Judge Carol Whitehurst of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana issued a Report and Recommendation denying Defendants’ motion to dismiss a civil rights lawsuit seeking to hold Louisiana District Attorney’s office liable for the unconstitutional incarceration of innocent third-party witness for more than six months in flagrant disregard of her constitutional rights.
Lafayette, La. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst has recommended denial of the defendants’ motion to dismiss a civil rights action filed by Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, LLC on behalf of Tayjha Alfred against Martin Bofill (“Bo”) Duhé, the District Attorney for the 16th Judicial District of Louisiana, and Assistant District Attorney Alister Charrier. The suit seeks damages and injunctive relief for the constitutional violations Ms. Alfred suffered when the defendants caused her to be incarcerated as a material witness for more than six months despite never charging her with a crime, and for similar constitutional violations against other material witnesses. The suit also seeks to have Louisiana’s material-witness statute declared facially unconstitutional.
In 2019, Ms. Alfred happened to be in the vicinity of an area that later became the scene of a murder and voluntarily told police who she saw in the area before any crime occurred. More than three years passed before Bo Duhé and Alister Charrier decided they wanted Ms. Alfred to testify at the trial for the murder suspect. In the interim, Ms. Alfred had obtained a nursing degree and became a traveling nurse, providing care to the nation’s most vulnerable at the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic. In February 2023, rather than serve Ms. Alfred with a subpoena, they caused Ms. Alfred to be arrested and incarcerated for more than six months as a material witness until she testified at the trial. Ms. Alfred was never charged with committing any crime, nor was she a suspect. During her incarceration, Ms. Alfred was never appointed counsel—as every accused criminal defendant receives upon arrest—nor was she provided with an appearance bond or any meaningful hearing to challenge her incarceration. Ms. Alfred lost her job and her spot in an advanced nursing program while she was incarcerated and suffered severe mental and emotional distress.
Mr. Duhé and Ms. Charrier moved to dismiss Ms. Alfred’s complaint on multiple grounds, including that they are immune from any liability for their actions against Ms. Alfred. Ms. Alfred opposed that motion, and Judge Whitehurst recommended denying it in full. Judge Whitehurst recognized that Mr. Duhé’s and Ms. Charrier’s actions of allowing an innocent third-party witness “to remain in jail for six months without the chance to defend herself and without the most basic rights given even to accused criminals” are not protected by prosecutorial immunity. She also held that they are not entitled to qualified immunity, because Mr. Duhé and Ms. Charrier should have known of the “obvious constitutional problems of incarcerating an innocent witness for an extended period of time without access to counsel, the opportunity for bail or bond, or the opportunity to defend herself.”
Judge Whitehurst also rejected the defendants’ attempts to dismiss Ms. Alfred’s claims against Mr. Duhé in his official capacity as district attorney, finding that Ms. Alfred had alleged that Mr. Duhé’s office had misused the material witness statute 100% of the time it had invoked the statute. And Judge Whitehurst recommended denying dismissal of Ms. Alfred’s claim for negligent infliction of emotional distress, and requests for declaratory and injunctive relief and damages for reputational harm. Mr. Duhé and Ms. Charrier have until September 11, 2024 to file objections to Judge Whitehurst’s Report and Recommendation to the district court.
Katherine Marquart, partner and chair of Gibson Dunn’s pro bono program, stated: “We are grateful to the Court for its ruling, recommending denial of the District Attorney’s motion to dismiss Ms. Alfred’s civil rights lawsuit. As the Court recognized, imprisoning an innocent witness for 6 months to testify at a trial for 30 minutes is an obvious and outrageous constitutional violation. District Attorney Bo Duhé and Assistant District Attorney Alister Charrier put Ms. Alfred in jail and threw away the keys, without providing even the barest procedural processes. This unconscionable conduct cost Ms. Alfred her nursing job and educational opportunities she had earned to advance her career even further. We look forward to holding the Defendants accountable.”
Judge Whitehurst’s order recommending denial of the defendants’ motion to dismiss is available here: Report and Recommendation, Alfred v. Duhé.
The Amended Complaint is available here: Tayjha Alfred v. Martin Bofill (“Bo”) Duhé, in his individual capacity and in his official capacity as the 16th Judicial District Attorney; and Alister Charrier, in her individual capacity.
Hillel International, ADL (the Anti-Defamation League), the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP today announced that the Campus Antisemitism Legal Line (CALL) has received more than 650 requests for assistance from university students across the country who experienced antisemitic harassment, violence or discrimination in the first nine months of the program.
Through CALL, lawyers from leading firms provide free assistance to students reporting antisemitic discrimination and hate by conducting in-depth information-gathering interviews and offering pro bono representation in cases of violations of students’ civil rights under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Since CALL’s launch, nearly 100 attorneys from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and 40 other law firms fielded students’ requests for help. More than 250 individual practitioners also volunteered their time to support Jewish students.
Examples of CALL’s work on behalf of students include:
- Providing legal support to a Jewish student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst who was verbally harassed and physically assaulted because he was supportive of Israel and the hostages taken in the Hamas attack on Oct. 7.
- After Jewish students attending The Ohio State University were assaulted, CALL worked with Jewish partner organizations to file a Title VI complaint.
- As a result of a CALL intake, ADL and the Brandeis Center filed a Title VI complaint alleging the Pomona College administration failed to protect Jewish students as anti-Israel organizations held on-campus protests in violation of college regulations that resulted in physical violence, intimidation, and occupation of campus buildings.
- CALL drafted a letter to Princeton University leadership condemning the use of no-contact orders to silence a Jewish student journalist trying to report on anti-Israel protests. This led Princeton to change its policy so that these no-contact orders could no longer be issued under such circumstances and affirmed that the student would not face consequences for her journalism.
“As antisemitism on campus skyrockets, CALL is making a difference in the lives of Jewish students every day by providing outstanding legal support to fight harassment and bigotry,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director. “CALL empowers students to take action and push back against those who perpetrate and enable hate on their campus.”
So far, CALL has received a wide variety of antisemitic incident reports including physical assaults; in-person and online harassment; exclusion from student organizations and other educational opportunities on campus; harassment, discrimination, and improper political indoctrination from professors in the classroom; protestors who confront and harass Jewish and Israeli students on campus; vandalism and unauthorized removal of hostage and pro-Israel posters on campus; disruptions of regular classroom instruction and events sponsored by Jewish and pro-Israel organizations; and retaliatory bad faith complaints filed against Jewish students through universities’ internal grievance processes.
“We know that addressing the scourge of antisemitism requires a multifaceted approach, and I am proud of the critical role that the Campus Antisemitism Legal Line has played during the past year,” said Adam Lehman, president and CEO of Hillel International. “As a complement to our broader work supporting Jewish life on campus and addressing antisemitism, CALL offers an essential tool for Jewish students to get the help they need from leading legal experts to protect their civil rights.”
Recognizing the mounting concerns about the upcoming school year, the CALL helpline remains ready to assist and support Jewish students who face antisemitic incidents on campus. Students, family members, faculty, or staff members can go to the CALL website or text “CALLhelp” to 51555 to report incidents of antisemitic discrimination, intimidation, harassment, vandalism, or violence that may necessitate legal action.
“The law is a powerful motivator and an essential tool in the effort to combat antisemitism and protect Jewish students from harassment and discrimination on campus,” said Alyza D. Lewin, president of the Brandeis Center. “Through CALL, we have educated students on their legal rights, demanded universities meet their legal obligations, and perhaps most importantly, come together as a community in strength to empower and protect our students. They know that if they have the courage and confidence to wear their Jewish identity proudly, and they come under attack for that, we will have their back.”
During the 2023-2024 academic year, colleges and universities saw more than 1,400 antisemitic incidents on campuses – by far the highest number of antisemitic incidents in a single school year ever on record according to ADL and Hillel International tracking. Following the Oct. 7 attack, a survey by Hillel and ADL found that 73 percent of Jewish college students and 44 percent of non-Jewish students experienced or witnessed antisemitism on their campuses last fall.
“We’re grateful to be part of this important effort to help victims of campus antisemitism. Gibson Dunn is committed to combating antisemitism and all forms of hate and intolerance,” said Barbara Becker, Gibson Dunn Chair and Managing Partner.
CALL’s supporting organizations include Alpha Epsilon Phi, Alpha Epsilon Pi, the American Jewish Committee, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Jewish on Campus, the Jewish Federations of North America, JGO: The Jewish Grad Organization (formerly JGSI), the Israel on Campus Coalition, the Israeli-American Council, Masa, Olami, the OU Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus, Sigma Alpha Mu, Sigma Delta Tau, and Zeta Beta Tau.
A separate legal helpline providing pro bono legal assistance to parents whose children are experiencing antisemitism in California’s K-12 schools is run by the Brandeis Center, ADL, and StandWithUs, along with four leading law firms. Parents and other interested adults in California can report incidents of antisemitic discrimination, intimidation, harassment, vandalism or violence occurring in K-12 schools to the Legal Protection K-12 Helpline.
Gibson Dunn is advising TPG’s The Rise Fund in their significant strategic investment in BillEase, a leading digital consumer finance platform in the Philippines.
More information can be found here.
The Gibson Dunn corporate team from Singapore and Hong Kong was led by partner Scott Jalowayski and included counsel Marcus Tan, and associates Tyler Cohen, Sean Pan, John Cheah, Amanda Ng and Oscar Hwang. Partner Oliver Welch and counsel Ning Ning advised on compliance matters.
Gibson Dunn is pleased to announce that Will Summers has today joined the firm’s London office as a partner in its Private Equity Practice Group. The group will also be joined in London by of counsel, Michael Skouras.
Commenting on the arrivals, Richard Birns, Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Private Equity Practice Group, said: “Will has a reputation for excellence and a solid track record as a trusted advisor to large PE sponsors. We’re thrilled to have both Will and Michael join our global private equity team.” “I am excited to be joining a top-tier practice in one of the world’s most prestigious law firms. Gibson Dunn’s global footprint and strong reputation in private equity were a huge draw to me, together with its ambitious expansion plans in the UK, Europe and beyond. I am looking forward to utilising the firm’s expertise across all major practice areas to deliver the best possible service to the firm’s existing and future private capital clients,” said Will.
Gibson Dunn has expanded its transactional practices in London in recent years, with the arrival of private equity partners Isabel Berger, Alice Brogi, Wim de Vlieger, Robert Dixon, Federico Fruhbeck, and Till Lefranc. In the past year, the London office was also joined by finance partners Kavita Davis and David Irvine.
About Will Summers
Will advises private equity houses and financial sponsors on cross-border acquisitions, divestitures, co-investments, joint ventures, minority and growth capital investments, carve-outs, and corporate restructurings. He is a recommended practitioner in The Legal 500 for London for Private Equity: Transactions – High-Value Deals (£250 million+), where clients commend his “exceptional talent and dedication” and “sharp focus, attention to detail and pragmatism.” He earned his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Law with Another Legal System (Hong Kong) from the University College London.
About Michael Skouras
Michael advises private equity sponsors and other investors on complex cross-border acquisitions, divestitures, co-investments, minority and growth capital investments. He earned his Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the University of Exeter.
Gibson Dunn represented Mondelēz International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDLZ), one of the world’s largest snack companies, on its SEC-registered offering of $500 million aggregate principal amount of 4.750% Notes due 2034. The notes offering closed on August 28, 2024. BBVA Securities Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Mizuho Securities USA LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC acted as joint book-running managers in the notes offering.
The Gibson Dunn corporate team was led by partner Andrew Fabens and included of counsel Rodrigo Surcan and associates Lawrence Lee and Ian Mwiti Mathenge; and partner Lorna Wilson advised on tax aspects.
Gibson Dunn has advised Hahn & Company, a leading South Korea-based private equity firm, on the formation of Hahn & Company IV, its fourth Korea-focused buyout fund.
Hahn & Company IV raised approximately US$3.4 billion in capital commitments, surpassing its target of US$3.2 billion, and is reported to be the largest single-country investment fund ever formed in Asia, excluding China. Capital commitments came from investors globally, with 35% coming from Asia, 30% from North America, and 20% from the Middle East.
The Gibson Dunn team was led by Hong Kong partner Albert Cho and included associates Kathy Wen, Brian Ham, Keira Su, Christina Fong and Rachelle Tong. Tax advice was provided by partner Daniel Zygielbaum (Washington, D.C.), Pamela Endreny (New York), of counsel Loren Lembo (New York), and associates Rebecca Friedman (Los Angeles) and Duncan Hamilton (Dallas). Partner Michael Collins (Washinton, D.C.) advised on ERISA aspects, and partner Darius Mehraban (New York), and associates Aja Sanneh (New York) and Vlad Zinovyev (Abu Dhabi) advised on financing aspects.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is advising Goldman Sachs as financial advisor to Kellanova on Kellanova’s $35.9 billion sale to Mars, Incorporated.
The Gibson Dunn corporate team consists of partner George Sampas and associate Brennan Halloran.
Gibson Dunn is advising Vitol B.V. on its acquisition of Noble Resources Trading Limited, one of Asia’s leading independent energy products and industrial raw materials supply chain managers.
The transaction is subject to customary conditions precedent and is expected to close before the end of 2024.
The Gibson Dunn core team is led by partners Elaine Chao and Saptak Santra and includes Kai Wen Chua, Amanda Ng, Peter Madden, Sean Pan, Jun An Chee and Qingxiang Toh in Singapore, with support from Sébastien Evrard, Brian Schwarzwalder, David Wolber, Katie Cheung and Margaret Li in Hong Kong, and Nicole Lee in Washington, D.C.
Gibson Dunn is pleased to announce that Elizabeth “Liz” Ryan has joined the Dallas office as a partner in the firm’s Litigation and Trials Practice Groups.
“Liz is an outstanding trial lawyer known for her exceptional courtroom skills. She has an earned reputation as a tough, smart, and well-prepared trial lawyer. We are thrilled to welcome her to the Gibson Dunn litigation team,” said Trey Cox, Co-Partner in Charge of Gibson Dunn’s Dallas office and Co-Chair of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. “She has a proven track record of leading significant trials. Liz excels in navigating complex legal matters and providing invaluable counsel during challenging litigation. Her addition will enhance our robust litigation practice in Texas and beyond.”
“It is an incredibly exciting time to join Gibson Dunn. The firm’s growth in Texas is both explosive and impressive,” said Liz. “Even with this growth, Gibson Dunn has maintained a collaborative atmosphere, collegiality, renowned client service, and unparalleled litigation results. Having repeatedly co-counseled with outstanding Gibson Dunn attorneys throughout my practice, I’m now honored to join their ranks. I look forward to expanding my trial practice and appearing before courts and juries with even more frequency.”
Liz’s arrival continues the expansion of Gibson Dunn’s market-leading litigation practice in Texas, which features exceptional litigators who previously joined the firm, including Trey Cox and David Woodcock in Dallas and Gregg Costa, Collin Cox, and Sydney Scott in Houston, as well as recently promoted litigation partners, such as Christine Demana, Brad Hubbard, Ashley Johnson, and Betty Yang in Dallas. The firm’s Texas litigators are regularly recognized in industry rankings, such as Chambers USA, The Legal 500 United States, and Benchmark Litigation US. Last year, The American Lawyer named Gibson Dunn as the Texas Regional Litigation Department of the Year winner, which recognizes “the best litigation department in [the] jurisdiction.”
About Elizabeth “Liz” Ryan
Liz is a first-chair trial lawyer who handles complex, high-stakes disputes involving a wide array of legal issues, including antitrust, breach of contract, business tort, employment, intellectual property, product liability and mass torts. She has extensive courtroom experience and advises clients on how to navigate disputes through federal courts, state courts, and arbitrations.
Liz was previously a partner at both an international law firm and a preeminent trial boutique. She clerked for Judge Eugene E. Siler, Jr. in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She earned her law degree in 2007 from William & Mary Law School, where she was admitted to the Order of the Barristers.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Keith Puckett, a Black resident of the City of El Segundo, against the City of El Segundo for racial profiling and unlawful detention by the El Segundo Police Department (ESPD). The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages and an injunction barring the City from engaging in unconstitutional conduct and requiring the adoption of appropriate policies and training of ESPD officers.
Empirical data collected by El Segundo under the Racial and Identity Profiling Act confirms ESPD is engaged in widespread racial profiling. Most notably, even though fewer than 5 percent of El Segundo’s residents are Black, more than 20 percent of all ESPD stops are of Black people. Recently, a documentary film called “Black in Mayberry” premiered at a local El Segundo museum. The film incudes powerful stories of racism experienced by El Segundo residents, many of which were echoed in the experiences of community members Gibson Dunn interviewed while preparing Mr. Puckett’s complaint.
Mr. Puckett has directly experienced racial profiling by ESPD, having been targeted for his race and unlawfully detained twice in 2021. In one incident, six ESPD officers arrived outside Mr. Puckett’s home in the middle of the night and questioned him after having seen a Black man (a guest of Mr. Puckett) outside Mr. Puckett’s home. Eventually, the officers said it was all a simple misunderstanding with the Department of Motor Vehicles, and then they left.
Less than two months later, when Mr. Puckett drove to a gym to play basketball with his son, an ESPD officer drove past him in the opposite direction. The officer did a U-turn and stopped Mr. Puckett, falsely claiming the light above Mr. Puckett’s rear license plate wasn’t working. When the officer failed to discover any evidence of wrongdoing, he let Mr. Puckett go.
Mr. Puckett reported these incidents to the Chief of Police, City Manager and Deputy City Manager, and has advocated for policy changes to improve the treatment of Black people in El Segundo and reduce the use of blatant profiling tactics. But he continues to meet with resistance and the ESPD practices haven’t stopped. Mr. Puckett himself has been followed by ESPD on multiple occasions, and ESPD officers regularly follow, stop, and use displays of force and numbers to interrogate Black residents – including Black children on their way home from school – for no reason.
Mr. Puckett is an active community member, who has worked as a parent volunteer, PTA member, recreational youth sports coach, basketball coach at his son’s school, volunteer crossing guard, and lunchtime security support member.
“Racism by law enforcement is unlawful, unconstitutional and harmful to everyone who experiences it, even when it doesn’t involve violence,” said Lauren Blas, Gibson Dunn partner and counsel for Mr. Puckett. “Even if it doesn’t make national news, it’s the kind of harassing, demeaning, insidious conduct that Black people and people of color have to contend with every day. We have brought this action to protect Mr. Puckett’s constitutional rights, to hold the City accountable for its unlawful conduct and to compel it to stop racially profiling the residents of the El Segundo community.”
Blas added, “Mr. Puckett cares deeply about racial justice. El Segundo is his home, and he wants to live there without fearing that ESPD will continue to violate his constitutional rights and the rights of other Black community members. This lawsuit is a final effort to hold the City accountable for its unlawful conduct and to compel it to end racial profiling by the ESPD.”
The complaint is available here.
Gibson Dunn is pleased to announce that Ekaterina (Kate) Napalkova has joined the firm’s New York office as a partner in the firm’s Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits Practice Group.
“We are excited to welcome Kate to Gibson Dunn,” said Krista P. Hanvey, Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits Practice Group. “Kate has a reputation for being a trusted counselor to her clients, and with her excellent technical skills, she will add further depth and support for our growing transactional practices.”
“I am thrilled to join the Gibson Dunn team,” said Kate. “The Gibson Dunn platform will serve as an excellent foundation on which to continue building my practice. The firm’s reputation precedes it, and I look forward to collaborating with my talented colleagues and mentoring the team’s future leaders.”
Kate’s arrival continues the growth of Gibson Dunn’s New York office, including the recent additions of leading M&A dealmaker George Sampas, private equity partner Brian Scrivani, special situations partner Caith Kushner, regulatory finance partner Ro Spaziani, and real estate finance partner Michael Weinberger.
About Kate Napalkova
Kate advises public and private companies, private investment funds, boards of directors and management teams on a broad range of compensation and employee benefits matters. Her advice focuses on the compensation and employee benefits aspects of mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, public offerings, spin-offs, and other corporate transactions. She is experienced in the negotiation and implementation of benefit and compensation plans, as well as compensation-related securities and corporate governance matters. Before joining Gibson Dunn, Kate served as a partner at an international law firm. She received her law degree cum laude in 2009 from the Fordham University School of Law, where she also served as the editor-in-chief of the Fordham International Law Journal.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP advised Welltower Inc. and Welltower OP LLC in a private offering of $1.035 billion aggregate principal amount of Welltower OP’s 3.125% Exchangeable Senior Notes due 2029. The notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Welltower Inc. and are exchangeable into shares of common stock of Welltower Inc. under certain circumstances and during certain periods. The offering closed on July 11, 2024. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC acted as representatives of the initial purchasers for the offering.
The Gibson Dunn corporate team was led by partners Andrew Fabens and Stewart McDowell and included associates Lawrence Lee, Sarah Ediger, Ian Mathenge and Lily Paulson Stephens. Partner Brian Kniesly and associate Adam Gregory advised on tax aspects.
Gibson Dunn is pleased to announce that Lore Leitner has joined the firm’s London office as a partner in the Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Innovation Practice Group. She is also a member of the firm’s Artificial Intelligence Practice Group.
Commenting on Lore’s arrival, Joel Harrison, Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Innovation Practice Group, said: “A wave of new legislation is leading to unprecedented demand among our clients for top-tier advice, and Lore’s arrival is an important step in growing our global data privacy, cybersecurity, and AI capability. She brings a wealth of experience in advising on data strategies and adjacent issues across a number of industry sectors, as well as engaging with regulators in the U.K. and the EEA to advance and defend those strategies.”
“I am thrilled to be joining one of the world’s top firms in Gibson Dunn and cannot wait to work alongside a talented team of leading practitioners in the Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Innovation Practice Group,” said Lore. “Laws governing the digital world are only increasing, and I am looking forward to helping a variety of clients navigate that complexity.” Gibson Dunn is the leading law firm in privacy, cybersecurity, and data innovation. It is ranked by Chambers USA as an Elite firm and Band 1 Nationwide in Privacy & Data Security: Litigation. Global Data Review named Gibson Dunn the #1 law firm for Investigations in 2023. The firm has been named Cybersecurity & Privacy Practice Group of the Year by Law360 in three of the past seven years, and BTI Consulting Group recognized the firm as the Best of the Best Firms in Cybersecurity/Data Privacy Litigation. Lore’s hire continues the expansion of the group, with recent arrivals including Alison Beal and Joel Harrison (London), Robert Spano (London and Paris), Vivek Mohan (Palo Alto), and Stephenie Gosnell Handler and Jane Horvath (Washington, D.C.).
About Lore Leitner
Lore’s practice covers data privacy, technology, AI, and cybersecurity clients, and focuses on strategic counseling and advice, corporate support, incident preparedness and response, and regulatory engagement and investigations. She supports clients with the design and implementation of strategic global data privacy compliance programs, including those driven by GDPR, and she has advised companies in the context of business strategies that involve large-scale data use, regulatory investigations and engagement strategies, and mitigation of cyber intrusions or data breaches. She has substantial expertise in M&A and capital markets transactions, as well as advising on privacy litigation matters.
Lore was recognized in Global Data Review’s 40 Under 40 and Women in Data listings in 2021 and 2022, and Lawdragon recently identified her as one of the 100 Leading AI & Legal Tech Advisors and 500 Leading Global Cyber Lawyers. She is a Recommended Lawyer in the Legal 500 UK 2024 for Data Protection, Privacy and Cybersecurity, where clients highlight her “no nonsense, commercial approach” and “deep understanding of data protection compliance and industry expertise.” Lore earned a Master of Law magna cum laude from the University of Antwerp in 2008 and a postgraduate LLM from King’s College London in 2009.
About Gibson Dunn’s Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Innovation Practice Group
The Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Innovation Practice Group brings together a global team of former in-house executives and technologists, former regulators, prosecutors, and government leaders, as well as cross-disciplinary experts from our regulatory investigations, litigation and appellate, corporate, crisis management, and compliance practices. The practice stands out for the remarkable breadth of high-stakes matters handled, its successes for clients in cross-border regulatory and multijurisdictional matters, and deep technical knowledge of data-driven business models.
Gibson Dunn is pleased to announce that Krystyna Blakeslee has joined the firm’s New York office as a partner in the Real Estate Practice Group.
“Krystyna is a brilliant lawyer who has built a formidable lender-side practice representing top-tier financial institutions,” said Eric Feuerstein, Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Real Estate Practice Group. “She is a generational talent, and her addition to our best-in-class team will enable us to provide even more strength and experience to our leading real estate clients.”
“I have seen Gibson Dunn’s impressive real estate lawyers in action and I am looking forward to working with and building alongside the extraordinary talent here to scale the success of the Real Estate group,” said Krystyna.
Krystyna’s arrival continues the firm’s strategic transactional growth in New York, adding to recent hires including special situations partner Caith Kushner, M&A partner George Sampas, private equity partner Brian Scrivani, financial services regulatory partner Ro Spaziani, and real estate finance partner Michael Weinberger. The Real Estate Practice Group was recently named the 2024 Chambers USA Real Estate Law Firm of the Year, as well as Vault’s 2025 Best Law Firm for Real Estate Law.
About Krystyna Blakeslee
Krystyna is a commercial real estate finance lawyer, with a focus on lender-side representation in every phase of the life cycle of loans secured directly or indirectly by all types of commercial real estate. She has substantial experience in loan origination, loan purchases, loan dispositions (whether through syndication, sales, or securitization), financing/leverage transactions, post-closing loan modifications and loan workouts.
She represents all types of commercial real estate lenders, including commercial banks, life
insurance companies, CMBS lenders, specialty finance companies, debt funds, mortgage REITs and hedge funds. She has substantial experience in wide variety of asset classes, including data centers, office and retail properties, hotels, and assisted living/nursing care and condominium properties. Before joining Gibson Dunn, Krystyna was a partner at a New York law firm. She graduated with high honors in 2009 from the University of Connecticut School of Law, where she served as the Managing Editor of Connecticut Law Review. Krystyna was previously a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps and served in Iraq.
Gibson Dunn advised leading global investment firm KKR on the agreement to launch, together with IGNIS, a new Power-to-X platform (IGNIS P2X) to develop green hydrogen and ammonia projects for industrial applications in hard-to-abate sectors.
KKR and IGNIS, a leading integrated global renewable group based in Spain, will each own 50% of IGNIS P2X when launched, which will start with a global pipeline of P2X and renewable projects.
As part of this joint venture agreement, KKR will provide up to €400 million to develop and build future projects. This investment is only the third for KKR’s global climate strategy launched in late 2023.
The Gibson Dunn corporate team was led by partners Federico Fruhbeck and Alice Brogi and included associates Gisele Zouein and Romain Tourenne.
Gibson Dunn represented Mondelēz International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDLZ), one of the world’s largest snack companies, in its CAD-denominated, SEC-registered offering of C$650,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 4.625% Notes due 2031. The CAD notes offering closed on July 3, 2024. CIBC World Markets Inc., Merrill Lynch Canada Inc., RBC Dominion Securities Inc. and TD Securities Inc. acted as joint book-running managers in the notes offering.
The Gibson Dunn corporate team was led by partner Andrew Fabens and included of counsel Rodrigo Surcan and associates Lawrence Lee and Lily Paulson Stephens; and partner Jennifer Sabin advised on tax aspects.
Gibson Dunn advised SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. on a private offering of $300 million aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 2.250% convertible senior notes due 2029 and the concurrent capped call transactions.
The Gibson Dunn corporate team was led by partners John Gaffney and Eric Scarazzo and included associates Lawrence Lee and Andrew Watson. Partner Jennifer Sabin advised on tax aspects; and partner Darius Mehraban and of counsel Adam Lapidus advised on derivatives aspects.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is advising the underwriters on LandBridge Company LLC’s initial public offering.
The Gibson Dunn corporate team is led by partners Hillary Holmes and Harrison Tucker and includes of counsel Robbie Hopkins and associates Malakeh Hijazi and Matthew Goldstein. Partner Brian Kniesly is advising on tax aspects. Partner Kimberly Schlanger and of counsel Sara Brazao Ferreira are advising on real estate aspects. Of counsel Adam Whitehouse is advising on oil and gas aspects.
Gibson Dunn represented the initial purchasers led by BofA Securities, Inc., BMO Capital Markets Corp., Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as joint book-running managers in a private offering by Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (the “Company”) of $750 million senior notes. The notes offered consisted of (i) $600 million aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 6.100% Senior Notes due 2055 and (ii) an additional $150 million aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 6.000% Senior Notes due 2033 (the “2033 Notes”). The 2033 Notes constitute a further issuance of the same series of the Company’s previously issued and outstanding $600 million 6.000% Senior Notes due 2033, issued on December 7, 2023 and January 12, 2024. Fairfax is a holding company which, through its subsidiaries, is primarily engaged in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance and the associated investment management. Fairfax intends to use the net proceeds of this offering to redeem all of the outstanding $500 million Senior Notes due 2025 of Allied World Assurance Company Holdings I, Ltd, its subsidiary and will use any remaining amount for general corporate purposes. The offering closed on June 24, 2024.
The Gibson Dunn team was led by partner Andrew Fabens and includes of counsel Rodrigo Surcan and associates Nneka Chukwumah and Ian Mathenge. Partners Lorna Wilson and Jennifer Sabin provided assistance on tax matters.
Gibson Dunn is pleased to announce the appointment of George J. Sampas as Co-Chair of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group and Head of Cross-Border M&A. He will lead the global M&A practice with fellow Co-Chairs Robert Little in the Dallas office and Saee Muzumdar in the New York office.
“George is a preeminent M&A lawyer, and his extensive experience in cross-border deals is invaluable in an increasingly global world,” said Barbara Becker, Chair and Managing Partner of Gibson Dunn. “As a trusted advisor for boardrooms across the globe, George brings a unique perspective and ability to advise our clients through a diverse range of deal structures and cycles. His addition to our leadership is a reflection of the firm’s commitment to growing our M&A platform across the globe.”
“I am thrilled to work with my Co-Chairs and colleagues at the firm to scale our exceptional M&A practice. Gibson Dunn’s global presence and the caliber of talent across the firm enable us to provide a tailored approach in our client offerings,” said George. George focuses on cross-border transactions, unsolicited U.S. and non-U.S. acquisitions and private equity transactions. He is consistently recognized as a leading adviser to companies on their most high-profile and strategically significant matters. His work spans a broad range of industries, including energy, aviation, food and beverage, and technology.
About the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group
Gibson Dunn’s M&A Practice Group is an international leader in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, spin-offs, proxy contests and joint ventures. The firm’s M&A capabilities are worldwide, as its combination of lawyers throughout the network of 21 offices in all major financial centers allows it to handle the most complex cross-border deals effectively and efficiently.
Industry rankings regularly recognize Gibson Dunn as one of the world’s top M&A firms. Chambers USA, which consistently lists Gibson Dunn as among “The Elite” nationwide for corporate/M&A, has noted that the firm “is frequently enlisted on some of the most significant transactions in the market.” The firm’s M&A clients include public and private companies, ranging from Fortune 100 and multinational corporations to smaller companies, private equity firms, boards of directors and special committees, selling shareholders, management teams, and financial advisors. Clients also regularly enlist Gibson Dunn to provide advice regarding takeover preparedness and the implementation of defensive measures. The firm’s Hostile M&A and Shareholder Activism practices are some of the most well-respected in the world.