FOLLOW US

Haynes and Boone LLP announced on Tuesday the addition of a new partner, Michael Qian, to its Supreme Court and appellate practice groups. Qian, who brings with him a distinguished background that includes clerkships for two U.S. Supreme Court justices and recent service as counselor to the U.S. Attorney General, will split his time between the firm’s Dallas and Washington, D.C. offices.

Qian previously clerked for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, and most recently served in the U.S. Department of Justice as counselor to former Attorney General Merrick Garland.

"I feel so fortunate to have had the chance to work closely with these legendary figures," Qian told Law360 Pulse in an interview Monday. "They're all quite different in their own way, so I've tried to learn lessons from how each of them has approached the law and public service, persuasion and life, and have learned so many amazing lessons I hope to apply in my practice."

Qian reflected on the early days of his legal career, recalling his time as a Bristow Fellow in the DOJ’s Office of the Solicitor General, shortly after graduating law school. It was during that time that he encountered the advocacy of Daniel Geyser, head of Haynes Boone’s Supreme Court and appellate group.

"I’ve always been really impressed by his work, and the chance to work with him was a dream come true," Qian said. "I’m excited to be able to team up with him and the other great litigators here at the firm."

He praised Geyser’s stature at the Court, noting that he is "one of the very few members of the private bar to appear regularly before the court in recent years, and he has had a lot of success in persuading the court to grant review."

Geyser, in turn, expressed enthusiastic support for Qian’s arrival.

"When I received an email from Michael about possibly working for the firm, I was over the moon," Geyser said.

"Michael’s off-the-charts brilliance is matched only by what a nice person he is," he continued. "Someone of Michael’s talent and caliber, with the experience he brings to the table, is the perfect complement to what we have. It’s sort of game changing, I think, in what we can offer."

Geyser added that Qian’s hiring represents a significant milestone for the practice and the firm overall.

"It underscores the big strides the firm has made on a national level," he said. "We’re on a high-growth trajectory, and we’re very proud of what we’ve built. Michael will be integral to expanding that even further."

Before joining Haynes Boone, Qian served as counselor to the U.S. attorney general for a year, and prior to that, as senior counsel to the deputy attorney general, according to his LinkedIn profile. His appellate experience includes a clerkship for Justice Jackson, and an earlier clerkship for Justice Ginsburg.

With one clerkship interrupting his time in private practice, Qian spent about three years as an associate at Morrison Foerster LLP, his LinkedIn profile shows.

His legal career began with a judicial clerkship for Judge Merrick Garland when he was Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, followed by a year as a Bristow Fellow in the U.S. Solicitor General’s Office.

Qian is a graduate of Stanford Law School and holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University.

His arrival marks another key lateral hire for Haynes Boone, which has added more than 20 new partners across the firm since the start of 2025. These additions have strengthened its reach in litigation, private credit, capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, energy, and intellectual property, according to the firm.

With deep roots in Texas, Haynes Boone maintains offices throughout the state — in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Plano, San Antonio, and The Woodlands — as well as a growing national and international footprint.