, Eskridge said he looks forward to connecting clients with his fellow Quinn Emanuel partners across the nation and world to meet clients’ international and global needs.
He also looks forward to working with Gerger, who he describes as “one of the best criminal defense attorneys in the country,” and being exposed to more white-collar criminal defense work, which he has never handled before in private practice.
“To the extent that he (Gerger) needs my help on any of these issues, I will be there and have great fun doing it,” Eskridge said.
Eskridge handles trial and appellate work for both plaintiffs and defendants across the country. Some of the most significant matters he has handled include representing the Europe entity of Lehman Brothers International in its complex financial negotiations following the 2008 economic crisis. One negotiation resulted in recovering more than $1 billion for Lehman Brothers.
He also represented one of the security companies that provided gate check screening for United Airlines during the 9/11 attacks in various matters, including resolving claims with the victims and their families.
“As a commercial litigation lawyer, it was a very unusual type of litigation,” Eskridge said. “It was very sensitive and very emotional at times, and it kept me involved in thinking about the issues of 9/11 for a long time. It was a real privilege… to [bring] closure on issues of that magnitude.”
On leaving Susman, Eskridge said, “It was a real privilege to start my career at Susman Godfrey, which is an absolutely fantastic collection of lawyers and friends.”
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