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Profile Picture

Theodore B. Olson

Theodore
Olson

Partner

CONTACT INFO

tolson@gibsondunn.com

TEL:+1 202.955.8668

FAX:+1 202.530.9575

Washington, D.C.

1050 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20036-5306 USA

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PRACTICE

Appellate and Constitutional Law Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Anti-Corruption & FCPA Betting and Gaming Crisis Management Intellectual Property Law Firm Defense Media, Entertainment and Technology National Security Public Policy Securities Litigation Sports Law Transnational Litigation White Collar Defense and Investigations

BIOGRAPHY

Theodore B. Olson is a Partner in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Washington, D.C. office; a founder of the Firm’s Crisis Management, Sports Law, and Appellate and Constitutional Law Practice Groups.

Mr. Olson was Solicitor General of the United States during the period 2001-2004. From 1981-1984, he was Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Office of Legal Counsel in the U.S. Department of Justice. Except for those two intervals, he has been a lawyer with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. since 1965.

Selected by Time magazine in 2010 as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, Mr. Olson is one of the nation’s premier appellate and United States Supreme Court advocates. He has argued 65 cases in the Supreme Court and has prevailed in over 75% of those cases.  These include the two Bush v Gore cases arising out of the 2000 presidential election; Citizens United v Federal Election Commission; Hollingsworth v Perry, the case affirming the overturning of California’s Proposition 8, banning same-sex marriages; Murphy v NCAA, overturning a federal law prohibiting states from authorizing sports betting; and U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security v Regents of the Univ. of Calif., challenging the Trump Administration’s rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”). Mr. Olson’s practice is concentrated on appellate and constitutional law, federal legislation, media and commercial disputes, and assisting clients with strategies for the containment, management and resolution of major legal crises. He has handled cases at all levels of state and federal court systems throughout the United States.  Mr. Olson co-authored “Redeeming the Dream, the Case for Marriage Equality” with David Boies.  Both were featured in HBO’s award-winning documentary, “The Case Against 8.”

Mr. Olson’s Supreme Court arguments have included cases involving separation of powers; federalism; voting rights; the Tenth Amendment; the First Amendment; the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses; jury trial rights; punitive damages; takings of property; the Commerce Clause; administrative law; taxation; criminal law; sports wagering; copyright, patent and antitrust; securities; campaign finance; foreign sovereign immunities; telecommunications; the environment; the internet; the Supremacy Clause; and other federal constitutional and statutory questions.  As Solicitor General, during the presidency of George W. Bush, Mr. Olson was the Government’s principal advocate in the United States Supreme Court, responsible for supervising and coordinating all appellate litigation of the United States, and a legal adviser to the President and the Attorney General. As Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel during the Reagan Administration, Mr. Olson was the Executive Branch’s principal legal adviser, rendering legal guidance to the President and to the heads of the Executive Branch departments on a wide range of constitutional and federal statutory questions, and assisting in formulating and articulating the Executive Branch’s position on constitutional issues.

Mr. Olson has served as private counsel to two Presidents, Ronald W. Reagan and George W. Bush, in addition to serving those two Presidents in high-level positions in the Department of Justice. He has twice been awarded the United States Department of Justice’s Edmund J. Randolph Award, its highest award for public service and leadership, and also received the Department of Defense’s Distinguished Public Service Award, its highest civilian award, for his advocacy in the courts of the United States, including the Supreme Court. He also received the American Bar Association Medal, its highest award for “exceptionally distinguished service by a lawyer or lawyers to the cause of American jurisprudence.”

Mr. Olson is a member of the Commission on White House Fellowships; a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation; a member of the Board of Visitors of the Federalist Society; the Board of Directors of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University; and the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial Foundation; and a Senior Fellow, Administrative Conference of the United States. He was a visiting scholar at the National Constitution Center in 2007. He served on the President’s Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board from 2006 to 2008; and of the Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States from 2010 to 2020. He was Co-Chair of the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy from 2008-2009, and served two terms on the Board of Directors of the National Center for State Courts.

Mr. Olson is a Fellow of both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers. He has been repeatedly listed in legal publications as one of the nation’s leading appellate lawyers.  The late New York Times columnist William Safire described Mr. Olson as his generation’s “most persuasive advocate” before the Supreme Court and “the most effective Solicitor General in decades.”  Most recently, Mr. Olson was recognized in the 2023 edition of Best Lawyers in America for excellence in appellate practice and media litigation, and by Washingtonian Magazine in its 2022 list of “Top Lawyers: Supreme Court.”

Mr. Olson received his law degree in 1965 from the University of California at Berkeley (Boalt Hall) where he was a member of the California Law Review and Order of the Coif. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of the Pacific, where he was recognized as the outstanding graduating student in both forensics and journalism. He has written and lectured extensively on appellate advocacy, oral communication in the courtroom, civil justice reform, and constitutional and administrative law.

EDUCATION

University of California - Berkeley - 1965 Juris Doctor

University of the Pacific - Stockton - 1962 Bachelor of Arts

ADMISSIONS

California Bar

District of Columbia Bar

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Client Alert - March 22, 2023 | U.S. Supreme Court Round-Up (March 2023)
Firm News - January 9, 2023 | Who’s Who Legal Recognizes 39 Gibson Dunn Partners in its Inaugural Thought Leaders USA Guide
Firm News - January 3, 2023 | Seven Gibson Dunn Attorneys Named Among Washingtonian Magazine’s 2022 Top Lawyers
Firm News - November 9, 2022 | Who’s Who Legal 2022 Recognizes Nine Gibson Dunn Partners in Commercial Litigation
Firm News - October 4, 2022 | Lawdragon Names 38 Partners Among its 2023 500 Leading Litigators in America
Client Alert - September 28, 2022 | U.S. Supreme Court Round-Up (September 2022)
Firm News - August 9, 2022 | Theodore B. Olson Will Serve on ABA’s Law, Society and the Judiciary Task Force
Article - August 4, 2022 | Congress Should Codify Same-Sex Marriage
Client Alert - July 11, 2022 | Supreme Court Round-Up (July 2022)
Firm News - June 22, 2022 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in 2022 U.S. Legal 500
Firm News - June 1, 2022 | Gibson Dunn Earns 101 Top-Tier Rankings in Chambers USA 2022
Firm News - April 1, 2022 | Two Who’s Who Legal 2022 Guides Recognize Seven Gibson Dunn Partners
Podcasts - December 21, 2021 | The Two Teds – Episode 6 – The Supreme Court’s Current Term
Client Alert - November 30, 2021 | Supreme Court Round-Up (November 2021)
Firm News - October 29, 2021 | Richard Birns and Theodore Olson Named Sports Law Power Players
Firm News - October 19, 2021 | Who’s Who Legal 2021 Recognizes Eight Gibson Dunn Partners in Commercial Litigation
Podcasts - October 13, 2021 | The Two Teds – Episode 5 – DACA, Dreamers and Immigration
Client Alert - July 9, 2021 | Supreme Court Round-Up (July 2021)
Podcasts - June 30, 2021 | The Two Teds – Episode 4 – Marriage Equality
Firm News - June 29, 2021 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in 2021 U.S. Legal 500
Firm News - May 28, 2021 | Chambers Honors Ted Olson with Lifetime Achievement Award and Names Gibson Dunn as Commercial Litigation Law Firm of the Year
Firm News - May 20, 2021 | Gibson Dunn Earns 94 Top-Tier Rankings in Chambers USA 2021
Podcasts - April 19, 2021 | The Two Teds – Episode 3 – The First Amendment
Podcasts - March 18, 2021 | The Two Teds – Episode 2 – Bush v Gore and Election Litigation
Podcasts - March 17, 2021 | The Two Teds – Episode 1 – Opening Statements
Client Alert - January 27, 2021 | First Circuit Narrows Scope of the Wire Act, Reversing Office of Legal Counsel Opinion
Firm News - January 21, 2021 | Five Gibson Dunn Attorneys Named Among Washingtonian Magazine’s 2020 Top Lawyers
Firm News - December 7, 2020 | Who’s Who Legal 2020 Litigation Recognizes Nine Gibson Dunn Partners
Client Alert - October 5, 2020 | Supreme Court Round-Up (October 2020)
Client Alert - September 15, 2020 | Supreme Court Round-Up (September 2020)
Client Alert - July 15, 2020 | Supreme Court Round-Up (July 2020)
Firm News - July 6, 2020 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in 2020 U.S. Legal 500
Firm News - April 24, 2020 | Gibson Dunn Earns 84 Top-Tier Rankings in Chambers USA 2020
Firm News - January 30, 2020 | Who’s Who Legal Recognizes 15 Gibson Dunn Partners in Litigation, Corporate Tax and Private Funds
Client Alert - October 7, 2019 | Supreme Court Round-Up (October 2019)
Firm News - August 15, 2019 | Gibson Dunn Lawyers Recognized in the Best Lawyers in America® 2020
Firm News - July 11, 2019 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in 2019 U.S. Legal 500
Client Alert - July 2, 2019 | Supreme Court Round-Up (July 2019)
Firm News - June 18, 2019 | Theodore Olson Named Lawyer of the Year at the American Gambling Awards
Client Alert - June 6, 2019 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of the Court’s Opinions, Cases to Be Argued This Term, and Other Developments
Client Alert - April 10, 2019 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of the Court’s Opinions, Cases to Be Argued This Term, and Other Developments
Firm News - November 30, 2018 | Theodore Boutrous and Theodore Olson Named Litigators of the Week
Client Alert - September 27, 2018 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of the Court’s Opinions, Cases to Be Argued This Term, and Other Developments
Firm News - July 16, 2018 | Legal 500 Names 10 Gibson Dunn Partners to its US Hall of Fame
Client Alert - June 28, 2018 | Supreme Court Round-Up (June 28, 2018)
Firm News - June 18, 2018 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in 2018 U.S. Legal 500
Client Alert - June 1, 2018 | Supreme Court Round-Up (June 1, 2018)
Firm News - May 18, 2018 | Theodore Olson Named Litigator of the Week
Publications - May 17, 2018 | Webcast: Supreme Court Strikes Down Federal Limits On Sports Gambling
Firm News - May 3, 2018 | Gibson Dunn Earns 70 Top-Tier Rankings in Chambers USA 2018
Client Alert - April 4, 2018 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of the Court’s Opinions, Cases to Be Argued Next Term, and Other Developments (April 4, 2018)
Client Alert - October 2, 2017 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Upcoming Arguments and Other Developments (October 2017)
Client Alert - June 29, 2017 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of the Court’s Opinions, Cases to Be Argued Next Term, and Other Developments (June 29, 2017)
Client Alert - June 2, 2017 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of the Court’s Opinions, Cases to Be Argued Next Term, and Other Developments (June 2017)
Client Alert - March 23, 2017 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of the Court’s Opinions, Cases to Be Argued Next Term, and Other Developments (March 2017)
Client Alert - October 13, 2016 | PHH Achieves Historic D.C. Circuit Victory Declaring CFPB Structure Unconstitutional and Rejecting Agency’s Imposition of $109 Million Penalty Under RESPA
Client Alert - June 29, 2016 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of the Court’s Opinions, Cases to Be Argued Next Term, and Other Developments (June 2016)
Client Alert - May 26, 2016 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of the Court’s Opinions, Cases to Be Argued Next Term, and Other Developments (May 2016)
Client Alert - March 18, 2016 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of the Court’s Opinions, Cases to Be Argued Next Term, and Other Developments (March 2016)
Article - September 25, 2015 | Supreme Court Should Use Trio of Cases to Reaffirm That Uninjured Plaintiffs Have No Place in Class Actions
Client Alert - July 17, 2015 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of the Court’s Opinions, Cases to Be Argued Next Term, and Other Developments (July 2015)
Client Alert - February 18, 2015 | Supreme Court Round Up: A Summary of the Court’s Opinions, Upcoming Arguments, and Other Developments (February 2015)
Client Alert - December 19, 2014 | Supreme Court Round Up: A Summary of the Court’s Opinions, Upcoming Arguments, and Other Developments (December 2014)
Client Alert - July 15, 2014 | Supreme Court Round Up: A Summary of the Court’s Opinions, Cases to Be Argued Next Term, and Other Developments (July 2014)
Client Alert - May 16, 2014 | Supreme Court Round Up: A Summary of Recent Opinions, Cases Pending Decisions, and Other Developments (May 2014)
Client Alert - February 13, 2014 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Recent Opinions, Upcoming Arguments and Other Developments (February 2014)
Client Alert - November 4, 2013 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Upcoming Arguments and Other Developments (November 2013)
Client Alert - July 25, 2013 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Recent Opinions, Upcoming Arguments, and Other Developments (July 2013)
Client Alert - July 11, 2013 | U.S. Supreme Court Restores Marriage Equality in California
Client Alert - July 1, 2013 | Supreme Court Business Round-Up (July 2013)
Client Alert - June 7, 2013 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Recent Opinions, Upcoming Arguments, and Other Developments (June 2013)
Client Alert - May 20, 2013 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Recent Opinions, Upcoming Arguments, and Other Developments (May 2013)
Client Alert - April 15, 2013 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Recent Opinions, Upcoming Arguments, and Other Developments (April 2013)
Client Alert - March 29, 2013 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Upcoming Arguments and Other Developments (March 2013)
Client Alert - February 14, 2013 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Upcoming Arguments and Other Developments (February 2012)
Client Alert - October 5, 2012 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Upcoming Arguments and Other Developments (October 2012)
Client Alert - July 24, 2012 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Recent Opinions, Upcoming Arguments, and Other Developments (July 24, 2012)
Client Alert - June 15, 2012 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Recent Opinions, Upcoming Arguments, and Other Developments (June 15, 2012)
Client Alert - May 17, 2012 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Recent Opinions, Upcoming Arguments, and Other Developments (May 17, 2012)
Client Alert - February 14, 2012 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Upcoming Arguments and Other Developments – February 14, 2012
Client Alert - January 6, 2012 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Upcoming Arguments and Other Developments – January 6, 2012
Client Alert - September 30, 2011 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Upcoming Arguments and Other Developments – September 30, 2011
Client Alert - July 8, 2011 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Recent Opinions, Upcoming Arguments, and Other Developments – July 8, 2011
Client Alert - June 28, 2011 | U.S. Supreme Court Invalidates California Statute Prohibiting Sale or Rental of “Violent” Video Games to Minors
Client Alert - June 15, 2011 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Recent Opinions, Upcoming Arguments, and Other Developments – June 15, 2011
Client Alert - May 11, 2011 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Recent Opinions, Upcoming Arguments, and Other Developments – May 11, 2011
Client Alert - March 18, 2011 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Recent Opinions, Upcoming Arguments, and Other Developments – March 18, 2011
Client Alert - December 16, 2010 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Recent Opinions, Upcoming Arguments, and Other Developments – December 16, 2010
Client Alert - November 3, 2010 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Upcoming Arguments and Other Developments – November 3, 2010
Client Alert - September 30, 2010 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Upcoming Arguments and Other Developments – September 30, 2010
Client Alert - July 8, 2010 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Recent Opinions, Upcoming Arguments, and Other Developments – July 8, 2010
Client Alert - June 4, 2010 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Recent Opinions, Upcoming Arguments, and Other Developments – June 4, 2010
Client Alert - April 27, 2010 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Recent Opinions, Upcoming Arguments, and Other Developments – April 2010
Client Alert - March 25, 2010 | Supreme Court Round-Up: A Summary of Recent Opinions, Upcoming Arguments, and Other Developments – March 2010
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