Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that partner Daniel Abercromby today joins the firm’s Hong Kong office as a member of its Global Finance Practice Group.
Commenting on the arrival, Doug Horowitz, Co-Chair of the Global Finance Practice Group, said: “Our group is expanding to meet the needs of clients internationally. Dan is a great addition to our Global Finance team and will work closely with colleagues world-wide. He brings a wealth of experience across a range of private capital financings in Asia—from private equity and digital infrastructure to private credit and special situations financings—serving as an important compliment to Jamie Thomas and his team in Singapore and David Irvine and the rest of our team in Europe and the Middle East.”
“It is exciting to be joining such a strong and growing platform at a time when we are seeing a marked increase in private capital financings across Asia. Being able to operate seamlessly with market leading finance teams in Europe and the United States gives us a real advantage, as investors take an increasingly global approach to financing Asia assets,” said Daniel.
The hire follows a period of targeted expansion in Gibson Dunn’s Global Finance Practice Group, with recent arrivals including partners David Irvine and Kavita Davis in London. Irvine recently joined with years of experience in both Hong Kong and London, creating an even stronger bridge for clients engaging in English law-based financing transactions across Europe and Asia. Davis, who joined in September last year, focuses on cross-border debt finance matters and has significant experience in advising on leveraged buyouts representing sponsors, including sponsors focusing on infrastructure transactions.
About Daniel Abercromby
Daniel advises on a wide variety of financings across India, Southeast Asia, Greater China, Korea and Japan, and he has extensive experience in leveraged and acquisition financings, direct lending transactions, and special situations investments, including their refinancing and restructuring. His clients include private equity funds and their portfolio companies, as well as credit and other special situations funds.
Daniel is ranked as a leading lawyer for China Banking & Finance: Leveraged & Acquisition Finance in the Chambers Greater China Region 2024 guide, which notes that “he’s pragmatic and has his finger on the pulse of the market.” He is also listed as a notable practitioner for Leveraged Finance in Hong Kong in IFLR1000 and has been named a recommended lawyer for Banking & Finance in Hong Kong in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024 guide, which described him as a “seasoned lawyer applauded for the breadth of his high-profile financing experience.”
He earned his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (LLB Hons) from The University of Auckland, New Zealand. Daniel is admitted to practice in England & Wales and New Zealand.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP advised Related Argent on its joint venture with NTT UD Europe Limited, a subsidiary of leading Japanese telecommunications group Nippon Telegraph and Telephone, to take forward the third Build-to-Rent development at Brent Cross Town.
The development will comprise 226 rental homes across three blocks in a prime location between Claremont Park and the new high street to form part of the £8 billion mixed-use park town. This third development will bring the rental portfolio at Brent Cross Town to around 760 homes, all managed by Related Argent.
The Gibson Dunn team was led by partner Patrick Hennessy and included partner Jeremy Kenley and associates Ciarán Deeny and Emily Mattley (Corporate and Real Estate).
The team was supported by partner Sandy Bhogal and associates Sophie Walshe and James Chandler (Tax), as well as partner Attila Borsos and associate Alana Tinkler (Antitrust and Competition).
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.
Lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana in response to Louisiana District Attorney’s Office’s unconstitutional incarceration of innocent witness for more than six months in flagrant disregard of her constitutional rights.
Lafayette, La. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, LLC announce the filing of a civil rights action 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 to seek damages and injunctive relief for the severe pain and suffering she has endured, as well as to ensure that Duhé and Charrier do not continue abusing the criminal justice system to imprison other innocent people like Ms. Alfred in the future.
For more than six months in 2023, Ms. Alfred languished in the Iberia Parish Jail in the State of Louisiana. Ms. Alfred had not been charged with committing any crime, nor was she a suspect. Instead, Ms. Alfred’s only connection to the crime that would keep her jailed for six months was that she happened to be in the vicinity of the area that later became the scene of a murder. Ms. Alfred cooperated with the investigation of the crime—in fact, she voluntarily spoke to police multiple times. She had not witnessed the crime, but she was willing to testify at trial, if needed. The prosecutors knew where to find her: she was working out of state as a traveling nurse during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
But instead of just subpoenaing Ms. Alfred as a witness, the Defendants in this lawsuit jailed her under Louisiana’s material-witness statute, which permits a witness in a criminal case to be jailed if her testimony is “essential to the prosecution or the defense” and when the prosecution shows “that it may become impracticable to secure the presence of the person by subpoena.” La. Rev. Stat. § 15:257.
Once Ms. Alfred was incarcerated, she was never appointed counsel, as every accused criminal defendant receives upon arrest, nor was she provided with an appearance bond, as the statute requires.
The United States and Louisiana Constitutions and basic principles of human decency mandate that an innocent person should not be incarcerated unless it is necessary to secure her appearance at trial, and never for an indefinite or prolonged period of time without bond or appointed counsel. Duhé and Charrier violated that mandate when they put Ms. Alfred, a witness who was willing to testify voluntarily, in jail for more than six months unnecessarily. Unfortunately, Ms. Alfred’s story is not unique—what happened to her represents one instance from a significant pattern and practice in Mr. Duhé’s office of unconstitutionally incarcerating material witnesses in violation of their constitutional rights.
Katherine Marquart, partner and chair of Gibson Dunn’s pro bono program, stated: “Gibson Dunn is committed to standing up for equal justice under the law, and today we stand beside Tayjha Alfred in demanding accountability for the constitutional violations she suffered at the hands of the prosecutors who capriciously and cruelly stole six months of her life. Ms. Alfred is a bright, determined, and kind woman who had her liberty ripped away from her after simply being near the scene of a crime before a crime occurred. Never a suspect and always cooperative, she nevertheless endured what can only be described as a dystopian nightmare of unnecessary, unconstitutional, and life altering incarceration. As a result, she lost her job and the opportunity to continue to advance her nursing career, support her family, and build her own life. We are proud to represent Ms. Alfred, and to work to help ensure that nothing like this happens to anyone else.”
Chloé Chetta of Barrasso Usdin also said: “It is an honor to represent Tayjha Alfred. She is a kind and compelling young woman who was working to improve her education and career while providing for her family when she was wrongly incarcerated. I’m proud of Tayjha for standing up for herself and others who get swept into our criminal justice system without the knowledge or resources to fight unfairness. As someone born and raised in Louisiana, and forever committed to showing others what a great place Louisiana is to live, work, and play, it hurts to know that folks like Tayjha often suffer unfairness and mistreatment at the hands of public officials. I look forward to working with the Gibson Dunn team to right these wrongs and am grateful for their partnership on this case.”
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.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP advised I Squared Capital, a leading independent global infrastructure investment manager, on the spin-off of the Canadian business of its European truck and trailer leasing company, TIP Group, to its US-based trailer lessor Transportation Equipment Network, formerly known as Star Leasing.
The Gibson Dunn corporate team was led by partner Marwan Azzi and included of counsel Robert Banerjea and associate Nicole Tedesco. Partners Kathryn Kelly and Sandy Bhogal advised on tax aspects.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP has appointed Mark Leverkus as Of Counsel in its Global Finance and Transportation and Space Practice Groups in London.
Mark is recognised by The Legal 500 Rankings in Finance: Transport Finance and Leasing, and has been named a “Rising Star” by Airfinance Journal. He was previously a senior associate in the transportation and space group of Milbank, and he has also been seconded to the legal department of a major UK bank, and to a regional aircraft lessor in Dublin.
Madalyn Miller, Co-chair of the Transportation and Space Group and Partner in the Global Finance Group at Gibson Dunn, said: “Mark’s experience on some of the largest and most complex aviation and space matters make him a great addition to the team and we’re pleased to welcome him to the firm. We are continuing to expand our Global Finance and Transportation and Space Groups and the London office is particularly important as we grow.”
Mark’s hire follows a period of growth for the firm’s Global Finance Practice Group, with other recent arrivals including partners David Irvine, 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 Mark Leverkus
Mark is an Of Counsel in the London office of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, and is a member of the firm’s Transportation and Space and Global Finance practice groups. His deals have won numerous awards from transport industry publications and ratings services, and include acting for financiers, arrangers, equity investors, leasing companies, export credit agencies and operators on a range of sophisticated financing, leasing and sale and purchase transactions, involving aircraft, satellites and other moveable equipment. He also has extensive experience in the trading and repackaging of such transactions, as well as in restructurings, disputes, work-outs and repossessions.
About the Gibson Dunn Transportation and Space Practice Group
The Transportation and Space Practice Group serves some of the largest aerospace, defence and satellite companies in the world as well as cutting-edge emerging technology businesses, and the private equity and financial institutions that support and enable their growth. Our aerospace and related technologies lawyers have a wide cross-section market knowledge and offer a strong and longstanding track record serving the traditional aerospace industry and supporting clients in various new and emerging technologies and markets.
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 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 represented ESAB Corporation on a private placement offering of $700 million in aggregate principal amount of their 6.25% notes due 2029. The transaction closed on April 9, 2024.
The Gibson Dunn team included Andrew Fabens, Rodrigo Surcan, and Tom Caruso. Darius Mehraban provided assistance on finance matters, and Loren Lembo provided assistance on tax matters.
Gibson Dunn advised Ardian, a world-leading private investment house, in its partnership with Indigo Group, a global player in parking and urban mobility, to form a new Canadian joint venture to invest in parking assets.
The Gibson Dunn team consisted of Tomer Pinkusiewicz, Brennan Halloran and Ignacio Concha. Michael Cannon and Josiah Bethards advised on tax aspects; and Shukie Grossman advised on fund aspects.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP has advised ArcelorMittal on its €955 million acquisition of an approximately 28.4% stake in Vallourec, a manufacturer of premium tubular steel products.
The acquisition of approximately 65.2 million common equity shares from funds managed by Apollo Global Management Inc. will increase ArcelorMittal’s exposure to the downstream, value-added tubular market. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of this year, subject to regulatory approvals.
The Gibson Dunn team advising ArcelorMittal comprised partners Anna Howell (London) and Patrick Ledoux (Paris), and included partners Bertrand Delaunay and Benoit Fleury, of counsel Clarisse Bouchetemble, and associates Josephine Rolland and Agathe Joyce (corporate, Paris); partner Attila Borsos (antitrust, Brussels), and associates Claire Shepherd and Elsie Stone (antitrust, London); and partner Stephenie Gosnell Handler and associate Chris Mullen (international trade, Washington, D.C.).
Gibson Dunn represented Mondelēz International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDLZ), one of the world’s largest snack companies, in its SEC-registered offering of $550 million aggregate principal amount of 4.750% Notes due 2029. The notes offering closed on February 20, 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 Lily Paulson Stephens. Partner Jennifer Sabin advised on tax aspects.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that Benjamin Rapp will join the firm in Germany as a tax partner.
Commenting on the hire, Sandy Bhogal, Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Tax Practice Group, said: “Benjamin is a rising tax star in Germany and a go-to advisor for private equity and multinational clients. With his technical excellence, he will be a natural fit for our busy European tax practice.”
Dirk Oberbracht, Partner in Charge of the Frankfurt office, commented: “We are excited to welcome Benjamin—who is an excellent addition to our growing transactional and private equity practice in Germany—to Gibson Dunn.”
Benno Schwarz, Partner in Charge of the Munich office, added: “We look forward to working with Benjamin and to offering our clients the benefit of his extensive experience.”
Gibson Dunn has over 55 lawyers across its offices in Munich and Frankfurt. In the past two years, the firm has promoted lawyers Kai Gesing (Antitrust and Competition), Katharina Humphrey (White Collar Defense), Sonja Ruttmann (M&A) and Jan Schubert (M&A) to its partnership, and hired lateral partner Lars Petersen (Public Law and Regulatory) and of counsel Peter Gumnior (Labor and Employment).
Benjamin will join Gibson Dunn in the next few months, although his precise commencement date is to be confirmed.
About Benjamin Rapp
Benjamin is a certified tax advisor, practicing domestic and international tax law, with a focus on private equity and M&A. He also advises on restructurings in distressed situations, corporate reorganizations, and the structuring, implementation, and maintenance of complex management incentive schemes for financial investors. He is a recommended lawyer for Tax in Germany in The Legal 500 EMEA 2023 and The Legal 500 Deutschland 2023.
He obtained a business degree from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in 2008 and a BA in Business & Management from the University of Hull in 2006.
About Gibson Dunn’s Tax Practice Group
The Gibson Dunn Tax Practice Group advises large multinational corporations, publicly traded and private companies, sovereign wealth funds, investment funds, partnerships, joint ventures and start-ups on their most complex matters. The group advises clients in connection with a broad range of business transactions and investments, including mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations and dispositions, insolvency restructurings, business combinations, capital markets offerings, and investment fund formations.
Gibson Dunn recently advised Gran Tierra Energy Inc. in the issuance of an additional $100,000,000 of its 9.500% Senior Secured Amortizing Notes due 2029. This offering is in addition to Gran Tierra Energy Inc.’s previous offering on October 20, 2023 of $487.6 million aggregate principal amount of notes in the same series.
Gran Tierra Energy Inc. (GTE: NYSE, TSX) is an independent international energy company currently focused on international oil and natural gas exploration and production with assets currently in Colombia and Ecuador.
The transaction involved multiple Gibson Dunn offices across the United States, and complex cross-border considerations including international securities, finance, and tax issues.
The Gibson Dunn team included Houston partner Hillary H. Holmes, New York of counsel Rodrigo Surcan, Houston of counsel Justine Robinson, and Houston associates Malakeh Hijazi and Matthew Goldstein. Houston partner Shalla Prichard advised on financing. New York partner Pamela Lawrence Endreny and associate Kate Long advised on tax aspects. London partners Chris Haynes, Hugo Hernández-Mancha, and Kavita Davis, and associate Martin Coombes advised on UK law matters. Singapore associate Alexandra Jones advised on Singapore law matters.
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 advised UCK Partners, a Seoul-headquartered private equity firm, on the formation of its third Korea-focused fund, UCK Partners III, at KRW1.1 trillion in commitments.
Our investment funds team was led by Hong Kong partner Albert Cho and included Registered Foreign Lawyers (NY) Brian Ham and Keira Su, and associates Christina Fong and Kathy Wen.
New York partner Evan Gusler, London partner Sandy Bhogal, New York of counsel Loren Lembo, and Los Angeles associate Rebecca Friedman, Washington, D.C. associates Alissa Fromkin Freltz and Laura Pond, and London associates James Chandler and Isabella Fladée advised on tax aspects.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that Katlin McKelvie has joined the firm as a partner in the Washington, D.C. office, where she will practice in the firm’s FDA and Health Care Practice Group. Katlin was previously Deputy General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and served in senior roles at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and on the U.S. Senate HELP Committee.
“We are excited to welcome Katlin to the firm,” said Gustav Eyler, Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn’s FDA and Health Care Practice Group. “With her significant government experience handling matters across FDA-regulated product categories – including food, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics – Katlin is an excellent addition to Gibson Dunn’s leading regulatory, litigation, and policy team. Her versatility to handle issues across the FDA-regulated spectrum will be an exceptional complement to our capabilities and an invaluable asset to our clients.”
“Through her prior senior posts at HHS, FDA, and the Senate, Katlin has seen the FDA and regulated-product issues from all angles,” said Greta Williams, Co-Partner in Charge of Gibson Dunn’s Washington, D.C. office. “Her background and unique experiences, including related to the life sciences, health care, and technology spaces, will help our clients navigate the complex landscape of laws, regulations, and policies affecting those industries.”
“I am thrilled to be part of the talented team at Gibson Dunn,” said Katlin. “The firm’s dedication to providing world-class client service, along with a commitment to staying at the cutting edge of regulatory and policy developments, offers an opportunity to help clients across FDA-regulated sectors.”
Gibson Dunn has award-winning practices dedicated to helping life sciences, health care, and consumer product companies. 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. Those former officials include several who recently joined the firm, including 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 Katlin McKelvie
Katlin has extensive experience spanning all FDA product categories, with a particular focus on drug regulatory matters. At Gibson Dunn, Katlin will provide regulatory advice to companies engaged in manufacturing, distributing, marketing and selling FDA-regulated products. She will also advise FDA-regulated companies on issues related to enforcement, compliance, and litigation, corporate transactions, as well as legislative policymaking and agency regulatory strategy.
Before joining the firm, Katlin served as Deputy General Counsel at the Department of Health and Human Services. Prior, she served as Deputy Health Policy Director and Senior FDA Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions for Chair Patty Murray. During her career, she also served as Associate Chief Counsel for Drugs in FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel and as Regulatory Counsel in the Office of Prescription Drug Promotion in FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
Katlin graduated cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2001, where she served as Executive Editor of The Georgetown Law Journal. She clerked for Judge Douglas P. Woodlock in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that Jocelyn Williams has joined its Litigation, Global Financial Regulatory, and White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Groups as an of counsel in the Hong Kong office.
“We are excited to welcome Jocelyn to Gibson Dunn,” said Sébastien Evrard, Partner in Charge of Gibson Dunn’s Hong Kong office. “She is an accomplished practitioner, and the breadth and depth of her experience will further bolster our formidable disputes and regulatory offering in Asia.”
Brian Gilchrist, partner and member of the firm’s Litigation and White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Groups, added: “Her experience in managing the litigation and regulatory enforcement docket at one of the world’s largest financial institutions makes her skillset particularly valuable in navigating the market. She is an excellent addition to the firm.”
Jocelyn’s hire follows two internal promotions within the Hong Kong office’s Global Financial Regulatory, and White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Groups. As of 1 January, Emily Rumble (Global Financial Regulatory) and Ning Ning (White Collar Defense and Investigations) are the office’s newest of counsel. The hire of Jocelyn, and promotions of Emily and Ning, reinforces Gibson Dunn’s market-leading regional disputes and regulatory teams, with over 30 members across Asia.
About Jocelyn Williams
Jocelyn has 20 years of multi-jurisdictional disputes experience advising a range of banks, securities firms, Big Four accounting firms and corporates on litigation, contentious regulatory and insolvency matters. Before joining Gibson Dunn, Jocelyn served as in-house counsel for nine years at Deutsche Bank, where she headed its Asia-Pacific Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement team, covering 15 jurisdictions. In that role, she advised senior management across all business lines within the bank on all dispute related matters, including in respect of regulatory enquiries and investigations, high stakes litigation, mis-selling and breach of duty claims, antitrust issues, debt enforcement, fraud, insider dealing, operational incidents and misconduct.
She has extensive recent experience managing domestic and cross-border litigations, regulatory investigations by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and Hong Kong Competition Commission, enquiries by the Hong Kong Police, Commercial Crime Bureau (CCB) and Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), and internal investigations arising out of systems and controls failures, employee misconduct and whistleblowing.
Jocelyn is qualified to practice in both Hong Kong and Australia.
About Gibson Dunn’s Disputes and Regulatory Practices in Asia
In recent years, Gibson Dunn has grown its Disputes and Regulatory practices in the region significantly. Adding to its already well-established and top-ranked White Collar Defense and Investigations practice, the firm made a number of hires to complete its now full-service offering. Leading Hong Kong litigators Brian Gilchrist and Elaine Chen brought in a team from their previous firm in 2020. Later that same year, Connell O’Neill joined to spearhead the region’s Privacy and Cybersecurity team. William Hallatt joined with his cross-border Hong Kong/Singapore Financial Regulatory team in 2021. In 2022, David Wolber joined in Hong Kong from HSBC to lead the firm’s International Trade practice in the region. Jocelyn has joined what has become a formidable team with the ability to provide clients with the customized advice they need, as well as the highly-valued international perspective Gibson Dunn is known for.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that it has appointed Benno Schwarz as the new Partner in Charge of its Munich office.
Barbara Becker, Gibson Dunn’s Chair and Managing Partner, said: “Benno is already an important leader for our firm in Germany, and I look forward to working with him in this new role. We are continuing to expand Gibson Dunn’s presence throughout Europe, and the world more broadly, and the office stewardship of our Partners in Charge is particularly important as we grow.”
Commenting on his appointment, Benno said: “I am excited to serve as Partner in Charge of the firm’s Munich office. My focus will be the continued enhancement of our global solutions for the ever changing challenges facing our German and international clients.”
Benno follows Ferdinand Fromholzer as Partner in Charge of the Munich office.
Gibson Dunn has over 55 lawyers across its offices in Munich and Frankfurt. In the past two years, the firm has promoted lawyers Kai Gesing (Antitrust and Competition), Katharina Humphrey (White Collar Defense), Sonja Ruttmann (M&A) and Jan Schubert (M&A) to its partnership, and hired lateral partner Lars Petersen (public law and regulatory).
About Benno Schwarz
Benno Schwarz is a partner in the Munich office of Gibson Dunn and Co-Chair of the firm’s Anti-Corruption & FCPA Practice Group. He focuses on white collar defense and compliance investigations in a wide array of criminal regulatory matters. For more than 30 years, he has handled sensitive cases and investigations concerning all types of compliance issues, especially in an international context. He is recognized as a leading lawyer in Germany in the areas of white collar crime, corporate advice, compliance, and investigations by publications such as Chambers, The Legal 500, and JUVE. He was named one of four Leading Individuals in Internal Investigations in Germany by The Legal 500 in 2023.
About Gibson Dunn’s Munich Office
Gibson Dunn’s Munich office was opened in 2002 and focuses on corporate transactional advice and private equity transactions, white collar defense and compliance investigations, litigation, and antitrust. Other areas of practice include technology and intellectual property, data protection, sanctions and export controls, and ESG-related advice. The team advises German and international clients from a range of industries, including blue-chip corporations, DAX®, MDAX®, and TecDAX® companies, medium-sized companies (SMEs), financial institutions, and private equity and venture capital investors. Our lawyers in Munich work closely with Gibson Dunn’s Frankfurt office and other offices around the world to provide seamless legal advice across all practice areas and jurisdictions.