Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan confirms that Richard East, founding and senior partner of the firm’s London office, has joined the Quinn Emanuel team acting alongside Pogust Goodhead in the Mariana litigation against BHP.
Mr East joins partner Justin Michaelson and the team that has been engaged on the claim since the strategic partnership with Pogust Goodhead was announced in June 2026 to carry the proceedings through the quantum phase.
Richard East said: “This is a claim of a scale and difficulty that few firms are equipped to see through to the end, and the claimants are entitled to representation that will not falter at the quantum stage. I am joining a team that is already deep in preparation, and my focus is on that preparation and nothing else.”
Mr East founded Quinn Emanuel’s London office and has practised as a solicitor advocate for three decades. He was named Disputes Partner of the Year at the British Legal Awards in 2025 and is ranked in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame for both Banking Litigation and Commercial Litigation, and by Chambers UK as Band 1 for Banking Litigation and for Restructuring/Insolvency: Disputes. In 2025 he was recognised in Financial News’ Top 50 Influential Lawyers and acted as lead partner in five significant commercial trials.
Pogust Goodhead remains the solicitors on the record for the claimants. On 4 September 2026 it issued an application to the High Court seeking declaratory relief as to whether the client committee — which is not a body appointed by the court — had authority to direct a change in representation. That question is listed for hearing on 5 and 6 October 2026.
Justin Michaelson said: “Pogust Goodhead’s clients have waited eleven years. What serves them now is a settled, properly resourced team preparing for a trial that begins in April 2027, not a contest between law firms conducted through announcements. The question of representation will be determined by the court in October. Our preparation continues to the existing timetable in the meantime, and it will continue whatever the court decides. Richard’s expertise will help immensely and is a measure of the seriousness with which this firm treats that responsibility.”
The Stage 2 proceedings will determine causation, loss and damages, with evidence to be heard from April 2027 and closing submissions listed for March 2028. The timetable is unaffected.
Quinn Emanuel does not propose to comment further on the question of representation in advance of the hearing.
Quinn Emanuel is the world’s largest disputes-only law firm, with more than 1,300 lawyers across 33 offices worldwide.
