Gibson Dunn earned 62 practice area rankings, including 19 top-tier rankings in the 2024 edition of The Legal 500 – United States. Fifteen partners were named to Legal 500’s Hall of Fame recognizing individuals who receive consistent feedback from their clients for continued excellence. Forty partners were named Leading Lawyers in their respective practices with an additional thirteen partners recognized as Next Generation Lawyers, and one lawyer named a Rising Star.
The firm achieved first-tier rankings in the following categories:
- Antitrust – Cartel
- Antitrust – Civil litigation/class actions: defense
- Dispute resolution – Appellate: Courts of Appeal
- Dispute resolution – Appellate: Supreme Courts (States and Federal)
- Dispute resolution – Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense: advice to corporates
- Dispute resolution – General commercial disputes
- Dispute resolution – International litigation
- Dispute resolution – Securities litigation: defense
- Energy – Energy transactions: oil and gas
- Environment – Environment: litigation
- Environment – Environment: litigation – Climate change litigation
- Government – Government relations: Congressional Investigations
- Labor and employment – Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions)
- Media, technology and telecoms – Media and entertainment: litigation
- Media, technology and telecoms – Outsourcing
- Real estate – Land use/zoning
- Real estate – Real estate
- Real estate – Real estate finance
- Transport – Rail and road: litigation and regulation
Legal 500’s Hall of Fame for 2024 consists of:
- Theodore Boutrous – Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)
- Michael P. Darden – Energy – Energy transactions: oil and gas
- Patrick Dennis – Environment – Environment: litigation
- Michael Desmond – Tax – US taxes: contentious
- Scott Edelman – Media, technology and telecoms – Media and entertainment: litigation
- Scott Hammond – Antitrust – Cartel
- Peter Hanlon – Energy – Energy transactions: electric power
- Jane Horvath – Media, technology and telecoms – Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection)
- Perlette Michèle Jura – Dispute resolution – International litigation
- Stephen Nordahl – Media, technology and telecoms – Outsourcing
- Theodore Olson – Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)
- Tomer Pinkusiewicz – Finance – Project finance
- Jesse Sharf – Real estate – Real estate
- Daniel Swanson – Civil litigation/class actions: defense
- Joseph Warin – Dispute resolution – Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense
The partners named as Leading Lawyers are:
Antitrust
Cartel
- Cynthia Richman
Civil litigation/class actions: defense
- Rachel Brass
- Cynthia Richman
Dispute resolution
Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)
- Miguel Estrada
- Allyson Ho
- Thomas Hungar
Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense: advice to individuals
- Reed Brodsky
General commercial disputes
- Theodore Boutrous
- Orin Snyder
International arbitration
- Rahim Moloo
International litigation
- Anne Champion
- Andrea Smith
M&A litigation: defense
- Brian Lutz
Securities litigation: defense
- Brian Lutz
Energy
Energy regulation: electric power
- William Hollaway
Energy transactions: electric power and Renewable/alternative power
- Nicholas Politan
Environment
Environment: litigation
- Stacie Fletcher
- Daniel Nelson
Finance
Capital markets: debt offerings
- Andrew Fabens
- Douglas Horowitz
Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings
- Douglas Horowitz
Commercial lending
- Douglas Horowitz
Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate
- Michael Cohen
- Scott Greenberg
Insurance
Advice to insurers
- Heather Richardson
- Deborah Stein
Intellectual property
Patents: litigation (full coverage)
- Josh Krevitt
International trade
Customs, export controls and economic sanctions
- Adam Smith
Labor and employment
Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions)
- Jason Schwartz
- Katherine Smith
Land use/zoning
- Amy Forbes
- Mary Murphy
M&A/corporate and commercial
M&A: large deals ($1bn+)
- Barbara Becker
Private equity buyouts: large deals ($500m+)
- Richard Birns
Media, technology and telecoms
Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection)
- Alexander Southwell
Media and entertainment: litigation
- Orin Snyder
Media and entertainment: transactional
- Benyamin Ross
Outsourcing
- Daniel Angel
- William Peters
Technology transactions
- Daniel Angel
Real estate
Real estate
- Eric Feuerstein
Real estate finance
- Jesse Sharf
- Michael Weinberger
Tax
US taxes: contentious
- Saul Mezei
Transport
Rail and road: litigation and regulation
Thomas Dupree Jr
The partners named as Next Generation Partners and Rising Stars are:
- Joshua Brody – Finance – Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate
- Sarah Graham – Media, technology and telecoms – Media and entertainment: transactional
- Noam Haberman – Real estate finance
- Meghan Hungate – Media, technology and telecoms – Outsourcing
- Abbey Hudson – Environment – Environment: litigation
- Ilissa Samplin – Intellectual property – Trade secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters)
- Madalyn Miller – Transport – Aviation and air travel: finance
- Michael Perry – Antitrust – Merger control
- Ankita Ritwik – Dispute resolution – International arbitration
- Molly Senger – Labor and employment – Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions)
- Terrell Ussing – Tax – US taxes: contentious
- Edward Wei – Tax – US taxes: non-contentious
- Kahlil Yearwood – Real estate – Real estate finance
- Joseph Zujkowski – Finance – Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate
New York partners Shukie Grossman, Co-Chair of our Investment Funds Practice Group, and Sean McFarlane and associate Kate Timmerman participated in a keynote interview with Buyouts for its 2024 Secondaries Special Report and discussed the increasing popularity of the secondaries market—including current trends, challenges, and regulatory scrutiny—and shared their outlook for the short and long term.
Shukie noted that “…because GP-leds have become so interesting, many sponsors that have traditionally focused on raising buyout funds are now raising separate funds dedicated to investing in these vehicles. That is testament to the popularity of GP-leds, and as we see more dedicated capital raised, we can look forward to deployment driving more activity in this area.”
Regarding the evolution of GP-led secondaries transactions, Sean observed that “[w]here historically RWI only covered standard fundamental representations and maybe a few knowledge-qualified reps for portfolio companies, today’s buyers’ market has driven demand for better protections. Insurance has provided a solution to streamline processes.”
“We expect the GP-led market to become busier after a volatile few years, with more players entering the market and doing more sophisticated deals, both in terms of deal constructs and the documentation required,” Kate predicted.
The full article is available here [PDF].
World Trademark Review named Howard Hogan to its 2024 edition of WTR Global Leaders in private practice in the D.C. metro area. The list “brings together the world’s foremost…corporate trademark experts.” The list was published on June 5, 2024.
Howard Hogan’s practice focuses on intellectual property litigation and counseling, including trademark, copyright, patent, false advertising, right of publicity, licensing, and trade secret matters. He has represented various corporations and individuals in a broad range of industries, including financial services, sports, fashion, cosmetics, entertainment, transportation, pharmaceuticals, and online services.
Gibson Dunn was named in the 2024 IAM Patent 1000 guide, which recognizes firms and “individuals that are deemed outstanding in the pivotal area of patent law.” The guide recognized the firm’s National, California, New York, Texas and Washington, D.C. patent practices. The guide additionally named 15 Gibson Dunn partners to its list of the “world’s leading patent professionals”: Wayne Barsky, Brian Buroker, Benjamin Hershkowitz, Charlotte Jacobsen, Kieran Kieckhefer, Josh Krevitt, Carrie LeRoy, Jason Lo, Jane Love, Mark Reiter, Brian Rosenthal, Karen Spindler, Daniel Thomasch, Robert Trenchard, and Robert Vincent. The guide was published in June 2024.
Gibson Dunn’s Intellectual Property Practice Group offers strategic insights and solutions to companies facing complex intellectual property issues. We have a deep bench of trial lawyers with technical backgrounds, advanced degrees and industry experience provides the necessary insight to develop and defend against sophisticated claims in a wide range of industries and complex technologies. Our litigators are recognized throughout the industry as leaders in prosecuting, defending and trying IP claims in federal and state courts, before administrative bodies including the U.S. International Trade Commission and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as well as before arbitration panels.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that Claude Jiang has joined its Projects and Infrastructure Practice Group as an of counsel in the Singapore office.
Commenting on his arrival, Elaine Chao, Partner in Charge of the Singapore office, said: “We are delighted to welcome Claude to Gibson Dunn. His extensive project development and finance experience makes him an excellent addition to the team.”
Ben Shorten, partner and member of the firm’s Projects and Infrastructure Practice Group, added: “We have been growing our EMEA projects and infrastructure team, and Claude is a great fit, bringing extensive experience in energy and infrastructure projects across Asia and the Middle East. On a personal note, having previously worked with Claude, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with him again.”
About Claude Jiang
Claude has over 17 years of energy and infrastructure related project development and finance experience across Asia and the Middle East. He has extensive experience working on both the project side and the financing side of transactions and has been involved in a variety of transactions from different project aspects including traditional project financing, structuring for projects without a financing component, project-related M&A as well as project-based bond offerings. Recently, he has concentrated on energy transition/renewables and assorted infrastructure projects while leading cross-border and cross-practice teams on several large-scale transactions.
Claude is admitted to practice in the State of New York and is qualified to practice in China.
About Gibson Dunn’s Projects and Infrastructure and Energy Practice Groups
Gibson Dunn’s Projects and Infrastructure Practice Group has in-depth knowledge and experience ranging from green field project development, major disposals, and acquisitions across energy and infrastructure and complex asset restructurings. The group advises all stakeholders from governments and corporate and financial sponsors, through to lenders and other credit providers.
The Energy Practice Group has a wide array of experience across all parts of the sector—from traditional sources of energy such as oil and gas, and electric utilities, to renewable forms such as solar and wind. The firm has handled energy-related matters involving numerous practice areas, including mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures; debt and project finance; capital markets; joint ventures; fund formation; dispute resolution; commercial arrangements; and all manner of energy-related regulatory and antitrust issues.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that Caith Kushner has joined the firm’s New York office as a partner and a member of the firm’s Liability Management and Special Situations Practice in the Business Restructuring and Reorganization Practice Group.
“We are excited to welcome Caith to the firm,” said Scott Greenberg, Global Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Business Restructuring and Reorganization Practice Group. “Our market-leading Restructuring and Liability Management and Special Situations teams are extremely busy, and Caith’s experience and in-depth finance analytical skills will be invaluable to our clients in a highly active distressed finance environment,” added Steven Domanowski, Chair of the firm’s Liability Management and Special Situations Practice.
“I am very pleased to join Gibson Dunn, and I look forwarding to working with the firm’s premier team to structure finance solutions to address our clients’ most critical matters in this challenging credit market,” said Caith.
Gibson Dunn’s Liability Management and Special Situations Practice is part of the firm’s Business Restructuring and Reorganization Practice Group. The practice is a pioneer in liability management focused on devising and executing tailored solutions for ad hoc groups of debt holders and other debt investors, including asset managers, hedge funds, and credit opportunity funds. Led by Steven Domanowski, our industry-leading team works to understand the nuances and challenges of each transaction, delivering novel structures that can only be developed based on our years of experience in the field. The lawyers in this practice are at the forefront of every market-leading and altering transaction and are leaders in creating and implementing the needs of our clients in a growing and fast-paced market. Our group effectively tackles the complex and unique needs of each client by drawing on the incomparable expertise in Gibson Dunn’s finance, capital markets, M&A, litigation, and tax practices.
Caith’s arrival continues the expansion of Gibson Dunn’s premier restructuring practice, including the recent additions of finance partner Chad Nichols, restructuring partner Joseph Zujkowski, and bankruptcy litigator Lee Wilson.
About Caith Kushner
Caith’s practice focuses on liability management and distressed financing transactions, including out-of-court debt exchanges and other restructurings, DIP financings and exit financings, as well as direct lending transactions. He also has experience in a wide range of leveraged finance and investment grade transactions, representing both private equity clients and public companies. In 2024, Caith was listed in Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Dealmakers in America.
Before joining Gibson Dunn, Caith served as a partner for a New York law firm. He received his law degree in 2005 from Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and a James Kent Scholar.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that Ro Spaziani has joined the firm’s New York office, where she will serve as a partner and a member of the firm’s Financial Institutions, Global Financial Regulatory, and Global Fintech and Digital Assets Practice Groups.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ro to the Gibson Dunn team,” said Stephanie Brooker, Co-Chair of the firm’s Financial Institutions Practice Group. “Ro has a unique blend of traditional bank regulatory experience coupled with years of helping banks develop and expand financial technology businesses. This combination, as part of our financial services offerings, will be invaluable to clients.”
“I am excited to begin the next chapter of my career at Gibson Dunn,” said Ro. “The continuing evolution of financial services and the expansion of industry participants have increased regulatory scrutiny, complexity, and ambiguity across the market. I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues across the firm in helping clients navigate these broad challenges.”
Ro’s addition highlights a period of growth for Gibson Dunn’s financial regulatory platform. Last year, partners Jason Cabral and Sara Weed who advise financial clients on a wide range of regulatory, transactional, policy, and enforcement matters joined the firm’s New York and Washington, D.C. offices, respectively. Additionally, one of the firm’s newer practice groups is the interdisciplinary Global Fintech and Digital Assets Practice Group, which advises traditional and emerging companies on a range of advisory, regulatory, policy, supervision and enforcement, transactional, and litigation matters involving fintech, digital assets, and blockchain technology.
About Rosemary Spaziani
Ro’s practice focuses on representing financial institutions in a broad range of corporate and regulatory matters, including in connection with mergers and acquisitions, strategic initiatives, partnerships, enforcement actions, compliance, and corporate governance matters. She has substantial experience with a wide array of bank regulatory issues, including payments; global structuring of complex financial institutions to maximize functionality, funding, and flexibility; risk management; and other key areas of regulatory focus. She regularly advises clients before the federal financial services regulatory agencies and state banking departments on a variety of matters, including regulatory applications and notices, chartering issues, and enforcement matters.
Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Ro served as an of counsel for a New York law firm. Previously, she was a managing director in the legal department at Goldman Sachs, where she spent over a decade and served as the head of the bank regulatory, deposits, and payments legal practice groups. In this role, she managed numerous strategic acquisitions and firm initiatives, including the acquisition of the retail deposit platform and the development and launch of the global transaction banking business.
Ro received her law degree from Columbia Law School in 2006.
Lawdragon named 15 Gibson Dunn partners to its 2024 500 Leading Global Cyber Lawyers guide, which highlights “lawyers who connect it all – data and security, innovation and inspiration, litigation and exploration.” Ahmed Baladi, Ashlie Beringer, Jason Cabral, M. Kendall Day, Lauren Goldman, Stephenie Gosnell Handler, Joel Harrison, Jane Horvath, Connell O’Neill, Rosemarie Ring, Ashley Rogers, Alexander Southwell, Robert Spano, Eric Vandevelde and Sara Weed were recognized. The list was published on April 26, 2024.
Managing IP named Brian Rosenthal as Intellectual Property – Litigator of the Year for New York at its annual Americas Awards event, recognizing the biggest achievements and developments in the IP sector over the past year. The awards were announced on April 25, 2024.
Brian Rosenthal is a trial lawyer with a particular emphasis on patent litigation. His patent litigation practice has spanned a wide range of technologies, with a concentration on computer software, electronics, and medical devices. He also has substantial experience handling Patent Office validity proceedings including inter partes review and post grant review petitions, most often in parallel with ongoing high-stakes litigation. His practice also includes strategic counseling and licensing related to intellectual property matters.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that David Irvine has joined the firm’s Global Finance Practice Group as a partner in London. He will serve as Co-Chair of Global Finance (Europe).
David is widely recognized as one of the leading finance lawyers in the U.K. He is ranked as a leading lawyer by Chambers Global 2024, Chambers UK 2024, The Legal 500 UK 2024, and IFLR1000, where clients describe him as a “trusted advisor” and “persuasive in the most difficult conversations.”
Commenting on his arrival, Doug Horowitz, Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Global Finance Practice Group, said: “David is recognized as one of the best in the market for private equity sponsors and debt financing sources. He has worked on a range of significant U.K., European, Asian, and cross-border acquisition financing transactions—at Gibson Dunn, he will apply his considerable talents, working closely with our private equity, infrastructure, and restructuring teams.”
Penny Madden, Co-Partner in Charge of the London office, said: “We’re pleased to welcome David to the London office, where his incredible experience on high-profile financing transactions makes him an important addition to the team.”
David’s hire follows a period of growth for Gibson Dunn’s Global Finance Practice Group, with other recent arrivals including partners Trinh Chubbock, Kavita Davis, and Ben Shorten in London, Jin Hee Kim and Doug Horowitz in New York, Chad Nichols in Houston/New York, Frederick Lee in Dallas, and Darko Adamovic in Paris.
About David Irvine
David advises private equity sponsors and private credit funds in major cross-border leveraged and acquisition financing transactions. He also advises on recaps, minority back leverage, special situations financings, margin loans, fund-level financings, and restructurings.
David is widely recognized as a leading finance lawyer in the U.K. He is ranked as a leading lawyer in Chambers Global 2024 and Chambers UK 2024 for Banking & Finance: Big-Ticket; is a recommended lawyer in The Legal 500 UK 2024 for both London Acquisition Finance and London Bank Lending: Investment Grade Debt and Syndicated Loans; and is ranked as a Market Leader in IFLR1000 for UK Banking and Leveraged Finance.
He earned his Bachelor of Social Science in Politics and Law, and his Bachelor of Laws, from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.
About the Gibson Dunn Global Finance Practice Group
The Global Finance Practice Group serves clients around the world, including private equity sponsors, corporate borrowers, major financial institutions, and hedge funds. It includes more than 85 lawyers in our offices worldwide, advising on a broad array of financing transactions. The group works closely with mergers and acquisitions colleagues on acquisition financings and with the firm’s capital markets team. The group also draws extensively on the knowledge and skills of other specialist practice areas, such as environmental, tax, employee benefits, and litigation.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that Stuart Delery has rejoined the firm’s Washington, D.C. office, where he will serve as partner and Co-Chair of the firm’s Crisis Management Practice Group and its Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Group. Stuart most recently served as White House Counsel for President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
“We are thrilled to have Stuart rejoin the firm,” said Barbara Becker, Chair and Managing Partner of Gibson Dunn. “During his tenure as White House Counsel, Stuart was well known for his innovative thinking and his ability to navigate court challenges, changes in the law, Congress, and investigations—all while keeping an eye on workable solutions. His insight and experience will be invaluable to our clients and teams as we partner together on cutting-edge issues.”
“We are delighted to welcome Stuart back to Gibson Dunn,” said Helgi Walker, Co-Chair of the firm’s Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Group. “What sets us apart is our ability to offer our clients deep expertise in how and why the government regulates, how it makes and enforces the law, and what the best response to adverse government action is, whether negotiation or litigation. We have an unparalleled bench of exceptional lawyers with prior service in key government agencies that affect our clients’ businesses. Stuart’s return further strengthens our ability to give our clients the most current perspective on the government’s regulatory and related litigation efforts.”
“It was an honor to serve as White House Counsel, and I am excited for my next chapter at Gibson Dunn,” said Stuart. “I know firsthand that this is a world-class law firm, and I look forward to working collaboratively with colleagues across the firm to build on our robust litigation, regulatory and crisis management platforms.”
Stuart’s return highlights a period of growth for Gibson Dunn, as the firm continues to attract top talent from government. The firm’s team includes senior officials from the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, and other agencies at the forefront of consumer protection, competition, white collar investigations, transactional, and policy areas. Recent additions to the firm include Katlin McKelvie, who joined after serving senior roles at the Food and Drug Administration and Department of Health and Human Services, Gus Eyler, who served as Director of the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, Svetlana Gans, who served as Chief of Staff at the Federal Trade Commission, and former federal judges Gregg Costa and George Hazel.
About Stuart Delery
Stuart Delery is an experienced appellate and district court litigator who brings 30 years of experience at the highest levels of government and the private sector to help clients navigate major matters that present complex legal and reputational risks, particularly matters involving difficult statutory, regulatory and constitutional issues. His practice focuses on representing corporations and individuals in high-stakes litigation and investigations that involve the federal government across the spectrum of regulatory litigation and enforcement.
Stuart served as White House Counsel for President Biden from 2022-2023. As Counsel to the President, he advised the President on the full range of constitutional, statutory, and regulatory legal issues, including on questions of presidential authority, domestic policy, and national security and foreign affairs. He managed responses to high-profile congressional and other investigations, and he assisted the President in nominating and confirming federal judges. Stuart also served as Deputy Counsel to the President from 2021-2022. Throughout his time in the White House, he was deeply embedded in the administrative law and regulatory process, working closely with Cabinet secretaries, agency general counsel, and the Department of Justice on policy development and defending litigation challenging Administration actions. Previously, Stuart also served as the Acting Associate Attorney General of the United States, the third-ranking position at the Department of Justice, and as the Senate-confirmed Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division, the Department of Justice’s largest litigating division.
Stuart received his law degree from Yale Law School, where he served as an articles editor of The Yale Law Journal. He clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Byron White and for Senior U.S. Circuit Judge Gerald Bard Tjoflat of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that Michael Weinberger will join the firm’s New York office as a partner. Michael will continue his real estate finance practice, which is focused on commercial mortgage-backed securitization (CMBS), balance sheet, mezzanine and construction loan originations, restructurings, and secondary market transactions.
“We are delighted to welcome Michael to the Gibson Dunn team,” said Mylan L. Denerstein, Co-Partner-in-Charge of the firm’s New York office. “He is a proven star, and his practice will further complement our market-leading real estate group.”
“We are thrilled to have Michael join our Gibson Dunn real estate practice,” said Eric M. Feuerstein, Co-Chair of the Real Estate Practice Group. “He is one of the most respected practitioners in the field, admired by counsel and clients alike, and the top lender-side lawyer in the country. His experience, particularly on real estate financing, is simply unparalleled and will serve as a tremendous asset for the Gibson Dunn real estate platform.”
“I am excited to begin the next chapter of my career at Gibson Dunn,” said Michael. “I look forward to working alongside this terrific group of colleagues to help our clients navigate their most complex transactions. I couldn’t be happier to join this very talented team.”
Michael’s addition continues a period of steady growth for Gibson Dunn, as the firm continues to attract top talent, including: real estate partner Lauren Giovannone in Los Angeles; private equity partners Jesse Myers and Michael Piazza; investment funds partners James Hays in Houston and Kira Idoko in New York; M&A partner Rahul Vashi in Houston; restructuring partners Chad Nichols in Houston, C. Lee Wilson and Joseph Zujkowski in New York, and AnnElyse Scarlett Gains in Washington, D.C.; finance partners Frederick Lee in Houston and Douglas Horowitz and Jin Hee Kim in New York; and FinTech and financial institutions partners Jason Cabral in New York and Sara Weed in Washington, D.C.
About Michael Weinberger
Michael focuses on real estate finance, including mortgage, mezzanine, and construction loan originations, restructurings, syndications, and secondary market transactions. He regularly represents major institutional lenders and borrowers in transactions involving hotels, shopping centers, office buildings, industrial properties, condominiums, multi-family properties, life science centers, storage facilities, movie studios, and other property types. Michael is top-ranked in Chambers USA, which has noted that he is “the best of the best for commercial real estate finance” and “quite simply unparalleled.”
Michael graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1991 and subsequently clerked for the Judge Leonard I. Garth on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He graduated summa cum laude from Yale University with a B.A. in Economics in 1988.