A Gibson Dunn pro bono team has filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of several retired judges in support of the petitioner in Villarreal v. Texas.
The case concerns whether a trial court abridges the defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to counsel by prohibiting the defendant and his counsel from discussing the defendant’s testimony during an overnight recess while allowing them to discuss trial strategy and other matters. Our amicus brief explained why that rule was unworkable and impossible to administer. It explained that there is no straightforward way to distinguish discussions about the defendant’s testimony from discussions about trial strategy, and that such a rule cannot be administered without obstructing the attorney-client privilege.
Our team included partner Gregg Costa and associates Ryan Azad, Summer Wall, Hayley Lawrence, Alexander Fischer, and Apratim Vidyarthi.
Gibson Dunn represented an ad hoc group of lenders to Quest Software Inc. (Quest) in a cutting-edge liability management transaction.
The transaction entailed the movement of Quest’s One Identity business to a structurally senior entity to facilitate future M&A activity, debt incurrence, and material discount capture. With 100% participation from the first and second lien lenders, the ad hoc group negotiated significant creditor protections around any acquisitions by, or dispositions of, the One Identity business, while preserving Quest’s ability to pursue accretive M&A transactions.
Our team was led by partners Scott Greenberg, Steven Domanowski, and Stephen Silverman, and included of counsel Christina Brown and associates Jonathan Dunworth and Sue Su.
Partner Caith Kushner, of counsel Ryan Searfoorce, and associates Patrick Perrier, Julia Sweitzer, Melody Karmana, Kaylin Chavez Ervin, and Ruoqi Wei advised on finance. Partner (retired) Steven Shoemate and associate Brennan Halloran advised on M&A. Partner Edward Wei and associates Sumaya Bouadi and Eugene Wei-En Woo advised on tax.
Gibson Dunn is pleased to announce that Carolyn (Caro) Abram has joined the firm’s Dubai office as a partner in its Investment Funds Practice Group.
Commenting on Caro’s arrival, Shukie Grossman, Global Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Investment Funds Practice Group, said: “Caro is a rising star in funds work in the Middle East and North Africa, representing both regional sponsors and institutional investors, and makes an excellent addition to our expanding Investment Funds practice. She will work closely with colleagues in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh, as well as with lawyers on the Investment Funds team globally.”
Marwan Elaraby, Partner in Charge of Gibson Dunn’s Dubai office, added: “We continue to see many opportunities to support our regional, inbound, and outbound clients in the Middle East. Caro’s arrival adds even more depth to our transactional platform in the region, where we are seeing the results of our significant investments in recent years.”
“Clients are seeking creative, compliant, and market-ready solutions — I am excited to extend Gibson Dunn’s world-class Investment Funds practice to the Middle East, so we can deliver exactly that, helping to position clients for the growth and success we are seeing in this region,” said Caro.
Gibson Dunn’s elite Investment Funds Practice Group advises sponsors across all geographies, asset classes, and matter types. The team is recognized as a leading practice in Chambers Global, Chambers Asia-Pacific, and Chambers USA 2025, which describes it as “the go-to firm and one-stop shop for all clients’ legal needs.” The practice continues to grow internationally, with market-leading partner James O’Donnell and of counsel Hannah Watson Fanin joining the team in London in recent weeks.
About Caro Abram
Caro is recognized for her advice to fund sponsors on the formation and structuring of private investment funds spanning asset classes and jurisdictions. With a proven track record in guiding clients to successful fund launches, Caro advises on every stage of fund formation, from initial structuring and regulatory navigation to closings and operation. Her practice also encompasses advising on related investment arrangements, such as seed and stake investments, asset manager joint ventures, co-investment and warehousing arrangements, carried interest structures, secondaries transactions, and fund restructurings. She additionally represents institutional investors on their capital placements into private funds, co-investment structures, and managed accounts. Caro’s regulatory expertise supports both regional and global asset managers looking to establish or expand operations in the Middle East and North Africa.
She is ranked as Up and Coming for Investment Funds, Middle East-wide, in Chambers Global 2025, where clients describe her as “really excellent” and as having “a lot of expertise concerning the jurisdiction and investors in the region.” Legal 500 UAE has recognized Caro as a Next Generation Partner for Investment Fund Formation and Management, and Lexology Index has recognized her for Private Funds – Regulatory. Caro earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oxford.
Gibson Dunn advised a group led by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman on their acquisition of a controlling stake in Australia’s SailGP team, the Bonds Flying Roos. Our clients will co-own the team with driver and CEO Tom Slingsby.
Our corporate team was led by partner Stefan dePozsgay and included partner Sean McFarlane and associate Joey Herman. Partner Pamela Lawrence Endreny and associate Austin Morris advised on tax; partner Daniel Angel advised on IP. Partner Kate Napalkova advised on executive compensation and benefits.
Gibson Dunn has secured Spain’s payment of a €32 million judgment enforcing an arbitration award in favor of our client, Blasket Renewable Investments LLC. This marks the first judgment enforcing an arbitration award that Spain has paid.
Our firm had won a judgment from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia enforcing the award under the ICSID Convention. Spain’s payment follows extensive global efforts to identify and pursue its assets after prolonged non-compliance. Spain still owes numerous unpaid awards, and the country is subject to similar enforcement suits — many of them led by Gibson Dunn.
Our team was led by partners Matthew McGill and Matthew Rozen and included associates Jeff Liu, Aaron Hauptman, Lavi Ben Dor, John Seidman, and Kelly Yahner.
Gibson Dunn advised Sammons Financial Group on its entry into a definitive agreement to acquire Wealthcare, a Registered Investment Advisor firm and platform services provider.
Our team was led by partners Michael Piazza and Carlos Soto and included and associates George Hang, Steve Wright, Mariana Lozano, and Yaz Kaveh.
Partner Matt Donnelly advised on tax; partner Matthew Schwartz advised on corporate; partner Sean Feller and associate Kayoko Fong advised on employee benefits and executive compensation; partner Cassandra Gaedt-Sheckter and associates Courtney Wang and Mitchell Zia advised on data privacy and security.
Gibson Dunn represented Barclays Capital, BofA Securities, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan Securities, KeyBanc Capital Markets, Mizuho Securities USA, MUFG Securities Americas, TD Securities (USA), and Wells Fargo Securities (each of which will act as sales agent, and certain of their affiliates will act as forward purchasers) in an “at the market” offering of up to $1.3 billion of common stock of Alliant Energy Corporation, a public utility holding company that provides regulated electric and natural gas service to customers in the Midwest.
Our team included partners Andrew Fabens and Darius Mehraban, of counsel Adam Lapidus and Rodrigo Surcan, and associates Lawrence Lee, Ian Mathenge, and Stephen Huie. Partner William R. Hollaway and senior counsel Janine Durand advised on regulatory matters, partner Rachel Levick and associate Taylor Cathleen Amato advised on environmental matters, and partner Lorna Wilson advised on tax matters.
Gibson Dunn announced today that Atma Kabad has joined the firm’s Houston office as a partner in the Capital Markets Practice Group. Atma advises public and private companies and private equity investors on a broad range of capital market transactions, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and securities law matters.
“Atma is a highly skilled and solutions-oriented lawyer who is well-regarded in the Texas business and legal communities, and we are thrilled to have him join our growing team,” said Hillary Holmes, Co-Partner in Charge of the Houston office and Co-Chair of the firm’s Capital Markets Practice Group. “As the energy sector sees regulatory burdens ease and innovation drive capital raising and M&A activity, and as Texas continues to be a center of economic growth and the potential for even greater growth, Atma’s diverse corporate skillset will provide clients with the guidance they need to effectively navigate today’s market climate.”
“I’m excited to begin the next chapter of my career at Gibson Dunn,” said Atma. “The firm’s reputation precedes it, and I am looking forward to working alongside these extremely talented, collaborative colleagues. Gibson Dunn’s deep capital markets and energy platforms are truly market-leading, giving clients invaluable perspectives as they manage both the challenges and opportunities of a dynamic market.”
About Atma Kabad
Atma has a broad corporate and transactional practice. He advises public companies, sponsors, and their portfolio companies in their full range of capital markets transactional and securities law needs. Atma has extensive experience advising companies in registered primary and secondary equity offerings, initial public offerings, high-yield and investment grade debt offerings, liability management transactions and restructurings as well as public and private mergers and acquisitions.
Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Atma served as a partner at an international law firm. He earned his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School in 2013, where he served as an editor for the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law.
Gibson Dunn advised MidOcean Partners on its sale of the managed services provider InterVision Systems, LLC to technology solutions provider NWN Corporation.
Our corporate team was led by partner Andrew Herman and included associates Samantha Bollers and Kristen Lee. Partner Matt Donnelly advised on tax; partner Michael Collins advised on benefits; and partner Joshua Lipton advised on antitrust.
Gibson Dunn announced today that Mark Manson-Bahr has joined the firm’s London office as a partner in its Real Estate Practice Group.
Mark is ranked Band 1 for Real Estate Finance by Chambers UK 2025, which describes him as being “at the forefront of the market,” and as a Leading Partner for London Property Finance in Legal 500 United Kingdom 2025.
Commenting on his arrival, Eric Feuerstein, Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Real Estate Practice Group, said: “Mark is best in class and widely regarded as one of the best real estate debt lawyers in Europe. We’re delighted to have him join us.”
“I am thrilled to join Gibson Dunn’s global real estate platform. Their clients are an integral part of the global real estate landscape. Working with Rob Carr in London, and colleagues throughout Europe and the U.S. is an opportunity I cannot pass up. I can’t wait to get to work for our clients,” said Mark.
Gibson Dunn’s Real Estate Practice Group is widely considered one of the best in the world: it was named a 2024 Real Estate Group of the Year by Law360 and is the Chambers USA 2024 Group of the Year for Real Estate: USA – Nationwide. The London team has worked on some of the most high-profile real estate financings in recent years, including the £1.2 billion financing of 100 Bishopsgate and advising Canary Wharf Group on its £610 million financing of its retail portfolio with clients and funds managed by Apollo.
Gibson Dunn has significantly expanded its transactional practices in London. Real estate partner Hayden Cameron joined the office in recent weeks, and other recent joiners include M&A partner Will McDonald, private equity partner Will Summers, and finance partners Kavita Davis and David Irvine.
About Mark Manson-Bahr
Mark is a real estate finance specialist who represents lenders and sponsors for investment in, and the development of, commercial real estate. He works across the capital stack, in all commercial real estate sectors, including data centres, office, PRS, hotels, cold storage, the care sector and student accommodation. Mark also has extensive experience in real estate restructuring across Europe, working with both consensual and court-based approaches. He joins Gibson Dunn from a leading U.K. firm where he spent his entire career, and where he was Global Head of Real Estate Finance.
Gibson Dunn is representing Phoenix Global in its $325 million sale to SunCoke Energy, Inc., a supplier of high-quality metallurgical coke and logistics services.
Our team is led by partner Quinton C. Farrar and includes of counsel Haresh Prasad and associates Leonardo Labriola, Colette McNeela, and Kyle Ezring.
Gibson Dunn is advising ATL Partners and its portfolio company LightRidge Solutions on the sale of LightRidge’s subsidiary Geost, LLC to Rocket Lab USA, Inc., a leading space systems and launch services provider.
Our corporate team is led by partners Alexander Fine and James Springer and includes associates Paul Lee and Anne Lonowski. Partner Matt Donnelly and associate Doug Bresnick are advising on tax, partner Aaron Adams and of counsel Jason Durschlag on financing, partner Joshua Lipton and associate Alexander Merritt on antitrust aspects, partner Michael Collins on benefits, partner Meghan Hungate on IP, partner Lindsay Paulin on government contracts, and of counsel William Wortmann on capital markets.
Gibson Dunn advised Al Rajhi Capital Company in its capacity as sole financial advisor, lead manager, bookrunner, and underwriter on the initial public offering (IPO) and listing of United Carton Industries Company (UCIC) on the Main Market of the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul). The IPO consisted of the offer and sale of 12 million shares, representing 30% of the total issued share capital of UCIC.
The IPO, which had attracted approximately $20.21 billion (SAR 75.8 billion) in orders in the institutional tranche, was 126 times oversubscribed and raised gross proceeds of approximately $160 million (SAR 600 million).
UCIC is the leading corrugated carton and paper packaging company in Saudi Arabia, with additional product offerings in the folding carton, pulp, and containerboard segments. UCIC leads a corporate group comprising five companies with eight manufacturing plants across Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, all active in the various segments of the carton industry.
The Gibson Dunn team was led by partner Ibrahim Soumrany and included associates Gaith Aljundi, Hadeel Tayeb, and Sara Almahayni.
Gibson Dunn is pleased to announce that Andrew W. Cheng has rejoined the firm’s Los Angeles office as a partner in the Business Restructuring and Reorganization Practice Group and the Liability Management and Special Situations Practice Group.
“We are excited to welcome Andrew back to our team,” said Scott J. Greenberg, Global Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Business Restructuring and Reorganization Practice Group. “With restructurings and distressed financings on the rise, our market-leading platform is experiencing incredible client demand globally. Andrew is a versatile finance lawyer with extensive experience leading financing transactions in the rescue and distressed space. He will be instrumental in deepening our bench and helping clients navigate the increasingly dynamic credit environment.”
“I’m thrilled to come home to Gibson Dunn,” said Andrew. “I’ve been impressed watching the Gibson Dunn team transform the restructuring practice into a global powerhouse. I look forward to working alongside this incredible, collaborative team as it continues to lead clients through complex restructurings and provide innovative, market-moving financing solutions.”
Steven Domanowski, Chair of the firm’s Liability Management and Special Situations Practice Group, added, “Andrew will serve as an invaluable resource for our clients in a highly active distressed finance environment. He intimately understands the needs our clients are facing and how to craft resolutions to complex problems.”
The firm’s Business Restructuring and Reorganization Practice Group has expanded its global offering over the past few years, with Andrew being the most recent addition to the team. In March, senior restructuring partners Chris Howard and Presley Warner joined in London. The group’s additions also include partners Lisa Stevens (London), AnnElyse Scarlett Gains (Washington, D.C.), Caith Kushner (New York), and Ryan Kim (New York), as well as the promotions of Stephen D. Silverman (New York) and Melissa L. Barshop (Century City) to partner.
The Gibson Dunn Business Restructuring and Reorganization Practice Group advises on the largest and most complex restructurings globally, dominating the market in the U.S. and Europe. It was named Lead Counsel in Debtwire’s Restructuring Advisory Mandates Report for North America in both 2023 and 2024. Within the practice, the Liability Management and Special Situations team has emerged as a pioneer in liability management focused on devising and executing tailored solutions for ad hoc groups of debt holders and other debt investors.
About Andrew Cheng
Andrew’s practice focuses on distressed-related financings, including rescue and DIP financings, representing lenders in liability management transactions, restructuring of syndicated secured credit facilities, and sponsor-side acquisition financings.
Prior to rejoining Gibson Dunn, Andrew served as a partner at another international law firm. Previously, he was a partner at Gibson Dunn. He earned his law degree from Harvard Law School in 2000.
Gibson Dunn is advising Publicis Groupe on its acquisition of end-to-end influencer marketing platform Captiv8. Our corporate team is led by partner Quinton Farrar and includes associates Sanzana Faroque and Kira Dennis.
Gibson Dunn advised GCL, a global leader in live events and luxury goods specialty logistics, and ATL Partners on GCL’s sale to Providence Equity Partners. Providence is a premier private equity firm with significant experience investing in and supporting the growth of companies in the entertainment and media sectors.
Providence will become the majority shareholder of GCL, while ATL Partners, the current majority owner, will retain a minority equity stake in GCL.
Led by partner Alexander Fine, our corporate team included partner Maxwell Ball and associates Jonathan Abrams and Kristen Lee. Partner Aaron Adams and of counsel Jason Durschlag advised on financing; partner Matt Donnelly and associate Eva Gao on tax; partner Michael Collins on benefits; partner Meghan Hungate on IP; partners Joshua Lipton and Attila Borsos and associates Alexander Merritt and Stuart Houston on antitrust aspects; partner Christopher Timura on trade; and partner Michael Murphy on environmental aspects.
Gibson Dunn represented AT&T in its $5.75 billion acquisition of substantially all of Lumen’s Mass Markets fiber business, which today totals about 1 million fiber customers and reaches more than 4 million fiber locations across 11 U.S. states.
Led by partner Robert Little, the Gibson Dunn corporate team included partner Joe Orien and associates William Altabef, Joshua Paul Barringer, Marie Baldwin, and Riley Gesling. Partner Pamela Lawrence Endreny and associates Duncan Hamilton and Eva Gao advised on tax; partner Krista Hanvey and associate Ashley Romanias on benefits; partner Daniel Angel and associates Jacqueline Malzone and Yaz Kaveh on IP; partner Cassandra Gaedt-Sheckter and associates Jennifer Grecco and Ruby Lang on data privacy; and partner Michael Murphy on environmental aspects.
Gibson Dunn represented the underwriters in United Parcel Service’s (UPS) $4 billion offering of senior notes, comprising: $500 million 4.650% senior notes due 2030; $1.25 billion 5.250% senior notes due 2035; $1.25 billion 5.950% senior notes due 2055; and $1 billion 6.050% Senior Notes due 2065. Barclays Capital, Citigroup Global Markets, Goldman Sachs, SG Americas Securities, and Wells Fargo Securities acted as joint book-running managers for the offering.
Gibson Dunn also advised the underwriters on UPS’s $170,673,000 offering of floating rate senior notes due 2075. Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan Securities, Morgan Stanley, RBC Capital Markets, and UBS Securities acted as joint book-running managers for the offering.
Our team was led by partners Andrew Fabens and Robert Giannattasio and included associates Nneka Chukwumah, Kevin Mills, and Mackenzie Alpert. Partner Jennifer Sabin advised on tax.
A team of Gibson Dunn litigators notched an important win in the first-ever case against an artificial intelligence developer by a plaintiff claiming that he had been defamed by “hallucinated,” or factually inaccurate, generative AI output.
In Walters v. OpenAI, the plaintiff, Mark Walters, a prominent Second Amendment-rights advocate, radio host, and commentator, sued our client OpenAI in state court in Gwinnett County, Georgia, alleging he was defamed when ChatGPT incorrectly said that Walters had been sued over allegations of embezzlement.
While the case was the first of its kind and involved a new, complex technology, Gibson Dunn successfully grounded the dispute in basic principles of tort and defamation law. Our team demonstrated that the plaintiff objectively could not establish “defamatory meaning” because OpenAI meticulously warns users of the risks of hallucination and because the context of the particular user’s interaction with ChatGPT was rife with red flags to any reasonable user that the tool was not providing factual information. Our team also showed that the plaintiff could not prove any level of fault, as Georgia law and the U.S. Constitution require for defamation claims: not “actual malice” because he had no evidence that OpenAI knew or recklessly disregarded the risk the user would receive false output, and not even negligence because OpenAI leads the industry in efforts to reduce the risks of hallucinations and goes to great effort to warn users that hallucinations can occur anyway. Finally, we successfully demonstrated that under the facts and under Georgia and federal constitutional law the plaintiff could not recover any damages. On May 19, 2025, Judge Tracie Cason granted summary judgment in favor of OpenAI in full, adopting all our arguments. The decision will help guide future litigation involving similar claims arising from generative AI output.
Our winning team was led by partners Theodore J. Boutrous (who successfully argued the summary judgment motion), Orin Snyder, and Connor S. Sullivan and included associates Zachary C. Freund, Chase Weidner, Doran J. Satanove, and Cate Harding.
Gibson Dunn represented the initial purchasers on a private offering by Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited of $900 million of senior notes.
The initial purchasers were led by BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, and Mizuho Securities USA LLC, who acted as joint book-running managers.
The notes offered consisted of $500 million aggregate principal amount of Fairfax’s 5.750% senior notes due 2035, and $400 million aggregate principal amount of its 6.500% senior notes due 2055.
Our team was led by partner Andrew Fabens and of counsel Rodrigo Surcan and included associates Malakeh Hijazi and Chad Kang. Partner Jennifer Sabin advised on tax.