Tiffany Phan is a litigation partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Her practice focuses on labor and employment matters with experience in class action defense, investigations, and complex employment litigation at both the trial and appellate levels.

Tiffany has been recognized as a BTI Client Service All-Star MVP for making the BTI Client Service All Stars list for two consecutive years. She was also named in the 2023-2025 Benchmark Litigation 40 & Under Lists, which identifies “the top emerging talent in litigation.” She’s been recognized by other publications and rankings such as The Best Lawyers in America® Ones to Watch in Labor and Employment, Lawdragon, Expert Guides, and Euromoney Rising Star in the Americas.

Tiffany represents and advises employers in all aspects of labor and employment. She has represented clients in the technology, retail, janitorial, security guard, education, oil and gas, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and agricultural industries, among others.

Recent representative matters include:

  • Negotiating a successful first-of-its kind consent decree and class action settlement with the California Civil Rights Department and private plaintiffs
  • Successfully opposing six motions for summary judgment in a wage and hour class action and securing a favorable settlement
  • Securing a judgement completely in favor of an employer after a five day arbitration hearing
  • Advising on labor and employment matters in a $2.0 billion acquisition
  • Conducting internal investigations on behalf of several employers to address concerns raised about executives

Tiffany graduated from the University of Chicago Law School in 2013. She was elected Phi Beta Kappa and graduated magna cum laude from Emory University, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Tiffany is a member of the State Bar of California.

Tiffany maintains an active pro bono practice and regularly advises non-profit organizations on employment best practices.

Michael S. Diamant is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group, and serves on the firm’s Finance Committee. His practice focuses on white collar criminal defense, internal investigations, and corporate compliance.

Michael has been recognized as one of the leading U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) experts in the United States by Chambers USA nationwide (2016–2025) and Chambers Global (2017–2025). He has also been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for work in Criminal Defense: White-Collar (2021–2026). Who’s Who Legal named Michael to its “Investigations Guide” (2019, 2022–2024), Thought Leaders: USA list (2023–2024), Thought Leaders: Global Investigations Review (2022–2024) and to its “Future Leaders: Investigations” list (2018, 2020). He was selected to Benchmark Litigation’s “40 & Under Hot List” (2016–2018, 2020) and listed as a “Future Litigation Star” (2016, 2019, 2025, 2026) and “Rising Star” (2016). Michael was also named to Global Investigation Review’s “40 Under 40” list (2014, 2017), and named to Law360’s “Rising Stars” for White Collar (2017).

Michael has broad white collar defense experience representing corporations and corporate executives facing criminal and regulatory charges. He has represented clients in an array of matters, including accounting and securities fraud, antitrust violations, and environmental crimes, before law enforcement and regulators, including the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Michael also has led numerous internal investigations for publicly traded corporations and conducted fieldwork in nineteen different countries on five continents. In addition to his U.S. government-facing work, Michael has extensive World Bank Group enforcement experience, working on behalf of clients under investigation by the World Bank’s Integrity Vice Presidency (INT) and assisting companies already subject to World Bank sanction, as well as representing clients before other multilateral development bank enforcement authorities. He has negotiated numerous settlement agreements with INT, obtained declinations, and successfully litigated to complete victory in the World Bank’s sanctions process.

A recognized expert on corporate compliance, Michael routinely advises clients on the adequacy of the design and implementation of their corporate ethics and compliance programs, often conducting risk assessments and program evaluations. He served as a DOJ-appointed independent compliance monitor, overseeing the implementation of competition-related controls and core compliance program elements at a corporation subject to a non-prosecution agreement with DOJ’s Antitrust Division. Michael’s compliance-related representations have included extensive work on all programmatic elements, including whistleblowing and investigative procedures, codes of conduct, expense approval and reimbursement processes, and oversight and governance functions, among many others. Michael has designed entire ethics and compliance programs for Fortune 100 corporations, and he frequently assists companies in preparing for compliance presentations to DOJ in advance of the government’s corporate charging decision. He also conducts compliance trainings for in-house counsel, corporate executives, and line employees. And he has served as a faculty member for the Ethics and Compliance Officer Association’s Global Law School.

Select representative public engagements handled by Michael include the following:

  • Serving as lead criminal defense counsel of Mercedes-Benz Group AG before DOJ in its diesel investigation and successfully obtaining a criminal declination (2016–2024);
  • Representing Grupo Mecánica del Vuelo Sistemas, S.A.U., before the World Bank’s Integrity Vice Presidency and securing a negotiated settlement (2019–21);
  • Representing Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras before the SEC and DOJ in their FCPA investigations and successfully negotiating resolutions to both investigations (2014–18);
  • Representing Acciona Ingeniería S.A. before the World Bank’s Integrity Vice Presidency and securing a negotiated settlement of that investigation (2017–19);
  • Representing MTS Systems before the FCPA Units of the SEC and DOJ and securing a written declination from both to conclude their long-running investigations (2017);
  • Representing Mead Johnson Nutrition during FCPA investigations by the SEC and DOJ, reaching an SEC resolution and obtaining a DOJ declination (2013–15);
  • Serving as post-resolution counsel to Daimler AG during its FCPA monitorship (2010–13);
  • Representing ARINC before the World Bank’s Integrity Vice Presidency and securing a negotiated resolution of that investigation (2011–12);
  • Helping to lead the compliance monitorship for Siemens AG, pursuant to the then largest-ever FCPA resolution with the SEC and DOJ (2009–12);
  • Helping to lead the FCPA compliance monitorship for Statoil ASA, the first non-U.S. organization to receive an FCPA monitor pursuant to enforcement actions by the SEC and DOJ (2007–09);
  • Representing St. Jude Medical before the SEC in its Oil-for-Food investigation, which resulted in the SEC declining to bring an enforcement action (2005–07).

Select notable professional publications by Michael include the following:

Michael’s academic publications include the following:

Select external speaking engagements that featured Michael include the following:

  • “SEC Enforcement: A New Day” (December 2025), the Center for Professional Education’s SEC Virtual Conference;
  • “The Essentials of Updating Your Due-Diligence Playbook: Adapting to New Risks Impacting Your Supply Chains, Third Parties, and M&A Transactions” (National Harbor, Maryland; December 2025), ACI’s 42nd Annual Conference on FCPA and Global Anti-Corruption;
  • “A Changed Landscape for Corporate Enforcement” (Minneapolis, Minnesota; October 2025), Corporate Governance and Compliance Roundtable with the University of Minnesota’s Corporate Institute;
  • “Internal Audits and the Expectations of Regulators and Enforcers: A Legal Perspective” (Toronto, Canada; October 2025), the International Audit Practice Consortium’s Fall 2025 Meeting;
  • “FCPA Compliance and Enforcement” (October 2025), guest lecture at Loyola University Chicago’s School of Law;
  • “Ethics, FCPA, Fraud & Disclosure Process in an International Environment” (Septemer 2025), the Center for Professional Education’s International Operations Accounting Virtual Conference;
  • “Brazil Business Relocation” (July 2025), panel discussion hosted by the Coalition for Integrity;
  • “SEC Enforcement, FCPA & Other Regulatory Compliance” (May 2025), the Center for Professional Education’s SOX 404 Virtual Conference;
  • “Changes to the Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs” (Indianapolis, Indiana; April 2025), Corporate Governance and Compliance Roundtable with Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business;
  • “AI Risk and Compliance: Updated DOJ Corporate Compliance Guidance and Enforcement Preview” (January 2025), Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) Virtual Presentation;
  • “Ethics, FCPA, Fraud & Disclosure Process in an International Environment” (September 2024), the Center for Professional Education’s International Operations Virtual Conference;
  • “Recent Developments in Multilateral Development Bank Enforcement” (February 2024), Guidepost Solutions-Gibson Dunn Webinar;
  • “Labor Law, Data Privacy and Internal Investigations” (October 2021), Virtual White Collar Crime Workshop sponsored by Shinshu University;
  • “The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA): Global Reach and Enforcement Webinar” (March 2021), Webinar hosted by the Association of Corporate Counsel, Israel;
  • “Effective Compliance Programs” (November 2020), Virtual White Collar Crime Workshop sponsored by Shinshu University;
  • “World Bank Enforcement: Considerations for Companies Accepting Development Funding” (September 2020), KPMG-Gibson Dunn Webinars for US/EU and Asia;
  • “New DOJ Compliance Program Guidance: Evolving Retail Compliance Programs to Address Impact of COVID-19 and New Emerging Risks” (July 2020), Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) Virtual Presentation;
  • “How to Develop Global Compliance Programs” (Washington, D.C.; September 2019), White Collar Crime Workshop cosponsored by Shinshu University & the Embassy of Japan;
  • “DOJ & SEC Enforcement Priorities Under the Trump Administration” (Arlington, Virginia; May 2018), Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) Compliance Council Meeting;
  • “Environmental Crimes Enforcement” (San Diego, California; February 2018), The American Bar Association’s 32nd Annual National Institute on White Collar Crime;
  • “Conflicts of Interest, Corruption and Compliance Risks” (New York City; October 2017), Practicing Law Institute’s Advanced Compliance and Ethics Workshop 2017;
  • “Anti-Corruption Statutes and Legal Ethics” (Washington, D.C.; October 2017), 6th Annual Hotel & Lodging Legal Summit at Georgetown University Law Center;
  • “World Bank Sanctions: Defense Perspective” (Washington, D.C.; June 2017), guest lecture at American University Law School.

Michael clerked for the Honorable Fortunato P. Benavides of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is a 2003 magna cum laude graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center, where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif. At Georgetown, he served as Senior Articles & Notes Editor of the American Criminal Law Review and authored the article on the False Claims Act for the Seventeenth Survey of White Collar Crime, 39 Am. Crim. L. Rev. 491 (2002). In 2000, Michael received his Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service magna cum laude from Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Daniel W. Nelson practices in the Litigation Department as co-chair of the Environmental Litigation and Mass Tort Practice Group, and he is a member of the Class Action and Complex Litigation, Antitrust and Trade Regulation, and Appellate and Constitutional Law Practice Groups.

Dan has a national complex litigation practice. He has served as the lead defense counsel for clients in the courts of more than 30 states, and he has defended more than 200 class action lawsuits, including as lead trial counsel in securing a defense verdict in a certified class action jury trial. He has represented clients at the trial and appellate levels in cases that span a wide range of areas, with a particular focus on environmental and mass tort litigation, complex business litigation, antitrust litigation, and class action litigation.

Dan’s litigation expertise and client service are widely recognized. The National Law Journal recognized Dan as a “trailblazer” in its first edition of Energy & Environmental Trailblazers for his innovative and effective strategies for resolving environmental mass tort litigation, and Dan has twice led Gibson Dunn’s Washington, DC office to be named the Product Liability / Mass Torts Litigation Department of the Year by the National Law Journal. Dan was named one of Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Litigators in America and a member of Lawdragon’s Green 500: Leaders in Environmental Law. Based on surveys of corporate counsel, BTI Consulting Group has twice named Dan as a BTI Client Service All-Star. BTI recognized Dan for his “true thought leadership; innovation; creativity applied to the client; focused, practical problem-solving; valued counsel; responsiveness and accessibility; total commitment to the client.”

Representative mass tort and environmental litigation experience:

  • Secured a comprehensive multistate attorney general settlement on behalf of Mercedes-Benz USA LLC and Mercedes-Benz Group AG resolving environmental and consumer protection claims related to diesel emissions, following a coordinated investigation by 50 U.S. states and territories.
  • Obtained summary judgment in favor of a national manufacturer in a 335-plaintiff toxic tort mass action lawsuit in federal court in Alabama, resulting in the dismissal of all plaintiffs’ personal injury claims, the property damage claims of a majority of the plaintiffs, and all causes of action except for indirect trespass to property for a small group of remaining plaintiffs.
  • Secured a defense trial judgment for a national construction company in a Florida state court toxic tort case alleging personal injuries from airborne chemical exposure.
  • Successfully excluded all of plaintiffs’ chemical fate & transport and medical causation experts in a 370-plaintiff toxic tort mass action lawsuit in federal court in Louisiana, which effectively ended the litigation.
  • Obtained dismissal with prejudice of a civil penalty lawsuit brought by Hillsborough County, Florida, alleging that a global auto manufacturer violated mobile source emission rules.
  • Following several favorable rulings, obtained a voluntary dismissal of a 200+ plaintiff mass action lawsuit in South Carolina federal court alleging that air emissions from a manufacturing facility caused personal injuries and property damages.
  • Led successful efforts to exclude plaintiffs’ medical causation expert testimony and to narrow chemical fate & transport expert testimony in a Texas state court civil penalty action seeking over $1 billion in penalties relating to alleged releases from a historic disposal site.
  • Obtained summary judgment in a toxic tort class action in federal court in St. Croix after mounting a successful Daubert challenge to plaintiffs’ experts.
  • Obtained a highly favorable resolution of a toxic tort mass action in federal court in Nebraska alleging that a manufacturer’s historic waste disposal practices contaminated the groundwater and caused personal injuries and property damages following several favorable rulings, including a decision limiting medical monitoring to only individuals with a present physical injury—an issue of first impression under Nebraska law at the time.
  • Favorably resolved three toxic tort mass action lawsuits in Texas state court involving 700+ plaintiffs who alleged that releases from two historic disposal sites along the San Jacinto River contaminated the river and groundwater and caused personal injuries and property damage.

Representative class action experience:

  • Obtained jury verdict in favor of an industrial landowner in a certified class action in the Northern District of Florida alleging that the company’s negligence caused massive flooding when a water retention structure failed during a storm event.
  • Lead counsel in negotiating an innovative $700 million class action settlement on behalf of an international auto manufacturer that was synchronized with parallel regulatory settlements and was characterized by the New York Times as “a fraction of what Volkswagen paid.” In re Mercedes Benz Diesel Emissions Litigation.
  • Defeated class certification in a putative nationwide class action filed in federal court in New Jersey on behalf of tens of millions of consumers who alleged that a Fortune 50 consumer products company engaged in deceptive marketing and product labeling practices.
  • Defeated class certification in a 1500+ member putative class action alleging that ongoing air emissions from an Alabama pulp and paper mill caused various personal injuries and property damages.
  • Defeated class certification in a 500+ member putative class action alleging that fugitive coal ash from an industrial facility in Florida caused personal injuries and property damage.

Representative commercial and insurance litigation experience:

  • Obtained a $93.6 million award in favor of clients in a breach of contract arbitration.
  • Defended a national REIT in a breach of contract arbitration that resulted in an award of only $1 in nominal damages for several multi-million dollar breach claims.
  • Achieved dismissal of all claims against various insurance companies in more than a dozen putative class actions arising out of Hurricane Katrina. Several of these cases involved successful appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, including Hibbets v. Lexington Insurance Co., 2010 WL 1778953 (5th2010 May 4, 2010); In re Katrina Canal Breaches Lit., 295 F.3d 191 (5th 2007); Chauvin v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Co., 495 F.3d 232 (5th Cir. 2007). In addition to these class action victories, Dan also secured the Fifth Circuit’s reversal of a $20 million judgment for business interruption losses and bad faith penalties in Conco v. Lexington Insurance Co., 2010 WL 3223137 (5th Cir. Aug. 17, 2010).
  • Representing national health insurer in several mass action lawsuits challenging reimbursement practices.
  • Served as lead trial counsel in multiple South Carolina asbestos lawsuits alleging that a national insurer bore alter ego liability for claims against a defunct insulation business.

Representative antitrust litigation experience:

  • Achieved dismissal of all claims against a major paper and forestry products manufacturer in more than a dozen federal and state price-fixing class actions.
  • Obtained dismissal of all claims against a large pharmaceutical manufacturer charged with participating in an unlawful conspiracy and attempt to monopolize the “secondary market” for drug distribution.

Dan has previously served as a Member of the Firm’s Management Committee and Executive Committee, and he was a co-partner in charge of the Washington, DC office from 2011 – 2018. Dan earned his law degree, with honors, in 1993 from the University of Michigan Law School. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude from Colgate University in 1990. He is a member of the bar associations of the District of Columbia and New York State, and he is admitted to practice before numerous federal district and appellate courts.

Blair Watler is a senior associate in the Dallas office of Gibson Dunn. She practices in the firm’s Litigation Department with a focus on white collar defense and investigations. Blair’s experience includes representing and advising clients in government investigations and enforcement actions by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the False Claims Act, and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Blair graduated with honors from The University of Texas School of Law in 2017, where she was an Associate Editor of the Texas Law Review, a teaching assistant for Civil Procedure, and a student attorney with the Children’s Rights Clinic. From 2018 to 2019, she served as a law clerk for the Honorable Karen Gren Scholer of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Prior to law school, Blair taught eighth grade English as a Teach For America corps member.  She subsequently worked for Teach For America as a Manager of Teacher Leadership Development in Dallas-Fort Worth. She received her B.A. in Spanish and Bachelor of Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin in 2010.

Blair is admitted to practice law in the State of Texas and the District of Columbia.

Frances Waldmann is a partner in Gibson Dunn’s Los Angeles and London offices and a member of the firm’s Artificial Intelligence practice. She advises global companies on regulatory strategy, enforcement, and complex disputes involving technology and digital transformation, with a particular focus on AI.

Drawing on her cross-disciplinary, international perspective and technical fluency, Frances helps leading technology companies, fast-growth start-ups, and multinational businesses navigate novel legal and commercial risks that arise as AI and other emerging technologies reshape global frameworks governing data, content, competition, and online safety. Her practice spans regulatory counseling, product advisory, litigation defense, and enforcement before the FTC, DOJ, state attorneys general, and the European Commission, among other global regulators.

Frances is a go-to advisor for AI developers and digital platforms, with extensive experience in technical product counseling. She counsels clients across industries on the most challenging policy and compliance issues at the intersection of generative AI, child safety, and content moderation, shaping implementation strategies for CSAM obligations and evolving global liability frameworks.

Regulatory Counseling & Compliance. Advising on compliance requirements across global AI and digital regulatory frameworks—including the EU AI Act, DSA, GDPR, UK OSA, CCPA, and emerging U.S. state AI laws. Her focus areas include advising frontier AI labs and companies in highly-regulated industries on EU AI Act readiness, system classification, agentic AI governance, and open-source strategy.

Product Advisory. Advising on the design, governance, deployment, and commercialization of AI systems—from state-of-the-art foundation models and generative tools to high-autonomy agentic systems and complex decision-making architectures—including system-level accountability and liability frameworks, content and data licensing, and the development of safety classification and risk disclosure regimes.

Litigation, Investigations, and Enforcement. Representing technology companies and digital platforms in complex disputes, enforcement actions, and transnational investigations related to AI and platform functionality, including claims related to algorithmic fairness, content moderation, antitrust & competition, model transparency, and data privacy.

Corporate Governance & Transactions. Counseling boards and senior executives on AI governance, risk oversight, and disclosure obligations—including emerging expectations around transparency, accountability, and “AI-washing”—and managing technical and regulatory due diligence for high-value M&A and strategic investments, assessing risks associated with training data provenance, IP rights, and compliance readiness under global AI regulatory frameworks.

Representative Matters

  • Advising frontier AI developer on EU AI Act classification and compliance strategy, including training data transparency and engagement with the European AI Office.
  • Counseling a leading AI developer on strategy, governance, and regulatory compliance for agentic AI systems, including evolving legal frameworks for accountability, safety, and liability.
  • Represented a digital platform in landmark class action litigation alleging algorithmic-driven harms to minors.
  • Advising major AI developers on compliance with child-safety and CSAM obligations under U.S. federal, state, and global laws, including emerging regulatory expectations around AI-generated CSAM.
  • Advising high profile AI lab on the development and release of open-source training datasets and models.
  • Counseling companies across industries on emerging global AI transparency and governance requirements, including to develop unified training data transparency strategies to satisfy both the EU AI Act’s General-Purpose AI obligations and emerging U.S. state laws like California’s AB 2013.
  • Advising leading generative AI company on privacy and product liability frameworks for voice, speech, and translation technologies.
  • Represented a technology company in a non-public FTC investigation related to disclosures regarding the use of consumers’ personal information.
  • Represented a major technology company in a Sherman Act Section 2 monopolization case.

Thought Leadership & Pro Bono

A recognized thought leader in AI law and governance, Frances regularly presents on developments in AI regulation, ethics, and compliance at major industry events and academic forums. She has been quoted by Law360 and The American Lawyer and is a frequent panelist on topics including AI regulation, algorithmic accountability, and the future of AI liability.

Frances devotes substantial time to pro bono matters, including related to AI and privacy. She was awarded Gibson Dunn’s Frank Wheat Memorial Award for her contributions to the firm’s efforts related to policing accountability, including a collaboration with the Leadership Conference Education Fund on a comprehensive report and toolkit on police reform in the United States.

Before joining Gibson Dunn, Frances practiced at a leading set of barristers’ chambers in London. She is a native German speaker.

Lachlan McLeod is a corporate associate in the Houston office of Gibson Dunn.

Lachlan earned his Juris Doctor 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, he served as an Articles Editor for the Houston Law Review. In 2022, Lachlan received his Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Criminal Justice from Texas Christian University, graduating magna cum laude.

Lachlan is admitted to practice in the State of Texas.

Beshoy Shokralla is a litigation associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn. He practices in the firm’s Antitrust and Competition, White Collar Defense and Investigations, Labor and Employment, and Appellate and Constitutional Law Practice Groups.

Beshoy received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 2022, where he served as an editor on the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, and the Harvard Journal on Legislation. In 2019, he graduated from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Law, Technology, and Culture.  

He is a member of the bar of the State of New York.
 

Ben A. Sherwood is an associate in the Litigation Department, where he practices in the firm’s Antitrust and Competition Practice Group. He represents clients in a variety of antitrust litigation brought by private plaintiffs and government enforcers, including the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, and state attorneys general. His experience spans an array of industries, including financial services, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, software development, and technology. Ben is recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for antitrust litigation and class action defense.

Ben’s representative engagements include:

  • RealPage in multidistrict class action litigation and federal and state government enforcement actions alleging algorithmic price-fixing and information sharing conspiracies.
  • Amgen in a competitor lawsuit alleging monopolization of the market for certain cholesterol-reducing medications.
  • OptumRx in a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission challenging certain rebating practices.
  • Hillrom, a subsidiary of Baxter International, in a competitor lawsuit alleging monopolization of the market for certain medical devices.

Ben also represents clients in antitrust investigations and, in addition to antitrust matters, has handled a variety of commercial litigation.

Outside the firm, Ben is a member of the Antitrust Law Section of the American Bar Association, where he serves on the Unilateral Conduct Committee as Young Lawyer Representative. Before joining the firm, Ben served as a law clerk to the Honorable Naomi Reice Buchwald of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 2017. Before law school, he was a trader at a high-frequency trading firm. Ben received his A.B. in mathematics from the University of Chicago in 2012. He is admitted to practice in the State of New York and before the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, among other courts.

Rashed Khalifah is an associate in the Riyadh office of Gibson Dunn. Rashed is a dispute resolution and regulatory associate with a focus on complex commercial, construction, and tax disputes, as well as advisory mandates involving government entities and legal reform. Rashed joined the Riyadh office of Gibson Dunn after serving as a Senior Associate at a leading law firm in Jordan. He holds a law degree from Birkbeck, University of London (2014) and is admitted to practice in Jordan. He is a native Arabic speaker and fluent in English.

He has advised on key legislative initiatives in Saudi Arabia, including the Commercial Transactions Law and the Non-Saudi Ownership of Real Estate Law, and recently assisted a confidential government entity on shareholder rights and obligations under the bylaws of a treaty-based company. He also regularly advises government bodies and state-owned companies on procurement and compliance matters, particularly in connection with public construction contracts and project-related agreements.

Rashed’s dispute resolution practice includes complex litigation and arbitration with cross-border and public sector elements. His recent matters include precedent-setting actions in the construction and aviation sectors, such as representing a major aviation financier in a landmark aircraft engine repossession action under the Cape Town Convention, and acting for a phosphate mining company in an ICC arbitration involving the successful invocation of Sub-Clause 20.1 (time-bar defense) under Jordanian law. He regularly provides guidance on pre-litigation strategy, contract interpretation, and the availability and scope of civil law remedies.

He is ranked in the 2022–2025 MENA editions of The Legal 500 as a Rising Star and leading associate in Dispute Resolution, and has been described as “a commercial and tax litigation expert.” Rashed was also nominated recently by Law.com as Rising Star in Private Practice amongst a few other lawyers in the Middle East.

Abdulelah is an associate in Gibson Dunn’s Riyadh office. Abdulelah’s practice focuses on regulatory, public policy, corporate law and capital markets. He regularly works on drafting laws, regulations and legislations for Saudi Government entities.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Abdulelah worked at the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers and the Royal Court after that. Also, he worked with the Disability Rights organization in North Carolina, U.S. Furthermore, he completed his law degree in Prince Sultan University before completing his Master’s degree at Duke University School of Law. Abdulelah is admitted to practice law in Saudi Arabia.

Abeer Bokhari is an associate in Gibson Dunn’s Riyadh office. Abeer’s practice focuses on regulatory, public policy and corporate law. She regularly advises clients on various matters relating to government initiatives and projects.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Abeer was an associate based in the Riyadh office of a Magic Circle law firm. She completed her law degree at King Abdulaziz University in 2014 before completing her master’s degree at George Washington University in 2016. Abeer is admitted to practice law in Saudi Arabia. She is a native Arabic speaker and is also fluent in English.

Youssef is an associate based in Gibson Dunn’s Riyadh office and a member of the firms Corporate and Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Groups. Youssef advises a wide range of clients including government entities, international and local corporates, high-net-worth individuals, and private equity firms on a vast range of corporate matters. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Youssef was an associate based in Cairo for an international law firm.

Rand Shahin is an associate in the Riyadh office of Gibson Dunn, where she practices in the firm’s Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Group.

Rand completed her law degree at the University of Leeds in 2019 before achieving her Master of Laws in 2020 from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She also completed her Legal Practice Course at BPP University in London. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Rand was an associate in the Corporate (M&A and Regulatory) team of an international law firm in Dubai where she previously completed her two-year training contract.

Rand is admitted to the Solicitors Regulation Authority to practice as a solicitor in England and Wales as of 2023.

Gabriel Opris is an associate in the Abu Dhabi office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the Projects and Infrastructure Practice Group.

Gabriel focuses primarily on the representation of clients in energy and infrastructure project finance and development transactions. Gabriel has extensive experience acting for sponsors, borrowers and lenders in a range of project finance and development, acquisition finance, leveraged finance, restructuring, and insolvency transactions in both developed jurisdictions and emerging markets.

Gabriel received his LLB from the University of York and his LPC from the University of Law. Gabriel is admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales and as an attorney of the State of New York.

Huw Thomas is an English qualified associate at Gibson Dunn, based in the Abu Dhabi and Dubai offices. He is part of the firm’s Capital Markets, Mergers and Acquisitions, and Private Equity Practice Groups.

Huw advises on a wide range of corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, equity offerings, restructurings, and corporate governance. His experience spans work with listed companies, financial institutions, and private equity firms on complex international transactions.

Huw also completed a secondment to a UAE-government body, where he supported the legal function on various mandates, further broadening his experience in high-level advisory roles.

Before joining Gibson Dunn, Huw worked as an associate in the Dubai office of a Magic Circle law firm, concentrating on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and general corporate advisory matters.

Huw holds an undergraduate law degree (LLB) and a Master of Laws (LLM) from Cardiff University, and completed the Legal Practice Course (LLM) at BPP Law School, London. He is admitted to practice in England and Wales.

Caitlin Moss is an associate based in Dubai office of Gibson Dunn, where she currently practices in the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions and Projects and Infrastructure Practice Groups. Caitlin has a variety of transactional experience, which also includes M&A and capital markets.

Caitlin has undertaken two secondments. The first was with ADNOC supporting the finance and investments function. The second was as Acting General Counsel of Zayed University where she was responsible for all legal matters, including commercial contracts, research grants, governance, accreditation, employment, intellectual property, and litigation.

Caitlin has a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with honours and a Bachelor of Business Management from the University of Queensland, Australia, and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the College of Law. Caitlin is admitted to practice in Australia.

Mona Kalantar is an associate in the Los Angeles office of Gibson Dunn. She is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice Groups. Mona has a broad-based practice encompassing global public and private mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, restructuring transactions, and general corporate matters.

She earned her Juris Doctor cum laude in 2020 from Northwestern University School of Law. Mona received her undergraduate degree in 2017 from University of California – Davis, earning a Bachelor of Arts in History and Economics. She is admitted to practice law in both California and Illinois.

Luke Higgins is an associate in the Abu Dhabi office of Gibson Dunn, and a member of the Energy, Projects & Infrastructure practice group.

Luke’s practice focuses on large scale energy and infrastructure projects; advising sponsors, governments, and financial institutions on the development, construction, and acquisition of greenfield projects, with particular experience in the renewable and low-carbon energy sector. He is experienced in providing advice, drafting and negotiation in relation to engineering and design contracts, construction contracts and EPC contracts, and is well versed with a variety of procurement strategies such as multi-contract procurement to collaborative contracting.

 

 

Sherif Hashem is an associate in the Abu Dhabi and Dubai offices of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group.

Sherif has a variety of transactional experience advising clients on M&A and capital markets. Sherif completed a secondment with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) where he supported the downstream function. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Sherif was a corporate associate based in the UAE offices of a leading US law firm and, prior to that, was a corporate associate at leading law firms in Egypt. Sherif also has experience outside of law, having managed a VC-backed tech company in Egypt where he successfully implemented a business turnaround strategy.  

Helen Elmer is an English-qualified associate in the Dubai office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She is a member of the firm’s International Arbitration and Litigation practice groups. She has practiced in London, Dubai and Hong Kong.

Helen specialises in international arbitration and complex commercial litigation. She represents clients in relation to M&A disputes, investment disputes, infrastructure and energy disputes, and matters involving fraud and white-collar crime. Helen acts in arbitrations under all of the major institutional rules. She has broad experience, including litigation at the interlocutory, trial and appellate levels, before the High Court of England & Wales, the Privy Council, and defending proceedings brought in the UAE. She has also acted on multiple high-value arbitrations across jurisdictions, both for and against sovereign and private entities. She has acted for a broad range of clients including multinational corporations, construction firms, investment firms and sovereign governments.

Helen trained at Gibson Dunn. She was admitted as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales in 2018 and received rights of audience before the Civil Higher Courts in 2023. She has spent seven years working in the firm’s London office and one year working in the Hong Kong office.