Quinn Emanuel arbitration expert, praised for expertise and inclusiveness, dies at 76

Fred G. Bennett, an expert in arbitration who headed the alternative dispute resolution practice at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, has died. He was 76.

Bennett died Friday, six months after suffering a heart attack stemming from a pulmonary embolism, according to his wife, retired 2nd District Court of Appeal Justice Tricia Bigelow.

John B. Quinn, a founder of Quinn Emanuel, recruited Bennett to the law firm from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, where he had practiced since graduating from law school in 1973, and had a robust construction defect and arbitration practice.

Bennett understood the unwritten rules and customs of arbitration and was able to guide his partners, Quinn said. But Bennett's expertise in domestic and international arbitration was just part of his skill set. He was an exceptionally well-rounded business lawyer who was skilled at reading contracts. "Fred was really good at understanding the subtleties and intricacies of contracts and how those might play out," Quinn said.

Quinn and other lawyers who worked with him at Quinn Emanuel and Gibson Dunn said Bennett went out of his way to make new partners at the firm feel welcome and included.

Kenneth R. Chiate recalled how Bennett reached out to him after Chiate joined Quinn Emanuel 20 years ago from the Pillsbury law firm.

"He was the 'go-to' partner for me in the firm not only for arbitration strategies, but also complex issues in other matters," Chiate said. "He was a gentle and sincerely caring partner not only for his partners, but younger associates as well."

That was a sentiment echoed by John Taylor Jr., a partner at Horvitz & Levy LLP. He said Bennett was one of the first partners at Gibson Dunn to reach out after Taylor joined the law firm following a clerkship.

"He was a great example of how the practice of law can be a noble profession," Taylor said, noting that Bennett believed litigation battles could be fierce without being personal.

"He would say, 'That doesn't move the ball forward,'" Taylor recalled. "I would call him a happy warrior. He was always positive as well as being tough."

Justice Elizabeth Grimes of the 2nd District Court of Appeal worked with Bennett as a Gibson Dunn associate. "Fred was patient and kind with me, generous with his guidance in how to propound and defend discovery," she recalled.

When Grimes prepared to leave Gibson Dunn to sit on the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Bennett showed up to her going-away party with a special guest.

"I will always remember seeing him that day, coming down the staircase to the floor where my reception was underway, accompanied by a lawyer (his client) who had hired me as a legal secretary in 1976, and who asked me in my interview, 'Why aren't you applying to law school?'" Grimes recalled.

Attorney Ron Toews, Grimes' husband, chimed in as the justice reminisced to talk about Bennett's pie making abilities. "Fred loved to bake pies. Who doesn't love a really good pie?" Toews said.

A couple weeks ago, Toews and Grimes went to see Bennett, who was gravely ill. They "joked about how he could have built a pie empire to rival Marie Callender -- a silly joke, in light of Fred's enormous success as an international arbitrator," Grimes said.

"Fred embraced life with more enthusiasm than I've ever seen in anyone else," Grimes said. "He did not want to leave us. Yet I believe he is now enjoying eternal peace, trusting in us to take up the yoke and the sword where he left them."

Bennett ran the partnership meetings at Quinn Emanuel. Quinn said that since Bennett's death, he has heard from partners throughout the 900-lawyer firm who recalled how welcoming and helpful he was.

"He cared about the firm and he cared about the partners' experience at the firm," Quinn said.

"Fred was an extremely kind and sincere and genuine person," Quinn said. "He had no guile. When he told you something, it came from the heart."

Bennett was managing editor of the law review at UCLA School of Law. After passing the bar, he joined Gibson Dunn in 1974 and rose to senior partner. He served as head of the firm's worldwide Alternate Dispute Resolution group.

At Quinn Emanuel, he was global vice chair of the international practice and U.S. chair of that firm's arbitration practice.

He arbitrated internationally and domestically complex technical and business disputes in almost every area of business, including contract disputes arising from architectural engineering and construction, oil and gas, commercial and residential real estate projects, manufacturing contracts, patent and intellectual property licensing and complex insurance coverage disputes.

He was a member of the American Arbitration Association's national board of directors, the executive committee of the board, and the board's Nominating and Governance Committee.

Bennett also was a member of the committee responsible for administrating International Court of Arbitration work within the United States and was chairman of its Southwest Subcommittee.

Bennett was born on May 28, 1946. After college at the University of Utah, from which he graduated magna cum laude with an English degree, he undertook a two-year mission with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Australia.

He remained faithful to the church throughout his life, and taught Sunday school for more than 20 years.

He married his first wife, Constance Mason, in 1970, in the Salt Lake Temple. They adopted Alexandra Lauren in 1983 and then had a son, Jordan Mason, in 1985.

He was a world traveler and a physical fitness devotee, and a positive force for his family, friends and colleagues, his family recalled. "Adapt and overcome," was his motto.

"Fred was a very curious person," Quinn said. He recalled them being in Tokyo on a business trip. They had a half day off so they toured the historical parts of the city. That wasn't enough sightseeing for Bennett. He rose the next morning before 3 to go watch the city's famous fish auction.

"He was always up for learning and adventure," Quinn recalled.

That desire for adventure was manifest when Bennett proposed to Bigelow in 2018. He was not content to go on bended knee. He dressed as a prince and rode up on a white horse, Bigelow recalled.

"I'm devastated by the loss of my true love. There will never be another man like him," said Bigelow, now a neutral affiliated with Signature Resolution.

"He always believed in me, supported me, and stood by me," Bigelow added. "I'm grateful for the time we had and extremely sad that it was cut short."

Bennett was preceded in death by his daughter, Alexandra, who passed away in 2013, as well as his wife of 43 years, Connie, who died in 2015. He is survived by Bigelow, his son, Jordan, and his granddaughter, Lucy.

There will be a viewing at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 575 Los Liones Drive in Pacific Palisades, on Saturday at 11 a.m., and a service starting at noon. An interment will follow at 3 p.m. at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks at 5600 Lindero Canyon Road in Westlake Village.

Flowers may be sent to 1502 Bienveneda Avenue in Pacific Palisades or, in lieu thereof, donations made to Ready to Succeed, 1514 17th Street, Suite 201, Santa Monica, CA 90404.