Dillon Westfall is a litigation associate in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She is a member of the Firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations, Media, Entertainment and Technology, and Litigation Practice Groups. She is currently on secondment.

Dillon regularly represents clients, including major multinational corporations, in criminal, regulatory, and internal investigations, with a focus on anti-corruption issues. Dillon has participated in multiple large-scale FCPA investigations and SEC enforcement actions relating to allegations of securities fraud and other violations of the securities laws. In addition, Dillon’s practice focuses on complex federal and state court litigation. She is recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for Criminal Defense: White Collar.

Dillon maintains an active pro bono practice, focusing on the fields of immigration and the first amendment.  She currently serves on the advisory board for California State University, Long Beach’s Moot Court team.

Dillon earned her Juris Doctor in 2018 from New York University School of Law, where she served as an Executive Articles Editor on Annual Survey of American Law. While at NYU, Dillon served as Vice President of the Media Law Collaborative and worked on a Circuit Court appeal as a member of the Reproductive Justice Clinic. She graduated cum laude from California State University, Long Beach in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classics.

Dillon is admitted to practice in the State of New York and before the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Karin Portlock is a partner in the New York office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the White Collar Defense and Investigations, Crisis Management, Litigation, and Labor and Employment Practice Groups. As a former federal prosecutor, Karin has a broad-based government enforcement and investigations practice, ranging from government and internal corporate investigations to criminal defense and regulatory enforcement litigation through trial. She regularly represents companies and individuals under criminal investigation and indictment by the U.S. Department of Justice as well as in civil probes by federal regulators and major litigation by State Attorneys General. Karin is a member of the firm’s State Attorneys General Task Force.

Karin is an experienced trial lawyer and courtroom advocate. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Karin was an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York from 2015 to 2020. In that role, she tried multiple cases to verdict and prosecuted a broad range of federal criminal violations, including fraud, racketeering, and violent crimes, leading large-scale investigations of murder, firearms, and sex trafficking offenses as well as crimes involving minors and other vulnerable victims. She has particular expertise with victims of trauma and represents victims and witnesses at all stages of investigation and prosecution, including in cases involving highly sensitive subject matter.

Karin frequently leads independent investigations, particularly in the employment context on behalf of corporate boards into workplace-related issues. She has conducted numerous confidential investigations into discrimination, harassment, and related allegations of misconduct, including executive misconduct, for companies in a variety of industries, including the media, technology, financial services, nonprofit, and entertainment sectors.

Karin’s pro bono practice is similarly robust—focusing on civil rights and criminal justice issues. She currently represents the estate of police shooting victim, Terence Crutcher, who was unarmed and had his hands raised when he was shot and killed by Tulsa police in 2016 in violation of his constitutional rights. Mr. Crutcher’s killing was captured on video and has been the subject of extensive national media coverage. In 2023 Karin secured a unanimous federal jury verdict in the Central District of California in a historic civil rights case for the firm’s pro bono client, Deon Jones, who was shot in the face with a rubber bullet by a Los Angeles Police Department officer while peacefully protesting during the May 2020 mass demonstrations in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. The result represents the first jury verdict for a protester victimized by the LAPD in connection with the 2020 mass demonstrations. Karin also represents incarcerated domestic violence survivors seeking relief under New York’s Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act. In 2023, she led a pro bono team that secured the release of a survivor in the first successful appeal under the law in New York’s Third Department.

Karin has been named a 2026 “Future Star” in White Collar by Benchmark Litigation, a Top 100 African American attorney in New York by The National Black Lawyers (2022-2025), and has been named to Lawdragon’s list of 500 Global Leaders in Crisis Management (2025-2026). Karin currently serves on the White Collar Crime Committee of the New York City Bar Association and is an active member of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association, where she serves on the Diversity Committee.

Karin is an advocate for diversity in the profession and speaks and publishes frequently on the advantages of diverse legal teams. She is consistently cognizant of the benefits that diverse teams bring to her clients and is committed to developing diverse talent and mentoring junior lawyers of color. Karin is an Alumni Mentor to the Columbia Black Law Students Association, a former Board Member of the Stanford National Black Alumni Association, and a 2022 fellow of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity.

Karin received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University and is a graduate of Columbia Law School where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone scholar and Editor-in-Chief of the Columbia Law Review—the first Black student to hold that position. Following law school, Karin clerked for Judges Amalya L. Kearse and Jon O. Newman, both of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She is a former member of the Second Circuit’s Pro Bono Panel and is an experienced appellate advocate. Karin has handled numerous appeals before federal and state appellate courts. Earlier in her career, Karin was a lecturer-in-law at Columbia Law School where she taught legal writing. 

Karin is admitted to practice in the State of New York and before the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Jessica Busetti is a staff attorney in the Munich office of Gibson Dunn where she currently practices with the firm’s Litigation Department.

She studied law at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich and passed her first state examination in 2019. During her legal education she worked for renowned international law firms in Munich and gained experience in IP/Trademark Law and Labor Law. After passing her second state examination at the Higher Regional Court Munich, Jessica has been admitted as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwältin) since 2025.

Jessica speaks German and English.

Christoph Jacob is an associate in the Munich office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the firm’s Antitrust and Competition, Intellectual Property, Technology Transactions, and Privacy, Cybersecurity & Data Innovation Practice Groups.

Christoph advises clients on complex German and international transactions, focusing on IP/technology and antitrust.

He studied law at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, where he passed his first state examination in 2019. Christoph passed his second state examination at the Higher Regional Court Munich in 2021 and has been admitted as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwalt) since 2022. During his studies and his legal clerkship, he worked in one of the most highly regarded mid-sized firms in Germany as well as a fintech start-up.

Christoph speaks German and English.

Ning Ning is a partner in the Hong Kong office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. She is a member of the firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice and is based in the Hong Kong office. Ning has extensive experience representing multinational corporations throughout the Asia Pacific region on a wide variety of compliance and anti-corruption matters, including government investigations, internal investigations, compliance program counseling, risk assessments, and crisis management.  

Ning has represented clients before the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) involving potential violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), securities laws, and other white collar defense matters. She has led numerous cross-border investigations for publicly traded corporations and is well-versed in local data governance frameworks. Ning regularly advises clients on internal investigations relating to allegations of corruption, fraud, conflicts of interest, and accounting irregularities. She also counsels clients on designing and continuously improving their corporate compliance programs; conducting compliance risk assessments; and performing pre-investment due diligence focusing on anti-corruption, trade compliance, and data governance.

The Gibson Dunn white collar team in Asia is regularly recognized as the leading practice in the region in publications such as Chambers Global, Chambers Asia Pacific, Chambers Greater China, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, and IFLR1000. Ning is recognized as an Up and Coming partner for Corporate Investigations/Anti-Corruption by Chambers Greater China Region and Chambers Global.

Her recent experience includes the following:

  • Conducted FCPA investigations involving relationships with distributors and physicians in China for multiple medical device companies
  • Conducted internal investigations and compliance assessment involving sponsorships, consulting arrangements, grants, and donations for life sciences companies across the Asia Pacific region
  • Conducted internal investigations involving alleged export controls violations and product diversions for multiple U.S. companies    
  • Conducted pre-acquisition due diligence and post-acquisition portfolio company integration for multiple private equity sponsors investing in the Asia Pacific region

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Ning practiced at international law firms in Chicago, London, and Hong Kong.

Ning serves on the steering committee of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA) Hong Kong chapter. 

She is a native Mandarin speaker and has extensive experience in China-related investigations and compliance matters.

Daniel Montoya is an associate attorney in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the Real Estate Practice Group.

Daniel earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School and his Master in Urban Planning from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, both in 2024. Daniel received his Bachelor of Arts in Government from Harvard College in 2018.

Daniel is admitted to practice in the State of New York and the State of Florida.

Ryan Rott is of counsel in the New York office of Gibson Dunn. He represents clients on a variety of domestic and international tax matters. Ryan advises on the tax aspects of private and public mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs, joint ventures, restructurings and financing transactions. He also has experience advising on initial public offerings using unique structures and strategies.

Ryan earned his LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law in 2021 and his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, in 2016 from the University of Michigan Law School, where he was a Notes Editor of the Michigan Law Review. He received his Bachelor of Arts, in Political Science, from Oakland University in 2012.

Before joining Gibson Dunn, Ryan was a tax lawyer in the New York office of a global law firm. He is admitted to practice in the State of New York.

Graham Crocker is of counsel in the London office of Gibson Dunn and is a member of the Tax Practice Group.

Graham is an experienced tax adviser with a broad practice. He advises on a wide range of domestic and cross-border tax matters, including in relation to mergers and acquisitions, private equity, corporate reorganisations, real estate and corporate finance.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Graham worked in the London office of another major international law firm.

Lee R. Crain is a litigation partner in the New York office Gibson Dunn. His practice focuses on a broad range of high-stakes trial and appellate litigation in both federal and state courts. He represents clients in financial services, media and entertainment, technology, energy, and healthcare sectors in their most pressing commercial litigation, first amendment, labor and employment, cross-border, and appellate matters.

Lee has considerable experience with crisis counseling and fast-paced, emergency litigation and has led teams seeking or defending against temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions in multiple matters. He has represented clients in employment disputes, including lawsuits regarding restrictive covenants, trade secrets, confidentiality obligations, whistleblower retaliation, and employment discrimination. He has experience in a variety of other commercial disputes, including contract disputes, cross-border litigation, lawsuits to recover U.S. discovery to use in proceedings abroad, and judgment-confirmation proceedings. Lee has substantial experience in appellate matters in the federal and State appellate courts, including in New York’s high court.

A frequent thought leader and author, Lee’s articles on the First Amendment and defamation law have appeared in Bloomberg Law and Law360. The American Lawyer has recognized him in its “Litigators of the Week” feature. Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America recognized him for his Appellate Practice. Benchmark Litigation named Lee as a “Future Star” and included him in its “40 & Under” list, which identifies “the best and brightest litigators across the US.” Lee has been recognized by Lawdragon as a “Global Leader in Crisis Management” and was named among the “500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers.” Lee was the recipient of the Federal Bar Council’s Thurgood Marshall Award for Exceptional Pro Bono Service in its Rising Star category. He is also the recipient of Gibson Dunn’s 2020 Frank Wheat Memorial Award, “given annually to individual lawyers and teams that have demonstrated leadership and initiative in their pro bono work, obtained significant results for their pro bono clients, and served as a source of inspiration to others.”

First Amendment.

  • Represented CNN and White House correspondent Jim Acosta as well as Playboy’s White House Correspondent Brian J. Karem in multiple victories that prohibited members of the Trump administration from suspending Mr. Acosta’s and Mr. Karem’s press pass credentials.
  • Represented Deon Jones in historic six-figure jury trial verdict, including punitive damages, against an LAPD officer who shot Mr. Jones while he was peacefully protesting.
  • Represented executives of the U.S. Agency for Global Media and Voice of America in First Amendment litigation against members of the Trump Administration, culminating in the firm’s victory in Turner v. USAGM, which confirmed that government-employed journalists have First Amendment rights. Turner v. U.S. Agency for Global Media, 2021 WL 2201669 (D.D.C. May 17, 2021).

Defamation Defense.

  • Defeated defamation claims in Kogan v. Facebook as well as in O’Keefe v. Twitter, in which James O’Keefe of Project Veritas claimed Twitter had defamed him when it de-platformed him on the ground that he violated Twitter’s terms.
  • Represented journalists in cross-border defamation litigation, including through opposing potential judgment-enforcement proceedings under the federal “SPEECH Act” as well as by pursuing discovery in aid of foreign defamation defense in multiple actions brought under 28 U.S.C. § 1782.

Employment Litigation

  • Regularly represents companies in restrictive covenants and trade secrets/confidential information disputes involving departing employees, including representing clients in the financial services, modeling, manufacturing, technology (including artificial intelligence) and health care industries.
  • Regularly represents companies in employment discrimination and whistleblower retaliation lawsuits, including providing oral argument in an appeal before the New York Appellate Division that affirmed the dismissal of a whistleblower retaliation claims against the healthcare company and prevailing in compelling to arbitration employment claims against Uber.

Transnational Litigation.

  • Served as lead coordinating counsel successfully representing a former Prime Minister of Mongolia in litigation brought in seven countries seeking $250 million in damages and asset freezes of property around the world. Represented the former Prime Minister in multiple actions in federal court discovery actions resulting in the recovery of case-dispositive evidence.
  • Represented clients in multiple international arbitration confirmation proceedings, including successfully opposing a sham $18 billion arbitral award against Chevron. 

High-Stakes Commercial Litigation.

  • Represented AMC in eight-figure profit participation litigation in New York State court over the hit television series The Walking Dead, including prevailing in an appeal that led to the dismissal of key claims.
  • Represented Lynn Tilton and Patriarch Partners in a variety of matters, including during a two-week bench trial in the Delaware Court of Chancery, in multiple appeals before the Delaware Supreme Court and in New York State, and in a jury trial in New York State Supreme Court.

Appellate Litigation.

  • Won a landmark decision from New York’s highest court in Congel v. Malfitano, which, in a question of first impression, established standards for dissolution of partnerships under New York law.
  • Prevailed before the high court in UBS v. Kainer, which adopted new civil procedure law for New York State.
  • Achieved a unanimous victory dismissing a whistleblower retaliation suit in Frey v. Health Management Systems, Inc., 151 N.Y.S.3d 879 (1st Dept. 2021).

Lee has a vibrant pro bono practice focused most prominently on the First Amendment, gun safety litigation, and other civil rights and constitutional claims. Lee has argued pro bono cases in federal trial and appellate courts, including the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Lee has represented in particular the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence in multiple matters, including in California v. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives in which Giffords prevailed on summary judgment in litigation challenging the federal government’s failure to properly regulate AR-style “ghost guns.” Lee was also an integral member of the Gibson Dunn team the Giffords Law Center honored with its 2021 Odgers Pro Bono Partner Award. Lee also has significant experience representing journalists and protesters in civil rights litigation across the country.

Lee graduated first in his class from the University of Michigan Law School, summa cum laude, where he received the Henry M. Bates Memorial Scholarship Award—the law school’s highest honor. He also received the Daniel H. Grady Prize and the Class of 1908 Memorial Scholarship, for highest class standing at the end of the second and third years, respectively. Lee served as an editor on the Michigan Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. Lee graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in history and a minor in Spanish.

Lee served as a law clerk to the Honorable Paul J. Watford of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the Honorable Sidney H. Stein of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He is admitted to practice in the State of New York as well as before the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the District of Columbia as well as the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second, Ninth, and District of Columbia Circuits. He is also admitted in the United States Supreme Court.

Select Recent Thought Leadership.

Co-Author, New York Times v. Sullivan Is Safe From Sarah Palin, Bloomberg Law (February 25, 2022).

Jonathan Sapp is of counsel in the Dallas office of Gibson Dunn. His practice focuses on strategic M&A transactions, private equity investments, divestitures, carve-outs, joint ventures and structured preferred equity investments. Jonathan has extensive experience advising major public companies, private equity firms and their portfolio companies in complex M&A transactions across a broad range of industries with a particular focus on the energy, infrastructure and industrials sectors.

Jonathan graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2016. He received his B.S. summa cum laude from Texas Christian University in 2013.

Jonathan is an active member of the Dallas–Fort Worth legal community and a founding member of the Harvard Law School Alumni Association of Dallas–Fort Worth, where he currently serves as president and a member of its board of directors.

Representative Transactions

  • CECO Environmental (Nasdaq: CECO) in its $2.2 billion merger with Thermon Group (NYSE: THR)
  • Coterra Energy (NYSE: CTRA) in its $58 billion merger with Devon Energy (NYSE: DVN)
  • Central Midstream in its sale of a majority interest to Tailwater Capital
  • SM Energy (NYSE: SM) in its $12.8 billion merger with Civitas Resources (NYSE: CIVI)
  • 89bio (Nasdaq: ENTB) in its $3.5 billion sale (including a CVR arrangement) to Roche
  • Ardian in its approximately $1 billion sale of the Hill Top Energy Center to Blackstone
  • Audax Management Company in several M&A transactions, including its acquisition of Aerospheres
  • Aris Water Solutions (NYSE: ARIS) in its $2 billion sale to Western Midstream Partners (NYSE: WES)
  • Alcon (NYSE: ALC) in its $1.5 billion acquisition of STAAR Surgical Company (Nasdaq: STAA)
  • Lone Star Funds in several transactions, including its sale of Meridian Brick
  • Juniper Capital in the merger of its portfolio companies with PEDEVCO Corp. (NYSE American: PED)
  • Diversified Energy (NYSE: DEC) in its $1.275 billion acquisition of Maverick Natural Resources, a portfolio company of EIG Global Energy Partners
  • Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE: PXD) in its $65 billion merger with a subsidiary of ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM)
  • Coterra Energy (NYSE: CTRA) in its $3.95 billion acquisition of Franklin Mountain Energy and Avant Natural Resources
  • Centerbridge Partners in the sale of its majority interest in IPC to Strategic Value Partners
  • Juniper Capital in the proposed sale of its upstream Rocky Mountain portfolio companies to Amplify Energy (NYSE: AMPY)
  • Fortress Investment Group in its investment in Stellar Blu Solutions
  • AT&T (NYSE: T) in its joint venture with BlackRock to form a leading fiber telecommunications provider
  • Freeman Spogli in its platform acquisition of WhiteWater Express
  • Algonquin Power & Utilities (TSE: AQN) in its $2.5 billion sale of its renewables business to LS Power
  • SilverBow Resources (NYSE: SBOW) in its $2.1 billion sale to Crescent Energy (NYSE: CRGY)
  • CenterOak Partners in multiple M&A transactions, including its platform acquisition of Shamrock Environmental
  • Daikin Industries and its subsidiary Goodman Manufacturing in over 15 public and private M&A transactions, including its joint venture with Copeland, a portfolio company of Blackstone, and the acquisition of publicly-traded CCOM Group, Inc.
  • energyRe in its $1.2 billion investment from Glentra Capital and Elia Group
  • Patterson-UTI (Nasdaq: PTEN) in its $5.4 billion merger of equals with NexTier (NYSE: NEX) and the sale of its well service rig business to Clearwell Dynamics
  • ATL Partners in its acquisition of Valence Surface Technologies
  • D.R. Horton (NYSE: DHI) in its $291 million tender offer acquisition of Vilder Water Resources (Nasdaq: VWTR)
  • Pharos Capital in its platform acquisition of Vantage Outsourcing
  • Atlas Corp. (NYSE: ATCO) in its $11 billion take-private transaction by a management and stockholder consortium
  • Foundation Building Materials (NYSE: FBM) in its $1.4 billion sale to American Securities
  • Primoris (NYSE: PRIM) in its $470 million acquisition of PLH Group
  • Berkshire Residential Investments in its joint venture involving commercial mortgage-backed securities
  • Pine Gate Renewables in several M&A transactions, including its $650 million investment from Generate Capital and Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan
  • USD Partners (NYSE: USDP) in the sale of its Casper, Wyoming rail terminal to Midstream Energy Partners
  • Forterra (Nasdaq: FRTA) in its $2.74 billion sale to Quikrete
  • The management team of Ladish Valves in its sale to Oaktree Capital
  • P10 (NYSE: PX) in its acquisition of Western Technology Investment, an alternative asset manager
  • IRIS CRM in its sale to NMI, a portfolio company of Francisco Partners
  • Blueknight Energy Partners (Nasdaq: BKEP) in several transactions, including its take-private transaction by Ergon and the sale of its terminal business to Enbridge
  • Paceline Equity Partners in several co-investment transactions in connection with platform acquisitions

Recognition

  • Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America: Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law, 2026

Recent Publications / Speaking Engagements

Mike Martinez is an accomplished trial lawyer, and a leading national health care fraud practitioner and white collar criminal defense attorney. A partner in Gibson Dunn’s New York office, Mike represents individuals and corporations in a wide array of matters involving allegations of health care fraud, securities fraud, money laundering, cybercrime, public corruption, and tax offenses. He also conducts internal investigations and defends clients involved in such inquiries.

Mike previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey for over a decade, including three years as the Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney overseeing the office’s white collar programs, supervising attorneys in both criminal and civil cases, and coordinating with the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division and other agencies in investigating and prosecuting white collar cases. Under his leadership, the office established its first stand-alone health care and government fraud unit, pioneering the integration of criminal and civil Assistant U.S. Attorneys within the same unit. Mike also successfully prosecuted numerous high-profile cases and argued dozens of cases before the U.S. courts of appeals.

Mike’s expertise has been widely recognized. Chambers USA has named him a leading lawyer in white-collar crime and government investigations in New York. Clients and sources describe him as “an excellent tactician on government investigations,” “very talented,” and “a fantastic lawyer with great strategic thinking.” He is also praised as “a smart, zealous advocate who is thoroughly prepared in his approach to court cases.” His skills before the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission have earned him accolades as “an incredible trial lawyer,” “a brilliant writer,” and “incredibly intelligent and creative.” Mike has been recognized as a Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation, honored by Lawdragon as one of their “500 Leading Litigators in America” and one of “500 Global Leaders in Crisis Management,” named one of Latino Leaders Magazine’s Top Latino Lawyers for 2022, and included in Crain’s New York list of Notable Hispanic Leaders and Executives for 2021.

Representative Matters*

  • Secured a trial victory for a former bond trader accused by the SEC of fraud, successfully demonstrating that the trader’s talk was routine market conduct and ultimately had no impact on the pricing of such securities.
  • Secured a trial victory for a major national bank arising from its role as a residential mortgage-back securitization trustee, defeating all claims for liability and more than $100 million in damages.
  • Secured a complete arbitration victory for an insurer concerning coverage for DOJ health care fraud criminal and civil resolutions.
  • Secured an arbitration award exceeding $150 million for a hedge fund following a five-day hearing, successfully demonstrating that the opposing party had fraudulently induced the client to relinquish its interest in a joint venture by concealing the pending sale of the venture’s chief asset.
  • Successfully defended a health care technology company in arbitration over its management of a clinical trial for a potential blockbuster drug.
  • Secured a non-jail sentence for a former CFO of a biotechnology company indicted for insider trading, following a guilty plea.
  • Represented the owner of a South American sports broadcasting and marketing company indicted for alleged involvement in a RICO conspiracy related to bribery for commercial rights to FIFA-sanctioned soccer tournaments.
  • Represented a health care technology company in a civil action challenging its biostatistical programming for a clinical trial.
  • Represented senior executives of a major pharmaceutical company in parallel criminal and civil investigations by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged off-label marketing and Anti-Kickback Statute violations.
  • Represented a pharmacy services provider in a settlement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the U.S. Department of Justice, and 28 states, resolving claims under the False Claims Act related to its prescription verification system.
  • Represented a former New Jersey government official in federal criminal proceedings and a state legislative investigation related to the alleged political motivations behind the George Washington Bridge lane realignments (“Bridgegate”).
  • Represented a senior executive of a pharmaceutical company in a criminal antitrust investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged price-fixing in the generic pharmaceutical industry.
  • Represented the CFO of a health care company in parallel criminal and civil investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged fraudulent reimbursement claims.
  • Represented the CEO of an electronics manufacturing company in a criminal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged trafficking in counterfeit military goods.
  • Conducted an internal investigation for a mineral supplier and manufacturer regarding potential OFAC violations.
  • Represented an executive of an automobile manufacturer in a criminal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged Clean Air Act violations.
  • Represented a senior executive of a global commodities trading firm in a criminal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged FCPA violations and cybercrimes.
  • Represented the general counsel of an investment fund in SEC and Commodity Futures Trading Commission investigations regarding alleged fraudulent derivative valuations.
  • Conducted an internal investigation for a corporation regarding potential Anti-Kickback Statute violations in the nursing home industry.
  • Represented an individual indicted in the Southern District of New York for making false statements to federally insured banks and related tax charges.
  • Represented a former contractor in a public corruption investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
  • Conducted internal investigations for a global luxury resort and gaming corporation regarding allegations of money laundering and insider trading.
  • Represented a global financial institution in responding to FIRREA subpoenas and witness interview requests from multiple U.S. Attorney’s offices in connection with RMBS investigations.
  • Represented an investment management company in responding to FIRREA subpoenas and witness interview requests from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in connection with RMBS investigations.
  • Successfully persuaded the New York State Attorney General not to file charges against an online gaming company concerning an investigation into potential violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
  • Defended a dietary supplement company in an investigation by the New York State Attorney General into alleged false labeling and potential product contamination of its products.
  • Represented a global technology leader in responding to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 17(c) subpoenas in connection with a federal indictment for economic espionage and theft of trade secrets.
  • Conducted an internal investigation for a multinational financial institution regarding allegations of an affiliate’s involvement in a government extortion and bribery scheme in a New Jersey municipality.

Mike obtained his J.D. from Yale Law School and graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the Brown University with a B.A. He clerked for the Honorable Samuel A. Alito, Jr., of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Mike was a Partner in the New York office of a major law firm. 

Mike is involved in several professional organizations, including the Defense Lawyers Advisory Committee to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey, the Hispanic National Bar Association, the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey, and the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey.

*Matters handled prior to joining Gibson Dunn.

Kyla Osburn is an associate in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She currently practices with the firm’s Litigation Department.

Kyla earned her Juris Doctor in 2023 from the Georgetown University Law Center. While in law school, she served as a member of the Georgetown Journal of Law and Public Policy. She also participated in the first ever Making an Exoneree Practicum offered at the Law Center, collaborating with undergraduate investigators to fight for justice for prisoners believed to have been wrongfully convicted. Kyla graduated summa cum laude from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism.

Kyla is admitted to practice in the State of California and before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Robbie Sinclair is a partner in the London office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Labour and Employment and Dispute Resolution Practice Groups.

Robbie advises on the full spectrum of contentious and advisory employment matters, with a particular focus on complex litigation, crisis management, and investigations. His experience provides a platform in the UK for strategic employment litigation matters and addresses the critical needs of clients at board level. He also provides counsel on corporate transactions and outsourcing arrangements. Robbie’s practice focuses on the financial services and technology sectors. He advises clients on a broad spectrum of business protection issues, including safeguarding confidential information and trade secrets, assessing the enforceability of restrictive covenants, defending whistleblowing and discrimination claims, and navigating employment aspects of the U.K. regulatory framework.

In terms of employment litigation, Robbie has a proven track record before the Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal, High Court, and appellate courts.

Robbie is ranked as a leading lawyer for employment law by Chambers UK 2026. Clients describe him as “an outstanding lawyer” who “is dedicated to his clients and provides commercial advice in a timely manner.” They note that “he absolutely knows his cases inside out” and praise him as “an excellent adviser” who is “user-friendly, strategic and outcome-oriented.” One client shared, “Robbie is the epitome of trusted adviser. He’s done an excellent job with us. He’s always very calm and thoughtful, as well as responsive and accessible. We rate him very highly.” Another added, “Robbie is excellent. He is amazingly hard-working, committed, excellent in leading a team and excellent on strategy and the commercials. I have been really impressed with him.” Robbie is also recognised as a leading partner by Legal 500 UK 2026 for Employment.

He is also a member of the Employment Lawyers Association and the International Bar Association. He frequently speaks at conferences and seminars on employment law topics and contributes to publications such as PLC Magazine and Employment Law Journal.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, he was a partner at another international law firm.

David Irvine is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. David is the head of European Leveraged and Acquisition Finance and serves as Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Finance Practice.

David is a leading adviser to high-profile private equity sponsors on their most significant cross-border leveraged financing transactions and to private credit funds on their most complex financing arrangements. David also advises on recaps, minority back-leverage, special situations financings, margin loans, fund level financings and restructurings. He brings an excellent understanding of the Asian markets, having practised in Hong Kong.

David is currently ranked for Banking and Finance by Chambers UK and as a “Market Leader” in Banking and Finance, UK by IFLR1000. In 2020, David was named a “Band 1” lawyer in Banking & Finance: Leveraged & Acquisition Finance by Chambers Asia-Pacific and a “Market Leader” in Banking & Finance, Asia-Pacific by IFLR1000. He was also named a “Leading Individual” in Banking & Finance by Legal 500 Asia-Pacific 2019 & 2020 and one of the “Asia Best Lawyers 2020” by IFLR.

Prior to joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, David was co-head of the leveraged finance group at a magic circle law firm and practiced in the Hong Kong office of a major international law firm. David is admitted to practice in England and Wales and South Africa.

David’s experience includes advising:*

  • RedBird Capital Partners, Oaktree Capital Management, AC Milan and Inter Milan on the bridge financing for acquisition of the San Siro Stadium
  • Partners Group on the private credit financing for Afileon Group
  • Partners Group on the financing for The Key Group
  • Eurazeo on the financing aspects of its acquisition of Mapal
  • TGS ASA on the US$550m senior secured notes offering and US$215m super senior credit facilities to refinance its existing indebtedness.
  • Brookfield Capital Partners on the financing for their recommended offer for the £2.2bn take-private of Network International PLC.
  • RedBird IMI on the financing for its £1.15bn acquisition of All3Media, a leading global independent TV and film production, digital, and distribution group headquartered in the UK.
  • Rhone Capital on the amendment and extension and recapitalisation of the senior and PIK facilities for Ask Chemicals.
  • SoftBank Vision Fund: advising SVF on multiple financings including the flagship NAV facility for SoftBank Vision Fund II.
  • IK Partners on multiple financings including:
    • the take-private of The Medica Group Plc; and
    • the acquisition of Ipsum Group Limited.
  • Hillhouse Investment Management on numerous transactions, including:
    • the EUR TLB and SSN leveraged financing for the US$3.7bn acquisition of the Philips Domestic Appliances business; and
    • the US$11.6bn acquisition of GLP (SGX: MC0).
  • Carlyle on multiple transactions, including:
    • the leveraged financing for its acquisition of VXI Global Solutions; and
    • the US$2.08bn acquisition of the McDonald’s operations in China and Hong Kong.
  • The PIK investors on the take-private leveraged financing for Carlyle’s acquisition of Hexaware.
  • KKR on multiple transactions including:
    • the leveraged financing for the acquisition of the NVC Lighting business;
    • the leveraged financing for the investment by KKR and GIC in Metro Pacific Hospitals;
    • the leveraged financing of its acquisition of EuroKids pre-school chain; and
    • the financing for its investment in Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd.
  • Blackstone Capital Partners on multiple transactions including:
    • the leveraged financing for the acquisition of a controlling stake in Essel Propak;
    • the leveraged financing for its buy-out of Shya Hsin;
    • the leveraged financing for its acquisition of at least 84% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s stake in Mphasis, in a deal valued at up to US$1.1bn; and
    • the opco/propco leveraged financing the acquisition of Global Sources.
  • Advent on multiple transactions including:
    • the leveraged financing for the acquisition of Manjushree Technopack;
    • the leveraged financing for the acquisition of Bharat Serums & Vaccines LTD.
  • Apax on multiple transactions including:
    • The leveraged financing for the acquisition of Healthium Medtech.

*Some of these representations occurred prior to David’s association with Gibson Dunn.

Joseph Charney is an associate in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the Litigation Practice Group.

Before joining the firm, Joseph served as a clerk to Judge Robert J. Shelby of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah. 

Joseph received his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2024, where he was named a James Kent Scholar.  At Columbia, Joseph worked as a staff editor on the Columbia Journal of Transnational Law and served as a teaching assistant for legal writing and criminal appeals courses.

Joseph graduated from Northwestern University in 2020, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism and psychology with honors.

Joseph is admitted to practice in the State of California.

Jessica L. Wagner is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson Dunn. She practices in the firm’s Litigation Department where she is a member of the Appellate and Constitutional Law, and Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Groups.

Jessica specializes in helping clients navigate complex, high-stakes litigation.  Much of Jessica ‘s work focuses on briefing and arguing cases in federal and state courts of appeals, but she has developed significant experience advising clients in the technology, telecommunications, and transportation industries at all stages of litigation—from potential claims to the U.S. Supreme Court.  Jessica has special expertise in cases involving preemption, Section 230, the First Amendment, sanctions, terrorism, judgment enforcement, and foreign sovereign immunity.  She also routinely advises clients on regulatory and administrative law matters, challenging agency action before agencies and in court.

Representative matters include:

  • Secured unanimous Supreme Court decision holding that social media companies are not liable under the Anti-Terrorism Act for providing routine, arms-length services.
  • Secured dismissal and affirmance before Fourth Circuit of claims against social media service arising out of offline, third-party shooting on Section 230 grounds.
  • Secured dismissal and Seventh Circuit affirmance of claims by municipality to impose local fees on major streaming service.
  • Defending a major airline from a putative class action challenging emissions from ordinary aircraft operations.
  • Secured Fifth Circuit victory for major railroad challenging agency denial of waiver to implement new track inspection technology.
  • Secured dismissal and Second Circuit affirmance of putative class action brought by consumers challenging beverage labeling.
  • Represented telecommunications industry group in “net neutrality” litigation before U.S. Supreme Court.
  • Representing victims of terrorism pursuing Iranian assets involved in the largest crypto heist in history.
  • Secured $5 billion judgment for victims of terrorism against the Taliban.
  • Secured D.C. Circuit victory for victims of terrorism pursuing blocked Iranian assets under the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act.

Jessica served as a law clerk to Justice Samuel A. Alito on the Supreme Court of the United States, Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and Judge Jerry E. Smith on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.  Jessica earned her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law where she received the Thomas Marshall Miller Prize and served as a Notes Editor for the Virginia Law Review. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in government from Patrick Henry College, where she received the Trustees’ Academic Excellence Award for finishing first in her class.

Jessica is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, Montana, the United States Supreme Court, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second, Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, Ninth, Eleventh, and D.C. Circuits, and the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

Ariel Harroch is a partner in the Paris office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Merger and Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice Groups.

Ariel has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions and private equity representations. He combines a deep understanding of technical tax issues with practical commercial deal experience, rendering him particularly adept at transaction structuring. Furthermore, Ariel has developed specific expertise advising on investments in public companies and corporate law aspects of restructuring matters for listed companies.

Ariel advises French and international corporations and investment funds on strategic investments, LBOs, cross-border transactions, joint-ventures, corporate governance matters, management of equity plans, and reorganizations, in a variety of industry sectors (including telecommunications, media, financial services, retail, hospitality, logistics, and real estate).

Chambers Europe recommends Ariel for Corporate/M&A (High-end Capability) where he is described as “very business-oriented, pragmatic and proactive.” Clients have consistently highlighted that “he is extremely helpful, seasoned and experienced”; “he has very good judgement and can go beyond technicalities to give personal ideas on what will work or not.” Previous editions mentioned he is a “well-recognized lawyer on the market [who] offers complete advice to clients ” on the tax structuring of corporate transactions.

The Legal 500 EMEA recommends him for M&A highlighting that he “brings a distinct combination of tax and corporate law expertise to the table and is particularly skilled in transaction structuring”; he “stands out for his combined corporate and tax expertise.” He is also listed for Private Equity, where clients report that he is a “remarkable professional with an ability to reassure clients, find solutions, and facilitate constructive exchanges with the opposing parties”.

Best Lawyers in France also consistently praises Ariel as a leading lawyer in France for Corporate, Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity, and Tax Law.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Ariel practiced as a partner at a leading French law firm.

Admitted to the Paris Bar, Ariel graduated from Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC) in 1990 and from University Paris XI with a Masters in International Tax law in the same year.

He speaks French and English fluently.

Jefferson E. Bell is a partner in the New York office of Gibson Dunn and is a member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. Jeff has extensive experience in a wide variety of complex business and commercial disputes in federal and state courts, with an emphasis on financial services litigation, securities litigation, class actions, commercial real estate disputes, and antitrust matters.

Representative public matters include:

  • UBS: Represented UBS in multiple matters including the following:
    • More than 30 federal class-action and individual lawsuits involving the alleged manipulation of LIBOR and other interest rate benchmarks. Multiple district courts have dismissed suits in their entirety and UBS alone defeated certification of the three principle class actions in the leading multi-district litigation. The complete summary judgment victory in the 2025 US Dollar LIBOR MDL earned Jeff and the UBS team recognition as “Litigator of the Week Runner-Up” by The American Lawyer and “Legal Lions of the Week” by Law360.
    • Antitrust class action litigation involving the alleged manipulation of the market for GSE Bonds by sixteen of the world’s largest financial institutions.
    • Antitrust class action litigation alleging the manipulation of ICE LIBOR by the banks that make up the submission panel earned global recognition as “Litigation of the Year — Cartel Defense” in the Global Competition Review Awards.
  • AIG: Represented an AIG affiliate in its lengthy high-profile civil RICO, fraud, and breach of contract trial in the Southern District of New York against an originator of life settlements, which resulted in a successful settlement and was recognized by Benchmark Litigation as its “Impact Case of the Year” in 2016.
  • BlackRock: Represented BlackRock in litigation alleging a purported criminal conspiracy with PIMCO to target MBS mortgage servicers.
  • TPG: Represented TPG in connection with commercial real estate litigation in multiple New York courts.
  • Chevron: Represented Chevron in the action that won a judgment of civil RICO liability against defendants for using corrupt means to obtain a $9 billion dollar judgment against Chevron in an environmental case brought in the courts of Ecuador.
  • Royal Bank of Scotland: Represented RBS in successful resolution of a lawsuit alleging fraud in the sales of $300 billion dollars of residential mortgage-backed certificates.
  • Guggenheim Securities: Represented Guggenheim Securities in connection with its litigation financial advisory practice in multiple matters.
  • JPMorgan Chase: Represented JPMorgan Chase in connection with False Claims Act and FIRREA claims brought by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York related to mortgage-related government insurance program, including conducting a significant internal investigation related to these issues. Successfully resolved investigation and related qui tam litigation.
  • Represented boards of various public companies in connection with lawsuits arising out of strategic transactions, including directors at Yahoo! and Diamond Resorts.
  • Represented multiple financial services firms, including Blackstone, Apollo, and KKR in connection with commercial real estate disputes.

Jeff received his Juris Doctor cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2006. At Harvard Law School, Jeff was an articles editor for the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. Prior to law school, Jeff was a business strategy consultant for American Express in New York. He graduated from Harvard College in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering.

Jeff is admitted to practice before the Southern and Eastern District Courts of New York, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, as well as New York state courts.

Katie Townsend is a Partner in the Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. offices of Gibson Dunn, Co‑Chair of the firm’s First Amendment and Free Expression Practice Group, and a member of the Litigation and Media, Entertainment & Technology Practice Groups. An accomplished litigator with deep expertise in media and First Amendment law, Katie represents and advises individual and corporate clients across the media, entertainment, and technology sectors on high‑stakes litigation and complex legal issues.

Katie returned to Gibson Dunn in 2025, after serving as the Deputy Executive Director & Legal Director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, where she oversaw the non-profit organization’s legal services portfolio, including its amicus curiae practice and the litigation and legal advising work of Reporters Committee attorneys. In that role, she represented the Reporters Committee, news organizations, and individual journalists, including documentary filmmakers, in media and First Amendment litigation in state and federal courts across the country at both the trial and appellate levels.

Katie began her legal career as an Associate at Gibson Dunn, where she represented media and non-media clients alike, including major entertainment studios, in contract disputes, intellectual property disputes involving claims of copyright and trademark infringement, and disputes involving claims of defamation and compelled speech.

Recent Representative Experience*:

  • Obtained landmark federal appellate decision establishing a presumption of public access to warrant applications and other judicial records in Stored Communications Act and Pen Register Act matters (In re Application of Jason Leopold to Unseal Certain Electronic Surveillance Applications and Orders, 964 F.3d 1121 (D.C. Cir. 2020)).
  • Secured favorable, leading federal appellate decision interpreting the “foreseeable harm” provision of the federal Freedom of Information Act (Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and The Associated Press v. Federal Bureau of Investigation, et al. 3 F.4th 350 (D.C. Cir. 2021)).
  • Secured the dismissal of defamation claims against a journalist under the D.C. Anti-SLAPP Act.
  • Secured the dismissal of defamation and other claims against a media organization under California’s anti-SLAPP law.
  • Represented a news organization in its successful First Amendment challenge to a Connecticut state law barring press and public access to certain criminal trials and judicial records (Hartford Courant Company v. Carroll, 986 F.3d 211 (2d Cir. 2021)).
  • Secured a federal appellate decision in favor of a coalition of journalists and historians seeking to obtain access to transcripts from a historically significant WWII-era grand jury investigation (Carlson v. United States, 837 F.3d 753 (7th Cir. 2016)).
  • Representing a coalition of media organizations, obtained a preliminary injunction barring enforcement of an Indiana state law that burdened newsgathering on constitutional grounds.
  • Defeated an agency’s attempt to charge a reporter more than $174,000 to obtain records he had requested under the federal Freedom of Information Act. 
  • Obtained groundbreaking civil rights settlement on behalf of public radio journalist wrongfully arrested by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies while covering a protest.
  • Successfully represented broadcast journalist in civil rights lawsuit arising out of his wrongful arrest covering a press conference in Ohio.
  • Secured the reversal of a federal district court order denying a news organization’s motion to unseal search warrant materials from government investigation of a U.S. Senator.
  • Successfully defended individual, non-party journalists against subpoenas seeking source information and other journalistic work product in state and federal matters, including under California state law.

Katie has been recognized by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers since its inaugural list in 2025, and has been recognized by Washingtonian magazine as one of “Washington, DC’s Top Lawyers: First Amendment and Media since 2022. In May 2014, Katie was named a “Rising Star”—one of the nation’s top media and entertainment attorneys under the age of 40—by Law360. In 2015, The National Law Journal recognized her as a Washington, D.C. “Rising Star,” and that same year, the Hollywood Reporter named her part of the “Next Gen—Hollywood’s Up-and-Coming Execs 35 and Under.”

Katie is a Member of the Governing Board of the American Bar Association Forum on Communications Law, a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a member of the advisory committee for the Council for Court Excellence’s Bench-Bar-Media Dialogue. She has served as a member of the International Documentary Association’s Enterprise Documentary Fund Advisory Committee, and as a Member of the Steering Committee, Steering Committee Co-Chair, and Chair of the Media Law Committee of the Arts, Entertainment, Media, and Sports Law Community of the DC Bar. 

Katie received her J.D. in 2007 from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she served on the Virginia Law Review editorial board. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Florida in 2005 with a B.A. in English and a B.S. in Telecommunications – News. 

Katie is admitted to practice law in California, New York, and the District of Columbia.

*Includes matters handled prior to joining Gibson Dunn.

Ilissa Samplin is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Ilissa serves as co-chair of the firm’s Media, Entertainment and Technology Practice Group. She also is a member of Gibson Dunn’s Litigation, Intellectual Property, and Trials Practice Groups.

Ilissa’s practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and trials, entertainment and technology disputes, and intellectual property litigation and counseling. She has represented corporate and individual clients in the media, entertainment, and technology industries in a wide range of litigation in both federal and state court, including breach of contract, unfair competition, copyright, trademark, trade secret, and antitrust matters. Ilissa also regularly advises clients on intellectual property policies and compliance. In addition, she has experience drafting life rights, intellectual property, and licensing agreements and cease and desist letters for clients in the entertainment and technology sectors, as well as advising entertainment clients on profit participation and related accounting practices.

Chambers USA ranks Ilissa among the leading practitioners in four practice areas: IP: Trade Secrets Nationwide, Litigation: General Commercial in California, Media & Entertainment: Litigation in California, and IP: Trademark, Copyright, and Trade Secrets in California. The Legal 500 recognizes Ilissa as a “Leading Partner” in media and entertainment litigation and a “Next Generation Lawyer” in trade secrets. Ilissa has been named to Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Litigators in America guide each year from 2023-2026 and Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports, and Media Lawyers guide for 2025 and 2026. The Daily Journal named Ilissa one of the top trade secrets lawyers in California in 2024, and one of the top 40 lawyers in California under 40 in 2022.  Benchmark Litigation has repeatedly recognized her on its 40 & Under list of “top emerging talent in litigation,” as well as naming her a “Future Star.” The Hollywood Reporter named Ilissa to its 2025 “Power Lawyers” list of the top 100 lawyers in Hollywood, the Los Angeles Times named her among its “Entertainment Business Visionaries” for 2025, and Variety has featured Ilissa in its Legal Impact Report each year from 2020-2025. She has been named to The World Trademark Review 1000: The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals 2023 through 2026 editions. Ilissa was recognized as a “Rising Star” in Media and Entertainment by Law360 and Euromoney in their 2022 publications, Euromoney Legal Media Group named her as the national 2021 Litigation Rising Star at its Women in Business Law Awards, and she has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America ® as “One to Watch” in Entertainment and Sports Law. Super Lawyers consistently names Ilissa a “Rising Star” in General Litigation in Southern California. In addition, Ilissa was part of the team that earned recognition in the Daily Journal ’s 2020 “Top Verdicts” for a bench trial win for AMC in a profit participation case concerning The Walking Dead.

Representative Trials:

  • Achieved a complete victory for AMC on all issues tried in a first phase bench trial in Los Angeles, in a long-running profit participation and breach of contract litigation concerning the television series, The Walking Dead. Subsequently achieved summary judgment for AMC on a remaining breach of implied covenant claim. Represented AMC in related profit participation and breach of contract litigations in New York.
  • Represented VOOM HD Holdings, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation, in a multibillion dollar breach of contract action against DISH Network. The four-week jury trial ended in a lucrative settlement valued at over $1 billion, one of the largest settlements in a breach of contract case in New York State Court history.
  • Achieved a complete victory for a confidential client in a multi-million dollar profit participation arbitration after a two-week hearing.
  • Represented Hewlett Packard Enterprise against claims of copyright infringement, tortious interference, and unfair competition brought by Oracle in a lawsuit relating to a subcontractor’s handling of components of an Oracle Operating System. Achieved summary judgment in part, based on statute of limitations arguments, which was affirmed by the Ninth Circuit on appeal. Defended Hewlett Packard Enterprise in a 3-week jury trial, after which the parties settled on confidential terms.
  • Achieved a complete victory for a confidential client, as the claimant, in a multimillion-dollar ICC arbitration related to power supply contracts.
  • Representation of Rimini Street, a leading software support services provider, in copyright, false advertising, and unfair competition litigation against Oracle in the District of Nevada. Represented Rimini Street in two bench trials in connection with this matter and on appeal.
  • Represented a confidential client in a multimillion-dollar breach of contract and conversion action in California State Court. The team’s aggressive pre-trial briefing strategy secured significant victories for the client, and ultimately a favorable settlement on the eve of trial.
  • Achieved a favorable verdict under the Fair Labor Standards Act for an individual client in New York Federal Court.

Representative Entertainment and Intellectual Property Matters:

  • Securing a major summary judgment victory on willfulness damages, for a leading digital download service provider, in multiple copyright infringement litigations related to musical compositions. The first time a court has held on summary judgment that a digital service provider’s reliance on contractual representations from its content providers can preclude a finding of willful infringement. As a result of the Court’s ruling, plaintiffs’ maximum possible damages award decreased by 80%. Also won Daubert motions resulting in the exclusion of the opinions of three of plaintiffs’ experts at trial.
  • Securing dismissal with prejudice, on behalf of Verizon Media, Yahoo, AOL, and Oath Holdings of trademark infringement claims in two lawsuits brought by Evox in California Federal Court, which was affirmed on appeal to the Ninth Circuit. Achieved favorable settlement of remaining copyright infringement claims.
  • Successfully represented WBTV in confidential profit participation arbitrations.
  • Securing summary judgment for a major digital download service provider in a copyright infringement litigation based on a successful fair use defense.
  • Securing dismissal with prejudice, on behalf of SoundCloud Limited and SoundCloud Inc., of a trade secrets misappropriation action brought by Beatport concerning online music streaming platforms.
  • Securing dismissal with prejudice of trade secret misappropriation and related claims against Oath Holdings, a subsidiary of Verizon, in a lawsuit filed by Investment Science in New York Federal Court. Obtained novel holding that an implied contract of confidentiality does not constitute a reasonable measure to protect a trade secret.
  • Successfully convinced district court to grant Campari America’s motion to stay a trademark litigation filed by the plaintiff pending resolution of the parties’ ongoing proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
  • Achieving default judgment for CrossFit in two trademark infringement and breach of contract litigations arising out of the activities of former CrossFit licensees in Mexico.
  • Securing dismissal with prejudice on behalf of CBS board members in a putative securities class action.
  • Achieving a favorable settlement for Big Fish Entertainment and REELZ against copyright infringement, trademark infringement, and unfair competition claims brought by A&E in connection with On Patrol: Live.
  • Achieving a favorable settlement for Theory Entertainment in a breach of contract and conversion action brought by a former executive, after near complete success on a motion to dismiss.
  • Achieving a favorable settlement for Korn Ferry in a misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of contract litigation brought by competitor, Heidrick & Struggles.
  • Achieving a favorable settlement for Korn Ferry in a misappropriation of trade secrets and tortious interference litigation brought by competitor, Spencer Stuart.
  • Achieving a favorable settlement for a leading mobile gaming company in a trade secrets misappropriation, breach of contract, and fraud litigation.
  • Achieving a favorable settlement for a cosmetics company in a misappropriation of trade secrets litigation.
  • Achieving a favorable settlement for Huda Beauty in a copyright infringement litigation.
  • Achieving a favorable settlement for Onyx Renewable Partners in a trade secrets misappropriation and breach of contract and fiduciary duty litigation against its former general counsel.
  • Achieving a favorable settlement for a social media application and its two co-founders in a bet-the-company dispute that included claims for breach of joint venture agreement, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty.
  • Achieving a favorable settlement for a major technology firm in a trade secrets misappropriation, breach of contract, and breach of loyalty dispute with a former executive.
  • Representing WBTV, WarnerMedia Direct, John Wells Productions, John Wells, Noah Wyle, and Scott Gemmill in a breach of contract action filed by the Michael Crichton Estate relating to a forthcoming medical drama, The Pitt—in which the Plaintiff claims that The Pitt is impermissibly derivative of ER.
  • Representing Range Media Partners in a lawsuit filed by Creative Artists Agency related to departures from CAA.
  • Representing HSBC and employees in a trade secrets and breach of contract action brought by First Citizens Bank, relating to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. Achieved a favorable ruling on a motion to dismiss significantly cutting down the claims and defendants at issue in the case.
  • Representing Applied Materials in trade secres misappropriation litigation against Mattson Technology.
  • Representing Cadence Design Systems in multiple copyright infringement and DMCA-related litigations.

Representative Commercial Litigation Matters:

  • Securing dismissal with prejudice, on behalf of Hewlett-Packard, of a nationwide consumer class action brought on behalf of purchasers of numerous models of HP printers, asserting unfair trade practices, misrepresentations, tortious interference, violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and trespass to chattels based on firmware updates to the printers.
  • Securing dismissal, on the grounds of forum non conveniens, on behalf of General Electric and subsidiaries in a tortious interference action filed in the Southern District of New York, arising from prior proceedings under 28 U.S.C. § 1782. The Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal on appeal and the Supreme Court denied certiorari.
  • Securing dismissal on behalf of General Electric subsidiaries of two follow-on tortious interference actions filed in the District of Connecticut. 
  • Successfully obtaining 28 U.S.C. § 1782 discovery (discovery in aid of a foreign proceeding) on behalf of hedge fund manager, Louis Bacon, the founder of Moore Capital Management, and deposed key witnesses in a subsequent $100 million defamation action brought by Mr. Bacon.
  • Achieving a favorable settlement for Modern Health in a founders’ dispute litigation, involving claims of wrongful termination, retaliation, breach of contract, defamation, and tortious interference.
  • Representing Yahoo in consolidated privacy class actions related to Yahoo ConnectID.
  • Representing Hewlett-Packard in an antitrust lawsuit related to ink cartridges.

From 2012 to 2013, Ilissa served as Law Clerk to the Honorable Joseph F. Bianco, then of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Ilissa received her Juris Doctor degree in 2011 from Stanford Law School. While at Stanford, she served as a Managing Editor of the Stanford Journal of Law, Business, and Finance, President of the Stanford Entertainment and Sports Law Association, and a member of the Cyberlaw Clinic. Ilissa received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College in 2008, where she graduated summa cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Ilissa is admitted to practice in the States of California and New York and is a member of the bars of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth and Second Circuits and the United States District Courts for the Central and Northern Districts of California and the Southern District of New York. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles chapter of Friends of the Children, an organization that provides mentoring for children of youth who have been in the foster care system.