Natasha Babazadeh is a litigation associate in the Los Angeles office of Gibson Dunn. She is a member of the firm’s Appellate & Constitutional Law, Privacy & Cybersecurity, and Technology Litigation practice groups.

Natasha has extensive experience in appellate advocacy and working on privacy and data security matters. From 2020 to 2024, Natasha served as an Attorney in the Appellate Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, where she drafted dozens of appellate briefs and argued before federal courts of appeals across the country. She also received the Department’s John Marshall award for outstanding participation in litigation for a housing case involving sex discrimination that resulted in a landmark $4.5 million settlement. And she led the Civil Rights Division’s Enforcement Committee on civil rights matters related to artificial intelligence. Prior to that, Natasha clerked on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals for the Honorable Jane B. Stranch and on the Northern District of Illinois for the Honorable Harry D. Leinenweber. And she served as the Appellate Advocacy Fellow with the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), where she drafted appellate briefs on privacy and data security matters.

Natasha received her law degree in 2017 from the UCLA School of Law. While in law school, she served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of International Law and Foreign Affairs and as the Founder and President of the Data Governance and Technology Association of Law (DGTAL). She also received her Bachelor of Arts degree summa cum laude from New York University, where she studied international politics and human rights and received the NYU President’s Service Award.

Natasha is a member of the State Bar of California and New York. She is admitted to practice law before the United States Courts of Appeals for the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Sixth, Ninth, Tenth, and D.C. Circuits.

Haley P. Denler is a litigation associate in the Orange County office of Gibson Dunn.

Before joining the firm, Haley served as a law clerk for Judge Don R. Willett of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She also practiced as an associate in the litigation department of a global law firm, where she represented Fortune 100 companies and leading nonprofit institutions in high-stakes trials and appeals. Haley was also a lecturer on law at Harvard Law School, where she taught legal research and writing.

Haley graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2022. While at Georgetown, she was a Legal Writing Fellow, a Bradley Fellow at the Georgetown Center for the Constitution, and an Executive Editor for the Georgetown Journal of International Law. Haley graduated magna cum laude from Brigham Young University in 2018. Haley has authored numerous student notes and articles.

Haley is a member of the California and Massachusetts Bars and is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Will Feldman is a senior associate in the San Francisco office of Gibson Dunn and is a member of the Firm’s Antitrust & Competition, Appellate & Constitutional Law, and Intellectual Property Practice Groups. 

Will has represented clients in a wide range of antitrust, appellate, and intellectual property matters. These have included civil litigations under Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act before district and appellate courts, antitrust cases brought by state attorneys general, and federal antitrust investigations. Will has also represented numerous clients in patent and copyright actions. 

Recent representative matters include:

• Secured dismissal of a putative nationwide class action filed in the Northern District of California under Section 1 of the Sherman Act; the Ninth Circuit unanimously affirmed the dismissal.
• Secured dismissal for a client from two civil antitrust cases with no damages or admission of liability, while simultaneously resolving a federal antitrust investigative demand without admission of wrongdoing. 
• Representing a heavy-duty truck manufacturer in litigation seeking to clarify emissions obligations under California law following federal statutory revocation of California’s mobile source requirements. Secured a preliminary injunction against the California Air Resources Board and state officials, halting enforcement of California’s “Clean Truck Partnership” as preempted by federal law. Daimler Truck North America LLC et al. v. California Air Resources Board et al. (E.D. Cal. 2025).
• Representing a major software and services company in an ongoing trade secrets and antitrust dispute.

Will also maintains an active pro bono practice, including securing a complete, eve-of-trial victory for a client in a federal Hague Convention case on behalf of a domestic violence victim and her children. He is currently representing a recently incarcerated individual in an ongoing Eighth Amendment case.

Before joining the Firm, Will served as a law clerk to the Honorable William J. Nardini of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and to the Honorable F. Dennis Saylor IV of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. He also worked as an associate for an international law firm in New York and San Francisco. Prior to practicing law, Will worked at Morgan Stanley. He received his law degree cum laude from Harvard Law School, and graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.

Will is a member of the New York and California bars, and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth and Federal Circuits, as well as the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Shukie Grossman is a partner in the New York office of Gibson Dunn. He is Global Chair of the Investment Funds Practice Group.

Shukie’s practice focuses on the formation of private investment funds, including domestic and offshore funds focused on buyout, growth equity, infrastructure, real estate, credit and other investment strategies. In addition to fund formation, he has significant experience advising on the acquisition and sale of minority and majority stakes in fund sponsors, as well as spin-outs of fund businesses and management teams. He also advises investment firms on their operation, regulation and internal governance arrangements.

Shukie’s representative clients include Blue Owl Digital Infrastructure, Eldridge ACRE Partners, HighPost Capital, ICONIQ Capital, Leonard Green & Partners, Meridiam Infrastructure, Motive Partners, RXR, Sole Source Capital and Stockdale Capital Partners.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Shukie was a partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. He spent several years in the Division of Investment Management of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Shukie is consistently recognized by Chambers USA, Chambers Global, The Legal 500, The International Financial Law Review, Best Lawyers in America® and Legal Media Group’s Expert Guides Guide to the World’s Leading Banking, Finance and Transactional Lawyers. He is described in Chambers as a “world-class funds lawyer” who is “smart and highly knowledgeable in respect to fundraising and is a goal-oriented, pragmatic problem-solver,” and “knows the market so well and has seen so many complicated things.” One client notes “his combination of commercial advice and creativity is what sets him apart. We view him as a partner.” Law360 has named Shukie an “MVP” in Fund Formation and he is recognized in Lexology Index: Private Funds 2027 as a Tier 1 Global Elite Thought Leader for Private Funds – Formation.

Shukie is a member of the Private Investment Funds Forum and was previously a member of the adjunct faculty at Columbia Law School where he taught a course on private investment funds.

Shukie received his Juris Doctor from Fordham University Law School and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Yeshiva University.

Aliresa Fatemi is of counsel in the Frankfurt office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Private Equity, Mergers and Acquisitions, and Technology Transactions Practice Groups.

Aliresa focuses on domestic and cross-border Private Equity and M&A transactions, joint ventures , and technology transactions. He also advises public and private companies on corporate law matters.

Handelsblatt / The Best Lawyers™ 2026/2027 list him among the best lawyers in Germany for M&A and Private Equity. The Legal 500 Deutschland 2020 cited clients who stressed out that he “has distinguished himself by his very strong expertise and technical knowledge, extensive experience in M&A transactions, his achievements, his commitment and his positive and proactive approach.”

Aliresa regularly publishes on legal matters.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, he was a counsel in the Frankfurt office of a renowned US law firm.

He is a member of the German-American Lawyers’ Association (DAJV), the German-Iranian Lawyers’ Association (DIJV) and the Association for Business and Corporate Law (VGR).

Aliresa is fluent in German and English.

Experience

Representative transactions* include advising:

• H.I.G. Capital on the acquisition of Spheros group, Valeo’s former bus thermal solutions business, and on the acquisition of TIMETOACT group
• Group of lenders on the sale of Heubach Group to Sudarshan
• Edwards Lifesciences, provider of medical innovations for structural heart disease, on its $945 million acquisition of JenaValve Technology, developer of a transcatheter treatment of aortic regurgitation
• Aicuris Anti‑infective Cures shareholders on the €780 million sale to Asahi Kasei, through its subsidiary Veloxis Pharmaceuticals
• Viavi Solutions Inc., a network test, measurement and assurance technology company, on corporate matters
• EMK Capital on various transactions, including EMK Capital-backed Garda Group on its acquisition of Gleich Group, vi2vi Group and Schmid-Alarm GmbH
• Astorg on the acquisition of hg medical from Nord Holding
• Platinum Equity and its portfolio companies on various transactions, including Platinum Equity-backed Solenis on the acquisition of Bain Capital-backed Diversey Holdings, Ltd. valued at $4.6 billion , and on the majority investment in Kohler Energy, the power generator business division of Kohler Co.
• Triton on various transactions, including on the sale of Norres Group
• Raytheon Technologies on the sale of Raytheon Anschütz Group to DMB Dr. Dieter Murmann Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH
• KME S.E. on a sale and lease back agreement of its of its copper production plant in Osnabrück, Germany with funds advised by Crescendo Real Estate Advisors LLP
• Deutsche Beteiligungs AG (DBAG) and its portfolio companies on various transactions, including on the acquisition of Pfaudler Process Solutions, the sale of Spheros Group to Valeo, the acquisition of SERO Schröder Elektronik Rohrbach, the acquisition and subsequent sale of Julius Montz GmbH, the acquisition of Cartonplast Group GmbH, the acquisition of a majority stake in in-tech GmbH, the acquisition of Ruetz System Solutions GmbH and on the establishment of MTC Mobility as a joint venture between Munich RE, ERGO, Prof. Lienkamp (TUM) and in-tech GmbH
• Andlinger & Company on a regular basis, including on the sale of Lapp Insulators Group to Quadriga Capital, the acquisition of SUSPA GmbH from Tyrol Equity et al., the sale of SUSPA GmbH to Mr. Pascal Vanhalst and his family-owned company TVH Group, on the acquisition of HEW-Kabel group, and on the acquisition of Mesa Parts group
• J.F. Lehman & Company (JFLCO) in its investment affiliate’s completed acquisition of the assets of the Narda-MITEQ division and the stock of Narda Safety Test Solutions, GmbH (Narda-MITEQ) from L3Harris Technologies, Inc.
• Chevron Technology Ventures on its Series B investment in Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies GmbH at a pre-money valuation of €500 million and on its Series B investment in enmacc GmbH
• Ardagh Group on various transactions, including on its acquisition of Impress Group, its $3.42 billion acquisition of parts of Ball Corporation’s and Rexam’s metal beverage can business, and on the spin-off and De-SPAC transaction with Gores Holdings V of its beverage can business, valuing the new company at $8.5 billion
• TELUS International on its acquisition of Competence Call Center Group
• American Axle & Manufacturing on various transactions, including the acquisition of the German business of MITEC Automotive AG
• Continental AG on the dissolution of a joint venture with SK Innovation and the acquisition of the automotive division of Kathrein SE
• Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation on various matters, including on the acquisition of a majority shareholding in Wethje Group through its Mitsubishi Rayon division, the acquisition of carbon fiber company CPC S.r.l. in Italy from Innovative Solutions S.r.l., and most recently on the acquisition of all shares in Cleanpart Group GmbH from Deutsche Beteiligungs AG (DBAG)
• Coesia S.p.A on various transactions, including on the acquisition of Oystar North America, Inc. from Odewald & Compagnie, and most recently on the acquisition of the digital printing business of Atlantic Zeiser from Orell Füssli Holding AG
• Qatar Investment Authority on various transactions, including on its investment in and the subsequent IPO of HelloFresh
• Allianz on various transactions, including on the sale of its 90.2% stake in stock-listed Oldenburgische Landesbank to Bremer Kreditbank
• General Electric on multiple transactions, including on its $4.3 billion acquisition of the aviation business of Avio S.p.A., on the disposition of its European Wayne direct sales and services business and in the sale of central parts of Alstom’s heavy duty gas turbine business to Ansaldo Energia in connection with its acquisition of Alstom’s power and grid business
• Various dispute matters, including the representation of a OSRAM Opto Seminconductors as defendant in a US patent dispute with Lighting Science Group Corporation, a European life sciences company as respondent in a high-stakes post-M&A arbitration brought by a European chemical company seeking indemnification under a share purchase agreement, Invita AG as a respondent in a three-digit million law suit, and Daimler AG as a respondent in an international arbitration matter

*Includes Experience Prior To Joining Gibson Dunn

Finn Zeidler is a partner in the Frankfurt office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the firm’s Litigation and White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Groups.

Finn focuses his litigation practice on corporate and commercial litigation and arbitration, often with a transatlantic background, as well as on white collar defense, regulatory investigations and compliance matters that often have cross-border elements. He has significant experience in the high tech, automotive and the banking and finance industry, as well as renewable energies.

Most recently, The Legal 500 Deutschland 2026 and The Legal 500 EMEA 2026 have recommended Finn for Commercial Litigation and Compliance, especially for criminal law interface and cross-border advice. The Legal 500 2024 also ranked him for Internal Investigations and cited a reference: “For me the best white collar crime lawyer for bank mandates. He guides clients through critical situations both safely and efficiently.” Chambers Germany 2026 continues to recognize him as Notable Practitioner for Compliance in Germany. Handelsblatt / The Best Lawyers™ 2026/2027 list him among the best lawyers for Arbitration and Mediation, Litigation, Criminal Defense, Banking and Finance Law and Corporate Governance and Compliance Practice in Germany and recognized him as Lawyer of the Year 2025 for Corporate Governance and Compliance. JUVE Handbook 2025/2026 lists him once again as “frequently recommended” for Dispute Resolution – Litigation, quoting a competitor who described him as an “experienced compliance specialist.” In addition, he was named among the 2026 Lawdragon Global Litigation 500, the list recognizing the 500 best dispute lawyers worldwide, for Global Litigation and Investigations.

His representative cases include:

• Representing international financial institutions in criminal and regulatory investigations by German and U.S. authorities into allegations of tax fraud, money laundering, sanctions violations, illegal granting of loans, market manipulations, and illegal selling of securities.
• Representing financial institutions in banking-law related disputes and related regulatory investigations. This in particular included representing one of Germany’s largest banks in a rare joint investigation by the SEC and the German BaFin (the financial markets and banking regulator) into an alleged market manipulation of U.S. listed stocks and a different international bank in relation to tax fraud allegations.*
• Representing companies listed in Germany in investigations by public prosecutors, BaFin and the German Financial Reporting Enforcement Panel, into alleged violations of securities laws, in particular market manipulations or violations of ad-hoc disclosure duties, alleged accounting violations and alleged tax fraud.
• Advising companies in internal investigations into allegations of, i.a., corruption, money laundering, tax fraud, and ensuing investigations by the public authorities.
• Representation of a global consulting firm in connection with investigations by an investigating committee of the German Bundestag.
• Representing several executives, in particular from the financial industry, relating to criminal and regulatory investigations by German authorities, i.a., related to cum ex-transactions.

Finn regularly publishes on legal matters. Amongst others, he is co-author of Michalski, “GmbHG” (Commentary on the Law on Limited Liability Companies) (2023).

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Finn was a litigation partner in the Frankfurt office of a renowned U.S. law firm.

Finn studied law at the University of Bayreuth, from which he also obtained his doctor’s degree in 1998. He has been admitted as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwalt) since 1999.

In addition to his native German, he is fluent in English.

*Experience prior to joining Gibson Dunn

Friedrich is a partner in the Munich office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the firm’s Class Actions and Transnational Litigation Practice Groups.

Friedrich regularly advises on collective redress, international arbitration matters as well as complex commercial litigation with a broad range of topics, such as ESG, post M&A, company evaluation, and technology.

Handelsblatt/Best Lawyers™ 2026/2027 list Friedrich among the best lawyers in Germany for Litigation and Arbitration and Mediation.

Friedrich’s recent experience includes advising:

• Mercedes-Benz in diesel-related litigation, including a Declaratory Model Action (“Musterfeststellungsklage”)
• A European company in a complex post M&A dispute, including arbitration and several litigation proceedings
• A European company in large Appraisal Proceedings
• A European company in ESG related questions

Friedrich studied law at the University of Passau. Subsequently, he worked as a research assistant for Professor Kuhn at the Institute for the Didactics of Law at the University of Passau, where he obtained his doctor’s degree in 2015. Friedrich has been admitted as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwalt) since 2016.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Friedrich was an associate in the Litigation Department of a renowned U.S. law firm in Munich.

In addition to his native German, Friedrich speaks English.

Benno Schwarz is the Partner in Charge of the Munich office of Gibson Dunn and Co-Chair of the firm’s Anti-Corruption & FCPA Practice Group. He focuses on white collar defense and compliance investigations in a wide array of criminal regulatory matters. For more than 30 years, he has handled sensitive cases and investigations concerning all kinds of compliance issues, especially in an international context. Benno assists his clients in the prevention and avoidance of corruption, fraud, and money laundering and in navigating economic sanctions in the corporate sector.

His advisory work comprises the planning and implementation of internal corporate as well as independent investigations both nationally and internationally; the structuring, implementation and assessment of compliance management systems; and the representation of companies and their executive bodies before domestic and foreign authorities during associated criminal and administrative proceedings. He also helps clients navigate the complexities of sanctions and counter-sanctions compliance, especially with respect to Russia-related sanctions and export control restrictions, leveraging his insights from his decades-long experience in advising corporate clients on transactional, compliance, and trade law related matters involving Russia.

Benno is recognized as a leading lawyer in Germany in the areas of white collar crime, corporate advice, compliance and investigations by publications such as Chambers, The Legal 500 and JUVE, with clients, competitors and references describing him as “a unique expert in the field of internal investigations” and “strategically strong and highly skilled particularly in compliance.” They also state that his “calm approach to complex matters and overall understanding of business needs make him one of the key commercial lawyers in Germany,” saying they would “use him any time for big international compliance matters, no question,” and that “he is an excellent leader and does very well in boardrooms, where he is very respected.” Benno was named one of five Leading Individuals for Internal Investigations in Germany by The Legal 500 in 2026. Chambers Germany 2026 ranked him in the category of Compliance and named him a Notable Practitioner for Dispute Resolution: White-Collar Crime–Corporate Advisory (Chambers Europe 2024). Handelsblatt / Best Lawyers™ 2026/2027 listed him as a leading lawyer for Germany in the categories Corporate Governance and Compliance, Criminal Defense and Corporate Law, and recognized him as a Lawyer of the Year 2025 for Corporate Governance and Compliance. He is “frequently recommended” for Compliance Investigations and Corporate, as stated in the JUVE Handbook 2025/2026. JUVE also named Benno’s Gibson Dunn German team “Compliance Investigations Law Firm of the Year 2014” and nominated the team for “Compliance Law Firm of the Year 2022.” Lawdragon recognized him in its 2026 Global Litigation 500 list for Global Investigations and Compliance.

Benno’s noteworthy experience includes advising DAX® and Fortune 100 companies as well as executive and supervisory boards in relation to FCPA and New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) monitorships or similar monitor functions under U.S. legal regimes. He has conducted numerous sensitive and complex internal investigations in various jurisdictions across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, and has handled negotiations with U.S. and non-U.S. authorities.

Benno studied law at the Universities of Bonn, Munich, and Regensburg, where he also obtained his Dr. jur. degree in 1992. He has practiced as an admitted German lawyer (Rechtsanwalt) since 1993.

Benno regularly publishes on compliance topics, is a much-sought-after speaker and panelist and also regularly appears in many webcasts covering the topics of Anti-Corruption Enforcement, Internal Investigations and Compliance. He co-founded and chairs the Munich Forum of the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) and is a member of the DGAP board. He is also a member of Deutsches Institut for Compliance e.V. and of Forum Compliance & Integrity, an initiative of Zentrum für Wirtschaftsethik. Benno speaks German and English and is a state-certified translator (IHK) for Russian, which makes it possible for him to carry out internal investigations and regulatory proceedings in all three languages.

Sebastian Schoon is a partner in the Frankfurt office of Gibson Dunn. He focuses his practice on banking and finance law.

Sebastian advises private equity funds, banks, financial institutions and corporates on corporate finance matters, including leveraged buyouts, management buyouts, and corporate-to-corporate transactions; real estate acquisition financing, development financing and subordinated debt. He advises on domestic as well as cross-border structured finance transactions. Sebastian also has vast experience in complex financial restructurings, such as loan-to-own, debt to equity swaps, trust structures, and financial reorganizations.

Handelsblatt / The Best Lawyers™ 2026/2027 listed him among the best lawyers for Banking and Finance Law in Germany. Chambers Global 2026 ranked him in Banking & Finance. Chambers Germany 2026 additionally ranked him in Real Estate: Finance for the tenth consecutive year. Clients say he “is a highly regarded lawyer with a very strong understanding of the German mid-market debt financing market,” and that “Sebastian is very hands-on and pragmatic, and always looks to get the deal done. He is always looking for solutions.” They also “felt very well represented by Sebastian Schoon. Both the negotiation side and the pragmatism were very good.”

Sebastian’s recent experience in counseling on the finance aspects of leveraged buyouts and recapitalization as well as corporate lending includes advising:

• Astorg Mid-Cap on the financing of its acquisition of a majority stake in hg medical from NORD Holding
• Aurelius Growth Investments on the financing of the acquisition of Lindemann Hotels group, which consists of four boutique hotels in Berlin and the central service company Lindemann Hotels Management GmbH
• Aurelius on the financing of its acquisition of LSG Group (International) from Deutsche Lufthansa
• Berenberg in connection with the financing of the investment by buyout firm Keensight Capital in aconso AG, a cloud software HR document management company
• Berenberg on the financing of Keensight Capital’s acquisition of Quanos Solutions GmbH
• Berenberg in connection with the refinancing of Schülerhilfe group’s existing financing arrangements
• Eurazeo on the re-financing of Equivia’s acquisition of World Host Group GmbH and the set-up of an acquisition facility for future add-ons
• Eurazeo on the financing for Gyrus Capital’s acquisition of LRE Medical GmbH
• Muzinich in connection with the financing of the acquisition of the hg medical Group by NORD Holding
• Muzinich on the financing for Borromin’s acquisition of Aerotec Europe GmbH and Airplane-Equipment & Services A.E.S. GmbH
• Triton on the financing of its acquisition of Lamina Technologies SA
• A group of lenders in relation to the financing aspects of the €2.6 billion acquisition of German energy utility company STEAG by Spanish investment management firm Asterion Industrial Partners

His recent experience advising in special situations includes representing:

• Ad hoc group of term lenders to Diebold Nixdorf in connection with the company’s agreement with stakeholders to refinance its debt
• Ad hoc group of term lenders on the reorganization of the Lumileds Holding group
• Ad hoc group of lenders and noteholders to Venator Materials in connection with the restructuring of Venator Materials, a global manufacturer and marketer of chemical products

Representative matters of Sebastian’s focus on the financing of real estate acquisitions and developments include advising:

• Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG on the refinancing of a 1,500 unit residential portfolio located in Germany held by (indirect) subsidiaries of funds managed and/or controlled by a U.S.-American asset manager
• Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG on financing the acquisition of an office property located in Germany by a special purpose vehicle ultimately owned by an Asian financial services company
• Panattoni on the financing of its development of two logistics properties in Voerde, Germany

Sebastian studied law at the University of Heidelberg and has practiced as an admitted German lawyer (Rechtsanwalt) since 2004. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, he was a finance partner and co-head of the restructuring department in the Munich office of a renowned international law firm.

Sebastian regularly publishes on legal matters. Among others, he is co-author of the online legal commentary on the German insolvency code published by Verlag C.H. Beck. He is a member of Gesellschaft für Restrukturierung – TMA Deutschland e.V., the German section of the Turnaround Management Association TMA. Sebastian, in addition to his native German, is fluent in English.

Sonja Ruttmann is a partner in the Munich office of Gibson Dunn. She is a member of its Mergers and Acquisitions, Business Restructuring and Reorganization, Private Equity, and Capital Markets Practice Groups.

Sonja specializes in private and public M&A, corporate law, and private equity and has advised on many complex domestic and international cross-border mergers and acquisitions including formation and dissolution of joint ventures and carve-out scenarios as well as private equity and venture capital transactions. She represents clients, public and private, in auctions, asset, and share deals as well as mergers across a broad range of sectors, including in particular in the fields of automotive (including autonomous driving), technology and engineering, capital markets, energy and infrastructure, as well as digital security and cybersecurity.

She further advises on stock corporation and capital markets law. Her work includes advising management and supervisory boards, also with regard to corporate governance issues. Another focus of her work is advising on foreign trade issues and investment control laws where she has advised various German, American and Chinese clients and guided them through the administrative process.

Chambers Global and Chambers Germany 2026 recognized Sonja for Corporate/M&A – High-end Capability, with clients stating that she is “very quick and intelligent and understands the business quickly”. The Legal 500 Deutschland and The Legal 500 EMEA recommended her in the categories M&A, Private Equity and Foreign Trade Law in 2025 and in the category Corporate in 2025 and 2026. They cite references describing her as providing “very understandable advice even on operational issues, very competent. All-round advice and taking responsibility for the issues,” and noting that “Sonja Ruttmann has an excellent understanding of our industry. Her approach is pragmatic and efficient. Excellent negotiating skills.” In 2026, Sonja was again recognized by WirtschaftsWoche as one of the Top Lawyers in M&A in Germany. The JUVE Handbook 2025/2026 recognized her in the transactional field. Handelsblatt / The Best Lawyers™ 2026/2027 list her among the best lawyers in Germany for Venture Capital Law.

Her experience includes advising:

• Bosch, inter alia in connection with
  • the disposal of its worldwide automotive steering and transmission pump business to Fidelium Partners
  • the acquisition of BSH from Siemens (€3 billion) and the dissolution of the corresponding joint venture
  • the acquisition of ZF steering business from ZF and the dissolution of the corresponding joint venture
  • the disposal of the global wind turbines and large gears by Bosch Rexroth to ZF
  • the formation of the international joint venture in the field of autonomous driving with Mitsubishi, u-blox and Geo++
  • the disposal of its worldwide “Around the Wheel” business to Stargate Capital
• Giesecke+Devrient on various transactions, inter alia on its acquisition of the payment and identity solutions business of Valid USA 
• Dr. Barbara Sturm, a German molecular cosmetics brand, on its sale to Puig, a global premium beauty brand
• Aicuris Anti‑infective Cures shareholders on the €780 million sale to Asahi Kasei, through its subsidiary Veloxis Pharmaceuticals
• Stryder Corp., dba Handshake, in its acquisition of TalentSpace GmbH, developer of a virtual recruiting events platform
• Muehlhan AG on the sale of its European and U.S. business to One Equity Partners
• NetApp, a global, cloud-led, data-centric software company, in its acquisition of Instaclustr, a US/Australia/German SaaS open source software company
• Platinum Equity Advisors on its $5.25 billion acquisition of Solenis from BASF SE and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice
• Astorg on the acquisition of hg medical from Nord Holding
• Stone Canyon Industries and its subsidiary BWAY on the $2.3 billion acquisition of Mauser Group, a leading industrial packaging company, from Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.
• Stem, Inc. on its acquisition of Also Energy Holdings (including advice related to investment control)
• Dresser Utility Solutions on its acquisition of Itron’s Global Gas Regulator and European C&I Gas Metering Business.

Sonja is a member of Gibson Dunn’s Diversity Committee. She was recently seconded to the firm’s New York office. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Sonja worked at another major international law firm in Munich and gained in house experience on her secondment to the legal department of one of the world’s leading global engineering and technology firms.

Sonja is co-author of Hölters/Weber “Kommentar zum Aktiengesetz”, 5th edition 2024, and of Breyer/Najdecki “Beck’sches Formularbuch GmbH-Recht”, 2nd edition 2024, on the chapters about the supervisory board in a limited liability company and on joint ventures. She regularly publishes articles in M&A magazines and client alerts on investment control and corporate law aspects.

Sonja studied law at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and has been admitted as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwältin) since 2010. A native German speaker, she is fluent in English and speaks French as well as Spanish.

Markus Rieder is a partner in the Munich office of Gibson Dunn and Co-Chair of the firm’s Transnational Litigation practice. He is also a member of the firm’s Class Actions, Securities Litigation, and International Arbitration Groups.

Markus focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation, both domestic and cross-border, and national and international arbitration, as well as on compliance and white collar defense. He has substantial experience in the automotive, industrial, and manufacturing sectors.

He also advises related to the increased risks of ESG litigation, encompassing a variety of issues including climate and environmental protection matters, human rights and the new German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, and represents clients in major cutting-edge issues such as climate protection lawsuits.

Markus is regularly recommended by the leading legal publications. Handelsblatt / The Best Lawyers™ 2026/2027 list him among the best lawyers in Germany for Arbitration and Mediation, Corporate Governance and Compliance, International Arbitration, and Litigation and recognized him as Lawyer of the Year for Corporate Governance and Compliance and, in 2023/2024, also as Lawyer of the Year for International Arbitration. Previously he was recognized as Lawyer of the Year for Arbitration and Mediation in 2021 and, for the third consecutive time in 2020, for Corporate Governance and Compliance. Lawdragon Global Litigation 500 2026 includes him among the world’s leading dispute lawyers for Transnational Litigation and Securities Litigation. JUVE Handbook 2025/2026 lists him as “frequently recommended” for Dispute Resolution – Litigation and cites a client who described him as “a very good strategist”. Competitors previously remarked that he “covers cases very deeply” and recognized him as “Top lawyer – if he bites the bullet, it’ll be good” (JUVE Handbooks 2023/2024 and 2022/2023). The Legal 500 Germany 2026 and The Legal 500 EMEA 2026 recommend him for Dispute Resolution – Commercial Litigation, and cite references stating that he has “an excellent eye for the bigger picture and provides very strong strategic advice. His team is extremely well organized,” and that his “team specializes in complex disputes, both nationally and internationally” (Legal 500 Germany 2025). Further references described him over the years as “a true litigator through and through, very perceptive, yet able to compromise where necessary and very pleasant to work with,” as “an excellent litigator with bite, vision and stamina as well as a great understanding of process strategy and tactics,” and as “a top litigator and an excellent advisor for all disputes and arbitration proceedings.”

His recent experience includes advising *:

• Mercedes-Benz and other clients in climate change litigation
• Mercedes-Benz in diesel-related litigation
• UniCredit S.p.A. in multijurisdictional shareholder litigation following corporate restructuring
• Deutsche Bank regarding complex management liability and governance issues, including FIRREA settlement with US Department of Justice
• A German PE fund in ICC arbitration regarding compliance violation in Italian target company
• Korean and German defendants in DIS arbitration proceedings in relation to windpark project in the German North Sea
• Daimler AG regarding all aspects of the disposal of Chrysler to Cerberus and the bankruptcy of Chrysler
• Daimler AG in favorably settled ad hoc arbitration proceedings against the Federal Republic of Germany in connection with the introduction of a truck toll in Germany (Toll Collect) with an amount in dispute in excess of €10 billion (largest-ever reported arbitration seated in Germany)
• Toll Collect GmbH in successfully settled ad hoc arbitration proceedings against the Federal Republic of Germany regarding compensation for toll collection services (amount in dispute in excess of €4 billion)

Markus regularly publishes on legal matters. Among others, he is co-editor of the volumes covering commercial law within the standard publication “Münchener Vertragshandbuch,” a handbook on model contracts and agreements (8th edition, 2018/2020 published at Beck Verlag), and co-author of the “Münchener Kommentar” regarding the Act on Limited Liability Companies (5th edition, 2025, published by Beck Verlag).

Since 2011, Markus is lecturing at the Faculty of German and European Private Law, Civil Procedure and Legal Theory at the University of Passau, where he has been appointed honorary professor in 2025.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Markus was a litigation partner in the Munich office of a renowned U.S. law firm.

Markus studied law at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, where he also obtained his doctor’s degree in 2003. In 1996, he earned his LL.M. from the University of Michigan. He is dual-qualified and has been admitted to the New York State Bar since 1998 and as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwalt) since 1999.

In addition to his native German, Markus is fluent in English.

*Includes experience prior to joining Gibson Dunn

Wilhelm Reinhardt is a partner in the Frankfurt office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice Groups.

Wilhelm advises financial and strategic investors across a wide range of industries on German and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, including leverage buy-outs, auctions, joint ventures, and minority investments. He has in-depth experience in public M&A deals and subsequent structural measures.

He is regularly recommended for corporate law, M&A, and private equity by leading publications including JUVE Handbook 2025/2026, Chambers Global 2026, Chambers Germany 2026, The Legal 500 Deutschland 2026 and The Legal 500 EMEA 2026, Handelsblatt / The Best Lawyers™ in Germany 2026/2027 and IFLR1000. He is being described as “very good – strong with technical details and a good sparring partner for complex structuring issues” (Chambers Germany 2025), and clients confirmed that he “is a very smart corporate lawyer who is also experienced in M&A”, offering “broad capabilities for private equity clients and on public M&A deals.” (Chambers Europe 2023) According to further references, Wilhelm “is great on P2Ps. Lots of experience navigating the subtle nuances that are so relevant in Germany.” And “Wilhelm Reinhardt is first class. True leader and business partner. Extremely effective and efficient.” (The Legal 500 Deutschland 2024) JUVE named him one of 11 “leading partners for Corporate Law under 50” in Germany in its 2018/2019 edition.

His recent experience includes advising:

• Advent International and Centerbridge on the €2 billion public tender offer for Aareal Bank AG.
• Atlas Copco on the €1.1 billion public 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.
• EMK Capital on various M&A transactions.
• Gilead Sciences, Inc. on the acquisition of MYR GmbH (approx. €1.15 billion plus up to €300 million milestone payment).
• HJM Investment GmbH & Co. KG on the sale of a stake in RENOLIT SE and the acquisition of RKW SE.
• KKR on various M&A transactions.
• Kubota Corporation on the acquisition of Brabender Technologie GmbH & Co. KG
• 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 on corporate matters and in connection with its delisting.
• Oaktree on the €1.4 billion public tender 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 and of BCV Technologies S.A.S. by its portfolio company SGB-SMIT Group;
  • Alltub Group, a market leader in aluminum and laminate specialty packaging for the cosmetics industry and other markets.
• Stone Canyon Industries in connection with the $3.2 billion acquisition of K+S Aktiengesellschaft’s Americas salt business, including Morton Salt.
• Triton on various transactions, including:
  • on its investment in Meine Radiologie Holding and on the sale of Meine Radiologie Holding to EQT Infrastructure;
  • on its acquisition of a majority stake of Inwerk GmbH;
  • on the sale of Norres Group.
• Xella, a leading building materials company headquartered in Germany, and the Management Team on the sale of Xella to Lone Star.

Wilhelm studied law at the University of Trier, from where he also obtained his doctor’s degree in 1997. He has been admitted as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwalt) since 1999.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Wilhelm was a corporate partner in the Frankfurt office of a renowned U.S. law firm.

Wilhelm speaks German, English, and Japanese.

Lars Petersen is a partner in the Gibson Dunn Frankfurt office and works closely with the firm’s Riyadh office. Lars advises clients with a focus on German, EU, and international administrative and regulatory law, and represents them before courts and authorities.

Lars is known for being at the forefront of new and often complex regulatory developments. He helped clients navigate emerging regulatory trends in the EU in a variety of areas including media regulation, foreign direct investment, merger control, and environmental and public procurement law. His international, comparative perspective on regulatory trends developed during his legal traineeship at national and international agencies and organizations, including the German Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the European Union Delegation to the United Nations. This background, combined with his comprehensive experience in German and EU administrative and regulatory law, makes Lars a trusted counsel for clients on all regulatory matters and related proceedings before the authorities.

In Saudi Arabia, Lars is leveraging his international regulatory expertise to assist clients with new regulatory developments associated with Saudi Vision 2030 and related government initiatives.

Handelsblatt/The Best Lawyers™ 2026/2027 list him among the best lawyers for Public Law. The Legal 500 Deutschland 2023 and The Legal 500 EMEA 2023 recommended him for Foreign Trade Law, Commercial Administrative Law and Media – Entertainment.

Lars passed his first state exam with honors at Bucerius Law School in 2007 and his second state exam with honors at the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court of Hamburg in 2011. He is an alumnus of the German National Academic Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes). He received his Dr. jur. degree, magna cum laude, from Kiel University in 2010 (Walther Schücking Institute for International Law) and an LL.M. (European Law), with distinction, from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2019. He has practiced as an admitted German lawyer (Rechtsanwalt) since 2011.

Lars regularly publishes on legal matters. Among his publications, he is co-author of a commentary on the Regulation on the Award of Public Contracts and the Lower Threshold Public Award Regulation (VgV – UVgO) (3rd edition, 2022, published by Beck Verlag). In addition to his native German, Lars is fluent in English.

Dirk Oberbracht is the Partner in Charge of the Frankfurt office of Gibson Dunn and a leading Private Equity and M&A lawyer.

Dirk advises private equity investors, management teams, corporate clients and families, and has extensive expertise in complex mid- and large-cap transactions.

Chambers and Partners ranked Dirk in Band 3 for Private Equity and Band 4 in Corporate/M&A: High-end Capability (Chambers Germany 2025). Chambers Global 2026 also ranked him for the 20th year in Germany for Corporate/M&A: High-end Capability. His clients hold him in high esteem: “[Dirk] is fantastic in leading the discussions and structuring transactions which are super complex” and “goes to great lengths to understand the underlying matter in detail and come up with the most commercial and practical propositions”, reflecting that “the depth of experience and number of transactions have honed Dirk Oberbracht’s strategic oversight and execution.” They further emphasize that “[He] thinks ahead of the commercial issues and not just the legal implications, gives good impulses and goes beyond the purely legal dimension” and “Dirk Oberbracht was wonderful throughout the transaction. […] He was flexible in terms of availability and legal expertise and really went the extra mile to facilitate a difficult deal.” Dirk is a member of The Legal 500 Hall of Fame as a recognition for his continued excellence and praise from clients in Private Equity over several years and he was named as Lawyer of the Year 2022 for Private Equity by Handelsblatt / The Best Lawyers™. In 2023, he was recognized by WirtschaftsWoche as one of the Top Lawyers in M&A. He is also recommended by The Legal 500, Best Lawyers™ in Germany, Lexology Index and IFLR1000. JUVE Handbook 2025/2026 lists him as “frequently recommended” for Private Equity and M&A.

Selected private equity deals:

• Astorg on the acquisition of hg medical from Nord Holding
• Blue Earth Capital and Future Energy Ventures in connection with their co-lead investment in reev, a leading software provider for electric vehicle charging stations
• EMK Capital in connection with several acquisitions comprising Freihoff Group, Gleich Group, Schmid-Alarm GmbH, and vi2vi Group as part of a platform in the security technology sector
• EQT in connection with the acquisition of ju:niz Energy GmbH
• KKR on its growth investment in smaXtec, a leading provider of AI-powered agri-tech solutions for the global dairy industry
• MBCC management team on sale of MBCC to Sika and the sale of the Admix business to Cinven
• Motive Partners on the acquisition of embedded/capital GmbH, a European fintech venture capital platform
• One Equity Partners on its investments in Alltub Group, SGB-SMIT, and various other deals
• PJT Partners on Silver Lake’s takeover offer for Software AG
• Platinum Equity Advisors on its $5.25 billion acquisition of Solenis from BASF SE and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice
• Stone Canyon Industries on the $2.3 billion acquisition of Mauser from CD&R and the acquisition of Morton Salt from K+S
• Triton on its acquisition of Lamina Technologies SA as well as on its investment in Meine Radiologie Holding and its sale to EQT Infrastructure
• U.S. private equity investor on several mid and large cap transactions in Europe
• Various management teams in connection with Management Equity Programs
• Veritas Capital on various acquisitions
• Xella International S.A., a holding company of funds advised by Goldman Sachs and PAI Partners, on the sale of Xella to Lone Star.

Selected corporate deals:

• Aicuris Anti‑infective Cures shareholders on the €780 million sale to Asahi Kasei, through its subsidiary Veloxis Pharmaceuticals
• Atlas Copco in connection with the €1.1 billion tender offer for ISRA VISION AG (value €1.1 billion)
• CANAL+ on the €1 billion acquisition of M7 Group, a European pay-TV operator, from Astorg, a private equity firm
• Celanese on the acquisition of Nouryon’s Elotex® brand redispersible polymer powders business
• Clariant and Ashland on the €257 million sale of ASK Chemicals, a leading manufacturer of foundry chemicals with facilities in 25 countries, to Rhône Capital
• Edwards Lifesciences, provider of medical innovations for structural heart disease, on its $945 million acquisition of JenaValve Technology, developer of a transcatheter treatment of aortic regurgitation
• Gilead Sciences, Inc. on its acquisition of MYR GmbH (approx. €1.15 billion plus up to €300 million milestone payment, named Deal of the Month by JUVE, February 2021)
• Heska Corporation, a manufacturer and supplier of diagnostic and specialty solutions for veterinary practitioners, in its acquisition by Mars, Inc. for $1.5 billion
• HJM Investment GmbH & Co. KG on the sale of a stake in RENOLIT SE and the acquisition of RKW SE
• Muehlhan AG on the sale of its European and U.S. business to One Equity Partners
• PJT Partners in connection with the Porsche IPO
• Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. on the acquisition of a majority shareholding in Südkabel GmbH from Wilms Group

Dirk studied law at the Goethe University Frankfurt, from where he also earned his Dr. jur. degree and is admitted as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwalt). Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Dirk was a corporate partner in the Frankfurt office of a renowned U.S. law firm and headed that office for several years. He speaks German and English.

Markus Nauheim is a partner in the Munich office of Gibson Dunn. He focuses on general corporate and capital markets law, corporate governance issues as well as crisis management and crisis communication. In addition, he has extensive experience in providing compliance advice, especially in connection with governmental, regulatory and internal investigations, as well as in the areas of post-closing and other types of dispute resolution and arbitration. Markus draws upon the experience of more than 20 years advising on domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, as well as cross-border joint ventures, representing both public and private German and international companies, including strategic as well as financial investors.

His corporate clients include public and private German and international companies, such as Mercedes-Benz Group, Daimler Truck, Clariant, UBS, Dresser Utility, and ABB Power Grids, among others. He has also advised financial investors, including KKR, The Gores Group, Investcorp and OpenGate Capital. Clients relying upon his advice on corporate governance and compliance issues include German and international blue-chip companies, banks, federations and foundations. Due to his broad client portfolio, Markus brings extensive experience in a variety of industries, such as automotive, pharmaceuticals, technology, media and telecommunications, consumer products and retail, logistics, banking and insurance, professional services, real estate, as well as sports and entertainment.

Handelsblatt and The Best Lawyers™ have recognized Markus in its list of Germany’s Best Lawyers 2026/2027 in the categories Corporate Law, M&A, Private Equity, Litigation, Arbitration and Mediation, and Automotive Law. The JUVE Handbook 2025/2026 lists Markus as one of the “frequently recommended” lawyers for Corporate. The Legal 500 Deutschland 2026 and The Legal 500 EMEA 2026 again recommended him for Corporate in 2026 and recommended him for Compliance and Private Equity in 2024. Chambers Global 2020 also recognized him as Foreign Expert for USA in the areas of Corporate/M&A in Germany.

Markus studied law at the University of Mainz, attended the Asia-America Institute in Transnational Law at the University of Hong Kong School of Law, and Duke University School of Law, from which he received his LL.M. degree in 1996. He is dual-qualified and has been admitted to the New York State Bar since 1997 and as a German lawyer since 1999. In 2000, he earned his doctor’s degree from the University of Mainz.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Markus worked at a renowned U.S. law firm in Washington, D.C. and Cologne and, thereafter, in the Munich office of a major German law firm. In addition to having been seconded to the legal department of a German DAX® corporation, Markus has also worked in Gibson Dunn’s New York office.

Markus is a member of the Central Board, and Co-Head of the Mergers & Acquisitions Working Group, of the German-American Lawyers Association (Deutsch-Amerikanische Juristen-Vereinigung e.V.). He is Chair of Duke Germany, serves on the German Duke Alumni Admissions Advisory Committee and from 2013 through 2019 was a member of the Duke Law Alumni Association Board of Directors. In 2009, he received the Forever Duke Award by the Duke Alumni Association of Duke University. In 2014, he was presented the International Alumni Award by Duke University School of Law. In addition to his native German, Markus is fluent in English.

Ferdinand Fromholzer is a partner in the Munich office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Transactional Department. Ferdinand’s practice focuses on corporate law, in particular advising strategic and private equity investors on public and private M&A transactions. He also advises public companies on a wide range of legal issues, including disclosure requirements under capital market law, annual shareholders’ meetings, corporate structure measures, and ESG aspects. He is also experienced in counseling on the duties and obligations of directors and officers, including in the context of compliance investigations.

Handelsblatt / The Best Lawyers™ 2026/2027 list him among the best lawyers in Germany for Corporate Law, M&A, Private Equity and Corporate Governance and Compliance. Kanzleimonitor 2025/2026 lists him among the leading lawyers for Stock Corporation and Corporate Governance law, a ranking which for several years recognized him as the most frequently recommended lawyer in that category (“The gold medal goes to Dr. Ferdinand Fromholzer, as in the previous year”; 2024/2025). The JUVE Handbook 2025/2026 recognizes him as “frequently recommended” in the categories Corporate, M&A and Private Equity. Clients described him as “very knowledgeable” (JUVE Handbook 2019/2020) and as an “excellent lawyer with always creative and solution-oriented approaches” who is “very pragmatic and experienced” (JUVE Handbook 2018/2019). Ferdinand is recommended by Lexology IndexGermany 2026 for Corporate Governance and M&A. The Legal 500 Germany and The Legal 500 EMEA recommended him in the category Corporate in 2026 and in the categories M&A, Private Equity and Internal Investigations in 2025. Over the years, clients described him as “characterized by distinctive objectivity, legal expertise and reliability”. He was named an “excellent and very experienced advisor” who has a “broad, valuable wealth of experience” and “in addition to his in-depth knowledge, also has the ability to argue constructively, objectively and in a result-oriented manner in difficult negotiation situations, thereby making a significant contribution to the success of the respective transaction.” And “Ferdinand Fromholzer is characterized by excellent detailed knowledge of the projects, very good accessibility and overview. Dr. Fromholzer can always provide information on the status of individual disciplines (e.g. tax, IP, etc.). His negotiation is tailored to the respective counterpart.”

His experience includes advising*:

• Perusa, an international Private Equity Firm, on the sale of MÜPRO Group GmbH to IK Partners
• CCL Industries Inc. on the multi-national acquisition of Treofan America Inc. and Trespaphan Mexico Holdings GmbH from M&C S.p.A.
• Wacker Chemie AG on M&A transactions, the annual shareholders’ meeting and stock corporation law matters
• BayWa AG on M&A transactions and stock corporation law matters
• Burda on M&A transactions and stock corporation law matters
• Infineon Technologies on various M&A transactions
• CENTROTEC SE on the acquisition of all shares of PARI Group, including capital markets transparency and related party transaction rules, and on all corporate and capital markets aspects in connection with its delisting
• Daimler AG on various M&A transactions, e.g, the participation in Automotive Cells Company (ACC), together with Stellantis and TotalEnergies, the public takeover of Tognum together with Rolls Royce, and corporate law matters (in particular the annual shareholders’ meeting)
• Allianz SE on corporate law matters
• Baird Capital, an international private equity firm, on various acquisitions and disposals, e.g. together with VR Equitypartner on the sale of Zarges Group to Triton
• ZT Management Holding GmbH on the sale of Tubesca Comabi to Frénéhard & Michaux
• Corporate law and corporate governance advice including annual shareholders’ meetings (Hauptversammlungen) to Daimler AG, Infineon Technologies AG, Airbus, Wacker Chemie AG, Siltronic AG, BSH Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH, Kabel Deutschland and Centrotec Sustainable AG

Ferdinand regularly publishes on corporate law matters. Among others, he is co-author of the online legal commentary on the German Transformation Act (Beck OGK UmwG), published by Habersack/Wicke in its 3rd edition 2023, of the chapter on Public Takeovers in the Private Equity Handbook, published by Eilers/Koffka/ Mackensen/Paul in its 4th edition 2022, and of various client alerts and articles.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Ferdinand was a corporate partner in the Munich office of a global law firm for more than a decade.

Ferdinand studied law at the University of Regensburg, where he also earned his doctor’s degree in 1997. He also holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of California – Berkeley. He has been admitted as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwalt) since 1998. Ferdinand is fluent in German and English.

*Includes experiences prior to joining Gibson Dunn

Krystyna M. Blakeslee is a partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of the Real Estate Department where she focuses on commercial real estate finance and investment.

Krystyna has led some of the country’s largest and most high-profile commercial real estate transactions in recent years. She concentrates on the origination, acquisition and disposition (including securitization and syndication) of mortgage loans, mezzanine financings, preferred equity, bridge loans and corporate debt. In addition, Krystyna has extensive experience in restructures and workouts, as well as the exercise of remedies (including, in connection with acquiring assets in bankruptcy). She is also experienced in handling joint venture investments and acquisitions of real estate assets, including hotels, and advises funds in connection with their investment and financing activities in real estate.

Krystyna is ranked as a leading practitioner in the area of Real Estate Finance (New York) by Chambers USA (2021 – 2026) and recognized by The Legal 500 U.S. (2024 – 2026). Chambers describes Krystyna as “fantastic”, “very knowledgeable and commercial”,  having “experience with highly structured deals and very strong market knowledge” and being “well-versed with handling unusual and complex situations. She can be relied upon to effectively manage large transactions involving multiple parties.” Krystyna was recognized in Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers” in 2024 and 2025. She was also named “Rising Star Attorney of the Year” at the 2024 Commercial Real Estate RED Awards, was honored as a “Notable Veteran Executive” by Crain’s New York in 2021, and in 2018 she was recognized as a “Working Mother of the Year” in the October/November issue of Working Mother. Krystyna current serves on the board of the New York Restoration Project and is a member of She Builds.

Krystyna previously served as a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps and also served in Iraq.

Her recent experience includes the following representations: *

• Represent administrative agent and lender syndicate in connection with a $680 million construction loan secured by development project to be used primarily for lab and office space in Cambridge, MA.;
• Represent mezzanine lender in connection with the origination of mortgage and mezzanine loans in the aggregate amount of $1.2 billion on a ground up construction of five buildings to be used for research and development (and other ancillary uses) in San Diego, California;
• Represent lender in connection with the origination of various loan secured by hotels located on the Papagayo Peninsula in Costa Rica;
• Represent the lender syndicate in the restructuring and exercise of remedies on a $1.2 billion construction project;
• Represent the lenders in connection with the origination of a $500 million mortgage loan secured by 43 properties; and
• Represented a financial services company with respect to two $200 million mezzanine loan acquisition platforms with an unrelated third party and a loan origination platform with an unrelated third party.

Distressed Debt Representations

• Represented various lenders in connection with the restructure of over a $1 billion worth of mortgage loans secured by a variety of asset classes (including hotels and resorts) during the COVID-19 pandemic, including amendments related to PPP loans;
• Represented the borrower in connection with the workout and restructure of a $800 million mortgage loan held by a syndicate of lenders which loan is secured by an office property in New York City;
• Represent mezzanine lender in connection with the restructure of the entire debt capital stack related to a distressed office property in New York City;
• Represented the lender with respect to providing exit financing for a bankrupt debtor;
• Represented the mezzanine lender in connection with a foreclosure of the mezzanine lender’s UCC collateral, which was secured indirectly by an iconic building in New York City; and
• Represented various CMBS special servicers in connection with a myriad of matters, including foreclosures, modifications, forbearance agreements and restructures.

Before joining Gibson Dunn, Krystyna was a partner and head of Real Estate at an international law firm. She also previously served as law clerk for the Honorable Alan H. W. Shiff of the United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Connecticut. Krystyna received her B.A. from the University of Connecticut, summa cum laude, and her J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law with high honors. She is admitted to practice in the state of New York.

*Includes representations prior to Krystyna’s association with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.

Julia Sim is an associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn.

Julia specializes in cross-border aviation and maritime financing and leasing transactions. She regularly advises banks and financial institutions, ECAs, aircraft lessors and engine lessors on loan documentation, finance leases, operating leases, the sale and purchase of aircraft and engines, and securitization transactions. She is recognized as a Leading Associate for Transport: Aviation and Air Travel: Finance by Legal 500 USA.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Julia worked in the Assets and Structured Finance practice of an international law firm in its Singapore and New York offices.

Julia is admitted to practice in England and Wales and the State of New York.

Thomas Manakides is a nationally recognized litigator and trial lawyer who represents companies in high-stakes commercial, mass tort, oil and gas, and environmental litigation. For more than two decades, clients have turned to him to handle their most challenging disputes. Recognized for his versatility, he combines seasoned courtroom advocacy with strategic judgment in complex disputes. He has successfully defended large-scale, multi-jurisdictional matters involving thousands of plaintiffs and substantial financial exposure. He practices in Texas and California.

Chambers USA consistently ranks Thomas as a leading lawyer in Environment–California, noting his “experience in defending companies in high-stakes environmental litigation” and specifically identifying his “particular expertise in matters concerning toxic tort and negligence claims.” He is also recognized in recent editions of the Lawdragon 500 Leading U.S. Environmental Lawyers guide for his environmental litigation and mass tort practice. Thomas is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

Mass Tort and Environmental Litigation. Thomas has more than 20 years of experience handling mass tort and environmental disputes in state and federal courts nationwide. His matters frequently involve large plaintiff groups, complex scientific issues, and significant potential liability. He has handled matters alleging exposure to substances such as benzene, methane, trichloroethylene (TCE), and DBCP, as well as claims involving odor, noise, and other environmental impacts. Representative matters include:

• Defend The Boeing Company against wildfire claims by approximately 1,200 plaintiffs in more than 50 complaints alleging damages arising from the Woolsey Fire in Southern California. Thomas leads the litigation team and oversees strategy across all phases of the case. In 2023, the trial court dismissed all of plaintiffs’ claims and entered judgment in Boeing’s favor. The matter is currently on appeal.

• Represent Dole Food Company, Inc. against several actions in state and federal district courts throughout the country filed by thousands of foreign plaintiffs alleging sterility from exposure to DBCP. For years, Thomas led the strategy and management of this national litigation docket and secured key victories, including the dismissal of thousands of plaintiffs on limitations grounds in state courts, the dismissal of claims by plaintiffs from Costa Rica, Panama, and Ecuador under Delaware’s first-filed rule, and summary judgment against thousands of Central American plaintiffs in federal courts in Louisiana and Delaware.

  Thomas was also a key member of the team that uncovered a large-scale attorney-orchestrated fraud originating in Nicaragua and imported into California courts. This effort culminated in a dismissal with prejudice of several California cases consolidated as Mejia v. Dole Food following a trial exposing the fraud. In Tellez v. Dole Food, Thomas obtained an order vacating a jury verdict and, after a multi-week trial, entry of judgment in Dole’s favor based on fraud on the court and extortion.

• Represent developers against claims by approximately 1,500 homeowners alleging property damage and personal injuries arising from vapor intrusion of benzene and methane in a residential community. Following Thomas’ cross-examination of plaintiffs’ key expert, the court excluded the expert—describing him as a “bogus expert” whose opinions lacked objective support. After additional expert exclusions, the matter settled.

• Represent a major waste collection and recycling company in a mass tort and nuisance action brought by nearly 100 plaintiffs alleging personal injuries and property damage arising from odor and noise. Thomas successfully obtained an order eliminating plaintiffs’ permanent nuisance claim and their claims for diminution in property value, significantly narrowing the case before a settlement was reached.

• Defend Lockheed Martin in a large-scale toxic tort action brought by 800 plaintiffs who alleged personal injury and property damage as a result of exposure to TCE and ammonium perchlorate in drinking water. The trial court dismissed the claims of the first-tier plaintiffs, which the appellate court affirmed.

Oil and Gas Litigation. Thomas has a proven track record litigating and trying upstream oil and gas disputes, representing major clients such as Chevron U.S.A. Inc. In one matter involving enhanced recovery operations in the Midway-Sunset Oil Field, Thomas represented Chevron in a substantial dispute involving negligence, nuisance, and trespass claims by a neighboring oil operator. Following an eight-week jury trial, the trial court granted Chevron’s motion for a new trial, and the matter ultimately resolved in a settlement while it was pending before the California Supreme Court. Thomas currently represents Chevron in pending litigation against the Governor of California and the state’s oil and gas regulator challenging an illegal ban on fracking in the state purportedly based on climate change. The first phase of the case was tried in early 2026. 

Regulatory Advice and Defense. Thomas is also highly skilled in guiding clients through the complexities of federal, state, and local regulations. He has provided strategic advice related to refinery operations, litigated disputes over cleanup costs and other damages associated with environmental contamination, and challenged regulatory orders and enforcement actions. Representative matters include:

• Represent a developer in challenging a cleanup and abatement order issued by a water board naming the company a responsible party and discharger.

• Represent Athens Services in a regulatory enforcement action by an air district and related litigation seeking civil penalties and injunctive relief that threatened closure of a recycling facility. The matter resolved favorably following administrative proceedings and early trial court briefing.

• Obtain a complete defense judgment in favor of a test instrument company in a cost recovery action involving groundwater and soil contamination from TCE and PCE. After targeted discovery, the court granted summary judgment and awarded defense costs.

Complex Commercial Litigation. Thomas has experience handling complex, high-stakes commercial disputes often involving substantial financial exposure, including matters involving financial transactions, bankruptcy-related claims, and real estate disputes. His experience includes successfully defeating an emergency attempt to enjoin a nonjudicial foreclosure on an $80 million commercial property loan, resulting in dismissal of the claims with prejudice. Thomas represents Dole Fresh Fruit Company in an ongoing adversary proceeding in the Southern District of New York and Pitney Bowes in litigation in Illinois and Texas.

Pro Bono and Community Involvement. Thomas is deeply committed to pro bono service and community involvement. He previously served on the Board of Directors for The Priority Center, which serves at-risk children and families in crisis, and on the Board of Directors for the Public Law Center, Orange County’s pro bono law firm providing legal services to low-income residents. 

Education and Background. Thomas received his J.D. from the University of Southern California Law School, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif and served as Submission Editor for the Southern California Law Review. He earned his B.A., magna cum laude, in Political Science from Pepperdine University.

He is admitted to practice in California and Texas and before multiple federal courts, including the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Ninth and Fifth Circuits.
 

Eric Vandevelde is a former federal prosecutor and litigation partner in Gibson Dunn’s Los Angeles office. He is Global Co-Chair of the firm’s AI Practice Group and a member of its White Collar Defense and Investigations, Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Innovation, and Intellectual Property Practice Groups. Eric has significant first-chair trial experience both at the DOJ and in the private sector. He has a deep technical background, with a degree in computer science from Stanford and having worked as a software engineer in Silicon Valley and Latin America.

Eric has repeatedly been recognized by Chambers, with clients describing him as “phenomenal” and “exceptional,” their “go-to attorney for government investigations or any possible changes at regulatory level,” and noting that his “technical background and legal acumen were critical to [their] success.” He is ranked by Chambers USA nationwide for Artificial Intelligence and in California for White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations. Eric has also been recognized for his white collar work by Super Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America®, and the Daily Journal, including as one of the Top 20 Cyber/AI lawyers in California. Lawdragon named Eric to its 100 Leading AI & Legal Tech Advisors (2024-2026) and 500 Leading Global Cyber Lawyers lists (2024-2026). Eric was also recognized as a Key Lawyer in the areas of Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense by The Legal 500 US (2024).

Eric has a broad practice, handling complex criminal and civil trials, internal investigations, regulatory enforcement matters, advisory work for boards and management — but nearly all of his matters lie at the intersection of technology and the law, and involve cutting edge issues in AI, cryptocurrency, data privacy, cybersecurity, biotech, fintech, gaming, and software. He has also represented clients in some of the highest profile, highest stakes cases in the country concerning government demands for personal data and technical assistance in connection with criminal and national security-related investigations.

Representative criminal and regulatory investigations matters:

• Obtained declination for major technology company in DOJ investigation regarding its AI-based online trust and safety platform.
• Obtained declination for AI company in DOJ investigation regarding its AI content generation practices.
• Successfully resolved without charges investigation into AI executives regarding data-scraping and copyright infringement allegations.
• Obtained declination for cryptocurrency platform in investigations by DOJ and Financial Crime Enforcement Network (FinCEN), and successfully resolved separate investigations by Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
• Obtained sentence of probation for individual NFT/cryptocurrency holder in federal tax prosecution involving millions in unpaid taxes.
• Successfully resolved without charges investigation into environmental consulting firm regarding crisis arising from subsurface chemical reaction in landfill site.
• Obtained declination for mobile gaming company in coordinated consumer protection investigations by multiple state regulators relating to AI-powered in-game economy and in-app purchases.
• Obtained successful resolution for leading technology company in investigation by 30+ state Attorneys General and multiple District Attorneys’ offices, alongside parallel investigations by DOJ, SEC, and Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
• Obtained declinations for financial services executives in connection with “Varsity Blues” college admissions scandal.
• Obtained successful resolution for online gaming and fantasy sports company in wide-ranging criminal and regulatory investigations.
• Obtained successful resolution for healthcare services provider in nationwide False Claims Act (FCA) investigation by DOJ and the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS).
• Obtained successful resolution, with no admission of wrongdoing, for CFO of publicly traded company in parallel SEC and DOJ investigations.
• Led internal investigation for nutraceutical company, uncovering evidence of fraud through digital forensics and recovering tens of millions of dollars within days of confronting perpetrators.

Representative litigation matters:

• Led successful representation of software support provider Rimini Street in sprawling litigation against Oracle, including multiple trials and appeals to Ninth Circuit and Supreme Court. Ultimately, defeated Oracle’s claims of more than $1.4 billion in damages.
• Represented Amazon Web Services in bid protest regarding the U.S. Department of Defense’s $10 billion JEDI cloud contract.
• Represented Scale AI in major theft of trade secrets matter.
• Represented major retailer and other companies in multiple privacy lawsuits alleging violations of California Invasion of Privacy Act and similar laws.
• Represented AT&T Mobility in lawsuit arising out of alleged theft of cryptocurrency and related cybersecurity issues.
• Represented Machine Zone in complex commercial litigation against former datacenter services provider involving allegations of theft of trade secrets, breach of contract, and fraud.
• Represented Amgen in lawsuit involving patent licensing dispute.
• Represented AddOn Networks in copyright infringement, DMCA, and CFAA lawsuit.
• Represented St. Jude Medical in trade secret case involving theft and misuse of confidential information by former employee in company’s research and development arm.
• Represented Orange Barrel Media in suit alleging RICO and other violations. Obtained full dismissal with prejudice.

AI / Cybersecurity / Privacy matters:

Across a wide range of industries, including software, hardware, social media, cloud and other online services, retail and luxury goods, health care, biotech and other life sciences, telecom, transportation, and private equity, Eric has helped numerous clients identify and manage AI, cybersecurity, and privacy risks:

• AI – Represented and advised technology companies, including social media and gaming companies, regarding compliance and risk mitigation with respect to AI, dark patterns, and other algorithmic decision-making issues.
• Data Breach / Incident Response – Represented victim companies in crisis management and remediation efforts (including managing forensics, consumer notification and regulatory reporting requirements, law enforcement interactions, and public relations) in connection with some of the largest and most sophisticated cyberattacks and data breaches.
• Cybersecurity – Advised C-suite, boards, and audit or special committees on cybersecurity risk and best practices, and compliance with applicable cybersecurity laws and regulations.
• Privacy – Advised and proactively managed compliance efforts with respect to various privacy laws and regulations, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
• Government Demands for Data and Assistance – Handled complex, high-profile, or contentious demands for data and technical assistance by government agencies and law enforcement via subpoenas, search warrants, pen registers, wiretaps, national security letters (NSLs), and other formal process issued under federal and state law, including the Stored Communications Act (SCA), Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), and Wiretap Act. Successfully litigated against the government to resist overbroad and unlawful process, as well as accompanying non-disclosure (i.e., “gag”) orders. Advised companies on encryption issues relating to such disputes.

From 2007 to 2014, Eric served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. He was Deputy Chief of the Cyber & IP Crimes unit, supervising one of the nation’s largest teams of federal prosecutors dedicated to investigating and prosecuting computer hacking and intellectual property offenses. He was the lead prosecutor on numerous high-profile cyber-crime investigations, including cases involving corporate espionage, theft of trade secrets, APTs, botnets, distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, and other sophisticated cyberattacks by nation-state actors. Eric has handled the prosecution of several infamous hacking groups that infiltrated government and corporate servers around the world. He also successfully prosecuted numerous traditional white collar cases as part of the Major Frauds Section, including healthcare fraud, mortgage fraud, investment fraud, tax fraud, and government procurement fraud cases, as well as some of the largest Ponzi scheme cases in Southern California. For his work with the government, Eric received numerous awards and commendations from federal agencies, including the FBI, Secret Service, IRS, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Eric is an active member of the legal community and committed to pro bono work. He served as Co-Chair of the ABA White Collar Crime Committee for Southern California. He serves on the board of the Crowell Family YMCA, and previously served on the board of the Survivor Justice Center, which provides direct representation to survivors of domestic violence and families in crises, and the Federal Bar Association of Los Angeles. Eric graduated from UCLA School of Law, Order of the Coif. After law school, he clerked for the Honorable A. Howard Matz, United States District Judge, Central District of California.