QUINN EMANUEL BECOMES FIRST AMLAW 100 FIRM TO REPRESENT WILDFIRE VICTIMS

Firm files suit against Southern California Edison Company and Edison International

NEW YORK, Feb. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Plaintiffs Alexander and Jessica Davis and their three young children, against Southern California Edison Company ("SCE") and Edison International ("Edison") arising from the utilities' alleged reckless, negligent, and unlawful conduct in causing the Eaton Fire. The Davis family, residents of Altadena, lost their Craftsman-style home, their beloved cat, and nearly all their possessions in the fire, which burned over 14,000 acres, destroyed over 9,000 structures, and killed 17 civilians.

In bringing the lawsuit, Quinn Emanuel is the first AmLaw 100 firm to represent wildfire victims. 

"We wanted to use our talents as world-class trial lawyers with deep wildfire litigation expertise to help members of our community who have been impacted by the fires," said Executive Chairman and Founding Partner John B. Quinn, a Pasadena resident. "They are our neighbors, our friends, our clients, and this never should have happened. Those responsible must be held accountable."

The complaint tells the story of the Davis family and other residents of Altadena who had to abandon cherished memories and precious family heirlooms as they fled the Eaton fire. While his family waited, Alex Davis returned home and hurriedly gathered belongings and searched for the family's pet cat, before he had to flee for his life as the fire reduced his family's home and belongings to rubble.

Specifically, the Davis family's lawsuit alleges that while SCE and Edison delivered outsized profits and shareholder returns, it failed to adequately invest in wildfire mitigation and safety despite revenues of over $15 billion a year. SCE and Edison also failed to take appropriate action in the days and hours before and after the Eaton Fire ignited. SCE's wildfire mitigation plan requires power shutoffs when winds reach 60 miles per hour. However, despite warnings of a once-in-a-generation windstorm, SCE failed to de-energize its high-voltage transmission lines in the Eaton Canyon area even after the winds exceeded 60 miles per hour, causing the lines to arc and ignite the surrounding vegetation. 

The lawsuit also alleges that SCE failed to adequately maintain, inspect, repair, and replace its electrical infrastructure; failed to adhere to protocols set forth in its wildfire mitigation plan; and failed to maintain and clear the vegetation surrounding its transmission lines in the Eaton Fire area of origin. The Davis's claims include inverse condemnation, negligence, trespass, private and public nuisance, premises liability, and violations of Public Utilities Code Section 2106 and Health and Safety Code Section 13007.

Quinn Emanuel is a 1000+ lawyer business litigation firm—the largest in the world devoted solely to business litigation and arbitration with 36 global office locations. Surveys of major companies around the world have named it the "most feared" law firm in the world three times. Firm lawyers have tried over 2,500 cases, winning 86% of them. When representing defendants, Quinn Emanuel's trial experience gets better settlements or defense verdicts. When representing plaintiffs, Quinn Emanuel lawyers have won nearly $80 billion in judgments and settlements. Quinn Emanuel has also obtained seven nine-figure jury verdicts, four 10-figure jury verdicts, 51 nine-figure settlements, and 20 10-figure settlements.

Quinn Emanuel has been named the No. 1 "most feared" law firm by The BTI Consulting Group three times in its annual "Most Feared Law Firms in Litigation" guide, in which in-house counsel named 46 firms they "want to steer clear of" when it comes to litigation. The American Lawyer named Quinn Emanuel the top IP litigation firm in the U.S. and the firm as one of the top six commercial litigation firms in the country. The UK legal periodical, The Lawyer named us "International Firm of the Year." Law360 has most recently selected us as having Securities and Cyber Security & Privacy "Practice Groups of the Year." Managing IP twice recognized us as having the "Best ITC Litigation Practice" and honored us with the "Patent Contentious West" award. Legal Business has named us "US Law Firm of the Year" three times, and our German offices have twice been named both "IP Litigation Firm of the Year" and "Patent Litigation Firm of the Year" by JUVE, Germany's most prestigious legal publication. Global Investigations Review, a leading legal periodical covering global white-collar investigations, named us the "Most Impressive Investigations Practice of the Year." Global Arbitration Review named us one of the top 10 best arbitration practices in the world. Global Competition Review named our antitrust and competition practice among the "25 Global Elite," and has included us in their list of the world's top 10 competition litigation practices. 

SOURCE Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP