Marcus S. Quintanilla

Professionals

Marcus S. Quintanilla

Experience

Marcus Quintanilla is Of Counsel at Umberg/Zipser and has over twenty years’ experience litigating and arbitrating complex domestic and cross-border cases.  He is a team leader in matters involving technology, construction and engineering, and commercial disputes—from the sale of nuclear fuels to the distribution of consumer brands.  His clients have included multinational energy companies, closely-held family businesses, and global leaders in mining, infrastructure, semiconductors, agriculture, and food and beverages.  He handles cases in English and Spanish and is comfortable working on matters governed either by Common Law or Civil Law.  Marcus is licensed to practice in California, Texas, and New York.

Alongside his work as counsel, Marcus serves as an arbitrator and mediator in U.S.-based and international cases.  A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Marcus is on the arbitrator rosters of the ICDR, the AAA’s Commercial and Construction divisions, and the Energy Disputes Arbitration Center in Ankara, Turkey.

Marcus teaches international arbitration at UC Davis Law School and serves in a range of professional groups including the ABA’s Forum on Construction Law, California Arbitration (CalArb), and the Club Español e Iberoamericano del Arbitraje (CEIA).

Prior to joining Umberg Zipser, Marcus was a partner in the Global Disputes group at Jones Day.

EDUCATION

  • Harvard Law School, J.D., 1999; cum laude; Research Assistant to Prof. Arthur Miller.
  • Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, M.A. (Ethics), 1996; National Prize Fellow.
  • Georgetown University, B.A., 1993; magna cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa.

BAR ADMISSIONS

  • State Bar of California
  • State Bar of Texas
  • New York State Unified Court System
  • United States District Courts for the Northern, Central, Eastern, and Southern Districts of California and the Southern District of New York
  • United States Courts of Appeal for the Ninth and Second Circuits

PRACTICE AREAS

  • International and Domestic Arbitration
  • Complex Commercial Disputes: Distributorships, Joint Ventures, Sales
  • Technology Disputes: Licensing, Trade Secrets, Patents
  • Construction and Engineering: Mining, Energy, Powr Generation

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

Commercial Disputes

  • Defended U.S. food producer’s continued use of industry-leading yogurt trademark against efforts by licensor to nullify license under French law.
  • Represented international spirits distributor against its tequila supplier to halt fraudulent business practices and obtain assignment of contested brand.
  • Represented wine producer against West African trading company in $40-million dispute arising from termination of the trader’s distribution contract.
  • Represented Japanese trading company and its local affiliate in emergency proceedings to block termination of Chilean distribution contract.
  • Represented Japanese manufacturer of watercraft engines in arbitration proceedings, and counselled on parallel Mexican litigation, against its exclusive distributor in Mexico.
  • Recovered millions of dollars in damages under the U.N. Convention on International Sale of Goods for breaches of medium-term nuclear-fuels supply contract.
  • Enforced commodities trader’s option rights valued at $1 billion under supply contract for enriched uranium.

Technology

  • Represented DRAM producer in its claims for trade-secret misappropriation and international commercial espionage.
  • Represented international chip developer against former employees and their start-up company in claims for trade-secret misappropriation and breach of contract.
  • Represented U.S. integrated-circuit company against royalty claims by French developer of digital photography technology.
  • Defended Japanese technology firm against claims for royalty payments under joint technology-development agreement with U.S.-based licensor.
  • Represented U.S. almond producer in $20-million dispute with supplier of raw-nut pasteurization system.

Construction and Engineering

  • Defended Japanese conglomerate against $400-million claim by EPC contractor against owner of failed LNG facility and its shareholders.
  • Represented EPC contractor in $120-million dispute involving allegations of defective engineering at ore-processing facilities in South America.
  • Defended EPC contractor against claims stemming from the failure of 469 MW combined-cycle power-generation facility in Brazil.
  • Defeated application for interim measures seeking to oust Mexican wind-farm developer from its role as balance-of-plant subcontractor through purported exercise of general contractor’s step-in rights.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

  • Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Fellow (North America Branch)
  • American Bar Association, Section on International Law, International Arbitration Committee, Steering Group
  • American Bar Association, Forum on Construction Law, Section 1(Disputes); Section 8 (International)
  • California Arbitration, Inc., Board Member At Large; Founding Member
  • California Lawyers Association, Litigation Section, ADR Committee, Steering Group
  • Club Español e Iberoamericano del Arbitraje, Member
  • Orange County Bar Association, Former Member, Board of Directors
  • Hispanic Bar Association of Orange County, Former Member, Board of Directors

HONORS & AWARDS

  • Best Lawyers in America (2023-)