Gerald Kimani is an associate in the Houston office of Gibson Dunn. He currently practices in the firm’s Transactional Department, focusing on Capital Markets and Mergers & Acquisitions.

Gerald received his J.D. from Penn Law and his MBA from the Wharton School, both in 2021. In 2010, he graduated summa cum laude from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Minor in Philosophy.

Representative Experience:

  • Representation of Kraft Heinz Company in its Joint Venture with TheNotCompany, Inc.
  • Representation of Moody’s Corporation in $500 million Notes Offering.
  • Representation of Daikin Applied in Majority Investments in ThermalNetics and TriState HVAC Equipment.
  • Representation of Sound Point Acquisition Corp I, Ltd in its $225 million initial public offering.
  • Representation of Mondelez International in $2.0 billion Notes Offering, Approximately $1.0 billion Tender Offer and $1.0 Billion Redemption of 0.625% Notes Due 2022.
  • Representation of Piedmont Lithium in $130.8 million Public Offering of Common Stock.
  • Representation of Aris Water Solutions, Inc. in its initial public offering of 20,297,500 shares of its Class A common stock, with net proceeds of approximately $213.8 million.
  • Representation of Freeman Spogli & Co. on its partnership with WhiteWater Express Car Wash.

Leonid Lepold is an associate in the London office of Gibson Dunn and is a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions and Energy and Infrastructure Practice Groups. Leonid is admitted to practice in England and Wales.

Leonid’s experience encompasses advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate reorganisations, and general corporate matters. His expertise includes representing private and public companies across a wide range of industries, including energy, renewables, infrastructure, metals and mining, IT, and telecommunications.

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

Joanne Hughes is an English law qualified solicitor in the London office of Gibson Dunn and is a member of the Corporate Transactions and Real Estate Practice Groups.

Joanne has a broad range of transactional and advisory experience, including corporate real estate, joint ventures, private mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and public mergers and acquisitions.

Joanne completed a nine-month secondment to Oaktree Capital Management (as assistant General Counsel to the real estate team) in 2024.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn in 2020, Joanne trained and practised in the London office of a magic circle law firm where she also completed a secondment to an international bank.

Iris Hill Crabtree is an associate in the Houston office of Gibson Dunn. Her corporate practice focuses on leveraged financings and investments across industries. She represents public and private borrowers, private equity investors and other clients in connection with credit facilities and note purchase facilities, including acquisition financings, reserve-based/asset-based lending facilities and other forms of senior and subordinated debt financing.

In 2022, Iris received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from University of Houston Law Center, where she participated in the part-time program, working full time during the day and attending school in the evening. While in law school, Iris served as General Administrative Editor of the Houston Business and Tax Law Journal. Prior to and during law school, she worked as a consultant in the technology sector assisting oil and gas majors with integrating digital solutions into their core business. She later went on to lead the US retail digital strategy for an oil and gas major while finishing law school. Iris received her Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering, magna cum laude, from Texas A&M University in 2012.

Jai S. Pathak is a partner in the Singapore office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice Groups. Jai established the Singapore office in 2008 and has served as its partner in charge through 2021. He has also served as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee.

Jai has extensive experience in cross-border mergers and acquisitions, takeovers, dispositions, privatizations, joint ventures, licensing, infrastructure development, as well as private equity and structured finance transactions. He has significant experience in the telecommunications, technology, banking, hospitality, oil/gas, pharmaceutical, FMCG and chemical industries. His clients have included governments, financial institutions, investment banks, multinational companies and U.S., European, and Asian companies. His practice has included projects in the United States, Europe, India, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Canada, Australia and China.

Jai’s representative accolades include the following:

  • Chambers Asia-Pacific 2026 and Chambers Global 2025 ranked Jai as a leading lawyer for Corporate/M&A in Singapore and India (top tier). Chambers noted that “Jai Pathak is an experienced lawyer in Singapore with a good track record in M&A, joint ventures and corporate restructuring. He is particularly recognised for his expertise in deals involving India and the USA.” Client feedback from the publications also noted that “Clients say that “Jai Pathak is very globally experienced. He is available, reliable and marshals resources within the firm’s network brilliantly.”
  • Chambers Global 2025 also ranked Jai as Foreign Expert for India in the category Singapore: Corporate/M&A.
  • The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2026  recognized Jai as a Leading Individual for Corporate and M&A in Singapore.
  • Asia Business Law Journal’s Singapore Top ‘A-list’ lawyers 2026
  • Best Lawyers in Singapore 2026 recommended Jai as a leading lawyer for Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Corporate Law.
  • IFLR1000: Financial and Corporate guide 2024 recognized Jai as a Highly Regarded Lawyer for M&A in Singapore.
  • Legal Era named Jai as the Cross Border Lawyer of the Year for Corporate & Mergers and Acquisitions at its annual Global Achievers Awards 2022 and 2023.
  • India Business Law Journal named Jai to its 2024 International A-List, featuring “the top India-focused lawyers at international law firms.”
  • Asia Business Law Journal recognized Jai as an A‐List lawyer in its 2019 Top 100 Lawyers list featuring “the best lawyers from the top law firms in Singapore.”
  • Asialaw Leading Lawyers 2013 identified Jai as a leading lawyer in Singapore.
  • Asian Legal Business’s Legal Who’s Who Singapore 2003 awarded Jai the “Best Corporate Lawyer” award.
  • The Indian Council of Jurists presented Jai with the “National Law Day Award – 2001” for his unique contribution to the development of Indian corporate law.
  • The American Lawyer named Jai in its February 2009 issue to its Top 20 Lateral Partner Hires list for 2008.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Jai practiced with a leading global firm since 1985, where he was a partner heading the transactional practice in Los Angeles and coordinating the M&A section for the California region. He previously served as head of that firm’s India practice and partner in charge of the Singapore office. He also spent more than a decade practicing in that firm’s London, New York and Cleveland offices.

Jai graduated from law school with a Bachelor of Arts in Jurisprudence (Honors) in 1984 from the University of Oxford where he also earned his Master of Arts in 1989. He received his Master of Laws from the University of Virginia in 1985. He also received his Bachelor of Arts (Honors) and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Delhi (St. Stephen’s College) and Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.

Muriel Hague is an associate in the Houston office of Gibson Dunn, where she practices across the firm’s Transactional Department.

Muriel received her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center, graduating magna cum laude and as a member in the Orders of the Coif and Barons. While attending law school, she served as Chief Notes & Comments Editor for the Houston Law Review, worked as a research assistant for Professor Tracy Hester, and mentored students as a teaching assistant and a legal writing fellow. In 2014, Muriel received her Bachelor of Music from the University of Kansas.

Muriel is admitted to practice in the State of Texas.

Anthony Forde is an English qualified associate in the UAE offices of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group.

Anthony advises on a range of corporate transactional and advisory matters and has experience advising on private mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, IPOs, and other general corporate advisory matters.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Anthony was a corporate associate in the Dubai office of an international law firm and a corporate associate in the London office of a Magic Circle law firm.

Irina Dykhne is an associate in the Century City office of Gibson Dunn, where she practices in the firm’s Transactional Department. Her practice focuses on mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, equity investments, restructuring transactions and general corporate governance. She works with companies in a broad array of industries, and has extensive experience working with media, entertainment, music, technology and gaming companies and private equity sponsors. Irina is a member of the firm’s Media, Entertainment and Technology, Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity and Technology Transactions Practice Groups.

Irina received her law degree from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law where she graduated Order of the Coif and earned a certificate in entertainment law. During law school, she served as Executive Senior Editor of the Southern California Law Review. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Comparative Literature from Northwestern University. Prior to attending law school, Irina worked in film and television development and production.

Representative Experience*

  • Serena Williams in connection with an investment in the Toronto Tempo, the WNBA’s first Canadian franchise.
  • The SpringHill Company LLC, the film and television production company founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, on its merger of equals with Fulwell 73, a production company founded by James Corden, Ben Winston, Leo Pearlman, Ben Turner and Gabe Turner.
  • SC Holdings in its acquisition of the operator of Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier.
  • NFL films in its strategic joint venture with Skydance Media to form a global multi-sport production studio.
  • A minority investor in connection with the ∼ $6 billion acquisition of the Washington Commanders.
  • Hybe Co., Ltd. (formerly Big Hit Entertainment) in its ~ $1 billion acquisition of Ithaca Holdings, a diversified media company founded by Scooter Braun.
  • Confidential acquisition of rights to a major recording artist’s solo musical compositions, sound recordings and other IP assets and revenue streams.
  • A major athlete in connection with the confidential licensing and assignment of his entertainment business, name, image and likeness rights and other IP assets.
  • North Road Co. in its formation and $150 million investment by Providence Equity.
  • Guggenheim Partners in its investment in SpringHill Entertainment, a media company founded by LeBron James.
  • Viacom in its acquisition of Pluto TV for $340 million.
  • The Agency, a California-based global luxury real estate brokerage, in its acquisition of Triplemint, a New York-based online real estate brokerage.
  • Wholly owned subsidiaries of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority on minority investments in:
    • Fisher Investments, an independent money management firm, in a $3 billion common stock investment alongside Advent International.
    • Baxter Pharmaceutical Solutions LLC and Baxter Oncology GmbH as part of a divestment from Baxter International Inc., a publicly traded company, of its BioPharma Solutions (BPS) business alongside Advent International and Warburg Pincus in a $4.25 billion cash transaction.
    • Arconic Corporation, a lightweight metals manufacturer, in a post-closing syndication of debt and equity interests alongside Apollo Global Management, Inc. and Irenic Capital Management LP.
    • Real Truck Group, Inc., an automotive parts and accessories retailer company, alongside L Catterton.
  • Guggenheim Partners and Temasek Holdings, a Singaporean sovereign wealth fund, in their acquisition of Eastdil Secured, LLC for $450 million from Wells Fargo.
  • Aristocrat Leisure, an Australian based global gaming content and technology company in numerous investments in the gaming industry including a financing in Simplebet, a digital sports-betting start-up.
  • BSB Brown-Sugar Bourbon in its engagement of Jamie Foxx as a celebrity brand ambassador and investor.
  • WES Brands, LLC in the formation of a joint venture and engagement of Mark Wahlberg as a celebrity brand ambassador of Flecha Azul Tequila.
  • Marc Rowan, co-founder of Apollo Global Management, in the formation of a film financing and production joint venture with producer Michael Mendelsohn.
  • Marginal MediaWorks, a film and television production company, in a convertible note financing round led by Tim Disney and subsequent asset purchase of Fresno, a digital start-up.
  • Cresco Labs, a publicly traded cannabis company, in its acquisition of Laurel Harvest Labs LLC.
  • Vance Street Capital LLC in various transactions including its sale of its portfolio company, A&E Medical Corp., to Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. for $230 million and its acquisition of Wytech Industries for $108 million.
  • Colony Capital Inc. in its acquisition of secondary equity interests in DataBank Holdings Ltd. for $185 million.

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

Janet Diaz is an associate in the Dallas office of Gibson Dunn. She is a member of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions and Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice Groups.

Janet earned her BA with Honors from Stanford University with a major in Anthropology and a minor in Chicano/a-Latino/a Studies. After teaching sixth- and seventh- grade social studies for several years, she went on to earn her J.D. from the University of Houston Law School, where she worked as a research assistant for Dean Leonard M. Baynes. She was also a board member with the Latinx Law Students Association and a Senior Articles Editor for the Houston Journal of Health Law & Policy.

Janet is admitted to practice in Texas.

Romane Budillon is an associate in the Paris office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice Groups.

She specializes in corporate law, handling public and private mergers and acquisitions, along with private equity matters. Romane provides counsel to a diverse range of companies, both private and public, spanning various sectors. Her experience includes addressing diverse corporate matters, such as stocks and assets transactions and shareholders agreements.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn in 2025, Romane practiced corporate law and mergers and acquisitions in a French law firm.

Admitted to the Paris bar in 2022, she graduated from University Paris I – Panthéon Sorbonne in Business law in 2017 and from Emlyon Business School in 2018.

Romane speaks French and English fluently.

Caroline Bakewell is an associate in the Houston office of Gibson Dunn, where she practices across the firm’s Transactional Department, focusing on Mergers and Acquisitions and Private Equity. She also maintains an active pro bono practice, assisting clients with asylum applications and other immigration matters.

Caroline earned her Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law, where she served as a Managing Editor of the NYU Journal of Law & Business and was recipient of the Flora S. and Jacob L. Newman Prize for the greatest contribution by a third-year editor to the Journal. While at NYU, she also participated in the International Transactions Clinic, served as Treasurer and Co-President of the Texas Law Society, worked as a teaching assistant, and was an admissions ambassador. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration, magna cum laude, in Baylor Business Fellows, Finance, and Economics, with minors in Spanish and Mathematics, from Baylor University.

Caroline is admitted to practice in the State of Texas.

Mackenzie Alpert is an associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn.

She graduated cum laude from Fordham University School of Law in 2024, where she served as an associate editor of the Fordham Urban Law Journal and a member of the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic. Mackenzie received her Bachelor of Science in Human Development from Cornell University in 2021.

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

Lojain Abdullah AlMouallimi is an associate at Gibson Dunn and part of the Global Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Practice Group. Lojain advises private and public sector clients, as well as startups, on private and public M&A transactions, joint ventures and partnerships, asset acquisitions and disposals, competition authority dealings, and restructurings. She also advises clients on compliance with corporate regulations in the Kingdom.

Before joining Gibson Dunn, Lojain was a lawyer at a leading American law firm, where she advised public and private companies on M&A transactions and other corporate matters. She also served as a compliance manager at Olayan Saudi Holding Company.

 

 

Christine Demana is a partner in Gibson Dunn’s Dallas office. Her practice focuses on high-stakes trade secrets, restrictive covenant, and commercial litigation matters for clients in the tech, gaming, biotech, and professional services industries. She excels in fast-paced litigation for these clients nationwide—including for matters involving preliminary and expedited relief. Christine’s recent and notable accomplishments in these areas include:

  • CDI: Obtaining a decisive, first-of-its-kind victory in the Sixth Circuit for Churchill Downs, finding the Interstate Horseracing Act preempts Michigan’s licensing requirements and upholding a previously secured preliminary injunction blocking Michigan from regulating TwinSpires’ online interstate wagering platform.
  • DraftKings: Winning preliminary injunction in trade secrets and restrictive covenant matter preventing former executive from working for rival in a similar role after expedited discovery and full evidentiary hearing.
  • AMN Healthcare: Winning preliminary injunction in restrictive covenant matter preventing former divisional vice president from soliciting clients and working for competitor in similar role after expedited discovery and full evidentiary hearing.
  • CDI: Defeating preliminary injunction after full evidentiary hearing—and thereafter securing full summary judgment and dismissal on behalf of Churchill Downs—in suit to overturn suspension of horse trainer following 2021 Kentucky Derby; subsequently defeating second temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction brought by owner less than one year later.
  • Capchase: Winning full temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction for Capchase in noncompete and trade secrets dispute with former employee.
  • Square: After winning partial motion to exclude opposing party’s key expert witness, securing favorable settlement for Square, Inc. and cofounders Jack Dorsey and James McKelvey, Jr. in bet-the-company founders’ and trade secrets dispute.
  • Gyroscope: Winning motion to compel arbitration on novel equitable estoppel theory in biotech (device) trade secrets dispute.

Christine also has broad experience prosecuting and defending complex business claims and class actions involving breach of contract, securities and other frauds, consumer product defects, antitrust violations, and employment issues. She has a winning record both in trial courts and on appeal for such matters, which include:

  • Centerview Partners: Achieving full dismissal with prejudice of federal securities fraud case on behalf of investment advisor Centerview Partners, and securing affirmance on appeal in the Fifth Circuit.
  • One Call: Achieving voluntary dismissal by plaintiffs of class allegations after winning two motions to dismiss on behalf of One Call Management Incorporated in misclassification and wage-and-hour suit, and then securing favorable settlement of individual claims.
  • Tinder: Filing suit on behalf of a group of Tinder cofounders, early executives, and employees in multibillion-dollar litigation against Tinder’s parent companies, InterActiveCorp (IAC) and Match Group, Inc.; Gibson Dunn secured $441 million settlement after a nearly four-week jury trial.
  • BNSF: Achieving nearly unprecedented multi-district litigation (“MDL”) order creating separate MDL for more than 45 newly filed actions after successfully defeating class certification at trial and on appeal in antitrust suit against Class 1 railroads.

Christine routinely advises clients on trade secrets policies, trainings, agreements, and best practices, as well, and she has unique expertise working with consultants and clients to develop media strategies for public matters.

Christine is consistently recognized for her cutting-edge legal work. The Legal 500 USA names Christine as a “Recommended Lawyer” for Trade Secrets. She has been repeatedly recognized by The Best Lawyers in America© in Commercial Litigation, Super Lawyers notes Christine as a “Rising Star,” and The American Lawyer | Litigation Daily has included her as a “Litigator of the Week” Runner Up multiple times—including after she helped “secure a sweeping injunction” in a trade secrets and restrictive covenant lawsuit on behalf of DraftKings and successfully defend an injunction blocking Michigan’s efforts to shut down wagering on out-of-state races on behalf of Churchill Downs. 

Alongside Christine’s commercial docket, she proudly maintains an active pro bono practice. In 2024, Christine led a team that received the firm’s Frank Wheat Pro Bono Award for their efforts in securing the release of, and parole for, a woman who had been incarcerated as the result of a nonviolent crime. The New York Legal Aid Society twice awarded her its outstanding service award for her work on behalf of New Yorkers with disabilities in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.  And she has represented individual clients charged with federal crimes as lead counsel both in trial and on appeal in federal district and circuit courts around the country.

Before joining Gibson Dunn, Christine served as a law clerk to the Honorable David C. Godbey in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. She received her Juris Doctor in 2011 from Harvard Law School, where she was both a student attorney and on the Board of Directors as the Vice President for Practice Standards for the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau.

 

 

 

 

 

Nana Nyantakyi is a corporate associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn.

Nana earned her Juris Doctor from St. John’s University School of Law in 2025, where she received the Outstanding Law Student Award by the National Association of Women Lawyers. During law school, she was a student competitor for the Moot Court Honor Society and the Dispute Resolution Society. She served as an Associate Articles Editor for the Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development and a student attorney for the Consumer Justice for the Elderly Litigation Clinic. Nana also served as the President of the Black Law Students Association. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Management with a minor in International Affairs from Skidmore College in 2019.

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

Eytan de Gunzburg is an associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn where he practices in the firm’s Tax Practice Group.

Eytan received his Juris Doctor from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law in 2022. Eytan graduated from Boston University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in economics.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Eytan was a tax associate at a major global law firm in New York.

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

Claude Jiang is a partner in the Singapore office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the firm’s Projects & Infrastructure, Power and Renewables, and Finance Practice Groups. His practice focuses on energy and infrastructure related project development and finance.

Claude has extensive experience working on both the project side and the financing side of transactions and has been involved in a variety of transactions from different project aspects including traditional project financing, structuring for projects without a financing component, project-related M&A as well as project-based bond offerings. Claude has led cross-border and cross-practice teams on several large-scale transactions.

Claude is recommended as a key lawyer for Banking and Finance, Projects as well as Energy in Singapore by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2026.  He was named Project Finance Lawyer of the Year – China by the Finance Monthly Magazine in 2017. Claude is a member of the Asia Pacific Loan Market Association (APLMA) Green and Sustainable Lending Committee.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Claude was with his previous firm’s project development and finance team for 13 years based in Singapore and Shanghai, and he was an associate in the project finance team of a leading international firm for 4 years.

Claude received his Master of Laws from the Indiana University School of Law in 2007 and earned his Bachelor of Laws from the Nanjing University in 2006. He is admitted to practice in the State of New York and is qualified to practice in China. He is fluent in English and Mandarin. 

Representative Experience*

  • The mandated lead arrangers, senior and equity bridge lenders, agency banks and hedge providers, in the financing of five utility-scale solar photovoltaic projects, of which two are to be located in Afif (“Afif 1” and “Afif 2”), and three in Bisha, Humaij and Khulis respectively; cumulatively, these Projects will have capacity of 12,000 MW across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The portfolio will form an integral part of Saudi Arabia’s National Renewable Energy Program, led and supervised by the Ministry of Energy, and reflects the Public Investment Fund’s commitment to develop 70% of the Kingdom’s renewable energy target capacity by 2030. Awarded “Global Power Deal of the Year” at the PFI Awards 2025
  • Cathay Life as investor on its project financing of the 20-year US$1.6 billion stapled financing for the 583 MW Greater Changhua 4 offshore wind project in Taiwan with a total project cost of approximately €3 billion. It is the first offshore wind financing guaranteed by the National Credit Guarantee Administration, and the first time that state-owned First Commercial Bank has taken the role as an export-import bank (T-Exim) facility agent in an offshore wind financing project. Awarded “APAC Power Deal of the Year” at the PFI Awards 2024 , “Offshore Wind Deal of the Year” at the IJGlobal Investor Awards APAC 2025, “Finance Deal of the Year” at the ALM/Law.com Asia Legal Awards 2025, and “Renewable Energy Deal of the Year: Offshore Wind” at the  The Asset Triple-A Sustainable Infrastructure Awards 2025
  • DITO Telecommunity Corporation, as borrower and developer, on the US$3.9 billion long-term financing of its Philippines-wide 4G/5G-ready telecommunication network project, one of the largest project finance telecoms deals in Asia to date. Awarded “Best Project Finance Deal of the Year – Southeast Asia” and received a commendation for “Best Infrastructure Deal of the Year – Southeast Asia” at the FinanceAsia Achievement Awards 2023 and awarded “Telecoms Deal of the Year – APAC” at the IJGlobal Awards 2023
  • Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, ING Bank NV, DBS Bank Ltd, Bank of China Limited, Mizuho Bank Limited and Société Générale, on the MIGA-covered refinancing of the 220 MW Bhola combined cycle gas turbine project in Bangladesh. Awarded “Power Deal of the Year (Bangladesh)” at The Asset Triple A Infrastructure Awards 2023 and “Asia Pacific Refinance Deal of the Year – Power” at the IJGlobal Awards 2022
  • Masdar and PJBI, a subsidiary of Indonesian state-owned offtaker PT PLN, on the development and financing of a 145 MW floating solar PV project over the Cirata reservoir in Indonesia. It is the first floating solar project in Indonesia, the country’s largest solar plant and the biggest floating solar project in Southeast Asia. Awarded “Renewable Energy Deal of the Year (Indonesia)” at The Asset Triple A Sustainable Infrastructure Awards 2022 and “Asia Pacific Solar Deal of the Year 2021” by Project Finance International
  • A consortium of lenders including KfW, Standard Chartered Bank, Riyad Bank, Bank Saudi Fransi and Arab Petroleum Investment Corporation (Apicorp) supporting ACWA’s development and financing of Al Dur 2 IWPP with a 1500 MW natural gas fired power facility and a 50 MIGD desalination facility in Bahrain. Awarded “MENA Refinancing Water Deal of the Year” at the IJGlobal Awards 2020

* Includes matters handled prior to joining Gibson Dunn.

Publications

  • “Sun is shining: the role of solar power in the Middle Eastern energy mix”, Energy and the Middle East, Globe Law and Business, 2026
  • “Bhola 2 IPP – A Bangladesh milestone”, PFI Yearbook, 2023
  • “Eurasian power sector investment by China”, Financier Worldwide, 2018
  • “Project Finance in China”, Redback Reporter, 2017
  • “China Sector of the Project Finance Journal”, Law Business Research, 2017
  • “China Sector of the Project Finance Journal”, Law Business Research, 2016
  • “China Sector of the Project Finance Journal”, Law Business Research, 2015

Speaking Engagements

  • Guest speaker, PPP structure forum in the Philippines in association with the Commercial Law Development Programme (CLDP) funded by the US Department of State, December 2023
  • Guest speaker, PPP structure forum in Bangladesh in association with the Commercial Law Development Programme (CLDP) funded by the US Department of State, May 2023

Nathan Scharn is an associate in the Orange County office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in the Litigation Department, specializing in intellectual property matters. Nathan has successfully represented clients through multiple jury trials, evidentiary merits hearings, and appeals. He has represented clients in the high tech, life sciences, medical device, and automotive industries in a wide range of matters, including patent infringement, copyright infringement, unfair competition and antitrust disputes, privacy law, breach of contract litigation, and licensing disputes. 

Nathan was recently part of a defense trial team that obtained a jury verdict of noninfringement, invalidity, and prior commercial use in the District of Delaware involving network security technology and a trial team that obtained a directed verdict of noninfringement in a Western District of Texas litigation that involved three patents related to cloud computing networks.  He has litigated several cases to trial, including jury trials in federal and state court and evidentiary hearings in the International Trade Commission and arbitration proceedings.  While embedded with the Orange County District Attorney’s office, Nathan first-chaired a criminal jury trial that resulted in a conviction.  He has been recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for Commercial Litigation (2021-2025), Litigation – Intellectual Property (2023-2025), and Appellate Practice (2025).

Prior to joining the firm, he served as a law clerk to The Honorable Janis L. Sammartino in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California and as an associate at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C.

Nathaniel received his Juris Doctor summa cum laude in 2015 from University of San Diego School of Law, where he served as lead articles editor of the San Diego Law Review. While in law school, he clerked in the major frauds division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California and served as a judicial extern to The Honorable Larry Alan Burns in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California and the Honorable M. Margaret McKeown in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In 2010, Nathaniel graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University magna cum laude with a degree in journalism. Before attending law school, he worked as a journalist at a daily newspaper.

He is a member of the California Bar and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Edward Sopher is a partner in the New York office of Gibson Dunn and is Co-Chair of the Investment Funds Practice Group. Ed’s practice focuses on the establishment and operation of private investment funds, including private equity funds, funds of funds, hedge funds, credit funds and real estate funds. He has extensive experience representing the investment managers and sponsors of these funds, as well as institutional investors, seed investors, placement agents and joint venture partners.

He has also been involved in a wide variety of investment, private equity and financing transactions for his investment fund clients, and leads the firm’s significant practice in secondary transactions, representing some of the world’s largest secondary investment funds in their investment and financing activities, as well as sponsors in GP-led restructurings and recapitalizations. His experience extends to transactions involving investment management firms, including stake investments, spin-outs, acquisitions, financings and joint ventures. Ed also represents investment firms in connection with their partnership and employee profit participation arrangements, and advises on SEC regulatory and other compliance matters.

Ed’s clients include: Argonaut Private Capital, Blackstone Strategic Partners, Dextra Partners, GCM Grosvenor, Hamilton Lane, Neuberger Berman, Ottawa Avenue Private Capital, Rhône Capital and StepStone Group.

Ed is consistently featured as a leading lawyer in the area of private fund formation by: Chambers USA, Chambers Global, The Best Lawyers in America®, Who’s Who Legal Private Funds: Formation, The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, The International Financial Law Review, The Legal 500 United States, PLC Cross-border Private Equity Handbook, and Legal Media Group’s Expert Guides for Guide to the World’s Leading Investment Funds Lawyers, Guide to the World’s Leading Private Equity Lawyers, and Guide to the World’s Leading Banking, Finance and Transactional Lawyers.

Ed is a member of the New York Bar and is also a solicitor in England and Wales. He is a member of several bar committees and a frequent speaker on matters relating to private investment funds.

Ed received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1982 and his Master of Arts in 1985 from Cambridge University.

Jason Bae is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson Dunn. He practices in the firm’s Litigation Department.

Jason earned his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Cornell Law School, where he served as an Articles Editor for the Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy and as a Bench Editor for the Moot Court Board. While in law school, Jason represented clients facing death sentences in the Capital Punishment Clinic. Jason received his Bachelor of Arts in Theater Directing from Korea National University of Arts.

Jason is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.