The founder of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange is accusing Washington, D.C.-based law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan of representing him while having a conflict of interest.
In a Florida court filing, Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao said that after he sought to address the alleged conflict, Quinn Emanuel partner William A. Burck terminated his representation of Zhao.
On Monday, June 9, Burck filed notices to withdraw as counsel for Zhao in a looming State of Florida Office of Regulation administrative trial, as well as other civil and regulatory matters, Zhao's filing says.
In a response filed the same day, Zhao said the withdrawal came 24 hours after Burck "threatened Mr. Zhao that (Quinn Emanuel) would terminate its engagement of all matters" with him unless Zhao abandoned a confidential arbitration he had initiated to address the conflict of interest.
Zhao’s filing states that Quinn Emanuel has represented both him and an unnamed opposing party in a foreign arbitration since 2020.
Zhao asserts that the dual representation placed the firm “on both sides of the same matter,” a situation he argues is barred by the District of Columbia's Rules of Professional Conduct. He asked the Florida administrative judge to postpone his July 31 hearing by six months, and to order immediate transfer of his files, stating that the withdrawal, coming “on the eve of critical deadlines,” will otherwise impair his defense.
In April, President Donald Trump urged his sons to fire Burck, who represented the Trump Organization, after learning Quinn Emanuel simultaneously represented Harvard University in litigation against the Trump administration.
"Harvard is a threat to Democracy, with a lawyer (Burck), who represents me, who therefore should be forced to resign, immediately, or be fired," he wrote on Truth Social.
Eric Trump told Newsweek that he believed Burck's firm's representation of Harvard "as conflict and I will be moving in a different direction."
Quinn Emanuel and Burck have not commented on the allegations.
The administrative judge has not yet ruled on Zhao’s request for a continuance or on the firm’s motion to withdraw.
Burck, co-managing partner of Quinn Emanuel, is former special counsel and deputy counsel to President George W. Bush.
