Georg Bilek is an associate in the Munich office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the firm’s Corporate, Mergers and Acquisitions, and Private Equity Practice Groups.

Georg advises clients on private equity transactions, management and other participation programs, as well as general corporate law.

He studied law at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. During his legal clerkship, he gathered experience at the Los Angeles and Munich offices of Gibson Dunn. Georg has been admitted as a German Lawyer (Rechtsanwalt) since 2025.

In addition to his native German, Georg speaks English.

Hazim Alfreahat is an associate attorney in the Abu Dhabi office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions and Projects and Infrastructure Practice Groups.

Hazim advises clients on complex local and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and corporate transactions. His practice includes advising on matters across a broad range of sectors, including energy and infrastructure, as well as providing advice on the UAE Commercial Companies Law and related regulatory matters.

Hazim received his Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Trade and Commercial Law from Nottingham Trent University. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, he worked in the Abu Dhabi office of an international U.S. law firm. He trained at a top-tier law firm in Jordan and is admitted to practice in Jordan.

Hazim is also a Certified Board Secretary from the Hawkamah Institute of Governance, in partnership with the Dubai Financial Market (DFM), qualifying him to serve listed companies on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and DFM.

Eric Thompson, Jr. is an associate attorney in the New York office of Gibson Dunn.  He practices in the firm’s Litigation Department and maintains an active pro bono practice.

Eric earned his Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law in 2024, where he served as Senior Editor of the New York University Journal of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law. While at law school, he was also a student mediator for the Mediation Clinic, the Database Chair for the Sports Law Association and a member of the Black Law Students Association.

Eric received a Bachelor of Arts in Government from the College of William & Mary in 2021.

Eric is admitted to practice in the State of New York.

Robert Banerjea is of counsel in the New York office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the Private Equity, Mergers and Acquisitions, and Infrastructure Practice Groups.

Robert represents private equity and infrastructure funds, and public and private companies in connection with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, recapitalizations, and other complex corporate transactions. His infrastructure practice comprises digital, energy, power, transportation and social infrastructure. He also advises clients on corporate governance, shareholder activism, takeover preparedness, and general corporate matters. In addition to his domestic practice, Robert regularly advises on Latin American matters with a particular focus on growth equity investments in Brazil. 

Robert’s recent representations include:

  • Igneo Infrastructure Partners in its acquisition of Vault Digital, a 75 MW U.S. Wholesale Data Center Portfolio
  • Elliott Investment Management LP in the $2.8 billion acquisition of Cubic Corp. and the $16 billion acquisition of Nielsen Holdings plc
  • Veritas Capital in various matters, including the acquisitions of CAES Space Systems from CAES, a portfolio company of Advent International, and of IDSI, LLC, the Defense Solutions division of Crescend Technologies, LLC
  • OceanSound Partners and its portfolio companies in the acquisitions of Antenna Research Associates, Inc., Digital Management Holdings, LLC, Datastrong LLC, C2 Consulting, Inc., Creoal Consulting LLC, and cBEYONData among others, and the divestiture of Digital Management Holdings’ commerce, marketing & strategy, and digital engineering services segment to Encora
  • RedBird IMI in the £1.15 billion acquisition of All3Media
  • Apollo Global Management and Athene Holding Ltd. in the acquisition of Petros PACE Finance LLC
  • L Catterton in its $400 million PIPE investment in Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.
  • I Squared Capital and its portfolio company Star Leasing in the acquisitions of Commercial Trailer Leasing and the Canadian business of TIP Group, a European-based truck and trailer leasing company
  • Fifth Wall Acquisition Corp. III, a SPAC sponsored by affiliates of Fifth Wall, in its merger with Mobile Infrastructure Corp., one of the largest parking asset owners in the U.S.
  • Fly Leasing Ltd. in its $2.36 billion sale to The Carlyle Group
  • Cell Site Solutions, Brazil’s largest operator of cell towers, in its sale to IHS Holding Ltd

Robert’s growth equity transactions include investments by Goldman Sachs in Simetrik Inc., Digibee Inc., Conexa Saúde, Unico, Olist, and Paige.AI.

He has also advised each of Centerview Partners, Citibank, Evercore Partners, Goldman Sachs, and Guggenheim Securities as financial advisers on public M&A transactions.

Robert has represented pro bono clients in death penalty, immigration, and corporate matters.

Robert has authored and co-authored numerous publications on M&A and corporate law issues, including a treatise on derivative actions.

Robert earned his LL.M. in 2002 from New York University School of Law. He received his doctorate in corporate law (Ph.D. equivalent), magna cum laude, from the University of Bonn in 2000 and his law degree (J.D. equivalent) from the University of Cologne in 1997.

He is admitted to practice in the State of New York, and is a former member of the German bar.

Stephenie Gosnell Handler is a partner in Gibson Dunn’s Washington, D.C. and Munich offices and a trusted advisor to global companies on cybersecurity, data governance, and technology-driven regulatory and national security risk.

Stephenie counsels multinational organizations across the full lifecycle of cybersecurity — from proactive regulatory strategy, governance design, and preparedness to managing major cyber incidents and strengthening resilience and compliance post-event. She represents clients in high-impact data breaches and cyber incidents involving nation-state threat actors, ransomware and extortion groups, supply chain compromises, insider threats, and widespread cross-border data exposures. She leads incident response engagements, coordinating with technical experts and regulators while guiding global notification strategies, executive and board engagement, and interactions with regulatory authorities, including the SEC, DOJ, and states attorneys general.

Her counseling practice encompasses a broad range of advisory work on cybersecurity requirements, data and technology governance, AI and data-risk frameworks, data localization and cross-border transfer strategies, digital-transformation risk, and enterprise cybersecurity and third-party risk programs. She regularly partners with boards and senior leadership to align governance with evolving regulatory expectations, compliance drivers, and enterprise risk objectives.

Stephenie maintains a robust CFIUS practice that leverages her leading cybersecurity, emerging technologies, and data governance expertise. She helps clients on both the buy- and sell-side understand and develop strategies to manage complex national security risks across the transaction life cycle, including fund formation and transaction structuring, as well as navigating the CFIUS filing process and negotiation of mitigation agreements. 

Stephenie’s deep export controls experience with the ITAR and EAR informs her counseling for national security and national security-adjacent matters, including development of compliance guardrails for AI models and cybersecurity program development to reflect regulated data requirements. Stephenie serves as co-chair of the Firm’s Department of Justice’s Data Security Program Task Force, counseling clients on the regulatory requirements establishing national security restrictions on access to bulk sensitive personal data.

She brings deep operational insight from her prior role as McKinsey & Company’s Director of Cybersecurity Strategy and Digital Acceleration, where she led the firm’s global cybersecurity program, enterprise cyber standards and certifications, and technology and data governance initiatives. She also previously led McKinsey’s in-house cybersecurity legal function, counseling global teams on cyber regulations, threat-driven risk management, and incident readiness.

Stephenie’s counsel has been recognized in leading industry guides, including Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Global Cyber Lawyers and 100 Leading AI & Legal Tech Advisors, Foreign Investment Watch’s Top Advisors, as a Distinguished Adviser in Financier Worldwide’s Power Players: Foreign Investment & National Security, and as a Thompson Reuters Stand-Out Lawyer. Stephenie also served as the Chair of the Future of Privacy Forum’s Privacy and Cybersecurity Advisory Committee. She is a frequent speaker on the topics of cybersecurity, emerging technologies, national security, and navigating the evolving regulatory and geopolitical landscape. Stephenie is also Chair of the Firm’s Cybersecurity and Data Governance Committee.

Prior to her legal career, Stephenie served as a U.S. Marine Corps officer, deploying to Iraq and throughout Asia as a logistics and political-miliary officer. She holds degrees from Stanford Law School, Georgetown University, and the U.S. Naval Academy.

Jennifer Yashar is a partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of the Real Estate Practice Group. She represents clients on commercial real estate transactions, with a focus on sophisticated commercial leasing transactions on behalf of prominent owners, developers, financial institutions, law firms, and corporations.

Jen advises many distinguished landlords, including Brookfield Properties, RXR Realty, and Related Companies, with significant experience in the lease-up of developments under construction. She also regularly counsels many law firms, financial institutions, and other corporations on their headquarter leases, including Warner Bros. Discovery, McKinsey, Christie’s, Milbank, Fox, and News Corp.

Jen has been recognized as a leading real estate lawyer by:

  • Crain’s New York Business Notable Women in Law 2026
  • New York Real Estate Journal’s 2024 Women in Commercial Real Estate Spotlight
  • Crain’s New York Business Notable Leader in Real Estate 2023
  • Connect Commercial Real Estate’s 2022 Lawyers in Real Estate Award
  • GlobeSt Real Estate Forum’s 2020 CRE Legal Counsel “Women of Influence” list
  • Real Estate Forum’s “Fifty Under 40”
  • Real Estate Weekly’s 2018 list of “Rising Stars” in Real Estate

Jen’s recent experience includes:*

  • Brookfield Properties:
    • As landlord, in the leasing of more than 2,000,000 office square feet at 200 Vesey Street, 250 Vesey Street, and 225 Liberty Street in Brookfield Place, including leases to Bank of America, The Bank of Nova Scotia, Jones Day, The College Entrance Examination Board, The Bank of New York Mellon, Jane Street Capital, and others.
    • As landlord, in the lease-up of One Manhattan West and Two Manhattan West to tenants including Skadden, NHL, Accenture, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, KPMG, and D.E. Shaw.
  • Related Companies in its over 1.5 million-square-foot lease to Meta across 30 floors and three buildings at Hudson Yards.
  • RXR Realty in connection with leasing Pier 57, including a 250,000-square-foot lease to Google and a 32,000-square-foot lease to City Winery at Pier 57 and several other restaurant leases.
  • Property & Building Corp., as landlord, in its 330,000-square-foot lease at 10 Bryant Park in New York to Amazon.
  • Warner Bros. Discovery in the sale and leaseback of its 1.4 million-square-foot condominium unit at 30 Hudson Yards to Related, which includes studio space for its CNN, HBO, and Turner Broadcasting affiliates, and subsequent subleasing of more than 710,000 square feet to multiple tenants, including Covington & Burling, Susquehanna International Group (SIG), Stonepeak, Convene, and Visa.
  • Fox Corporation and News Corp, as tenants, in their lease renewals and extensions totaling more than 1.2 million square feet at 1211 Avenue of the Americas.
  • Blackstone, as tenant, in the extension and expansion of its global headquarters lease at 345 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.
  • Christie’s, as tenant, in its 25-year extension of its 400,000-square-foot lease at Rockefeller Center.
  • Weill Cornell Medicine:
    • In the leasing of 200,000 square feet at 1334 York Avenue from Sotheby’s and the subsequent purchase of the building and partial leaseback to Sotheby’s.
    • In its lease extension and expansion at 575 Lexington Avenue for a state-of-the-art clinical practice.
  • Shiseido Americas in its 225,000-square-foot lease at 390 Madison Avenue for its U.S. headquarters relocation, which was redeveloped by L&L Holding Company and Clarion Partners on behalf of the New York State Common Retirement Fund.
  • Milbank LLP in its relocation from Downtown Manhattan to 55 Hudson Yards, where the law firm occupies 250,000 square feet.
  • McKinsey & Company in its 186,000-square-foot lease at Silverstein Properties’ 3 World Trade Center for its headquarters relocation and approximately 40,000 square feet at nearby 195 Broadway.

*Includes representations prior to Jen’s association with Gibson Dunn.

Before joining Gibson Dunn, Jen was a partner at another leading international law firm.

Jen received her B.A. from Barnard College and her J.D. from Harvard Law School. She is fluent in Hebrew and a member of New York Women Executives in Real Estate.

Jen is admitted to practice in the state of New York.

Natalie Harris is an English-qualified associate in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She is a member of the firm’s Dispute Resolution and Technology Groups, and has broad experience in commercial litigation, international arbitration, enforcement proceedings, and EU technology regulation. She is currently on secondment.

Natalie recently spent 5 months seconded to the EMEA Content Regulation team at a major social media platform, advising on a range of online safety regulatory and platform governance issues.

Natalie has represented major corporations and financial institutions across a range of high-value and complex disputes. Her experience includes:

  • Defending a leading technology corporation in class action proceedings before the Competition Appeal Tribunal alleging abuse of a dominant position.
  • Representing multiple defendants in an English High Court defamation claim, including the successful defence of an anti-suit injunction in the Court of Appeal.
  • Defending a global investment bank in multi-party litigation concerning USD LIBOR rate setting.
  • Defending a global investment bank in multi-jurisdictional financial fraud/white-collar crime proceedings.
  • Representing a UK retailer in the largest private sector mass equal pay claims before the English courts.

Natalie’s international arbitration experience includes: representing a major international contractor in a US$4 billion ICC arbitration arising out of a Middle Eastern infrastructure project; a global hotel group in an ICC arbitration arising from the management of a hotel in France; and a large energy company in an ICSID arbitration under the Energy Charter Treaty.

Natalie maintains an active and extensive pro bono practice, and serves on the London office’s pro bono committee. Natalie has a particular interest in family law and international human rights. She coordinates Gibson Dunn’s partnerships with the University House Legal Advice Centre Family Law Clinic and the Domestic Abuse Response Alliance (DARA). Natalie also regularly represents clients referred to the firm by DARA, and has successfully secured numerous emergency Non-Molestation Orders on behalf of domestic abuse survivors. She has also assisted with an application before the European Court of Human Rights under Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Natalie read law at the University of Cambridge, St John’s College, and trained at Gibson Dunn.

Christine Ranney is a partner in the Denver office and a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group. She focuses on patent and appellate litigation and is knowledgeable across a range of arts and practices, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, consumer goods, software, and telecommunications. With her background in chemical and engineering and work experience in the pharmaceutical industry, she specializes in life sciences and pharmaceutical disputes and has handled cases concerning small molecule and biologic therapeutics, methods of treatment, and diagnostics.  Christine has litigated and won cases in the federal district courts, before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and inter partes review proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.  She has substantial experience with pre-suit investigations, trade secret misappropriation cases, and coordinating global intellectual property disputes.  She also provides strategic advice concerning intellectual property licensing, diligence, and other transactional matters.

Christine is recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for Appellate Practice, Life Sciences Practice, and Litigation – Patent and has been listed in the publication since 2022. Managing IP Handbook named Christine as a 2025 IP Star, and the Denver Business Journal named her to their 40 Under 40 class of 2025.

Representative matters:

  • Represented Sun Pharma in a high-profile patent litigation brought by Incyte seeking to bar Sun from launching its branded alopecia drug Leqselvi.  Obtained a rare ruling from the bench vacating the injunction and a written order issued the same day, permitting Sun to launch immediately and without waiting for the mandate to issue.
  • Represented Cisco in several patent cases filed by Lionra in the Eastern District of Texas. Won summary judgment of non-infringement before trial.
  • Secured one of the largest defense victories in patent litigation history for clients EMD Serono, Inc. and Pfizer Inc. in a suit brought by Biogen MA Inc. seeking more than $5.4 billion in damages for infringement of a patent relating to the use of recombinant DNA technology in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis.
  • Obtained early Section 101 dismissal for Slack Technologies in infringement suit related to Slack’s eponymous communications platform.
  • Obtained favorable bench ruling and Federal Circuit affirmance for Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in litigation enforcing patent covering Novartis’s $3 billion Multiple Sclerosis drug GILENYA®.
  • Obtained critical victory for Assertio Therapeutics, Inc. (formerly Depomed, Inc.) in Hatch-Waxman litigation concerning Assertio’s most important asset, the opioid drug NUCYNTA®.
  • Represented Uber in multiple patent infringement litigations in the Eastern and Western Districts of Texas, obtaining transfer to California in one and favorable resolutions in others.
  • Secured favorable final determination for client Fitbit on patent and trade secret allegations brought before the International Trade Commission.

Christine serves as a Hiring Partner for Gibson Dunn’s Denver office and is a member of the firm’s Hiring Committee.  She is an active member of the Colorado IP American Inn of Court.  She also serves on the Board of The Delores Project, a Denver non-profit that provides and advocates for safe, dignified, and trauma-informed shelter and support services for people experiencing homelessness.

Prior to joining the firm, Christine served as a law clerk to the Honorable Pauline Newman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Before her clerkship, she was an analyst in a leadership development program at Merck & Co. Christine received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from New York University School of Law in 2013. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Engineering, in Chemical Engineering, in 2008 from Princeton University.

Christine is admitted to practice law in the States of California and Colorado and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Dione Garlick is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson Dunn. She is a member of the firm’s Litigation Department and in the Real Estate Practice Group. Dione specializes in real estate disputes, including both litigation and pre-litigation advising. Dione advises clients on how to position themselves to be successful in real estate disputes, both before the dispute has arisen and after it has ripened into litigation. Dione represents clients across the real estate industry, including disputes between joint venture members, enforcement of remedies, disputes arising out of acquisition failures, title disputes, landlord-tenant disputes, and disputes between real estate lenders and borrowers, among others. She specializes in creative remedies to achieve the best possible outcome for her clients. Dione is also a seasoned trial lawyer and an experienced oral advocate.

Dione has been recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for Commercial Litigation from 2024-2026.

A sample of recent, non-confidential matters include:

  • Dione recently completed a trial in Nashville, Tennessee regarding a dispute arising out of a purchase and sale agreement for a unique, historical property in Nashville that has become one of the most desirable locations in the city. Dione took several witnesses at trial.
  • Dione currently represents a major oil company in a lawsuit against various California state entities regarding denied oil and gas permits. Dione played a central role in the Phase I trial, including by taking the cross examination of the Governor’s Office’s representative.
  • Dione represented a joint venture who purchased a property for development, which property included an ‘anti-flip’ restriction in the deed. The prior owner sued, seeking to enforce the anti-flip provision. Dione helped secure a win on demurrer, disposing of the case at the earliest stage.

Dione graduated from UCLA School of Law in 2013. While at UCLA, she was a member of the Moot Court Honors Program, earning the Outstanding Brief Writer award. In 2010, she graduated magna cum laude from Utah State University with a Bachelor of Arts as a dual-major in Statistics and Law & Constitutional Studies with a minor in Latin. Dione is a member of the State Bar of California and is admitted to practice law before the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Pedro G. Soto is of counsel in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the White Collar Defense and Investigations group, and his practice focuses primarily on anti-corruption and fraud matters. He has 15 years of experience representing corporations and individuals under investigation by government authorities around the world, as well as the integrity units of multilateral development banks (MDBs), such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. He has also conducted compliance due diligence for over 100 transactions around the world. Pedro has particularly deep experience in Latin America, where he has worked on matters in more than 15 different countries. He also represents foreign governments and private claimants in significant litigation and arbitration matters.

Pedro has been recognized in leading legal publications as a “Latin America expert with experience of investigations throughout the region[,]” (The Legal 500 Latin America 2026 – “Compliance and Investigations”) and as one of the “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch”  in “Criminal Defense: White Collar” by The Best Lawyers in America (2022 through 2025).

Pedro’s representative matters include:

White Collar Defense/Investigation Matters:

  • Represented a global energy company in a corruption probe relating to Mexico. DOJ and the SEC closed the investigation without action against client.
  • Obtained a declination for a large European bank in an investigation by a foreign competition enforcement agency.
  • Represented a global bank in a securities fraud investigation. All four enforcement agencies closed the investigation without action against client.
  • Represented a U.S.-based, global technology company in an investigation into potential bribery in Argentina. DOJ and the SEC closed the investigation without action against client.
  • Represented a European construction company in connection with a DOJ inquiry into potential public bribery in Latin America. DOJ closed the matter without action against client.
  • Represented a senior official of a Fortune 100 firm under investigation by the DOJ for bribery of government officials in Latin America. DOJ closed the investigation without action against client.
  • Represented a senior manager of a Fortune 50 firm who was under investigation by DOJ for bribery of government officials in Europe. DOJ closed the investigation without action against client.
  • Represented a Fortune 500 company in connection with a whistleblower report sent to DOJ and the SEC alleging public bribery in Central America. Both agencies closed the matter without action against client.
  • Defended a large public infrastructure firm in Asian Development Bank Integrity proceedings. The regulator closed the matter without charges against the client.
  • Represented a European construction/engineering firm in World Bank Integrity proceedings, obtaining a more than 80% reduction off the sanctions guidelines applicable to the matter.
  • Representing two individuals in connection with ongoing World Bank Integrity proceedings relating to energy contracts in the Middle East.
  • Representing a major infrastructure investment fund in connection with an ongoing World Bank Integrity investigation in India.

Litigation and Arbitration Matters:

  • Successfully defended the Government of Panama in an international arbitration brought by foreign investors seeking more than US$400 million in damages. Obtained full dismissal of all claims at the jurisdictional phase and an award of costs in favor of client.
  • Successfully defended the Government of Costa Rica from an international arbitration claim seeking US$345 million in damages. Following a week-long trial, obtained dismissal of all claims against client.
  • Successfully represented a large, Europe-based energy company in the annulment phase of an international arbitration proceeding against the Republic of Argentina. Obtained the dismissal of all claims for annulment, thus upholding the arbitral award of over US$200 million in favor of client.

Compliance and Due Diligence Matters:

  • Conducted anti-corruption due diligence on behalf of a Fortune 50 in connection with a US$5+ billion investment in India.
  • Conducted anti-corruption due diligence on behalf of a Fortune 10 in connection with a proposed US$250+ million investment in India.
  • Conducted anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, and trade sanctions/export controls due diligence on behalf of a global investment bank in connection with a US$130+ million infrastructure investment in South America.
  • Conducted pre-acquisition due diligence and post-acquisition compliance integration on behalf of a global resources company in connection with the first-ever joint operating agreement with Mexico’s state-owned oil and gas company, PEMEX.
  • Conducted anti-corruption due diligence on behalf of a major U.S. investment fund in connection with a proposed US$200+ million investment in a renewable energy company in South America.

Pedro speaks and writes frequently on white collar enforcement and compliance issues. Some of his most recent speaking engagements include:

  • “Recent Developments in Multilateral Development Bank Enforcement” (Speaker, Webcast, January 14, 2026)
  • “FCPA and Anti-Corruption Enforcement Trends in Global Markets” (Speaker, Webcast, March 25, 2025)
  • “Anti-Corruption Enforcement and Recent Developments in Latin America” (Speaker, Webcast, December 10, 2024)
  • “Recent Developments in Multilateral Development Bank Enforcement” (Speaker, Webcast, February 28, 2024)
  • “Anti-Corruption Compliance in Financial Transactions and M&A” (Speaker, Lima, Peru, November 14, 2023)
  • “Offshore Companies and Transnational Money Laundering” (Speaker, Lima, Peru, November 13, 2023)
  • “Round Table of International Practitioners: Update on LatAm Anti-Corruption Investigations” (Speaker, 4th International Anti-corruption Conference of ICC Mexico City, October 2023)
  • “Corruption in Investment Projects: The Standard of Proof and the Consequences for Investment Arbitration” (Speaker, 2023 World Arbitration Update, Washington, D.C., May 22, 2023)
  • “Anti-Corruption Programs and Investigations in Companies: Challenges, Opportunities, and Risks” (Speaker, American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico, December 2022)
  • “Anti-Corruption Due Diligence in M&A Transactions” (Lecturer, International Chamber of Commerce’s Anti-Corruption Certificate Program – Mexico City, annually from 2018-2025)

In addition, Pedro is the co-author of, among others: “Cooperating with Authorities: The U.S. Perspective” (published in Global Investigation Review’s The Practitioner’s Guide to Global Investigations), “Common Pitfalls in MDB Audits and Charting a Path to Effective Settlement of Allegations” (published in Global Investigation Review’s The Guide to Multilateral Development Bank Investigations, 2025 and 2026), “Channeling the Channel Partner Risk: Addressing Anti-Corruption Risk with Channel Partners in the Technology Sector,” (published in The FCPA Report) and “Anti-Corruption Compliance in Emerging Markets: A Resource Guide” (an e-book for compliance professionals).

A native Spanish speaker, Pedro has extensive experience in Latin America. He has worked on matters involving Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Pedro also has experience in matters throughout Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

He earned a Juris Doctor, with honors, from the University of Chicago Law School and a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from Georgetown University.

Daniel Boden is an English-qualified associate in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the firm’s Litigation and International Arbitration Groups.

Daniel has broad experience of complex commercial litigation, international arbitration and regulatory and internal investigations, often with a transnational element. Most recently this has included:

  • Representing a UK retailer in the largest private sector mass equal pay claim to be heard in the English courts.

  • Representing U.S. investors in a large-scale precious metals mining project in a former Soviet Union country in High Court proceedings related to parallel investor-state and commercial arbitration claims.

  • Representing ultra-high net worth individuals in a succession dispute involving a global estate valued in the multiple billions of dollars.

  • Representing a major investment bank in High Court proceedings regarding antitrust violations relating to LIBOR manipulation.

  • Representing LIV Golf and a number of players in high-profile disciplinary appeals proceedings against the PGA European Tour.

  • Defending an Indian wealth and asset management company in respect of claims brought in the Commercial Court alleging fraudulent misrepresentation, deceit and intimidation.

Daniel also works on ESG and human rights issues and has experience in the financial services, retail and sports sectors. He also maintains an active pro bono practice.

Daniel trained at Gibson Dunn and holds a first class honours degree in Hispanic Studies with a distinction in spoken Spanish from the University of Nottingham.

Kijoon (Kij) Baeg is an associate in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group.

Kij received his Juris Doctor from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in 2023 and his Bachelor of Science in Music Industry from the University of Southern California in 2017.

Kij is admitted to practice law in the State of New York.

Sean McFarlane is a corporate partner in the New York office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of Gibson Dunn’s Mergers and Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice Groups.

Sean has extensive experience in U.S. and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity transactions, and corporate advisory work. Sean also focuses his practice on advising clients in the sports and entertainment industry with respect to the acquisition and financing of professional sports franchises and the negotiation of media rights agreements.

Sean has been recognized as one of Law360 ’s Rising Stars in Sports and as “One to Watch” in the area of New York Entertainment and Sports by The Best Lawyers in America®. In 2026, Sean was named among the 500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers by Lawdragon.

Sean earned his law degree from Harvard University and graduated with a BA in political science, summa cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame.

Richard Birns is Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Private Equity Practice Group. He regularly represents private equity firms and companies on domestic and cross-border leveraged buyouts, strategic mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, carve-outs, minority investments, and joint ventures.

He is recognized as a leading lawyer by Legal 500 as well as Chambers USA, where clients describe him as “smart and tenacious”. The American Lawyer recognized Richard as a 2023 Dealmaker of the Year for his work advising Elliott Management’s acquisition of Nielsen Media with Brookfield. He was also named a Private Equity MVP by Law360 in 2019. Richard was named among the 500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers by Lawdragon in 2026.

His recent experience includes advising:

  • Elliott Investment Management L.P. and its affiliate, Evergreen Coast Capital Corporation, on acquisitions and dispositions, including the $7.1 billion acquisition of Syneos Health, Inc., the $16.5 billion acquisition of Citrix Systems, Inc., and the $16 billion acquisition of Nielsen Holdings plc. He also advised Elliott Management on its acquisitions and dispositions of Gigamon, athenahealth, Travelport, LogMeIn, and Cubic
  • Goldman Sachs in connection with its investment in Oncoclínicas, a Brazilian medical-care provider, and subsequent IPO
  • Hazel, the independent fintech launched in partnership with Walmart and investment firm Ribbit Capital, on their acquisition of fintech platforms Even and ONE.

Richard is also Chair of the firm’s Sports Law Practice Group, and has extensive experience in the technology, media, sports and entertainment sectors. He advises on some of the most high-profile transactions in these sectors, including representing:

  • RedBird Capital Partners in a number of significant acquisitions, including its acquisition of All3Media, Italy’s Associazione Calcio Milan (AC Milan Football Club), the acquisition of a majority stake in the Toulouse Football Club; and the acquisition from The Walt Disney Company of the YES Network, a regional sports network, by an investor group that included Yankee Global Enterprises, Sinclair Broadcasting Group, Blackstone, and Amazon.com
  • Affiliates of Yankee Global Enterprises and the Dallas Cowboys, in connection with a sale of Legends Hospitality to Sixth Street.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in History from Georgetown University, Richard earned his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and member of the Columbia Law Review. He clerked for Judge Milton Pollack of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, from 1997 to 1998.

Richard is a leader in the community and active in a number of non-profit organizations, including serving as Co-Chair of the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s New York Leadership Council.

Steve Tsoneff is a partner in Gibson Dunn’s Century City office. He has two decades of experience advising content producers, distributors, and financiers in a variety of media and entertainment transactions, with a focus on the production, licensing, and distribution of audiovisual content and various approaches to the financing of such content, including single-project, slate, corporate, and co-financing transactions. He also provides industry expertise to clients who are acquiring, investing in, or selling companies in the media and entertainment space and advises clients on media rights issues for sports leagues and teams.

Steve was named among the 500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers by Lawdragon in 2025 and 2026. He was also ranked by Chambers USA as a leading transactional Media and Entertainment practitioner in California. Since 2024, Steve has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America® as a Lawyer of the Year in Entertainment Law.

Steve returned to Gibson Dunn after serving as General Counsel & Head of Business Affairs for the entertainment production company Madison Wells Media from 2017 through 2021, where he was a member of the core management team leading the company’s development, production, and financing activities across film, television, live stage, podcasting, and digital media. He currently practices in the firm’s Corporate Transactional Department and was previously Co-Chair of the firm’s Media, Entertainment and Technology Practice Group.

Prior to joining Madison Wells Media, Steve was a partner at Gibson Dunn and practiced at the firm from 2000 to 2017.

Representative matters include:

  • Representation of Universal Pictures in numerous transactions, including:
    • Its partnership with Blumhouse Productions in a ten-year first-look production agreement;
    • Its multi-year slate financing transaction with Perfect World Pictures;
    • Its multi-year distribution partnership with Amblin’ Entertainment;
    • Its co-production and co-financing transaction with Legendary Entertainment;
    • Its $150 million sale of Rogue Pictures to Relativity Media;
    • Numerous single-picture financing and distribution transactions; and
    • Various German, UK and Spanish tax-incentivized film finance transactions.
  • Representation of RedBird Capital Partners in several transactions, including:
    • Its acquisition of All3Media, the largest independent television production and distribution company in the UK;
    • Its investment in the TV studio and production company Media Res; and
    • Its formation of the Hidden Pigeon Company, Mo Willems’ multiplatform children’s content venture.
  •  Representation of Candle Media, a Blackstone-backed media company led by Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs, in several transactions including:
    • Its acquisition of Spanish-language content producer Exile Content Studio;
    • Its acquisition of socially progressive media company ATTN:; and
    • Its sale of the Spanish-language music label Exile Music to HYBE.
  • Representation of the National Football League in its joint venture with Skydance Media to form Skydance Sports, a premier global multi-sports production studio.
  • Representation of the North Road Company, a global multi-genre film and TV studio founded by Peter Chernin, in its acquisition of the U.S. assets of Red Arrow Studios.
  • Representation of Rachel Maddow in the formation of her production company and her first-look transactions in film and television.
  • Representation of Lupa Systems in the formation of the production company Futurific Studios and its production and distribution of the PBS documentary series “A Brief History of the Future”.
  • Representation of Point72 Ventures in various media and entertainment investments.
  • Representation of TikTok in various advisory matters.
  • Representation of LIV Golf in various media and entertainment transactions.
  • Representation of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation in numerous transactions, including:
    • Its multi-year film slate financing transactions with TSG Entertainment Finance LLC and Dune Capital Management;
    • Its partnership with Cirque du Soleil to develop an arena-touring production based on “Avatar”;
    • Its license arrangement with Ubisoft to develop an “Avatar” video game;
    • Its partnership with Resorts World Genting to develop the world’s first Fox theme park, in Malaysia;
    • Its multi-picture co-financing transaction with Ivanhoe Pictures for local-language films in India, Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan;
    • Numerous studio co-financing transactions and single-picture financing and distribution transactions; and
    • Various German, UK, and Spanish tax-incentivized film finance transactions.
  • Representation of Paramount Pictures in its co-production and co-financing transaction with Skydance Productions, as well as numerous single-picture financing and distribution transactions.
  • Representation of DZ Bank AG in its financing of various motion pictures produced by Constantin Film;
  • Representation of New Line Cinema/Warner Bros. in its $350 million slate financing transaction with The Royal Bank of Scotland and various German, UK and Spanish tax-incentivized film finance transactions.
  • Representation of Illumination Entertainment in its strategic alliance with Fuji TV in Japan.
  • Representation of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios in various co-financing transactions.

Steve has received numerous industry accolades, including multiple appearances on The Hollywood Reporter’s Top 100 Power Lawyers list, and Variety’s Dealmakers Impact Report list and Legal Impact Report lists, as well as The Daily Journal. He was named by the Los Angeles Business Journal as a “Leader of Influence” and was previously ranked by Chambers USA as an “Up and Coming” California lawyer in the category of Media and Entertainment: Transactional.

Steve received his law degree from Columbia Law School in 2000. While at Columbia, Steve was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and spent a semester studying at the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English & American Literature, cum laude, in 1997 from Harvard College, where he was a member of the heavyweight crew team.

Steve is admitted to practice law in California.

Maurice M. Suh is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson Dunn. He is Co-Chair of the firm’s Sports Law Practice Group and is a member of the Litigation Department and its White Collar Defense and Investigations and Crisis Management Practice Groups. He focuses his practice on business litigation and the representation of clients in conjunction with white collar, compliance and related government enforcement actions.

Maurice has tried numerous matters in state and federal courts, as well as before domestic and international arbitral bodies. His business litigation matters have involved class actions, securities litigation, RICO, and business torts alleging breach of contract, fraud, tortious interference, breaches of fiduciary duty and corruption allegations. His government enforcement matters have involved the defense of federal and state white collar crime allegations, as well as internal investigations that relate to various government regulations, bribery and FCPA compliance matters. With respect to his sports practice, Maurice has represented elite athletes, teams and sponsors in landmark cases involving media rights, sponsorship and anti-doping matters in court and before arbitration panels in both the United States arbitral system for Olympic movement sports and the International Court for Arbitration of Sport (CAS). Maurice has further advised top sports teams, agents and race organizers in matters related to sponsorship and employment issues, as well as strategic planning.

Maurice has been repeatedly recognized by Lawdragon as a “Global Leader in Crisis Management” and as a “Leading Global Entertainment, Sports and Media Lawyer”. Maurice has been selected for the Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Best of the Bar” for Litigation list along with being named among the “Most Influential Minority Lawyers in Los Angeles.” Maurice was recently named by AmLaw Litigation Daily as one of their “Litigators of the Week” in a jury verdict win for Nike in its endorsement contract dispute with NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. He had also been listed in Daily Journal’s “Top 100 – California’s Leading Lawyers” list. He has also been named as among the nation’s leading attorneys by The Best Lawyers in America® for the Criminal Defense: White Collar category since 2010 and the Sports Law category since 2023.

Representative Matters

Business Litigation and White Collar Matters

  • Represented Yucaipa investment funds and the former officers and directors of Allied, a Yucaipa portfolio company, in connection with breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraudulent transfer and equitable subordination claims brought by the litigation trustee for the Allied litigation trust, formed after Allied was placed into bankruptcy. In re: ASHINC, Case No. 12-11564 (Bankr. D. Del.); Case No. 12-50947 (Bankr. D. Del.)(Adversary Proceeding).
  • Represented PricewaterhouseCoopers against fraud and breach of contract claims brought by the City of Los Angeles arising from the implementation of an enterprise-wide software program controlling billing, water and power usage and customer data and care. The successful defense resulted in a complete and voluntary dismissal of all claims brought by the City of Los Angeles after years of litigation. City of Los Angeles v. Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP, Case No. BC 574690.
  • Represented Deutsche Bank in obtaining a complete victory involving class action claims of fraud and violations of mortgage loan statutes in a series of class actions in the Western District of Missouri alleging a violation of Missouri’s Second Mortgage Loan Act with an exposure of over $400 million. The grant of summary judgment was affirmed on appeal before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Further, successfully represented Bank of America, JP Morgan and UBS in connection with class action claims of violations of second mortgage and mortgage-lending statutes. Thomas v. U.S. Bank, et al. (consolidated class action), CV 83549-01, 10 CV 215097, CV 100-4332-01, 01 CV 201263, 03 CV 2016423.
  • Represented Toyota in litigation against GM in connection with a dispute arising from the allocation of costs incurred with recalls of automobiles jointly produced by NUMMI, a joint venture between Toyota and GM. Toyota, in prevailing, not only won all claims brought against it, but also successfully negotiated future beneficial cost-sharing allocation agreements.
  • Represented Duty Free Shops (DFS) in multiple cases arising from a corruption scheme to unlawfully award to Lotte a duty-free concession agreement worth $500 million. This multi-pronged litigation involved several civil actions before the Superior Court of Guam against the governmental agency, a civil action in the Superior Court of Guam against a competitor, and an international arbitration. DFS v. GIAA, CV0943-14, CV0094-15, CV0198-15; GIAA v. DFS, CVA18-022 (Guam Sup. Ct.); DFS v. Lotte, CV0943-14-01, CV0094-15-01; DFS v. GIAA, CV0595-16, CV0371 and SP0128-16.
  • Represented Maximus in arbitration arising from fraud and breach of contract allegations brought by the City of Los Angeles. The arbitral panel eventually found against the City of Los Angeles on the entirety of its claims and found in favor of all counterclaims brought by Maximus. Los Angeles Unified School District v. Maximus Inc., et al., JAMS Ref. No. 1100070648; Los Angeles Unified School District v. Harris Education Consulting and Maximus, Case No. BC 493592 (Petition to Confirm).
  • Represented Deloitte Consulting in connection with claims brought by the Los Angeles Unified School District alleging that Deloitte failed to properly implement software governing employee pay, vacation time and benefits. After successfully defending Deloitte against those claims, led the defense of Deloitte in claims brought by third parties in class actions against both LAUSD and Deloitte for failure to properly pay teachers and other LAUSD staff. Lisa McCarrell et al v. Los Angeles Unified School District, BC 383425, BC 368209, BC 383410, BC 383754 (consolidated).
  • Represented the CEO and directors of Fresh & Easy in connection with breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract and fraudulent transfer claims arising from the filing of Chapter 11 proceedings by Fresh & Easy, a grocery retailer.
  • Represented the CEO and Chairman of the Board of MagnaChip, a chip manufacturer, in connection with an SEC investigation and related securities class actions. Hayes v. MagnaChip Semiconductor Corp. et al., Case No. 3:14-cv-01160-JST.
  • Represented a consortium of Korean national banks, including Industrial Bank of Korea, NH Bank, KEB Hana Bank and KB Bank, in successfully pursuing claims of fraud and breach of contract against ASI Corporation. These claims arose from a fraud that occurred in Korea, aided and assisted by co-defendants in the United States. The successful settlements resulted from a global investigation and discovery process. Industrial Bank of Korea et al. v. ASI Corp et al., Case No. 2:17-cv-07646-CBM-FFM.
  • Represented Hollywood Park Casino, The Bicycle Club and Celebrity Casinos in connection with a bellwether constitutional and statutory challenge to the legality of the play of games in California Cardrooms, which ended in dismissal with prejudice of the Second Amended Complaint. Rincon Band of Luiseno Mission Indians and Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians v. Larry Flynt et al., 37-2018-0058170-CU-NP-CTL.
  • Represented Casino Royale in obtaining a successful resolution of a bellwether statutory and compliance challenge to the legality of the game play of certain cards games, all of which potentially impacted the entire California cardroom industry. Whitehouse, Fierro and Ortiz v. Sacramento Casino Royale LLC et al., CV 34-2014-00161427.
  • Represented the world’s largest retailer in connection with class action claims alleging violations of California employment law, including policies and practices related to the payment of wages upon the termination of employment. In re Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Wage and Hour Litigation (Smith-Ballard), N.D. Cal, Case Number C 06 02069 SBA (BZ).
  • Represented members of the board of directors of Full Tilt Poker in connection with a criminal investigation conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York, which involved the legality of online poker. United States v. Isai Scheinberg, et al., S3 10 Cr. 336 (LAK).
  • Represented Nike in connection with various internal investigations.

Sports Matters

  • Advised Olympic Committees in connection with numerous issues arising from the organization of Summer and Winter games, the requirements of the International Olympic Committee, the requirements of international and national governing bodies and dispute resolution.
  • Represented Toyota in connection with its historic sponsorship as a TOP Sponsor for the 2017 – 2024 quadrennial games.
  • Represented Olympics TOP sponsors in connection with the sponsorship of the 2017 – 2024 quadrennial games, including those issues arising from Tokyo 2020.
  • Represented the World Surfing League in connection with issues related to its debut as an Olympic movement sport.
  • Represented Nike in connection with numerous sponsorship matters in Olympic movement and professional sports.
  • Represented media rights companies in connection with potential disputes arising from the COVID-19 crisis.
  • Represented professional sports teams in connection with sponsorship issues before their respective leagues and national governing bodies.
  • Drafted dispute resolution provisions, anti-doping rules and player protocols for the NFL Players Association in connection with collective-bargaining negotiations with the NFL.
  • Represented Nike in matters involving the Oregon Project, Nike’s elite running program.
  • Represented Alberto Salazar in connection with anti-doping claims brought by USADA.
  • Represented Floyd Landis in connection with his disqualification from the 2006 Tour de France.
  • Represented Alexandre Vinokourov in connection with his disqualification from the 2007 Tour de France.
  • Represented the Astana Team in connection with matters arising from its compliance with IOC rules.
  • Represented Justin Gatlin in his successful appeal of a doping suspension.
  • Represented Rashid Ramzi and the Bahrain Olympic Committee in connection with matters arising from the Beijing Olympics.
  • Represented Richard Sherman in his successful appeal of a suspension arising from a purported violation of the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
  • Represented Josh Gordon in connection with matters arising from the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
  • Represented eSports companies in connection with the development of rules and guidelines for both anti-doping and regulatory concerns.
  • Represented Rob Farah, world number one doubles tennis player, in successfully overturning an anti-doping suspension.

Maurice has previously served as Deputy Mayor of Homeland Security and Public Safety for the City of Los Angeles. In that capacity, Maurice had oversight over all homeland security and public safety issues for the City of Los Angeles, including the Port of Los Angeles and Los Angeles World Airports. As Deputy Mayor, Maurice developed the Office of Homeland Security and Public Safety, which has responsibility over the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Fire Department and the Emergency Preparedness Department and their combined 17,500 employees and $1.7B budget. As Deputy Mayor, Maurice was the representative for the City of Los Angeles in connection with the consent decree entered into between the United States Department of Justice and the City of Los Angeles arising from the discovery and disclosure of police corruption in the Rampart Division of the Los Angeles Police Department.

In addition, Maurice has served as a Deputy Chief of the Public Corruption and Government Fraud Section of the United States Attorney’s Office of the Central District of California. While there, he prosecuted and supervised a number of public corruption and official misconduct cases against federal and state law enforcement officials, as well as a wide variety of fraud and environmental crimes cases. In that capacity, Maurice has received the Prosecutor of the Year Award (2001, International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators, S.C.), as well as the Director’s Award for Superior Performance as an Assistant United States Attorney and numerous other awards from federal law enforcement agencies.

He has served as Adjunct Professor of Law at both Loyola Law School and The George Washington University National Law Center.

Maurice graduated from Columbia University in 1986 (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) and Columbia Law School of Columbia University in 1989.

Maurice has previously served as Co-Chair of the Securities Litigation Committee of the ABA Section of Litigation and as Co-Chair of the Criminal Litigation Committee of the ABA Section of Litigation.

Maurice has served on the Rampart Blue Ribbon Commission, which investigated allegations of police misconduct involving the Rampart Division of the Los Angeles Police Department. Maurice has also served as Deputy General Counsel for the Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence, which was created by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to investigate the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s use of unjustified force against inmates. The findings of this investigation became part of large-scale change at the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, which also included criminal prosecutions of the Los Angeles County Sheriff.

Nathalie Gunasekera is an associate attorney in the New York office of Gibson Dunn. She is a member of the firm’s Litigation and International Arbitration Practice Groups.

Nathalie served as a law clerk to the Honorable Allison D. Burroughs of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts from 2024 to 2025. She received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 2021. While in law school, she served as an online articles editor of the Harvard Human Rights Journal, was a member of the Executive Board of Harvard Law School Advocates for Human Rights, and co-founded the Harvard Central and Southeast Europe Law Students Association. She was also a student attorney in the Harvard International Human Rights Clinic, where she focused on access to remedies for human rights violations and accountability mechanisms for international organizations in Haiti and Kosovo.

Prior to law school, Nathalie worked for global non-governmental organizations as a youth employment and private sector development advisor in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kosovo, Lebanon, Malawi, and Nigeria, among other countries. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree, with honors, from the University of St Andrews in 2010 and graduated with distinction from the Columbia University and London School of Economics dual master’s degree program in International and World History in 2012.

Nathalie is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of New York.

Publication:

  • The United Nations Must Deliver Long Overdue Remedies for the Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian Victims of Lead Poisoning in Kosovo, Harv. Hum. Rts. J. (2021).

Courtney Wang is an associate in the San Francisco office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She is a member of the firm’s Technology Transactions, Artificial Intelligence, and Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Innovation practice groups. She is currently on secondment.

Courtney helps clients balance technological innovation and legal compliance, with a focus on customer-facing experiences. Having previously seconded at Amazon for an extended contract, she has developed wide-ranging experience launching products, including deployment of generative and predictive artificial intelligence solutions. While at Amazon, Courtney gained particular expertise advising engineers, data scientists, and other business stakeholders in the intellectual property, privacy, and platform considerations of app development and in-app products. She also built significant experience developing and implementing internal and external customer and seller trust policies.

Courtney regularly advises clients on data privacy, AI, and consumer protection considerations in strategic and tactical product counseling matters; in particular, compliance with the FTC Act, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and other state comprehensive privacy laws, state biometric privacy laws, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Courtney’s practice also includes representing companies in the data privacy, AI, and intellectual property aspects of commercial transactions, including venture and private equity representations, mergers and acquisitions, carveouts, and leveraged buy-outs. Courtney also represents clients in inquiries from state and federal regulatory bodies, including the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice. Courtney’s clients operate in a range of industries, including technology, software, retail, sports, media and entertainment, gig economy, finance, and e-commerce. 

She earned her J.D. from Berkeley Law School in 2020, where she was a member of the Berkeley Veterans Association and Queer Caucus, and served as an Article Editor and as the Internal Supervising Editor of the Berkeley Journal of International Law. Courtney received her B.A. in English from George Washington University in 2007.

Prior to attending law school, Courtney was a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy. Courtney completed deployments as an Officer of the Deck for a counterpiracy asset in the Gulf of Aden, and as the Anti-submarine Warfare Officer for a carrier strike group supporting air missions in Syria.

Courtney is admitted to practice in the State of California.

Ryan Searfoorce is of counsel in the Houston office of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher practicing in the firm’s Finance, Oil and Gas, Cleantech, and Business Restructuring and Reorganization Practice Groups.

Ryan represents public and private borrowers, private equity sponsors, senior secured lender groups, financial institutions and other capital sources in financing transactions, including asset-based loans, senior and subordinated debt, investment grade loans, reserve-based loans and commodity intermediation facilities with a focus on the energy sector.  Ryan also represents senior secured lender groups in LME transactions, consensual restructurings and debtor-in-possession and bankruptcy exit financings.

Representative Clients and Transactions:

Borrower Representations

  • Forum Energy Technologies, Inc., a global manufacturing company, serving the oil, natural gas, industrial and renewable energy industries, on its $100 million senior secured Norwegian bond issuance
  • Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. in its corporate conversion from a controlled publicly traded partnership to a non-controlled Delaware corporation newly listed on Nasdaq
  • ProFrac Holding Corp. on the $885 million refinancing of its existing senior secured term loan and other debt with a private offering of senior secured notes and a secured term loan
  • Calumet Shreveport Fuels, LLC in its up to 2.9 million barrel crude and products intermediation facility with Macquarie
  • Calumet Montana Refining, LLC in its up to 1.9 million barrel crude and products intermediation facility with Macquarie
  • Montana Renewables, LLC in its up to 600,000 barrel crude and products intermediation facility with Macquarie
  • Montana Renewables, LLC in its $120 million crude and products intermediation facility with Wells Fargo

Acquisition Financing

  • CenterPoint Energy in its disposition of Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, LLC for $2.6 billion, including a $1.2 billion seller note
  • Ovintiv Inc. in its $2.7 billion acquisition of NuVista Energy Ltd. and related $1.2 billion acquisition financing credit agreement
  • Noble Corporation in the sale of five rigs to Borr Drilling for $360 million, including a $150 million seller note
  • Aethon Energy Management LLC in connection with its $260 million agreement to purchase Tellurian Inc.’s upstream oil & gas assets
  • Veritas Capital in its $210 million senior secured credit facilities to fund the acquisition of Global Healthcare Exchange
  • Constellation Wealth Capital in its $410 million credit facility to fund the acquisition of a minority stake in Merit Financial Advisors

Restructuring Matters

  •  Ad hoc group of secured lenders to WideOpenWest Finance, LLC in its $200 million Super-Priority Credit Agreement
  • Controlling group of first lien lenders to Juice Plus+ in its consensual restructuring and $22 million of new first lien term loans
  • Controlling group of first lien lenders to Confluence Technologies in its consensual restructuring and $60 million of new first lien term loans
  • Controlling group of first lien lenders to Dynata, LLC in its $32 million Debtor-in-Possession Credit Agreement and $82 million Bankruptcy Exit Credit Agreement
  • Controlling group of second-lien lenders to Alvogen Pharma US, Inc. in its consensual restructuring and $117 million Second Lien Credit Agreement
  • Ad hoc group of secured lenders to City Brewing Company, LLC in its incurrence of $35 million of superpriority term loans
  • Ad hoc group of secured lenders to Hearthside Food Solutions in its $150 million Debtor-in-Possession Credit Agreement and $725 million Bankruptcy Exit Credit Agreement

Ryan received his Juris Doctor from The University of Virginia School of Law in 2008. Prior to law school, he graduated from Ohio State University in 2005, where he received Bachelors of Science in mathematics and economics, with honors.

Rebecca is a litigation associate in the D.C. office of Gibson Dunn.

Rebecca received her J.D. with honors from the George Washington University Law School, earning a J.D. concentration in Privacy, Data Security and Technology. At GW Law, she was a member of the Federal Communications Law Journal and received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for over 250 pro bono hours. During law school, Rebecca interned at the Federal Election Commission.

Prior to law school, Rebecca worked as a litigation paralegal at a large firm and received her B.A. cum laude in Political Science from Barnard College.

Rebecca is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.