Kory Hines is a senior litigation associate in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.
Kory’s practice focuses on complex civil litigation. He has substantial experience in a broad range of subject areas, including trade secret disputes, defamation and breach-of-contract matters, civil rights actions, and internal investigations. In particular, Kory has significant experience litigating class actions involving consumer protection, data privacy, securities, and wage-and-hour claims.
Kory has litigated in a wide variety of federal and state courts at both the trial and appellate levels, including various federal district courts and courts of appeals as well as state courts in California, Delaware, and New York. He has successfully argued motions and appeals.
Kory’s practice spans all phases of litigation, from pre‑suit investigations and pleadings through dispositive motions, appeals, and settlements. Kory is also often deeply involved in all aspects of discovery. He regularly works with clients and vendors on complex preservation and e-discovery matters, written and expert discovery, and discovery dispute briefing. Kory has taken and defended both fact and expert depositions.
Kory’s representative matters include:
- Representing Meta Platforms, Inc. in a collection of high-stakes data privacy class actions.
- Representing C&S Wholesale Grocers, LLC in multiple breach-of-contract litigations.
- Representing Apple Inc. in a multi-district class action involving consumer protection claims.
- Represented Archer Aviation Inc. in bet-the-company litigation involving trade secret and defamation claims.
- Represented Amazon.com, Inc. in employment litigation and investigations.
- Represented the University of Southern California in mass action litigation based on alleged employee misconduct.
- Represented J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. in a wage-and-hour class action.
- Represented many companies and corporate boards in confidential internal investigations.
Kory maintains an active pro bono practice as well. He has led Gibson Dunn teams that successfully obtained asylum in the United States for refugees. Kory has also argued an appeal in New York state court, obtaining a rare reversal of an indigent defendant’s criminal conviction.
Kory received his J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2017, where he was a managing editor of the Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems. During law school, he externed for the Honorable Gerard E. Lynch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the Honorable Esther Salas of the District of New Jersey, and the Honorable Vera M. Scanlon of the Eastern District of New York.
Before law school, Kory worked as a legislative aide in the Wisconsin State Senate after earning his B.A. with distinction from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2013.
Kory is admitted to practice law in the State of New York.
Laura O’Boyle is a litigation partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Laura focuses her practice on complex commercial and business disputes, including securities and M&A litigation, fraud and breach of contract matters, and media & technology-related investigations and disputes. She is a first chair trial lawyer who has tried numerous cases in New York courts, the Delaware Court of Chancery and private arbitration. Laura has been named a Rising Star in Securities Litigation by Law360.
Representative matters include:
- Ongoing representation of the National Football League in separate tortious interference cases pending in New York and Nevada
- Ongoing representation of Estée Lauder in a putative shareholder class action involving alleged violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act against the company and former executives
- Trial counsel to Star America Rail Holdco in an expedited proceeding before the Delaware Court of Chancery relating to the termination of portfolio company CEO; secured complete judgment in Star America’s favor and an award of fee shifting for opposing party’s bad faith conduct
- Trial counsel to The Nielsen Company in two expedited litigations before the Delaware Court of Chancery relating to a business divesture; secured permanent injunction in Nielen’s favor
- Represented the founders and early employees of the popular dating app Tinder in multibillion-dollar litigation against InterActiveCorp and Match Group, Tinder’s parent companies, in New York State Supreme Court; secured $441M public settlement for clients after a nearly four-week jury trial
- Secured final award in favor of publicly traded company in confidential arbitration relating to interpretation of operating agreement with affiliate
- Secured significant trial verdict for Susquehanna Growth Equity in Delaware Chancery Court action alleging fraud in connection with sale of portfolio company
- Won dismissal of securities class action and parallel derivative litigation against Marriott arising from data breach
- Represented PepsiCo in breach of contract action brought by two independent bottlers
- Secured summary judgment in favor of Blink Health in dispute with investor attempting to claim a significant stake in the company
- Represented board of major pharmaceutical company in connection with shareholder demand investigation
- Represented hedge fund in proxy contest in New Jersey Chancery Court, resulting in successful settlement
- Represented Merck in derivative action challenging company’s tax disclosures, securing dismissal at the pleading stage; affirmed on appeal by New Jersey Appellate Division
- Represented well-known comedian in high-profile defamation action, securing complete dismissal of lawsuit at the pleading stage
- Represented celebrity author and publishing company in copyright and trademark infringement lawsuit, securing victories at both the trial and appellate level
- Represented television production company in lawsuit alleging breach by network of distribution contract, securing favorable settlement for client
- Represented international technology company in Delaware Chancery Court action alleging breach of product development agreement, securing favorable settlement on the eve of trial
- Represented Fortune 500 company in an SEC investigation of financial reporting issues; SEC staff closed the investigation with no enforcement action or penalty
- Represented international staffing company in successful effort to enjoin former employees and a competitor from violating non-compete and misappropriating trade secrets
- Represented leading technology company in regulatory inquiry relating to online products, which was ultimately closed without action
- Represented Big 4 accounting firm in wage-and-hour class actions pending in multiple jurisdictions
Laura also maintains a robust pro bono practice, and has successfully represented multiple individuals in asylum proceedings, as well as numerous clients through Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts.
Laura graduated with distinction from Stanford Law School, where she served as vice-president of the Stanford Public Interest Law Foundation, a research assistant for the Stanford Law School Center for E-Commerce, and a member of the Stanford Journal of International Law and the Stanford Judicial Review. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, in Public Policy from Brown University, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Laura has served tenures on the firm’s Hiring, Diversity and Community Affairs Committees.
Laura is admitted to practice in the State of New York, and before the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
Diana M. Feinstein is a partner in the Century City office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She is a member of the firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations, Litigation, and Class Actions Practice Groups.
Diana’s practice centers on white collar defense and investigations, with a particular emphasis on complex internal investigations and enforcement matters brought by the Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Federal Trade Commission. She regularly advises companies, boards and senior executives in high-stakes matters involving criminal, civil and regulatory exposure.
In recognition of her work, Diana has been selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in the field of Criminal Defense: White Collar. She was also named one of the Top 100 Lawyers by the Los Angeles Business Journal in 2026. In addition to her investigations practice, she represents clients in complex litigation, including consumer class actions, securities disputes and high-value commercial litigation.
Diana’s experience spans a wide range of industries, including technology, financial services, entertainment, insurance, healthcare, transportation, real estate, manufacturing and consumer products. Drawing on her dual investigations and litigation practice, she has deep expertise navigating parallel proceedings involving criminal, civil and regulatory components, particularly in crisis-driven matters where early strategic decision-making is critical.
She also has significant experience managing electronic discovery and digital forensics, which frequently play a central role in large-scale investigations and complex disputes. Diana is a frequent speaker on issues such as attorney-client privilege, parallel proceedings and electronic discovery.
Diana earned her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 2007. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 2004, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in History. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Legal Network for the Jewish Federation Los Angeles and previously served on the Board of the Western Center on Law & Poverty.
Diana is admitted to practice in California and New York.
Representative Internal Investigation and Government Enforcement Defense Experience
- Representing global franchisor in investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, and several State Attorney General Offices, as well as parallel civil litigation.
- Conducted internal investigation on behalf of special committee of independent directors of a pharmaceutical company regarding allegations of executive misconduct.
- Conducted internal investigation on behalf of special committee of independent directors of international gaming company regarding adequacy of internal controls.
- Conducted internal investigation on behalf of the board of directors of a global nutrition and supplement company regarding anti-money laundering controls.
- Conducted internal investigation for global data storage company regarding intellectual property issues.
- Conducted internal investigation for global retailer regarding product compliance and trade control issues.
- Represented top social networking company in investigation by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
- Representing climate finance company and board member in investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Justice, and Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
- Represented technology company in investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice stemming from IPO disclosures, resulting in declinations from both government regulators.
- Represented international bank in nonpublic investigation by Department of Justice and United States Attorney’s Office for alleged violations of anti-money laundering laws and regulations, including the Bank Secrecy Act.
- Represented international gaming company in nonpublic investigation by Department of Justice and United States Attorney’s Office for alleged violations of anti-money laundering laws and regulations, including the Bank Secrecy Act.
- Represented investment management firm in connection with various regulatory and criminal investigations arising from trades in mortgage-backed securities.
Representative Civil Litigation Experience
Technology, Privacy & IP Litigation
- Representing a leading social networking company in litigation alleging violations of Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).
- Successfully represented Archer Aviation, a leading eVTOL aircraft company, in trade secret litigation and the prosecution of defamation counterclaims, securing key victories including defeat of a preliminary injunction motion, significant narrowing of claims at summary judgment, and defeat of the plaintiff’s summary judgment motion.
- Defended a major technology manufacturer in nationwide multidistrict litigation (MDL 2827), obtaining early dismissal with prejudice of all statutory and common law fraud claims.
Mass Actions & Complex Employment Litigation
- Obtained decertification of a class of more than 11,000 J.B. Hunt truck drivers on the eve of trial in a long-running wage and hour action.
- Defended the University of Southern California in coordinated mass action litigation arising from alleged employee misconduct, including parallel civil litigations and regulatory investigations.
Toxic Tort & Large-Scale Discovery
- Coordinated extensive discovery and managed damages experts in the defense of a mass toxic tort action brought by more than 400 former workers against an international engineering firm.
Securities & Financial Litigation
- Secured a rare reversal by the New York Appellate Division of a denial of summary judgment on behalf of Trust Company of the West (TCW), establishing that alleged losses were caused by the financial crisis rather than management conduct.
- Obtained voluntary dismissal with prejudice of a putative securities class action concerning foreign exchange practices on behalf of multiple global financial institutions and underwriters.
Arthur Halliday is an associate in Gibson Dunn’s Los Angeles office, where he practices as an environmental litigator. He represents clients in complex litigation, government investigations, and compliance matters primarily relating to environmental law.
Arthur’s representative environmental experience includes:
- Ongoing representation of a power company in civil and regulatory matters relating to a battery energy storage facility.
- Representation of an aerospace company through a federal jury trial in a class action alleging groundwater contamination.
- Ongoing representation of an electric vehicle manufacturer in complex litigation.
- Provided compliance advice and interfaced with the California Department of Justice on behalf of a client facing a CERCLA investigation.
- Pro bono representation of a non-profit related to the conservation of land in California.
- Pro bono representation of a non-profit facing a Prop. 65 claim.
Arthur maintains an active pro bono practice with a focus on immigration and immigrants’ rights issues. He currently represents immigration legal service providers in challenges to the federal government’s decisions to end programs providing legal representation to unaccompanied non-citizen children and legal orientation programs to non-citizens. Additionally, Arthur represents individuals seeking asylum and other immigration relief in the United States. He is a member of the firm’s Immigration Task Force.
Arthur earned his law degree in 2022 from Columbia Law School, where he was named a James Kent Scholar and awarded the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Prize. At Columbia, Arthur worked as an Articles Editor on the Columbia Journal of Law & Social Problems. He also served as co-president of the California Society, as a research assistant for Professor Elizabeth Emens, and as a teaching assistant for Professor Jane Ginsburg and Professor Michael Gerrard.
Arthur graduated from Wesleyan University in 2016, earning a bachelor’s degree with High Honors in the College of Social Studies.
Arthur is a member of the State Bar of California and is admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Central, Northern, and Southern Districts of California.
Annekatrin Pelster is of counsel in the Frankfurt office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity, Capital Markets and Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance Practice Groups.
Annekatrin advises corporate entities and private equity investors with a focus on public M&A transactions as well as corporate and securities law, including joint ventures, corporate structural measures, corporate governance, and capital markets compliance.
Handelsblatt/The Best Lawyers™ 2025/2026 list her among the best lawyers for Corporate Law and M&A in Germany.
Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Annekatrin was a corporate associate in the Frankfurt office of a renowned US law firm.
Annekatrin is fluent in German and English and advanced in French.
Experience
Representative transactions* include advising:
- Advent International and Centerbridge on the public tender offer for Aareal Bank AG.
- Advent International on the public tender offer for DOUGLAS Holding AG and the subsequent squeeze-out.
- Anheuser-Busch InBev on general corporate matters and various M&A transactions.
- Atlas Copco in connection with the €1.1 billion tender offer for ISRA VISION AG and the subsequent squeeze-out.
- Credit Suisse as financial advisor to Bain Capital and Carlyle in connection with the tender offer for OSRAM.
- Fair Value REIT-AG on the public tender offer by DEMIRE Deutsche Mittelstand Real Estate AG.
- Fosun International on the acquisition of a 23.16% stake in TOM TAILOR Holding AG.
- Hellman & Friedman on the IPO of Scout24 AG and a subsequent block trade.
- HJM Investment GmbH & Co. KG on the sale of a stake in RENOLIT SE and the acquisition of RKW SE.
- Lazard as financial advisor to the board of directors of RIB Software SE in connection with the tender offer for RIB Software SE by Schneider Electric SE; the supervisory board in connection with the tender offer for Axel Springer SE by KKR; and the supervisory board of Innogy in the tender offer for Innogy by E.ON.
- Lotto24 AG in connection with its delisting.
- Oaktree in connection with the voluntary public takeover offer for Deutsche Euro Shop AG.
- One Equity Partners on the acquisition of:
- transformer manufacturer SGB-SMIT from private equity investor BC Partners;
- Powertech Transformers Group by its portfolio company SGB-SMIT;
- Alltub Group, a market leader in aluminum and laminate specialty packaging for the cosmetics industry and other markets.
- Perella Weinberg Partners as financial advisor to Deutsche Börse in connection with the merger of Deutsche Börse and London Stock Exchange.
- Xella, a leading building materials company headquartered in Germany, and the Management Team on the sale of Xella to Lone Star.
*Includes Experience Prior To Joining Gibson Dunn
Simon Stöhlker is an associate in the Frankfurt office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Private Equity and Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Groups.
Simon advises strategic and financial investors on private equity and M&A transactions throughout the entire investment cycle, including advice on general corporate law matters. He also maintains an active pro bono practice.
He studied law at the University of Giessen, Germany, and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil. After completing his Second State Examination at the Higher Court of Frankfurt (Main), Germany, Simon obtained a Master’s Degree (LL.M.) in International Business & Economic Law from Georgetown University Law Center, Washington DC, in 2020.
Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, he worked as an associate in the New York and Frankfurt offices of a renowned U.S. law firm.
Simon is fluent in German and English.
Experience
Representative transactions* include advising:
- EQT in connection with the acquisition of ju:niz Energy GmbH.
- H.I.G. on its strategic investment in IT solutions company TIMETOACT.
- KKR on its growth investment in smaXtec, a leading provider of AI-powered agri-tech solutions for the global dairy industry.
- Stabilus SE in its $680 million acquisition of U.S. automation specialist DESTACO.
- PSA International Pte Ltd in its acquisition of a minority stake in Duisburg Gateway Terminal GmbH, operator of the first sustainable and 100% climate-neutral container terminal in the European hinterland.
- NielsenIQ and its owner Advent International on its merger with GfK SE, a portfolio company of private equity investor KKR.
- The shareholders of Aicuris Anti‑infective Cures on the €780 million sale to Asahi Kasei, through its subsidiary Veloxis Pharmaceuticals.
- The shareholders of ACXIT Capital Partners on the sale of the company to US investment bank Stifel Financial Corp.
- Investcorp Technology Partners on the €120 million sale of its portfolio company softgarden e-recruiting GmbH to Grupa Pracuj SA, a Polish HR tech company.
- Merck & Co., Inc. on its global reorganization in connection with the spin-off of its women’s health, trusted legacy brands and biosimilars businesses.
- Mubadala Capital on its acquisition of K-MAC Enterprises from Lee Equity Partners Opportunities Fund.
- Mill Rock Capital, a middle market private equity fund, in its acquisition of DRT Holdings, a manufacturer and supplier of precision tools and specialized components.
*Includes experience prior to joining Gibson Dunn
Yannick Oberacker is an associate in the Munich office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the firm‘s Antitrust and Competition, Privacy and Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and Technology Transactions Practice Groups.
Yannick advises clients on complex German and international transactions, focusing on IP/technology and antitrust.
He studied law at the Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg, focusing on corporate and trade law. During his legal clerkship, he worked for a renowned German car manufacturer in Munich.
Yannick obtained his Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in “Innovation, Technology and the Law” from the University of Edinburgh in 2021 focusing on the regulation of Artificial Intelligence. He has been admitted as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwalt) since 2022.
Prior to his LL.M. studies and to joining Gibson Dunn, Yannick worked in the Munich office of a renowned international law firm.
In addition to his native German, he is fluent in English and speaks French and Spanish.
U-Shaun Lim is an of counsel in the Singapore office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the firm’s Finance Practice Group. He is currently on secondment.
U-Shaun’s experience spans a range of markets including South and Southeast Asia. In his practice, he regularly represents sponsors, borrowers and lenders on complex cross-border leveraged and acquisition finance transactions as well as project finance, sustainable finance, debt buy-backs, asset-backed lending, receivables financing, reserves-based financings and pre-IPO financings. Recently, U-Shaun has been advising a number of lenders and borrowers on fund financings and loan transactions including subscription line, NAV and “hybrid” facilities.
In addition, he has extensive experience advising private equity, credit and hedge funds, as well as their portfolio companies on highly complex structured products and OTC derivative transactions, including credit default swaps, equity derivatives and stock-lending transactions. His experience also includes secondments to two leading investment banks as legal counsel to their prime brokerage and foreign-exchange desks.
U-Shaun is ranked as an “Associate to watch” for Banking & Finance: International in Singapore in Chambers Asia-Pacific Guide 2026. Clients say “we very much enjoy working with U-Shaun Lim. He is very bright, technically excellent and has a great attitude.” He is also recognized as a leading lawyer “Rising Star” in Banking by IFLR1000. He sits on various finance committees in Asia and is a member of the Indonesian Steering Committee of the Asia Pacific Loan Market Association (APLMA).
Prior to joining Gibson Dunn in 2015, U-Shaun was a senior associate in the Singapore office of a major international law firm, and before that, he spent five years at a Magic Circle firm in London.
He gained his Bachelor of Laws from University College London in 2005 and his law qualifications (LPC) from BPP with distinction in 2006. He is also an Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore. His working languages are English and Mandarin.
Recent Awards
- 2024: “Telecom Deal of the Year – Indonesia” by The Asset at its Triple A Sustainable Infrastructure Awards 2024.
- 2024: “Energy Transition Deal of the Year – Indonesia” by The Asset at its Triple A Sustainable Infrastructure Awards 2024.
- 2023: “Indonesian Transition Energy Refinancing Deal of the Year” by The Asset at its Triple A Sustainable Infrastructure Awards.
- 2022: “Indonesian Transition Energy Deal of the Year” by The Asset at its Triple A Sustainable Infrastructure Awards.
- 2022: “APAC Deal of the Year” by the Energy Council at its Asia Pacific Awards.
- 2021: “Debt Market Deal of the Year (Premium)” by Asian Legal Business at its Indonesia Law Awards.
- 2021: “Finance Deal of the Year: Insolvency and Restructuring” by The Asian Lawyer at its Asia Legal Awards.
- 2021: Finalist for “Restructuring Team of the Year” and “Restructuring Deal of the Year” by IFLR at its Asia-Pacific Awards.
- 2021: Finalist for “Debt Market Deal of the Year (Premium)” by Asian Legal Business at its SE Asia Law Awards.
- 2020: “Restructuring Deal of the Year” by IFLR at its Asia-Pacific Awards.
- 2020: Finalist for “Restructuring Team of the Year” by IFLR at its Asia-Pacific Awards.
- 2019: “Debt Market Deal of the Year” by Asian Legal Business at its SE Asia Law Awards; “Asia Pacific Upstream Oil & Gas Deal of the Year” by IJGlobal at its Asia Pacific Awards; “Indonesian Oil and Gas Deal of the Year” by The Asset at its Triple A Asia Infrastructure Awards.
- 2018: “Asia Pacific Oil & Gas Deal of the Year” by IJGlobal at its Asia Pacific Awards.
- 2017: “APAC Deal of the Year” by the Oil & Gas Council at its Asia Pacific Oil & Gas Awards.
- 2016: “Indonesian Project Finance Deal of the Year” by The Asset at its Asia Infrastructure Awards.
Chris Harding is a corporate partner in the San Francisco office of Gibson Dunn. He specializes in representing private equity firms and their portfolio companies on acquisitions, divestitures, growth equity investments, and general corporate matters. Chris advises on transactions in various industries, including enterprise software, data and technology, aerospace and defense, healthcare, business services, and consumer products and retail.
Representative Matters:
Veritas Capital in various acquisitions and sales, including:
-
acquisition of GHX
- acquisition of Cotiviti with KKR
- carve out of the Wood Mackenzie business from Verisk
Platinum Equity Advisors LLC in various acquisitions and sales, including:
- carve out of the energy business of Kohler Co.
- acquisition of Pelican Products
- acquisition of Petmate
- acquisition of Solenis Holdings
KKR and its portfolio companies in various investments, including:
- investment in Savyint
- recapitalization of Reliaquest
- acquisition of Agiloft
- acquisition of Digital Shadows, Inc.
- investment in Restaurant365
GI Partners and its portfolio companies in various acquisitions and sales, including:
- acquisition of AuSuM Systems
- acquisition of xPLM
- acquisition of Ion Wave
- acquisition of DamendStar Corporation
- acquisition of Reminder Services
- acquisition of MassageBook
- acquisition of Instec
- acquisition of Billing Management Services LLC
- acquisition of CodeObjects, Inc.
- acquisition of Virtual MGA
- acquisition of Equal Level, Inc.
- acquisition of Fonteva, LLC
- acquisition of Insurity, Inc.
- strategic investment in Access Holdings
- acquisition of Doxim, Inc.
- acquisition of Togetherwork
- recapitalizations of MRI Software with TA Associates and Harvest Partners
Liberty Hall Capital Partners
-
acquisition of Paxia
- Combination of Comply365 with Vistair and related investment by Insight Partners
Swander Pace in various acquisitions and sales, including:
- acquisition of Mommy’s Bliss
- acquisition and subsequent sale of Aden + Anais
- acquisition of Bragg Live Food Products
- acquisition of Café Valley
- acquisition and subsequent sale to a continuation vehicle of Captek Softgel
- acquisition of Functional Formularies
- acquisition of J&D Laboratories
- acquisition of J.R. Watkins
- acquisition of Passport Food Group
The Chernin Group in its $263 million strategic investment in Funko, Inc.
Chris earned his Juris Doctor from University of Virginia School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts in History, summa cum laude, from the University of California, Los Angeles. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Chris was a partner of a prominent international law firm and his representative transactions include those he led there.
He is admitted to practice in California and Oregon (inactive).
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*:
- Secured a significant victory on behalf of NBCUniversal and Peacock in New York state court, winning complete dismissal of a $100 defamation lawsuit filed by Sean “Diddy” Combs that arose from the documentary “Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy,” which aired on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming platform.
- Secured a significant victory on behalf of The New York Times in a First Amendment challenge to a press credentialing policy implemented by the Department of Defense, winning summary judgment for The Times and a permanent injunction against enforcement of the policy’s unconstitutional provisions.
- Successfully represented National Public Radio, Inc. in a First Amendment challenge to an executive order seeking to halt federal funding to NPR, obtaining a permanent injunction against enforcement of the executive order.
- 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 and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. She has served as a Steering Committee Member, 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 is a member of the Board of Directors of the Student Press Law Center and of the International Documentary Association.
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.
Adam M. Smith is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson Dunn and serves as co-chair of the firm’s International Trade Advisory and Enforcement, as well as the Sanctions and Export Enforcement Practice Groups. He is an experienced international lawyer with a focus on international trade compliance and white collar investigations, including federal and state economic sanctions enforcement, tariffs, CFIUS, embargoes, export and import controls, and anti-bribery/anti-corruption regulations.
Chambers USA and Chambers Global consistently rank Adam as a leading attorney in International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions. In those publications, clients describe Adam as “a terrific resource for clients” and a “reassuring lawyer in a complex area of law.” Most recently, Legal 500 US 2025 named Adam a “Leading Lawyer” in International trade: Customs, export controls and economic sanctions. Global Investigations Review has named him to its “25 Most Respected Sanctions Lawyers in Washington, D.C.” list, which features individuals who work on the most significant cases. The Best Lawyers in America® recognizes him for International Trade and Finance Law. Who’s Who Legal regularly recognizes him as a Thought Leader for Trade & Customs, International Sanctions, and in its Global Elite Guide.
Clients benefit from Adam’s experience in the Obama Administration, where he was Senior Advisor to the Director of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Director for Multilateral Affairs on the National Security Council. At OFAC, he was instrumental in shaping and enforcing sanctions policies, briefing Congressional and private sector leaders, conducting extensive international outreach, and negotiating complex agreements. On the National Security Council, he advised the President on international sanctions, coordinated inter-agency efforts, and developed strategies to counter corruption and promote asset recovery.
Representative Engagements
- Successfully represented a regional financial institution before OFAC and other agencies in responding to a subpoena following revelations of potentially sanctionable conduct.
- Assisted U.S. branch of a foreign financial institution in successfully responding to multi-agency regulatory inquiries and examinations.
- Ongoing sanctions representation for major corporation addressing multi-agency civil and criminal enforcement.
- Advised the board of directors of major financial institution in addressing sanctions governance short-falls and assisted the bank in developing robust policies, procedures, and training protocols.
- Providing ongoing sanctions, anti-corruption, and AML compliance advice to major financial institutions, Fortune 500 manufacturers, and insurers.
- Overhauled sanctions compliance oversight and processes at a major e-payments company.
- Retained by a Fortune 100 manufacturer to conduct an internal FCPA investigation and provided sanctions advice in the context of a proposed deal.
- Worked with a major manufacturer to obtain regulatory approvals for sale of products into high-risk jurisdiction and to manage ongoing licensing and compliance issues.
- Retained by a major cybercurrency enterprise to develop compliance procedures and engage with regulators.
Clients, governments, academia, and other law firms regularly seek Adam’s advice. He is a prominent thought leader, and his analysis regularly appears in print and broadcast media, including in The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and on BBC and NPR. He is the author of three legal texts and dozens of articles and book chapters, has testified before the U.S. Congress and the U.K. Parliament, and is a frequent presenter at industry, governmental, and academic conferences globally.
Adam is a 2006 magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School where he was a Chayes Fellow, the recipient of the Laylin Prize for the best work in international law, and the Senior Editor of the Harvard International Law Journal. He graduated magna cum laude from Brown University in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Economics, and an MPhil in Politics from Oxford University in 1998 where he was the Seaton Scholar in Politics at St. Hugh’s College. Following law school, Adam served as a law clerk for the Honorable James Baker on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. Adam subsequently practiced for more than three years at a major international law firm in Washington, D.C., where he advised clients on trade policy, national security, regulatory reform and risk, FCPA, and international investment. He has also held postings with the United Nations in New York, the World Bank / IFC in Washington, D.C. and abroad, and the OECD in France.
Select Recent Publications
Since 2006, Adam has been a frequent presenter to industry and academic audiences on international economic and national security matters, and is the author of numerous articles, book chapters, and three books.
- “Tariffs and sanctions: an uneasy balancing act at the Supreme Court,” Financier Worldwide, January 2026
- Contributing Editor, Sanctions 2026, International Comparative Legal Guide.
- “What to Expect on Tariffs and Related Risks,” Financier Worldwide, May, 2025, pg. 115-118
- “Keeping Sanctions ‘Smart’: Calibrating U.S. Sanctions Policy to Overcome Overcompliance,” North Carolina Journal of International Law, Vol. 48(3), Summer, 2023
- “United States Expands Sanctions Authorization of Internet-Based Activities in Wake of Protests in Iran,” NYU Program on Corporate Compliance and Enforcement, October 17, 2022
- “The View from the United States,” Navigating the Global Sanctions Landscape in 2022, Control Risks
- SWIFT and Certain Punishment for Russia? There Are Better Ways to Deter Moscow than Threatening its Banking Access, Foreign Affairs, January 4, 2022
Select Recent Speaking Engagements
- Moderator, “Future of Sanctions Compliance: Revisiting the Impact of Divergence, Global Fragmentation and Geopolitical Unpredictability on New Sanctions, Designations and More,” ACI Flagship Conference on Economic Sanctions, Washington, DC, April 29, 2026
- Speaker, “International Trade in the Second Trump Administration: Sanctions, Export Controls, Tariffs from Washington to Brussels and Beyond,” Seminar at Yulchon LLC, Seoul, South Korea, April 24, 2026
- Panelist, Navigating Cross-Border Regulatory Change, Riyadh International Disputes Week, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, February 1, 2026
- Panelist, Complying with New OFAC Recordkeeping and Retention Requirements, 15th Annual New York Forum on Economic Sanctions, December 4, 2025
- Speaker, U.S. Sanctions – A Policy and Legal Overview, National University of Singapore, Faculty of Law, November 25, 2025
- Speaker, Countering Illicit Maritime Trade: Sanctions Risks, Red Flags, and Resilience, Jakarta, Indonesia, November 20, 2025
- Speaker, A New Comprehensive Framework for Sanctions-Lifting, Geneva Graduate Institute, Geneva, Switzerland, November 18, 2025
- Speaker, ACAMS Sanctions Watch, October 9, 2025
- Panelist, “Trump Administration Policy Implications on Sanctions,” Society for International Affairs conference on Trade Implications During Times of Increased Geopolitical Tension, Washington, D.C., May 21, 2025
- Speaker, World50, CEO Kitchen Cabinet – Early Trump Administration Policies and Priorities, May 21, 2025
- Speaker, National Association of Corporate Directors, The First 100 Days & Beyond: What Board Members Need to Know, Houston, Texas, May 14, 2025
- Speaker, A View from the Private Sector, Workshop on Sanctions-Lifting Conditions for Conflict Resolution and Sustainable Peace, Geneva Graduate Institute, Geneva, Switzerland, May 5-6, 2025
- Presenter, “Audit and Sanctions Evasion: Looking Through a Risk-Based Lens,” ACAMS Assembly, Hollywood, Florida, April 29, 2025
- Speaker, PE 141: Terrorism Finance and Economic Sanctions, Sanctions Primer, Foreign Service Institute of the United States, Washington, D.C., April 14, 2025
- Lecture, “International Trade in the Second Trump Administration: Sanctions, Tariffs, and More, Oh My,” University of Pennsylvania School of Law, Philadelphia, PA, April 10, 2025
- Speaker, “Pathways for Sanctions Relief, Reconstruction and Governance in Syria,” Clingendael Institute, The Hague, Netherlands, March 17, 2025
- Speaker, “International Trade in the Second Trump Administration: Expectations, Possibilities and Opportunities,” Abu Dhabi/Dubai, UAE, February 26-27, 2025
- Panelist, “International Trade and Anti-Corruption—The Evolving Landscape of Extraterritorial Regulation,” Saudi International Disputes Week, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, February 24, 2025
- Speaker, “Masterclass: Predictions for the Global Sanctions Landscape in 2025,” ACAMS Webinar, February 20, 2025
- Speaker, “Russia Sanctions: US and non-US Perspectives,” at the Coping with U.S. Export Controls and Sanctions 2024 Conference, Washington, DC, December 9, 2024
- Speaker, “Global Magnitsky, Targeted Sanctions and UFLPA: Lessons Learned,” at the 14th Annual New York Forum on Economic Sanctions, New York, NY, December 5, 2024
- Presenter, “International Trade Issues in the Second Trump Administration,” G100 Chief Executive Summit, New York, NY November 17, 2024
- Invited Speaker, “Protecting the Maritime Industry from DPRK Illicit Activities – Understanding Sanctions,” Presentation to Taiwanese Industry, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, November 4, 2024
- Invited Speaker, “NGL Skill Series – International Trade Issues Corporate Leaders Need to Know,” World 50 Organization, October 30, 2024
- Lead Speaker, “Sanctions and Export Controls: Key Regulatory and Enforcement Trends,” Gibson Dunn Webcast, October 17, 2024
- Speaker / Moderator, “Navigating Global Sanctions and AML Risk,” Association of Corporate Counsel Annual Meeting, Nashville, TN, October 7, 2024
- Moderator, “Introduction to US Sanctions,” Association of Corporate Counsel, September 5, 2024
- Taskforce Member, “RUSI UK Sanctions Taskforce Meeting,” London, UK, June 25, 2024
- Speaker, Sanctions and Reinsurance Industry, Singapore Association of Reinsurers, Singapore, June 4, 2024
- Invited Presenter, ACAMS Sanctions May 2024 Monthly Update, May 31, 2024
- Invited Lecturer, “Sanctions 101 and Sanctions Compliance,” U.S. State Department – Foreign Service Institute, Washington, D.C., April 29, 2024
- Speaker, “A View from a Sanctions Lawyer,” Maritime Sanctions Roundtable, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Limassol, Cyprus, March 27, 2024
- Lecturer, “Sanctions and Export Controls 101,” University of Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia, PA, March 21, 2024
- Panelist, PLI: Coping with U.S. Export Controls and Sanctions, “Russia Sanctions: U.S. and non-U.S. Perspectives,” Washington, D.C., December 14, 2023
- Witness, United States House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services – Sub-Committee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions, “Restricting Rogue-State Revenue: Strengthening Energy Sanctions on Russia, Iran, and Venezuela,” December 12, 2023
- Invited Lecturer, National Security Law, “Sanctions – Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going?” New York University School of Law, New York, NY, November 28, 2023
- Panelist, “Reverse CFIUS” – The Emerging Restrictions on U.S. Outbound Investments, Harvard Law School Association, Washington, D.C., November 2, 2023
- Co-Moderator, “National Security, Sanctions and Export Controls Conference,” New York, NY, October 11, 2023
- “Economic Sanctions and National Security,” Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA, October 6, 2023
- Speaker, ACAMS Monthly Sanctions Update – “Reverse” CFIUS, Inbound Real Estate Restrictions, Voluntary Self-Disclosure Considerations, September 13, 2023
- Keynote Speaker, Countering a Taiwan Crisis with Economics, United States Studies Center, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia, August 17, 2023
- Invited Speaker, U.S. Sanctions and Export Controls: From Russia to China and Beyond, American-Australian Chamber of Commerce, Melbourne, Australia, August 16, 2023
- Invited Speaker, “An Introduction to Sanctions – From Russia to China and Beyond,” Osgood Center at the Elliot School, American University, Washington, D.C., August 4, 2023
- Speaker, “A View from the Private Sector,” Sanctions Roundtable for Greek Shipping, U.S. State Department / Middlebury Institute of International Studies / North Standard P&I Club, Athens, Greece, May 23, 2023
- Speaker, “Sanctions and Export Controls for the Shipping Sector,” Presentations to Ship Owners, Piraeus, Greece, May 24, 2023
- Panelist, “Implications of Sanctions Against Russia,” European Central Bank / Harvard Law School Symposium on Building the Financial System of the 21st Century, European Central Bank, Frankfurt, Germany, May 11, 2023
- Invited Speaker, “America at a Crossroads: Sanctions, Boycotts, and Economic Warfare – Do They Work?” JUDJ / Community Advocates, Los Angeles, CA, May 3, 2023
- Presenter, Association of Corporate Counsel – Hong Kong, “Russian Sanctions Update for Multinational Corporations – The Russian Oil Price Cap,” Hong Kong SAR, April 26, 2023
- Lecturer, “Sanctions 101: Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going?,” University of Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia, PA, April 20, 2023
- Panelist, “Sanctions and Export Controls: Regulatory Defense Considerations,” Georgetown Law Center, Washington, D.C., April 18, 2023
- Invited Speaker, “Understanding Sanctions and Export Controls on China,” Bank of America Emerging Markets Symposium – World Bank / IMF Spring Meetings 2023, Washington, D.C., April 13, 2023
- Invited Speaker, “Sanctions Overcompliance – The Private Sector’s Rationales for, and the Consequences of, Overcompliance,” North Carolina Journal of International Law 2023 Symposium: Sanctions After the Invasion of Ukraine, Chapel Hill, NC, March 24, 2023
- Panelist, ACAMS Sanctions Masterclass: Jurisdiction and Sanctions Regimes, February 28, 2023
- Panelist, Gibson Dunn webcast, “Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions Enforcement and Compliance Update,” February 28, 2023
- Panelist, AML and OFAC / Sanctions Enforcement Update, Tax Enforcement Without Borders, Bahamas Financial Services Board, Industry Development Series Seminar, Nassau, Bahamas, February 16, 2023
- Keynote Speaker, Economic Sanctions and Trade Controls in 2023, Gibson Dunn Presentation to French Industry, Paris, France, January 30, 2023
- Invited Speaker, Wirtschaftsbeirat Bayern Startseite (Bavarian Economic Advisory Board), Sanctions and Export Controls: Dealing with the Tsunami to Come, Munich, Germany, January 27, 2023
Katharina Humphrey is a partner in the Munich office of Gibson Dunn. She is a member of the firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group.
She specializes in white collar defense and compliance investigations in a wide array of criminal regulatory matters. She has many years of experience in advising clients in connection with corruption, fraud, and money laundering cases, particularly in an international context.
Katharina advises clients in the context of corporate as well as government investigations, both nationally and internationally, and with the structuring, implementation and assessment of compliance management systems. She represents companies before domestic and foreign authorities during associated criminal and administrative proceedings and is experienced in advising companies in connection with FCPA monitorships or similar monitor functions.
The Legal 500 Deutschland 2026 and The Legal 500 EMEA 2026 listed her once again as “Next Generation Partner” in the field of Compliance. In the 2025 and 2026 editions of Chambers Germany, she was ranked for Compliance. Global Investigations Review 2025 cited a testimonial describing her as “smart and incredibly competent in running investigations.” Chambers Germany 2026 quoted references describing Katharina as “an excellent investigation lawyer. She has a great brain and is very efficient,” and stating that they “like working with Katharina because she seeks to understand the sensitivities that we have and prepares an answer that fits. She knows the reality of her clients and how to find implementable solutions.” JUVE named Katharina to its “40 under 40” list in its January 2019 issue, presenting the rising stars among Germany’s lawyers under the age of 40.
She is co-author of the book “Interne Untersuchungen” (Internal Investigations), published by Moosmayer/Kraus in its 3rd edition (2025), and contributed to the book “Corporate Compliance,” published by Moosmayer/Lösler in its 4th revised and expanded edition (2024) as part of the series “Compliance für die Praxis” by C.H. Beck.
Katharina studied at the University of Heidelberg, the University of Geneva and the University of Munich (LMU), specializing in International and European Law. She passed a part of her legal clerkship at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in New Delhi and the Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations in New York.
She speaks German, English, and French.
Elise Blegen is a litigation associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn.
She received her Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University Law School, where she was elected to the Order of the Coif and served as Symposium Editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review.
She graduated magna cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa at New York University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Anthropology. At NYU, she was a Presidential Honors Scholar and received the Department of Anthropology Prize.
She is admitted to practice in the State of New York.
Publications:
Elise Blegen, Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll: Effectively and Equitably Moderating Vice and Illegal Content Online, 76 Vand. L. Rev. 1265 (2023).
Jeff Liu is a senior litigation associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson Dunn. He practices in the firm’s Appellate and Constitutional Law and Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice groups. Jeff has briefed appeals in nearly every federal court of appeals, drafted cert- and merits-stage briefs at the Supreme Court, and spearheaded dispositive motions briefing in complex civil litigation.
Representative matters include:
- Persuaded the Pennsylvania Superior Court to vacate an unprecedented $1 billion judgment against Mitsubishi Motors North America in a single-plaintiff car crash case. Amagasu v. Fred Beans Fam. of Dealerships, 352 A.3d 998 (Pa. Super. 2025).
- Secured major appellate victories for clients on a wide range of issues, including Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, Pinckney v. Meta Platforms, Inc., 127 F.4th 516 (4th Cir. 2025), federal subject-matter jurisdiction under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, Blasket Renewable Investments, LLC v. Kingdom of Spain, 112 F.4th 1088 (D.C. Cir. 2024), and statutory limits under the Internal Revenue Code, 3M Co. v. Commissioner, 154 F.4th 574 (8th Cir. 2025).
- Secured complete grant of summary judgment for Monsanto on state tort claims related to Monsanto’s production of polychlorinated biphenyls. City of E. St. Louis v. Monsanto Co., 2026 WL 548024 (S.D. Ill. Feb. 27, 2026).
Jeff also maintains an active pro bono practice. Highlights include:
- Successfully argued copyright appeal in the Ninth Circuit, securing vacatur of a maximum statutory damages award for willful copyright infringement and remand for a new jury trial. Erickson Prods., Inc. v. Kast, 2023 WL 2783243 (9th Cir. Apr. 5, 2023).
- Argued in the Federal Circuit on behalf of a veteran seeking benefits for service-connected disabilities.
- Represented amici in briefing before the Supreme Court in cases involving the Federal Tort Claims Act, Martin v. United States, 605 U.S. 395 (2025), the First Amendment, Gonzalez v. Trevino, 602 U.S. 653, 655 (2024), and qualified immunity, Villarreal v. Alaniz, 145 S. Ct. 368 (2024).
- Represented amicus in the Fifth Circuit in successful challenge to the SEC’s stock buyback rule. Chamber of Com. of United States v. United States Sec. & Exch. Comm’n, 85 F.4th 760 (5th Cir. 2023).
Before joining the firm, Jeff served as an attorney-adviser in the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel, where he prepared legal advice for the President and executive branch agencies on a range of statutory and constitutional questions. He was previously a law clerk to the Honorable Carlos T. Bea of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Jeff earned his J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he served as an Articles Editor on the Stanford Law Review and earned the Judge Thelton E. Henderson Prize for his contributions in the Stanford Supreme Court Litigation Clinic. He graduated summa cum laude with a dual degree in Chemical Engineering and Philosophy from Auburn University.
Jeff is admitted to practice law in California and the District of Columbia, as well as before the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, D.C., and Federal Circuits, and the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
Connie Lee is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She practices in the Litigation group with a focus on antitrust and competition, where she represents clients in all phases of high-stakes litigation and investigation matters. Connie has been a member of multiple trial teams, first-chaired depositions and hearings, and served as the lead associate on pretrial and post-trial briefings.
Representative matters include:
- Member of the trial team and lead briefing associate representing Community Health Systems in FTC v. Novant Health (W.D.N.C.), which defeated the FTC’s motion for a preliminary injunction.
- Represented Hillrom in Reading Hospital v. Hillrom (E.D. Pa.), securing dismissal with prejudice of a class action lawsuit alleging monopolization claims.
- Representing Hillrom in Linet v. Hillrom (N.D. Il.), a competitor lawsuit alleging monopolization claims.
- Represented a financial services company in an arbitration proceeding successfully alleging antitrust conduct claims.
- Representing a pharmacy benefit manager in a proceeding before the FTC.
Connie also maintains an active pro bono practice and served as lead counsel in winning a grant of asylum for a client in an immigration court hearing in 2022.
She received her Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and served as a Note Editor on the Columbia Human Rights Law Review. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College in Government and Philosophy. During law school, Connie served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Raymond J. Lohier of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Connie is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia.
Mary Otoo is a litigation associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Litigation Department and Labor & Employment Practice Group. Her practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and employment disputes.
Mary represents clients in a broad range of matters, including partnership disputes, discrimination and equal pay claims, and internal and government investigations. She has experience across all stages of litigation, from early case assessment and client counseling through discovery, dispositive motions, and trial.
She has participated in multiple trial teams, including a recent federal trial victory on behalf of five South Florida hospitals, securing injunctive relief against a widely used hospital rating system that the court found to be deceptive and lacking a scientific basis.
Mary maintains an active pro bono practice focused on civil rights litigation. She is part of the team that secured a significant victory in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Manning v. City of Tulsa, a case arising from the fatal shooting of an unarmed individual. She also represents a family in a federal lawsuit against Tulsa Public Schools alleging constitutional and disability law violations following the assault of a student with disabilities by a school employee.
Mary received her Juris Doctor in 2022 from Columbia Law School, where she served as Executive Editor of the Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in History, with honors, from the University of Chicago in 2017.
She is admitted to practice in the State of New York.
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Caith Kushner is a partner in the New York office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Business Restructuring and Reorganization, Liability Management, and Special Situations Practice Groups. Caith’s practice focuses on liability management and distressed financing transactions, including out-of-court debt exchanges and other restructurings, DIP financings, exit financings, and direct lending transactions. He also has experience in a wide range of leveraged finance and investment grade transactions, representing both private equity clients and public companies. Caith was listed in Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Global Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers” (2025 – 2026) and “500 Leading Dealmakers in America” (2024). His representative experience includes: *
Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Caith was a partner at another prominent international law firm. Caith received his law degree from Columbia University where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, a James Kent Scholar, and a member of the Columbia Law Review. *Includes representations prior to Caith’s association with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. |
Presley is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and is a member of the firm’s Business Restructuring and Reorganisation, and Finance practice groups.
Presley advises financial institutions, private equity firms, and corporate clients on a wide range of cross-border financing and restructuring transactions.
Presley advises on complex private equity transactions, supporting both sponsors and lenders in navigating leveraged buyouts and public-to-private deals in the U.K. and Europe. His expertise includes structuring financing solutions across various instruments, such as first and second lien, PIK, and hybrid debt, as well as managing leveraged recapitalizations, senior credit facilities, bridge financings, and distressed debt arrangements.
Corporate transactions include advising corporates and lenders on event-driven investment grade financings and build-out transactions. Restructuring transactions include advising bondholders, financial institutions, and corporate and private equity-owned debtors on restructurings in the U.K., Europe, and the Middle East.
Presley’s clients have included Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Apax, and Hellman & Friedman. Mr. Warner’s corporate clients have included Stellantis N.V., Ferrari N.V., and Amgen Inc.
Presley is consistently recognised by Chambers Global, Chambers UK, and Chambers Europe (2006 – 2023). His expertise has also been recognised in The Legal 500 UK (2014 – 2024), and he has been consistently ranked as highly regarded in IFLR1000 (2015 – 2024). While at his previous firm, he was shortlisted for Transatlantic Dealmaker of the Year (Finance) by The American Lawyer / Legal Week (2016).
Presley serves as a professional member of the City of London Law Society Financial Law Committee, Insolvency Lawyers Association, City of London Law Society Committee on AI, American Statistical Association, American Association for Cancer Research, American Association of Immunologists, American Society of Human Genetics, and Institution of Engineering and Technology. Presley is a member of the AI Technical Committee of the Institution of Engineering and Technology. Presley is also a member of the 2024 cohort of the American Course on Drug Development and Regulatory Sciences (School of Pharmacy, University of California, San Francisco)
Prior to joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Presley was a partner in the Restructuring and Finance practice groups at another major international law firm and was head of that firm’s European Credit and Leveraged Finance practice. Presley is admitted to practice in England and Wales, New York, and Massachusetts (inactive).
Presley’s experience includes: *
Private Equity and Other Leveraged Transactions
- FGS Global in connection with KKR’s $775 million acquisition of WPP’s full equity position in FGS
- Carlyle funds on the financing of Caffe Nero
- Lion Capital in connection with its subsidiary, JVUK Holdco Limited’s acquisition of certain assets of John Varvatos UK Limited from U.K. administration, in connection with the U.K. business of John Varvatos
- Rhône Capital on English law financing aspects of its acquisition of Zodiac Pool Holding SA from a fund affiliated with the Carlyle Group for approximately $1.2 billion
- A consortium comprising APG Asset Management N.V., Arcus Infrastructure Partners LLP, Brookfield Infrastructure Group and Public Sector Pension Investment Board on the acquisition of TDF
- Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division on the high yield bond offering supporting its investment in Hastings Insurance
- Société Générale on various film leasing transactions and other structured leveraged products
- Goldman Sachs on financing matters in connection with the sale of 64% of Rothesay Holdco U.K. Ltd to the Blackstone Group, GIC Private Limited and Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company
- Barclays, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs and other underwriters in a bridge-to-bond acquisition finance transaction for CVC’s acquisition of the Domestic & General insurance business
- A consortium including Carlyle, Citic Capital, Fountainvest and China Everbright on the $2.5 billion leveraged acquisition of Focus Media – the largest LBO in Asia
Corporate
- A major shareholder on making an emergency loan to an English publicly-listed company
- Amgen on its $28.5 billion financing for the public takeover of Horizon Therapeutics
- ZIM Shipping Market Investments on its tender offer to purchase outstanding 3.0% Series 1 Notes and 5.0% Series 2 Notes of ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd.
- Capital Product Partners L.P. on the $1.65 billion combination of its tanker business with DSS Holdings L.P.
- ZF Friedrichshafen AG on the €12.5 billion financing of its acquisition of TRW Automotive Holdings Corp.
- Apollo Tyres on financing aspects of its acquisition of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, valued at approximately $2.5 billion
- Citibank as mandated lead arranger on various syndicated investment-grade financings, including for Heineken, Nestlé, XL Capital, Commercial Risk Reinsurance, and Clearstream
- Kabel Deutschland GmbH on various financings aggregating in excess of €2 billion
- treasury facilities and acquisition financing for the purchase of Akka Technologies
- Philips and Lumileds on the financing for the sale of a majority interest (80.1%) in Lumileds, a combined LED components and automotive lighting business, to a consortium led by GO Scale Capital
- Goldman Sachs International, J.P. Morgan Securities plc and BNP Paribas on the financing of Tele Columbus Group’s acquisition of PrimaCom Holding GmbH, for a total consideration of €711 million and pepcom GmbH for €608 million C.banner International Holdings Limited on its acquisition of Ludendo Enterprises UK Limited
- Altran Technologies on its definitive agreement and plan of merger pursuant to which Altran agreed to acquire Aricent from a group of investors led by KKR for a total enterprise value of $2.0 billion, in an all-cash transaction.
Restructuring
- Fidera, as the largest creditor in the Part 26A restructuring plan of the Project Fürst development in Berlin
- Diebold Nixdorf in a series of transactions to refinance certain debt with near-term maturities and provide Diebold Nixdorf with $400 million in new capital
- Barclays Bank Plc as administrative agent and sole bookrunner to Cineworld plc in its Chapter 11 restructuring which involved a $1.935 billion Debtor-In-Possession credit agreement
- Certain Senior Lenders to Danaos in connection with its debt restructuring and NatWest Group on the disposal of its shareholding in Danaos in an off-market privately negotiated share sale to Danaos
- Eurazeo as significant shareholder to Europcar on Europcar’s €307 million financing related to COVID-19, consisting of a €220m new term loan, 90% guaranteed by the French State; €67m new financing facilities, 70% guaranteed by the Spanish State; and a €20m Incremental RCF guaranteed by Eurazeo
- The shareholders of Four Seasons Healthcare in connection with its debt restructuring
- Pacific Drilling, an offshore ultra-deepwater drilling company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, on its refinancing and restructuring of its $3 billion long-term high-yield bank debt governed by English-and New York-law
- Ad hoc committee of Towergate Insurance Group senior secured creditors in connection with Towergate’s successful restructuring
- A steering committee led by Citibank on the restructuring of Gerling Global Reinsurance and its $800 million letter of credit facility
- Metrovacesa, the largest real estate company in Spain, on the restructuring of its syndicated and bilateral bank facilities aggregating over €6 billion
- Zim Integrated Shipping Services on the restructuring of its financing and capital markets financings, which was the largest restructuring in Israeli history. This involved financings governed by English, New York, German and Israeli law, as part of its $2.3 billion debt restructuring and debt for equity swap. The transaction has won a number of awards, including “Restructuring Deal of the Year” at the M&A Advisor 2014 Dealmakers Awards, and the Marine Money Awards 2015.
- Endemol on its restructuring, as well as advising one of its shareholders, Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division, both in its capacity as senior lender and as shareholder in Endemol
- Delek Group Real Estate on the restructuring of an £800 million stake in NCP, the U.K.’s largest private car park operator
- The Committee of Unsecured Noteholders on the $3 billion global restructuring of Algeco Scotsman, Inc.
- The Committee of Senior Secured Noteholders on the restructuring of Brighthouse Group Limited
- The lenders to GulfMark Americas in respect of its debt restructuring
- The Co-ordinating Committee of Creditors on the global restructuring of Abengoa, a Spanish renewables company operating in more than 80 countries across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Middle East
- EurotaxGlass’s Group in the refinancing negotiations as they exit a restructuring
- Royal Bank of Scotland as senior secured lender of Dubai World, and other minority secured lenders, in connection with the $25 billion landmark restructuring of Dubai World
*Some of these representations occurred prior to Presley’s association with Gibson Dunn.
Presley’s recent publications include:
- AI for restructuring professionals, in Global Turnaround, January 2024
- “Restructuring Law and Practice: Third Edition,” LexisNexis, 2022
- “Defaults and Restructurings: What Happens When it all Goes Wrong,” A Practitioner’s Guide to Syndicated Lending, Sweet & Maxwell, 2010
- “Negative Pledges,” PLC Magazine, 1999
Alfonso Bernar is an of counsel in the Madrid office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Capital Markets, Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity, and Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance Practice Groups.
Alfonso is a corporate, capital markets, and M&A practitioner with a focus on large and complex transactions, particularly those with cross-border elements. He specializes in all types of ECM and DCM transactions and has extensive experience in public and private M&A. He also regularly advises listed and non-listed companies on a broad range of corporate law and corporate governance matters, as well as regulatory compliance related to securities markets. He has been involved in some of the most relevant IPOs, follow-on offerings, and public tender offers in the Spanish market in recent years.
Alfonso’s transactional experience covers a broad and diverse client base, including financial institutions, investment banks, private equity firms, industrial companies, large cap companies, REITs, and family-owned businesses across sectors such as energy, real estate, telecommunications, banking, consumer goods, agriculture, and technology.
Alfonso is ranked in TTR Data’s Rising Star Rankings 2025 as #1 for Equity Capital Markets in Spain and #6 for M&A in Spain by transaction value.
Prior to joining Gibson Dunn as of counsel, Alfonso was a managing associate in the Madrid office of another international law firm, where he developed his professional career. During this time he also practiced in the firm’s London office.
Alfonso is a regular lecturer at various postgraduate programs and the author of several publications.
Alfonso has a double degree in Law and in Economics and Business Administration from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, including an academic year at Cambridge University.
Representative Experience*:
- Iberdrola, a large utility company, on its €5 billion capital increase via an accelerated bookbuilding offer
- GIP (Blackrock) on the €1.7 billion accelerated secondary placement of shares in Naturgy, a natural gas and utility firm, and the €2.79 billion sale of its remaining stake via a subsequent accelerated placement
- The managers on the €750 million IPO and listing on the Spanish stock exchanges of HBX Group, a leading B2B ecosystem in the TravelTech sector
- Banco Sabadell on the €3.1 billion sale of its UK branch TSB Group to Banco Santander
- The managers on the €130 million and €100 million issuances of subordinated necessarily convertible bonds of PRISA, a media company
- Banco Santander on the launch, in collaboration with Atitlan, of Atgro, a €500 million global investment platform focused on the development of agricultural projects, and Atgro’s first acquisition of 3,000 hectares of pistachio plantations
- Acciona Energía, the renewable energy operator subsidiary of Acciona, on its €1.5 billion IPO and listing on the Spanish stock exchanges
- Hotel Investment Partners, a leading hospitality company, on its IPO-M&A dual-track process (where a €630 million private sale to Blackstone was completed)
*Some of these representations occurred prior to Alfonso’s association with Gibson Dunn.
Asís Martín de Cabiedes is an Of Counsel in the Madrid office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity, Capital Markets and Financial Institutions practice groups.
Asís’ practice focuses on private and public M&A, including complex cross-border transactions involving multiple jurisdictions. He has also advised on corporate governance matters for private and listed companies and works regularly with large multinationals and financial institutions.
Asís was recognised as an Associate to Watch for Corporate/M&A: High‑end Capability (Spain) in Chambers Europe and Chambers Global 2026. Clients note that “he has excellent knowledge of the subject both theoretically and practically and provides excellent availability,” while others note that “Asís is always side by side with the client and is also very technical.”
Prior to joining Gibson Dunn as Of Counsel, Asís was a senior associate at another international law firm.
Representative recent experience*:
- Hines on the joint venture with Grupo Lar and the takeover offer for 100% of Lar España Real Estate SOCIMI, S.A.
- Naturgy on its takeover offer for 9% of its treasury shares
- UBS on its acquisition and integration with the Credit Suisse in Spain
- Siemens Energy on the takeover offer for 32.93% of Siemens Gamesa
- Repsol on the partnership agreement and sale of a 25% stake in Repsol Renovables to Crédit Agricole Assurances and Energy Infrastructure Partners.
*Some of these representations occurred prior to Asís’ association with Gibson Dunn.