Gibson Dunn Adds Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice in London with Partner Richard Surtees
Firm News | July 14, 2026
Gibson Dunn announced today that Richard Surtees will join the firm’s London office as a partner in its Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice Group.
Richard advises on the full spectrum of employee share schemes, incentive structures, and executive compensation matters, bringing substantial experience across transactional and advisory mandates. He will play a key role in enhancing Gibson Dunn’s London‑based incentives offering, supporting the firm’s market-leading private equity, M&A, and tax practices and deepening its capabilities for clients seeking integrated, multi‑jurisdictional executive compensation advice. Richard’s hire follows the recent arrival of Robbie Sinclair in Gibson Dunn’s Labor and Employment Practice.
“We are delighted to welcome Richard to the firm,” said Krista Hanvey, Co‑Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice Group. “Richard is an outstanding lawyer whose experience with incentive structures and support of a broad range of transactional work aligns perfectly with our strategic growth across our corporate practices in London. His addition strengthens our ability to meet the growing demand for complex incentive arrangements both in the U.K. and globally in private capital, M&A, and IPO work.”
“Richard is an important addition to our integrated cross-border incentives, labor and tax offering,” said partner Sandy Bhogal, Global Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Tax Practice. “Richard’s arrival will deepen our London incentives capability at exactly the right moment — as demand for sophisticated, multi-jurisdictional executive compensation advice continues to grow alongside our expanding private equity, M&A, and tax practices in the U.K.”
“I’m thrilled to be joining Gibson Dunn at such an exciting time for the firm in London,” said Richard. “The firm’s global platform in executive compensation and its commitment to expanding its incentives capability in the U.K. alongside its private equity and M&A activity make this an exceptional opportunity. With Management Incentive Plans and other incentive schemes becoming increasingly sophisticated in major corporate deals, which Gibson Dunn is so often at the forefront of, it’s the perfect time to add my expertise to the firm’s offering.”
About Richard Surtees
Richard’s practice spans advising on the incentive aspects of public takeovers, demergers, IPOs, private company M&A, private equity transactions and restructurings. Richard also advises clients on the design and implementation of cash, phantom, and share‑based incentive arrangements across multiple jurisdictions. He regularly advises public listed companies, alternative investment firms, sovereign wealth funds and PE-backed companies on corporate governance and regulatory requirements relating to executive remuneration, including remuneration policies, compliance with financial regulatory codes, remuneration reporting and disclosures to regulatory authorities.