August 12, 2013
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP has appointed litigation partner Christopher Chorba and land use partner Amy Forbes as Co-Partners in Charge of the firm’s Los Angeles and Century City offices. They replace Karen Bertero and Christopher Dusseault who will continue their corporate and litigation practices, respectively.
“Chris and Amy are excellent choices to lead our Los Angeles and Century City offices. They have outstanding judgment and leadership skills, and share the firm’s core values,” said Ken Doran, Chairman and Managing Partner of Gibson Dunn. “We thank Chris Dusseault and Karen for their service and their strong leadership of the past several years and look forward to the offices’ continued success under the guidance of Amy and Chris.”
“Gibson Dunn’s Los Angeles and Century City offices embody the firm’s core values of excellence, professionalism, and collegiality,” said Chorba. “These qualities have helped our lawyers succeed in major matters that make nationwide headlines, such as successfully challenging and overturning California’s Proposition 8 and representing Vivendi in the sale of the majority of its interest in Activision Blizzard.”
“The Los Angeles area offices are also deeply connected with the community through participation in a wide variety of pro bono and community programs, such as KIND-Kids in Need of Defense, and partnerships with local organizations, such as Public Counsel and Bet Tzedek Legal Services,” said Forbes.
About Christopher Chorba
Chorba serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Class Actions Practice Group and has secured the dismissal of more than one dozen class, representative, and complex actions on the pleadings. He was co-lead in the defense of a complex fraud and civil conspiracy action brought by the California Insurance Commissioner, which resulted in a favorable defense jury verdict and no award of compensatory damages (against a claim of $4.2 billion). He also has substantial experience litigating a wide range of complex commercial matters at the trial and appellate level in California and throughout the country.
Chorba graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2001, where he served on the Editorial Board of the Virginia Law Review. He is a member of the board of directors of the Good Shepherd Shelter in Los Angeles.
About Amy Forbes
Forbes’ practice is concentrated on land use planning issues, including zoning, planning, the California Environmental Quality Act, and municipal law. She was lead counsel to Madison Square Garden Co. in its successful effort to acquire and renovate the historic Forum, in Inglewood, California, as a live-concert venue. She is a member of the Center Theatre Group Board of Directors and Executive Committee, and has provided more than 20 years of pro bono real estate advice and other service to the organization, which operates the theatres in the Los Angeles Music Center downtown and the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. She is a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.
Forbes graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering from Princeton University in 1980 (earning a certification in the transportation program) and from the University of Southern California School of Law in 1984, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif.