Haynes Boone has added a two-time U.S. Supreme Court clerk to its Supreme Court and appellate practice groups.
Michael Qian clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in her last term and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson in her first term before serving as counselor to the attorney general of the United States.
His addition to the firm started with a cold call to appellate partner Dan Geyser, who leads the firm’s U.S. Supreme Court practice.
Qian told The Texas Lawbook he was grateful Geyser took his call.
Geyser said he was thrilled to get a call from Qian.
“Everyone that knows Michael knows that his brilliance is off the charts,” Geyser said.
Qian told The Lawbook he left the Department of Justice in January with the change in administration and wanted to move home to Texas.
“I was looking for a firm with a standout appellate practice and a real presence before the
U.S. Supreme Court, and Haynes Boone immediately stood out to me,” Qian said in a news release. “I reached out to Dan Geyser because I had long admired his work at the Supreme Court. He has built one of the strongest Supreme Court practices in the country, and I am excited to add to that.”
The Austin native will be based in the firm’s Dallas and Washington, D.C., offices as he contributes to the firm’s expanding work in regulatory and government-facing litigation.
“I look at Michael as the logical next step, just to exponentially grow what we’ve been doing, and we’re so thrilled because this isn’t just sort of plugging someone into an existing practice. I mean, this is a chance for Michael to sort of build and shape and mold what we do, and I think in really exciting ways,” Geyser said. “I am probably even more excited than Michael. We’re just beyond delighted that he’s here.”
Qian’s first day was Monday. He told The Lawbook he dove right in, setting up calls about work in the federal circuit and a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Michael is an extraordinary addition to our team, bringing exceptional experience from both the Justice Department and the Supreme Court,” Geyser said in a news release. “Michael’s insights will be invaluable to our clients navigating high-stakes appeals. He is a world-class talent, and his arrival marks the next exciting chapter in expanding our capabilities before the nation’s highest court.”
Qian has also served in the Justice Department as a senior counsel to the deputy attorney general and a Bristow fellow in the United States Office of the Solicitor General. Previously, Qian was part of another leading appellate and Supreme Court practice at Morrison & Foerster, where he represented clients in federal circuit patent appeals, class actions and other complex litigation.
He attended Harvard University for his undergraduate degree and graduated from Stanford Law School in 2016.