Click to read Law.com International’s article, “Gibson Dunn London Could Reach 500 Lawyers in 5 Years Amid Major Build Out” [PDF], which highlights the firm’s significant expansion plans and continued strategic growth in London.
Gibson Dunn was recognized at The Financial Times (FT) Innovative Lawyers Awards North America 2025 as one of the Most Innovative Law Firms, and was honored as the Most Innovative Firm in two categories: the Business of Law category for our comprehensive three-pronged AI strategy, and the Practice of Law – Disputes and Litigation category for our precedent-setting win in an OpenAI defamation suit.
The firm was also Highly Commended in the Practice of Law – Restructuring category for our Liability Management Exercises (LMEs), and partner Eugene Scalia (Washington, D.C.) was named one of the Top 10 Individual Practitioners for his administrative law and regulatory work.
In addition, Barbara Becker was recognized in the Law Firm Leaders category as one of the top five women chairs / managing partners.
The FT’s annual Innovative Lawyers Awards North America spotlight the firms and in-house teams that use innovative approaches to deliver exceptional value to businesses and society.
Gibson Dunn advised KKR on Saviynt’s $700 million Growth Equity Financing at a valuation of approximately $3 billion. Saviynt is a leading identity security company whose AI-powered platform manages, secures, and governs access for human, non-human, and AI agent identities across an organization’s applications, data, and infrastructure.
Our corporate team was led by partners Christopher Harding and Abtin Jalali and included of counsel Soren Kreider and associate Sam Shapiro.
Partners Christian Riis-Madsen, Kristen Limarzi, and Brad Smith and associate Jonas Jousma advised on antitrust aspects; partner Matt Donnelly and associate Yara Mansour on tax; partner Meghan Hungate and associate Andrew Hartman on IP; partner Cassandra Gaedt-Sheckter and associate Sarah Scharf on data privacy; and partners Mike Collins and James Cox on benefits.
Gibson Dunn is advising DivcoWest as co-investor and joint venture partner with Blackstone Real Estate in Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.’s $2.3 billion take-private transaction.
Our corporate team includes partners Jesse Shapiro and David Perechocky and associate Ryan Dosh. Partner Lorna Wilson is advising on tax matters.
Gibson Dunn supported Circle Internet Group, Inc. (NYSE: CRCL), one of the world’s leading internet financial platform companies, in its continued expansion in the United Arab Emirates. Circle has secured a Financial Services Permission from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of the Abu Dhabi Global Market to operate as a Money Services Provider.
This regulatory milestone strengthens Circle’s presence in the region and reinforces the UAE’s leadership in building a trusted, innovation-forward digital asset ecosystem.
Our project team was led by partner Hagen Rooke, of counsel Sameera Kimatrai, and associate Aliya Padhani.
Gibson Dunn represented the J.M. Smucker Co. on appeal after a series of class actions across the country were consolidated in a multidistrict litigation before the Western District of Missouri. The plaintiffs claim that they were misled by the labels on Folgers canisters, many of which contain statements that the canister will produce “up to” a certain number of eight-ounce cups of coffee, based on the theory that (under some conditions) the canisters allegedly produced less than that number of cups. The district court certified a class of Missouri consumers who bought relevant Folgers products with corresponding labels.
Gibson Dunn was hired to represent Folgers after the class was certified. The Gibson Dunn team first convinced the Eighth Circuit to grant interlocutory appellate review under Rule 23(f). And after full briefing and argument by Los Angeles partner Ted Boutrous, the Eighth Circuit reversed, rejecting class certification.
The court of appeals’ published opinion will prove useful in many consumer-fraud class actions in the future. The court recognized “that fraud cases are typically unsuitable for class treatment,” largely because “the proof required in such cases often varies with respect to what representations consumers received and whether those consumers relied on those representations.” The court also explained that many state consumer-fraud statutes require proof of “a causal connection between the deceptive act and [the] harm” plaintiffs assert, and that even if affirmative proof of causation were not required from the plaintiff, that “would not foreclose the defendant from presenting evidence of a lack of causation or reliance, which too would raise individualized questions.” This remains the case even where the challenged representations “appeared on each of the…products,” especially where there are indications “that a significant proportion of the proposed class did not read those representations or, if they did, did not care about them one way or the other” or “did not interpret the[m] in the manner [the plaintiff] suggests.”
The court also rejected the plaintiff’s effort to rely on a price-premium theory (i.e., that every consumer paid more because of the alleged label misrepresentations and so necessarily was injured), explaining that “someone with full knowledge of the facts and a willingness to make the purchase anyway cannot have suffered an ascertainable loss.”
Along with Ted Boutrous, our team includes partners Perlette Michele Jura and Bradley Hamburger and associates Daniel Adler, Patrick Fuster, and Matt Aidan Getz.
Gibson Dunn advised Investcorp on its acquisition of Kanawha Scales & Systems, a leading provider of weighing calibration and repair services and automation solutions.
Our corporate team included partners Sean Griffiths, Christopher Lang, and Maxwell Ball and associates Nicolette Fata, Jae Kim, and Spencer Becerra. Partner Edward Wei and associates Doug Bresnick and Sumaya Bouadi advised on tax aspects. Partner Michael Collins advised on benefits. Partner Meghan Hungate and associates Jessica Lee, Ruby Lang, and Andrew Hartman advised on IP aspects.
Gibson Dunn was recognized in the 2026 edition of Chambers FinTech, a guide to the best law firms and lawyers in the global fintech industry.
The firm was ranked in the USA – Crypto-Asset Disputes, USA – FinTech Legal, USA – FinTech Legal: Payments & Lending, USA – FinTech Legal: Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies, and Singapore – FinTech Legal categories.
Partner Will Hallatt was recognized as a leading lawyer in the China – FinTech Legal (International Firms) category; partner Hagen Rooke was recognized as a leading lawyer in Singapore – FinTech Legal; partner Sara Weed was recognized as a leading lawyer in USA: Nationwide – Fintech Legal: Payments & Lending; and of counsel Sameera Kimatrai (Dubai) was recognized as Up & Coming in the United Arab Emirates – FinTech Legal category.
Writing for Bloomberg Law, partner Akiva Shapiro looked back on the five-year anniversary of our U.S. Supreme Court win in Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo, which enjoined an order severely limiting the number of attendees at religious services in New York City, but not at comparable secular activities, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Akiva and his team went from filing a complaint in October 2020 to a Supreme Court win within seven weeks.
Reflecting on the case, Akiva noted that it “demonstrated that the Constitution continues to serve as a bulwark protecting our rights, even – especially – in times of crisis. And that the free exercise of religion isn’t a luxury to be sidelined during an emergency, but an essential thread in our constitutional fabric.”
Partner Christopher Dusseault has been recognized as a Top Antitrust Lawyer by the Daily Journal. The list honors lawyers “who navigate complex merger reviews, monopolization claims and price-fixing investigations that reshape markets and protect competition.”
Chris is an experienced trial and appellate lawyer whose practice focuses on antitrust litigation, particularly leading the defense of large antitrust class actions, as well as other high-stakes business disputes. In addition to litigating cases from inception, he is often brought in by clients who have lost a jury trial and are facing a verdict in the hundreds-of-millions or billions of dollars to reverse the outcome.
Gibson Dunn advised Vision International Investment Company (Vision Invest) on the sale of its 10% stake in water and wastewater company Miahona to multiple investors through private transactions on Tadawul, the Saudi Exchange.
Vision Invest is a leading Saudi Arabian development and investment company with a diverse portfolio of holdings across a wide range of vital sectors, including power generation, water desalination, industrial gases, logistics, transportation, district cooling, wastewater treatment, energy efficiency, and social infrastructure. The sale aims to broaden Miahona’s shareholder base by attracting a diverse range of institutional investors. It also aligns with Vision Invest’s strategy to reallocate its capital towards new and diversified investments.
The Gibson Dunn team in Riyadh advising on the transaction was led by partner Najla Al-Gadi and included associate Rand Shahin, with support from partners Ibrahim Soumrany and Mahmoud Abdel-Baky.
Gibson Dunn represented American Electric Power Company, Inc. on a $3.5 billion at-the-market equity program, which allows for both traditional and forward sales of common stock.
Barclays Capital Inc., BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Mizuho Securities USA LLC, MUFG Securities Americas Inc., Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC will act as agents, and Barclays Bank PLC, Bank of America, N.A., Citibank, N.A., JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, Mizuho Markets Americas LLC, MUFG Securities EMEA plc, The Bank of Nova Scotia, and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association will act as forward purchasers.
The Gibson Dunn team was led by partners Hillary H. Holmes and Atma Kabad and included associates Malakeh Hijazi, Benjamin A. Blefeld, and Anna Strong. Partner Jennifer Sabin advised on tax matters, of counsel Adam Lapidus advised on derivative matters, and partner Krista P. Hanvey and associate Lucy Hong advised on ECEB matters.
Gibson Dunn represented Exodus Movement, Inc., a leading self-custodial cryptocurrency platform, in connection with its proposed redomestication from Delaware to Texas.
Exodus has received stockholder approval and expects to complete the redomestication in December 2025. This reflects a broader trend of companies choosing to take advantage of Texas’s favorable business climate and supportive regulatory environment.
Our team included partners Harrison Tucker, Gerry Spedale, and Hillary Holmes; of counsel Sheldon Nagesh; and associates Clint Eastman and Jason Ferrari.
Gibson Dunn is well positioned to advise companies on redomestication to Texas. Our team includes nationally recognized thought leaders who have helped shape Texas’s evolving legal framework and maintain strong connections with the business leaders and other key stakeholders shaping the state’s future.
Gibson Dunn announced today that Jamal V. Lama has rejoined the firm in its New York office, where he will serve as a partner in the Energy & Infrastructure Practice Group, working closely with the private equity and M&A teams. Formerly in-house counsel at Ares Management, Jamal is an experienced dealmaker who has advised on a broad range of complex transactions spanning mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and preferred equity and other structured financings across sectors, including digital infrastructure and energy.
“Jamal’s extensive private practice deal experience, coupled with his in-house perspective, provides clients with both technical legal skill and a deep commercial understanding of how private equity sponsors and infrastructure funds assess value, manage risk, and execute transactions,” said Tomer Pinkusiewicz, Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Energy & Infrastructure Practice Group. “His addition underscores our continued commitment to expanding our world-class team and staying ahead of our clients’ needs amid strong demand for sophisticated transactions across asset classes and geographies. We are thrilled to welcome him back to the firm.”
“I’m excited to be coming home to Gibson Dunn and rejoining a team I know firsthand is exceptionally talented, collaborative, and growth-oriented,” said Jamal. “The firm’s dynamic global platform and deep experience across the full lifecycle of infrastructure investments give it a distinct market advantage. As I return to private practice, Gibson Dunn’s entrepreneurial energy and exceptional platform provide the ideal foundation to build on and serve clients at the forefront of the evolving infrastructure, private equity, and energy markets.”
Jamal’s arrival marks the continued expansion of Gibson Dunn’s preeminent Energy & Infrastructure Practice. Our multidisciplinary practice advises on transactions across all major infrastructure asset classes—including digital, social, and transportation—and spans financing (including capital markets), project development, strategic M&A, and private equity, fund formation and fund financing, regulatory and compliance advice, and disputes and litigation. Recent additions to the global team include Simon Tysoe in London and Dorothée Griveaux in Paris.
About Jamal V. Lama
Jamal will focus his practice on advising companies and private equity firms across a wide range of industries, with an emphasis on energy and infrastructure investments across geographies and asset classes. Jamal’s practice will include domestic and cross-border public and private M&A, joint ventures, preferred equity financings, and other strategic transactions.
Before rejoining Gibson Dunn, Jamal served as in-house counsel at Ares Management, a leading global alternative investment manager. At Ares Management, Jamal provided guidance to investment professionals within the Infrastructure Opportunities, Infrastructure Debt, and Alternative Credit strategies on a range of complex transactions spanning various sectors, including fiber, data centers, renewable energy, midstream oil & gas, wastewater treatment, renewable natural gas, and power generation.
Gibson Dunn is included in Global Restructuring Review’s GRR 100 2025, the annual guide to the world’s leading law firms for cross-border restructurings and insolvencies. The publication noted that our firm “is often at the fulcrum of security, taking control of companies in distress in aggressive liability management transactions.”
Our Business Restructuring and Reorganization Practice Group specializes in representing creditor and stakeholder groups in the nation’s largest and most complex restructurings and is a pioneering leader in the liability management space.
Gibson Dunn announced today that it has expanded its premier finance capabilities with the arrival of Duncan K. R. McKay, who has joined the New York office as a partner and will serve as Head of Fund Finance. He brings extensive experience in structuring, negotiating, and managing complex fund finance and structured capital transactions.
“Duncan is highly regarded as a leading sponsor-side fund finance lawyer, with rare experience advising on both complex fund finance and structured capital transactions,” said Shukie Grossman, Global Chair of the Investment Funds Practice Group. “As the investment funds landscape continues to evolve and the demand for liquidity solutions and fund finance products steadily increases, Duncan’s innovative capabilities and best-in-class deal execution will be invaluable to our clients and will further strengthen the firm’s premier global platform.”
In addition to his deep experience with commitments-based, NAV-based, hybrid, asset-based, GP Finance, and other bespoke investment funds related transactions, Duncan is widely recognized as a market leader in structuring and executing complex rated note feeder and collateralized fund obligation transactions. Over the past decade, he has consistently led some of the most innovative fund financings and structured capital raisings for alternative asset managers, investment fund sponsors and direct lenders in the U.S. and abroad.
“I’m energized to be joining Gibson Dunn’s market-leading global platform,” said Duncan. “With its elite Finance and Investment Funds Practice Groups and extensive experience across all major private-markets asset classes and strategies, the firm is uniquely positioned to support the evolving and complex needs of our leading asset manager and investment fund sponsor clients. The firm’s focus on continuing to expand its premier investment funds, fund finance, and structured capital capabilities domestically and in other key markets is exciting, and I look forward to collaborating and innovating alongside this talented team.”
Gibson Dunn’s fund finance and structured capital team advises the world’s preeminent asset managers, investment fund sponsors, direct lenders, and investors on the full spectrum of fund-level and funds adjacent financing, fundraising, and lending transactions across key global markets and investment strategies. Working closely with the firm’s premier Investment Funds, Capital Markets, Structured Finance, Derivatives, Private Credit, Insurance and Reinsurance, Financial Regulatory, and Tax practices, the team provides clients with global, comprehensive, cross-disciplinary, and seamless representation and deal execution.
About Duncan K. R. McKay
Duncan represents financial sponsors in a broad range of complex and bespoke financing transactions involving their investment funds, including private equity, growth equity, venture capital, GP stakes, secondaries and continuation vehicles, private credit and direct lending platforms, real estate, infrastructure, energy and transition, hedge funds, hybrid structures, and evergreen/open-ended funds. Clients rely on Duncan for his deep market knowledge, innovative financing solutions, and clear, commercial advice, as well as his ability to steward and execute the most sophisticated and pioneering fund-level and fund-adjacent financing transactions.
Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Duncan served as a partner at an international law firm.
Gibson Dunn has been honored with the Thomson Reuters SYNERGY Award for Change Champion for its visionary ability to “translate leading AI and legal tech into practical business solutions while bringing people along on the transformation journey.”
Presented at the SYNERGY 2025 conference for legal professionals in Orlando, Florida, the award “celebrates those who don’t just adapt to change, but champion it — collaboratively, strategically, and with lasting results.”
Here’s one last shout-out to a Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher team led by partners Miguel Estrada, Ted Boutrous and Katie Townsend, who have been representing National Public Radio and certain member stations in a challenge to an executive order aimed at cutting the plaintiffs’ federal funding because of news coverage and programming the Trump Administration has claimed is biased. The team this week reached a settlement with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, one of the defendants in the suit, which will provide $35.96 million in grant funding to the plaintiffs for public radio infrastructure—the full amount CPB previously agreed to. CPB also agreed not to enforce the challenged executive order unless required by a court. The Gibson Dunn team includes partner Michael Dore, counsel Sophia Brill and associates Eric Brooks, Connor Mui, Ellie Schwietering and Tate Rosenblatt.
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Reprinted with permission from the November 21, 2025 edition of “The AmLaw Litigation Daily” © 2025 ALM Global Properties, LLC. All rights reserved. Further duplication without permission is prohibited, contact 877-256-2472 or asset-and-logo-licensing@alm.com.
Gibson Dunn represented National Public Radio as it reached an agreement with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to resolve certain claims arising out of CPB’s alleged implementation of an Executive Order requiring CPB to halt the disbursement of federal funds to NPR. Pursuant to the settlement, CPB agreed to disburse approximately $36 million in previously withheld public radio satellite interconnection funds and agreed not to implement the Executive Order in the future unless ordered to do so by a court. NPR’s First Amendment challenge to the Executive Order will proceed with a hearing scheduled for December 4, 2025.
Our team included partners Miguel A. Estrada, Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., and Katie Townsend.
Partner Ahmed Baladi, Co-Chair of our Privacy, Cybersecurity, and Data Innovation Practice Group, recently spoke with Reuters about the EU Commission’s “Digital Omnibus,” a series of proposals designed to simplify AI and privacy regulations. Reuters reports that the package faces criticism from “the tech sector for not going far enough and consumer groups for bowing to Big Tech.”
“The Commission appears to be aiming for simpler, more predictable rules that reduce friction for innovators while keeping core EU safeguards intact,” Ahmed said.