James D. (Jim) Slear is Of Counsel in the Washington D.C. office of Gibson Dunn.  Prior to joining the firm in August 2000, Mr. Slear was a Judge Advocate for the Department of the Air Force.  During his military career, Mr. Slear became an accomplished trial lawyer, serving as the Air Force's Chief Trial Counsel in Asia and later as a Federal Court Trial Attorney for the Air Force's Commercial Litigation Division, where he continued to served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves after joining the firm.

Since joining Gibson Dunn, Mr. Slear has concentrated his practice in the area of international trade compliance, internal investigations, and complex litigation in a wide variety of matters.  Mr. Slear regularly advises clients regarding compliance and enforcement matters concerning the sanctions laws and regulations administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”), the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”), the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), and regarding matters before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”).  

Mr. Slear has more than 25 years of experience conducting investigations and has conducted internal investigations for numerous clients in international trade matters as well as others, including matters involving criminal, antitrust and securities laws.   He has conducted investigations for clients both domestically and abroad, including Europe, the Middle East, and the People's Republic of China.  His extensive government experience has proven invaluable for clients dealing with government agencies, including the Department of State, Department of Commerce, Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Mr. Slear also has extensive experience drafting and arguing motions in complex civil litigation before state trial and appeals courts, federal district courts, and the Court of Federal Claims, and has also used these skills to make successful submissions on behalf of clients with regard to international trade and other issues including voluntary disclosures,  responses to directed disclosures, requests for advisory opinions, commodity jurisdiction requests, and complex license applications.

Mr. Slear received his law degree, magna cum laude, in 1992 from Georgetown University, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif, served as an editor of the Georgetown Law Journal, and was a recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award. In 1991 he was selected to serve as the first law clerk ever appointed to the former Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals. Mr. Slear holds a bachelor of arts degree in education from the University of Evansville and a master of science degree in education from Oregon State University.  He also graduated with distinction from the United States Army Judge Advocate General School with an LL.M. emphasizing study in government contracts.

Mr. Slear is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, the United States Court of Federal Claims, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He is an inactive member of the Nevada Bar.