Miami Mayor Takes Break From Quinn Emanuel for President Run

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is taking unpaid leave from his other job at law firm Quinn Emanuel as he makes a long-shot run for the White House.

Suarez went on leave effective July 1, according to a Quinn Emanuel spokesman. The move came weeks after Suarez launched his campaign seeking the Republican nomination for president.

“The firm and Francis agreed that he should focus on his presidential campaign,” the spokesperson said via email. “His unpaid leave was motivated by no other consideration.”

Suarez, who has held a handful of outside jobs while serving as mayor, is under fire over conflicts of interest. His work for a local developer—said to have paid Suarez $170,000 to help cut through red tape—has prompted multiple investigations.

Suarez has denied wrongdoing.

Quinn Emanuel hired Suarez when the firm launched its Miami office in 2021. The firm’s lengthy client roster includes hedge fund giant Citadel, whose founder Ken Griffin donated $1 million to Suarez’s state campaign earlier this year.

Suarez also has worked for private equity company DaGrosa Capital Partners while serving as mayor.

He makes about $126,000 a year in his role as the city’s top elected official and converts it into cryptocurrency, according to regulatory filings. Suarez recently disclosed that his net worth more than doubled to $3.5 million last year, but didn’t detail his income from his other employment.

A real estate lawyer, he worked at smaller firms GrayRobinson, Carlton Fields and Greenspoon Marder, before joining Quinn. The firm’s Bayshore Drive office is across the street from Miami’s City Hall.

When he launched his campaign in June, Suarez said he “may take a leave of absence” from Quinn at some point. He said the job did not pose a conflict of interest.