Max Tu’inukuafe is an associate in the London office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Real Estate, and Finance Practice Groups.

Max advises on a variety of domestic and cross-border real estate finance transactions, including syndicated financings for acquisitions, investments, and developments across multiple property sectors.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Max was a solicitor with a major New Zealand law firm.

Alena Aniscenko is an associate in the Frankfurt office of Gibson Dunn. She is a member of the firm’s Litigation and White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Groups.

She focuses her practice on corporate and commercial litigation and arbitration as well as white collar defense and investigations and compliance matters with cross-border elements.

Alena studied law at the University of Heidelberg and completed her Second State Exam at the Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart in 2021. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, she worked as a research assistant in the Frankfurt office of a major international law firm. She has been admitted as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwältin) since 2022.

In addition to her native German and Russian, Alena is fluent in English.

Mariam Dudziak Pathan is an associate in the Munich office of Gibson Dunn. She is a member of the firm’s Litigation and White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Groups .

Mariam advises clients in the area of white collar defense and sensitive investigations with cross-border elements in the fields of enforcement of German anti-corruption laws and the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), sanctions, anti-money laundering , and technical compliance. She represents companies before domestic and foreign authorities during associated criminal and administrative proceedings. She represents German clients in civil disputes before German courts.

She has experience in the automotive, consultancy , and chemical industries as well as the franchise sector.

Mariam maintains an active pro bono practice, advising clients on public international law and international human rights matters.

Prior to joining the firm, she worked in the legal departments of a global franchise corporation in Amsterdam and a tech company in the renewable energy sector in Berlin. Mariam clerked with the transnational criminal law department of the German Foreign Ministry and the organized crime unit of the Berlin Public Prosecutor. She was an editing assistant to a book series in which she published several commentaries on International Criminal Jurisprudence.

Mariam earned a master’s degree in international criminal law summa cum laude from the University of Amsterdam in a joint degree program with Columbia Law School, New York. She graduated from the European Law School of Maastricht University with bachelor’s degrees in European and Dutch Law. She is German and Dutch qualified with civil effect and has been admitted as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwältin) since 2018. Mariam speaks German, English, and Dutch.

Hui Yinn Lim is an English-qualified associate in the London office of Gibson Dunn. She is a member of the firm’s Finance and Business Restructuring and Reorganisation practice groups.

Hui Yinn has experience acting on a broad range of finance and corporate matters. She advises major financial institutions, investment funds, private equity sponsors, and corporates on complex finance transactions. 

Prior to joining the firm, Hui Yinn received her Bachelor of Laws in 2021 from The London School of Economics and Political Science. She completed her Legal Practice Course and Master of Science in Law, Business and Management with distinction from the University of Law. 

Rebecca McGrath is a dual-qualified Associate (Ireland and England & Wales) in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, practising in the firm’s Dispute Resolution Group.   

Her experience spans commercial litigation, competition class actions, contentious regulatory matters and white collar investigations.

Rebecca is recognised in Legal 500 UK 2025: “This is an all-star team. Standouts include: […] Rebecca McGrath”.

In 2024, Rebecca completed a ten-month secondment to the EMEIA commercial litigation team of a major American multinational technology company.   

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Rebecca spent a number of years at a leading Irish law firm and completed secondments to a pillar bank and global private equity company.

Rebecca was admitted as a Solicitor in 2019.

Lindsey D. Schmidt is a partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of Gibson Dunn’s Litigation, International Arbitration and Judgment and Arbitral Award Enforcement Practice Groups.

Lindsey focuses her practice on international arbitration and has extensive experience in both international commercial arbitration and investor-state arbitrations.  She has a wide range of experience in all areas of international arbitration, but particularly in disputes relating to mining, steel, telecommunications, insurance, aviation and financial services.  She represents clients across the globe in a variety of arbitration proceedings, including those before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).

Lindsey also has significant experience in complex litigation, and advises clients on pursuing complex and creative, multi-jurisdictional enforcement strategies of arbitral awards.

Benchmark Litigation named Lindsey to its 2026 Future Star list and included her on its 2023 and 2024 40 & Under list, which identifies “the best and brightest litigators across the US.” Lindsey was named a 2022 Commercial Arbitration “Rising Star” by Euromoney, which recognizes individuals “who have been rising to prominence within their chosen specialisms.” In 2020, Law360 named her a “Rising Star” in the International Arbitration category and has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® as “One to Watch” in the area of Alternative Dispute Resolution.  Lindsey was also part of the team named International Arbitration Team of the Year at the British Legal Awards 2020 for its work on the Ipek Interim Measures Award.

Lindsey worked in the firm’s London office prior to joining the New York office, where she represented clients in the Grand Cayman Courts on international disputes arising out of alternative investments and investment management agreements, and involving English, Middle Eastern and offshore jurisdictions.

Lindsey earned her Juris Doctor in 2008 from Fordham University School of Law, where she served as Interschool Editor of the Fordham Moot Court Board and team captain of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.  She was also a member of the Fordham Urban Law Journal.  She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with high honors from the Pennsylvania State University in 2005.  She is admitted to practice law in the State of New York.

Jason R. Meltzer is a partner in Gibson Dunn’s Washington, D.C. office. He practices in the firm’s Litigation Department, co-chairs the firm’s Consumer Products and Retail Practice Group, and serves on the firm’s Class Actions Practice Group steering committee. Jason has experience in a wide range of complex commercial litigation, with an emphasis on consumer products class action defense. Jason also has extensive experience representing clients in securities, mass tort, breach of contract, commercial fraud, antitrust, insurance and merger-related litigation.

Jason was recognized as one of the Best Lawyers in America® for Commercial Litigation for 2024, 2025, and 2026. The National Law Journal also named Jason as a DC Rising Star for Civil Litigation – Class Action Defense. Super Lawyers and The Washington Post Magazine have also recognized Jason on multiple occasions as a class actions and civil litigation “Rising Star.”

Jason has successfully defended corporations in trial and appellate courts across the country. He routinely counsels Fortune 100 companies in class actions involving hundreds of millions or billions of dollars’ worth of claims. His clients have included the largest food and beverage manufacturers, consumer products retailers, investment and retail banks, private equity firms, international airlines, radio and communications providers, energy companies and government contractors in the world.

Jason’s recent significant client engagements include, among others:

• Representing major food and beverage companies in more than seventy-five class actions in courts across the country challenging product labeling and marketing as false or misleading under state and federal consumer protection laws.
• Representing issuer and underwriter defendants in more than a dozen securities class and individual actions in courts across the country involving more than $30 billion in securities.
• Representing leading consumer products retailers, manufacturers and other companies in class actions challenging corporate social responsibility and sustainability statements as false or misleading.
• Consulting for numerous public companies regarding litigation risks pertaining to corporate social responsibility statements, including regularly conducting reviews of proposed ESG and Sustainability reports.
• Representing a leading consumer products retailer as co-lead counsel in a multidistrict litigation involving fourteen class actions challenging an alleged failure to disclose potential risks in connection with products.
• Representing a leading consumer products manufacturer in litigation challenging the marketing and production of so-called “ultra-processed foods.”

A sample of Jason’s recent successes include:

• Winning an arbitration trial as lead trial counsel, following Jason’s successful examination of six key witnesses, including cross-examining the claimant for four hours.  
• Winning a unanimous jury verdict in a mass tort class action trial in federal court, following Jason’s successful cross examination of plaintiffs’ expert on issues relating to their negligence claims.
• Winning summary judgment in a consumer products class action asserting more than $500 million in claimed damages, based on deposition testimony Jason elicited from one of the named plaintiffs.
• Securing dismissal with prejudice of five consolidated class actions challenging “natural” labeling on consumer products as false or misleading.
• Securing dismissal with prejudice of six consolidated class actions challenging flavor labeling on consumer products as false or misleading.
• Securing dismissal of a mass tort class action against some of the nation’s largest retailers.
• Securing dismissal of a securities class action involving more than $5 billion in mortgage-backed securities.
• Securing dismissal of shareholder derivative litigation against a leading defense contractor and its corporate officers and successfully defending the decision on appeal.
• Securing dismissal of securities fraud claims against a leading defense contractor.
• Successfully opposing class certification in a securities class action involving more than $20 billion in securities and successfully defending the decision on appeal.
• Convincing plaintiffs’ counsel to refrain from filing numerous consumer products class actions pertaining to hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of products.

Recent examples of Jason’s speaking engagements include:

• “Combatting New And Creative Plaintiffs’ Bar Tactics In Consumer Products Class Actions” – CLE Presentation – ACI Advanced Forum On Defending FDA-Regulated Consumer Products Class Actions (October 2023)
• “Litigation Risks Relating To ‘Green’ Claims” – Board.Org ESG and CSR Board (September 2023)
• “Corporate Citizenship Statements – Understanding and Minimizing Risks” – The Conference Board ESG Center (February 2023)
• “Navigating the MDL (Multidistrict Litigation) Process” – CLE Presentation, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP (October 2022)
• “ESG Statements – Maximizing Opportunities While Understanding And Minimizing Risks” – CLE Presentation, Client In-House Legal and Marketing Departments (February 2021)
• “Trying A Mass Tort Class Action To Verdict” – CLE Presentation, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP (March 2018)
• “Hot Topics In Securities And Governance” – CLE Presentation, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP (June 2016)
• “Corporate Social Responsibility Statements: Litigation Developments And Minimizing Risks” – CLE Presentation, Association of Corporate Counsel (April 2016)
• “Effectively Responding To Discovery Requests” – Presentation, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP (July 2014)
• “Securities Litigation Developments” – CLE Presentation, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP (February 2014)
• “Significant Developments in Class Actions – 2012-2013” – CLE Presentation, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP (April 2013)

Jason received his B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002, and his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2005. He is admitted to practice in New York and the District of Columbia.

Yixian Sun is a litigation associate in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.

Yixian received her Juris Doctor cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2021. While in law school, she served as the lead executive editor online of Harvard International Law Journal. She further conducted clinical work for the Harvard Crimmigration Clinic and Harvard International Human Rights Clinic on various projects. Yixian received her Bachelor of Laws degree, with honors, from Peking University, where she led a team to win the national championship in the 2018 Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.

Molly T. Senger is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She practices in the firm’s Litigation Department and is a member of the Labor & Employment Practice Group.  Molly serves as the co-Hiring Partner for the Washington, D.C. office, and is the D.C. partner representative on the Associates Committee.

Molly has represented clients in a wide range of employment litigation matters, including cases involving allegations of trade secret misappropriation, wage-and-hour violations, whistleblowing, race, age, and disability discrimination, and sexual harassment.  Molly has significant experience in defending against employment-related putative class actions and litigating high-stakes executive compensation disputes. She has represented employers in federal district and appellate courts across the country, as well as in arbitration and mediation, and before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and other federal and state agencies.

In addition to her litigation experience, Molly often assists clients in drafting employee handbooks, conducting anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training, investigating employment-related claims pre-litigation, and advising clients on a variety of employment-related issues ranging from sensitive personnel decisions to classifications under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Benchmark Litigation named Molly to its 2024 40 & Under list, which identifies “the best and brightest litigators across the US,” and additionally named her a “Future Star” in 2026. Since 2023, Molly has been selected as one of the Lawdragon 500 Leading U.S. Corporate Employment Lawyers – a list that features the nation’s “top advisors on workforce issues.” The National Law Journal named Molly one of its 2021 D.C. Rising Stars—a recognition given to 40 D.C. attorneys who have “proven their mettle where it counts, representing high-profile clients and securing high-dollar victories.” In 2020, Law 360 likewise named Molly as one of five “Rising Star” employment attorneys nationwide—an accolade for “attorneys under 40 whose legal accomplishments transcend their age.” Euromoney Legal Media Group similarly named Molly as one of two Labor and Employment 2020 “Rising Stars.” In addition, Molly has been recognized by The Best Lawyers® in America since 2022 for Litigation – Labor and Employment, by The Legal 500 U.S. since 2021 as a “Next Generation Lawyer” for Labor and Employment Disputes, and as a 2022 Expert Guides Rising Star.

Representative litigation matters that Molly has handled include:

• Secured complete dismissal of nationwide wage-and-hour class action on behalf of major retailer; obtained affirmance of dismissal on appeal (Alminiana et al. v. Lowe’s Home Centers, LLC (W.D.N.C. 2020); McPhee et al. v. Lowe’s Home Centers, LLC (4th Cir. 2020)).
• Obtained summary judgment on behalf of employer in whistleblower-retaliation lawsuit; secured affirmance of victory on appeal before the Third Circuit (Price v. UBS Financial Services LLC (D.N.J. 2022; 3d Cir. 2023).
• Defended The George Washington University in lawsuit seeking reinstatement of the University’s men’s rowing team; defeated motion for a TRO and motion for a preliminary injunction, after which the case was dismissed (George v. The George Washington University (D.D.C. 2022)).
• Successfully compelled to individual arbitration putative class action involving independent contractor misclassification claims (Finch v. Lowe’s Home Centers LLC (D.S.C. 2021)).
• Briefed and argued successful motion to dismiss in confidential JAMS executive compensation arbitration.
• Defeated two attempts at class certification in a 31-plaintiff sexual harassment lawsuit and secured exclusion of the plaintiffs’ expert’s testimony (Van et al. v. Ford Motor Co. (N.D. Ill. 2019)).
• Obtained dismissal of putative class action involving breach-of-contract and age discrimination claims (Zoller et al. v. UBS (N.D. Ill. 2019)).
• Secured affirmance of summary judgment in favor of employer in ADA reasonable accommodation case in the Sixth Circuit (Arndt v. Ford Motor Co. (6th Cir. 2017)).
• Achieved complete victory on behalf of major financial institution in executive compensation dispute, after a week-long arbitration before FINRA.
• Obtained $750,000 default judgment for pro bono client based on the court’s determination that the defendants had violated the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act (Lagasan v. Al-Ghasel et al. (E.D. Va. 2015)).

Prior to joining the firm in 2011, Molly served as a law clerk to Judge John D. Bates of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

Molly received her law degree cum laude from Harvard Law School, where she was a member of the Board of Student Advisers and served as a teaching assistant for the First Year Legal Research and Writing Program. During law school, Molly interned for Judge Robin L. Rosenberg, then at the Circuit Court of Florida, Fifteenth Judicial Circuit.

Molly graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. While at Princeton, Molly was awarded the C.O. Joline Prize in American History for her senior thesis on George F. Kennan.

Molly is a member of the Maryland and District of Columbia bars, and also is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, and the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Third, Fourth, Sixth, Seventh, and D.C. Circuits.

Zainab Ahmad is a partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She is co-chair of the firm’s National Security Practice Group and a member of the White Collar Defense and Investigations, Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Innovation and Labor and Employment Practice Groups. Zainab served as Senior Assistant Special Counsel in Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller’s Office following a successful career as a prosecutor and trial lawyer at the Department of Justice in both Washington, D.C. and the Eastern District of New York. As former Deputy Chief of the National Security and Cybercrime section at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York, Zainab supervised a unit of over 20 attorneys, investigators, and staff prosecuting sensitive counterterrorism, counterespionage, and cybercrime cases. Zainab’s practice focuses on white collar defense and investigations, as well as regulatory and civil litigation challenges, such as matters involving corruption, anti-money laundering, sanctions and FCPA issues. She also advises clients on cybercrime and intellectual property issues, including handling investigations, enforcement defense, and litigation. She has extensive experience with a wide range of federal, state, and international cybersecurity laws, regulations, and standards.

Zainab has been ranked in the 2025, 2024, and 2023 editions of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as “Up and Coming” for White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations in New York. The Global Investigation Review had previously named Zainab among their “Top Women in Investigations” for 2021. She was also named by Benchmark Litigation as a 2026 “Future Star” and by Crain’s New York Business to the 2020 list of “Notable Women in Law.” Zainab has been honored with the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security, New York City Bar Association’s Henry L. Stimson Medal recognizing Outstanding Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys Director’s Award for Superior Performance, FBI Director’s Award for Excellence in International Operations, U.K. Northwest Counter Terrorism Unit Commander’s Commendation, Federal Law Enforcement Foundation’s Federal Prosecutor of the Year Award, and the Society of Asian Federal Officers’ Prosecutor of the Year Award.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Zainab was a prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice for 11 years. She most recently served as a Senior Assistant Special Counsel in Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller’s Office from 2017 to 2019. Prior, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York, where her roles included Deputy Chief of the National Security and Cybercrime section. During her tenure, she prosecuted and supervised some of the most complex international terrorism investigations in the United States, focusing on al-Qaeda, ISIS and attacks against U.S. military personnel and U.S. diplomats abroad. In pursuit of these extraterritorial national security investigations, she worked closely with the FBI, U.S. intelligence community, Department of State and Department of Defense, and she frequently traveled to Europe, the Middle East and Africa to negotiate with foreign law enforcement officials and regulators for access to evidence and testimony, and to collaborate with foreign counterparts regarding mutual legal assistance requests and extradition assurances. Her work was chronicled in a The New Yorker feature article, “Taking Down Terrorists in Court.”

During her career, Zainab was seconded twice to Washington, D.C., serving in 2016 as Counselor for Transnational Organized Crime and International Affairs and in 2017 as Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General in Washington, D.C., where she was responsible for supervising about 70 prosecutors in three sections: Organized Crime & Gangs, Human Rights and Special Prosecutions, and Capital Cases, including the filter team handling the “Panama Papers”-related investigations.

Drawing on her experience, Zainab has played an active role in the advancement of global cybercrime laws and regulations. She previously represented the DOJ at meetings of the World Economic Forum’s Cybercrime Workshop and participated in development of WEF’s Guidance on Public-Private Information Sharing Against Cybercrime. She also organized and led a Cybercrime Roundtable with former FBI Director James Comey and General Counsel and C-suite executives from various industries, including banking, media, health care and pharmaceutical companies, to discuss improved public-private partnership in combatting cybercrime.

Zainab received her law degree in 2005 from the Columbia University School of Law, where she received the Hamilton Fellowship (full scholarship for academic excellence), was a James Kent Scholar and a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and served as the Senior Editor of the Columbia Law Review. She served as a law clerk for Judge Jack B. Weinstein of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York from 2006 to 2007 and for Judge Reena Raggi of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 2007 to 2008.

Ben K. Belair is a litigation associate in the Washington D.C. office of Gibson Dunn. He primarily practices in the firm’s White Collar Defense, Securities Enforcement, Congressional Investigations, and International Trade groups.

His experience includes representing both corporate and individual clients in government investigations involving the Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, and other regulatory and enforcement agencies. He has helped defend clients against a wide range of allegations, including environmental fraud, securities and accounting fraud, export controls and economic sanctions violations, and violations of computer hacking laws. In addition, Ben has represented clients in investigations before multiple U.S. congressional committees, assisting those clients in preparing for committee hearings and responding to requests for information.

He also has experience in counseling clients on compliance with U.S. economic sanctions, export controls, and other international trade regulations.

Ben received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2016, where he served on the Managing Board for the Journal of Social Policy & the Law. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Washington and Lee University in 2011.

He is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Becky Adams is Senior Counsel in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Dallas office. Her practice includes a particular emphasis on marketing and consumer-protection litigation, including Lanham Act trademark, false advertising, and unfair-competition claims, as well as disputes under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). Drawing on her experience as a former Chief Legal Officer, Becky brings a uniquely business-minded perspective to litigation strategy and compliance counseling in advertising, telemarketing, and related communications.

Becky also handles a wide range of complex commercial disputes, including breach of contract, fraud, fiduciary-duty, restrictive-covenant, employment, and other business-tort matters. She has first- and second-chair experience in jury trials and arbitrations and has guided clients through every phase of high-stakes litigation—from pre-suit strategy and discovery through trial and appeal.

Becky has earned recognition as one of the leading emerging litigators in Texas and nationally. Benchmark Litigation has named her a Future Star for 2023 and 2024, and Lawdragon included her on its prestigious 500 X – The Next Generation list for 2023 and 2024 as well. She has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a Texas Rising Star in 2023 and 2024, and by Best Lawyers in America on its Ones to Watch list from 2021 through 2024.

Becky is also active in the Dallas legal community. Becky previously served as a director on the Board of Directors of the Dallas Women’s Lawyers Association and participated in the Dallas Bar Association’s WE LEAD program — a selective leadership initiative designed to empower and prepare senior women attorneys for professional and community leadership roles.

Before joining Gibson Dunn, Becky served as Chief Legal Officer of a national marketing company, where she oversaw the company’s litigation portfolio, built and led the legal function, and resolved a range of commercial, employment, intellectual-property, and consumer-protection disputes. Prior to her in-house tenure, Becky was a litigation partner at nationally renowned litigation and trial boutique in Dallas.

A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Becky served as a U.S. Navy surface warfare officer before earning her J.D. from Stanford Law School. Her military background and in-house leadership experience inform a practical, business-forward approach to litigation strategy and risk management.

Representative Matters*

• Served as first chair in a week-long arbitration on behalf of a commercial client in a contract dispute, securing a full victory on all claims and counterclaims and recovery of attorneys’ fees.
• Defended McNeil Consultants against trademark-infringement and unfair-competition claims brought by Jim Adler. Obtained partial summary judgment dismissing multiple claims—including trademark dilution, misappropriation, and tortious-interference—and limiting available remedies. The case was resolved shortly before trial under confidential terms.
• Defended client in a federal trademark-infringement and unfair-competition action in Texas federal court, obtaining a favorable resolution for the client.
• Defended a marketing company in breach-of-contract litigation in California, securing dismissal of one claim at the pleading stage and a favorable resolution.
• Led the defense of a large marketing company in a putative Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) class action in California federal court, securing voluntary dismissal of all claims with prejudice after asserting counterclaims for fraud and nondisclosure.
• Spearheaded the defense of a large marketing company in a putative TCPA class action in Texas federal court, obtaining dismissal with prejudice of multiple claims on motion to dismiss and voluntary non-suit of remaining claims.
• Architected the defense of a marketing company against Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and related claims in federal court in Texas. Secured a settlement in which the plaintiff agreed to entry of a judgment of no liability, dismissal of all claims with prejudice, and no payment.
• Led the defense of a telemarketing company against Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) claims in federal court in Florida, obtaining favorable resolution of all TCPA claims.
• Defended large client in employment litigation in Oklahoma federal court and secured favorable resolution of breach-of-contract and wage-related claims brought by a former employee.
• Defended client in breach-of-contract litigation in Oklahoma state court and obtained favorable resolution for the client.
• Defended a large employer in Oklahoma federal court against breach-of-contract and FLSA claims brought by a former employee; secured favorable resolution of all claims.
• Defended large employer against breach-of-contract claims by a former employee in Oklahoma state court; secured favorable resolution of the matter.
• Successfully obtained summary judgment for FM Global in federal court in Texas against Cinemark USA’s $1 billion claim for COVID-19-related property damage, dismissing all claims with prejudice.
• First-chaired a six-day jury trial defending a steel-structure design company against multi-million-dollar personal-injury claims, cross-examining the plaintiff and negotiating a favorable post-verdict settlement while the case was on appeal.
• Represented Mary Kay, Inc. in federal court in Dallas in copyright-infringement, false-endorsement and fiduciary-duty claims against a former employee; defeated summary judgment and secured a settlement requiring removal of the infringing book from circulation and destruction of remaining copies.
• Key member of a trial team that represented an online travel-agency in a major antitrust case brought against eight national hotel chains in Texas federal court; architected the strategy for defending against numerous counterclaims including trademark infringement and dilution, oversaw depositions of 20+ witnesses and directed expert discovery in the matter, which was resolved by a mid-eight-figure settlement.
• Defended a dental-implant company against a competitor’s pre-suit discovery petition seeking broad trade-secret depositions; drafted and argued briefs resulting in summary denial of the petition and motion for reconsideration.
• Represented a prominent Dallas law firm in trademark and unfair-competition litigation relating to keyword advertising and online marketing; managed discovery, expert work and witness preparation to secure a favorable result.
• Defended a wireless technology company in Texas federal court against patent-infringement claims involving mobile-device-repair processes; secured intra-district transfer to defeat forum-shopping and obtained dismissal after transfer.
• Obtained a temporary restraining order for a title-insurance agency against a former senior executive for breach of fiduciary duties; halted misconduct decisively and negotiated a favorable resolution.
• Represented a wealth-management firm in trade-secret and employment litigation against former advisors who launched a competing business in violation of non-compete agreements; negotiated a favorable settlement.
• Secured agreed dismissal of all claims, including fraud, conspiracy and RICO violations, on behalf of a large national law firm and affiliated clients in federal lawsuit.
• Negotiated a global resolution of three interrelated cases for a national merchandising company in Virginia involving tortious interference, breach of contract and wage-dispute claims.
• Represented IBM in a trade-secret case brought by a former employee; played critical role in taking key depositions and dispositive motion practice including summary-judgment briefing.

*Matters handled prior to joining Gibson Dunn.

Aisling Murray is a New York-qualified associate in the London office of Gibson Dunn, practising in the firm’s Dispute Resolution Group.

Aisling has broad commercial litigation experience (including competition litigation) and focuses her practice on the technology sector.

Josh Obear is a litigation associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the firm’s Antitrust and Competition and Litigation Practice Groups.

His practice includes evaluating and defending antitrust enforcement and consumer protection actions from both government regulators and private plaintiffs. He regularly assesses risks and advises clients on developments in competition law, including on novel theories of anticompetitive conduct and harm. His experience includes defending against complex direct purchaser and indirect purchaser antitrust class litigation under both federal and state competition laws.

Josh maintains an active pro bono practice in both immigration law and First Amendment law, including litigation under the Administrative Procedure Act challenging certain asylum and immigration restrictions. He also represents individual clients in asylum proceedings, removal proceedings, and in litigation against the federal government in connection with the 2018 family separation crisis.

He received his Juris Doctor in 2019 from Columbia Law School, where he was named a James Kent Scholar and served as an editor for the Columbia Business Law Review. Josh received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, summa cum laude, from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2015.

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

Craig Varnen is a litigation partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson Dunn. Craig serves as a Co-Chair of the Firm’s National Securities Litigation Practice Group, which is consistently recognized as one of the best securities litigation groups in the country. While Craig is an experienced trial attorney who has represented clients in a broad range of “bet the company” commercial disputes, his practice focuses on securities litigation. Craig has decades of experience representing public companies and their officers/directors in the defense of federal and state securities class actions, derivative actions and government proceedings. These cases often involve claims related to public offerings, accounting and disclosure practices, mergers and acquisitions, insider trading, corporate governance issues or allegations of breaches of fiduciary duties. Craig is also regularly retained to conduct high-profile internal investigations, as well as advise boards and officers on fiduciary duty and corporate governance issues. He has also handled a wide range of other business and class action litigation, including many different types of consumer class actions, cases involving the misappropriation of trade secrets, employment litigation, and insurance matters. He also often counsels clients in employment contract-related matters.

Craig is currently ranked by Chambers USA in the category of Securities Litigation. He is frequently asked to speak on a variety of topics relating to securities and complex commercial litigation, and is listed as pre-approved panel counsel for the major D&O insurance carriers. He has been selected by his peers for inclusion in the Securities Litigation category as one of The Best Lawyers in America every year since 2021 and was named to Lawdragon’s list of 500 Leading Litigators in America for 2026. From 2012-2025, he was recognized by Southern California Super Lawyer for his business litigation expertise. He was also named a Southern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers.

Recent Experience Includes:*

• Represented a prominent European conglomerate in obtaining rare pleading-stage dismissal of entire fairness claims filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery regarding an allegedly conflicted acquisition.
• Defended, including acting as lead counsel in a successful two-week trial, a publicly traded Fortune 500 company in a complex merger litigation arising from its acquisition by way of mergers of several limited partnerships in which it served as the general partner.
• Defended Fortune 500 multinational lender in securities fraud lawsuits and multiple government investigations.
• Defended CFO of a Fortune 500 media company in high profile securities fraud and derivative lawsuits.
• Defended the former chairman/CEO of Countrywide Financial Corporation in a series of securities fraud and regulatory lawsuits arising from the demise of the mortgage banking industry.
• Defended one of the largest technology investors and operators in the world in high profile derivative litigation in Delaware.
• Defended a national bank in a securities fraud lawsuit relating to multiple auto loan-backed securitizations.
• Represented Fortune 500 financial services company in securities fraud and derivative lawsuits filed in both federal and state court.
• Represented Fortune 500 biopharmaceuticals company in high-profile securities fraud and derivative lawsuits.
• Defended the world’s largest event promoter/venue operator in a high-profile consumer class action lawsuit.
• Represented a prominent casino in a high-profile litigation brought by a director alleging corporate governance and breach of fiduciary duty related claims.
• Represented the CFO of a prominent publicly traded interactive entertainment company in securities fraud and derivative lawsuits filed in both federal and state court.
• Represented numerous companies and board committees in responding to shareholder litigation demand letters.
• Defended one of the country’s largest cable operators in a complex securities class action lawsuit and government investigations relating to accounting and reporting practices.
• Defended a regional bank and its board of directors in a complex class action litigation resulting from a $851 million business combination with another bank.
• Defended one of the country’s largest oil companies and its board of directors in a complex class action litigation resulting from its $18 billion merger with another oil company.
• Defended the CFO of a publicly traded software company in a complex securities class action lawsuit and government investigation relating to accounting and reporting practices.
• Defended a technology company in a complex securities class action lawsuit resulting from its $2 billion acquisition of a competing company.
• Defended one of the nation’s preeminent private wealth managers in a FINRA arbitration.

*Includes representative matters handled prior to joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.

Craig served as a law clerk for the Hon. Cynthia Holcomb Hall in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Craig graduated from the University of California San Diego with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his law degree from University of California, Berkley School of Law where he was an editor of the California Law Review, and was elected to the Order of the Coif.

Craig serves as Chairman of the board of trustees of the Curtis School.

Craig is admitted to practice law in the state of California, before the United States District Court for the Central and Northern Districts of California, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Branton Nestor is an associate in the Orange County office of Gibson Dunn. He practices in the firm’s Litigation Department and is a member of the firm’s Appellate and Constitutional Law Practice Group. 

Branton has represented clients in appellate, regulatory, and complex litigation matters across various industries. His experience spans a wide range of subject matters, including constitutional law and administrative law.

He clerked for Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and Judge Julius N. Richardson on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 2019, and Westmont College in 2016. His scholarship has been cited at the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Branton is a member of the California bar.

Marina Szteinbok is Sr. Director & Counsel of Knowledge & AI, based in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She oversees the Firm’s knowledge strategy initiatives, including leading the development of knowledge-sharing platforms, client-facing knowledge resources, and model corporate documentation, assessing opportunities to integrate technology and AI in legal practice, and providing recommendations on process improvements to enhance efficiencies. Marina also advances thought leadership initiatives and substantive legal updates on behalf of the M&A group, as well as being responsible for curriculum development and content for the U.S. corporate associate training program. Previously, she practiced in the New York, Paris, and Helsinki offices of White and Case and was Counsel at Sidley.

Marina earned her D.E.A. (Diplôme d’Études Approfondies) with high honors from the University of Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne), her Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar for three years and an editor of the Columbia Law Review, and her Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude in Literature from Yale University. Marina is admitted to practice law in New York. She is bilingual in Spanish and fluent in French.

Marina serves as a Co-Chair of the NYC Knowledge Management & Innovation Attorney Network.

Rachel N. Jackson is an Associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn. Rachel regularly represents and advises companies and executives facing internal investigations, regulatory and criminal investigations, government enforcement actions, and civil litigation. She has experience across a range of industries, with a particular focus on banks, financial services, digital assets, and technology companies. Rachel’s practice also includes assessing and advising clients regarding anti-money laundering and other financial regulatory risks and compliance matters. 

Rachel has been recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America in the area of Criminal Defense: White-Collar.

She received her Juris Doctor magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2018. At Georgetown, she served as the Executive Notes Editor for The Tax Lawyer and worked as a research assistant on topics related to tax and charitable giving, financial regulation, and sovereign debt. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Rachel completed a clerkship in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri. Before law school, she studied economics and statistics at Smith College and worked as a business analyst.

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

Mike Titera is a partner in the Orange County office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance Practice Group. His practice focuses on advising public companies regarding securities disclosure and compliance matters, financial reporting, and corporate governance. Mike often advises clients on accounting and auditing matters, the use of non-GAAP financial measures, and the emerging disclosure areas of cybersecurity and human capital management. He also has represented clients in investigations conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Mike is a frequent author on a range of securities law issues and serves as the co-editor of the treatise A Practical Guide to SEC Proxy and Compensation Rules, Sixth Edition. He regularly speaks at conferences and in other settings regarding public companies’ obligations with respect to disclosure, compliance, governance, and related topics.

Publications

• Co-Author, Insights, “Four Years of Evolving Form 10-K Human Capital Disclosures” (2025)
• Co-Author, A Practical Guide to SEC Proxy and Compensation Rules, Sixth Edition, “Chapter 14: Audit Committee Disclosure and Related Requirements” (2025)
• Co-Author, Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, “Cybersecurity Disclosure Overview: A Survey of Form 10-K Cybersecurity Disclosures by S&P 100 Companies” (2025)
• Co-Author, Insights, “SEC Enforcement Action Highlights Importance of Non-GAAP Policies and Disclosure Controls” (2023)
• Co-Author, Law360, “How S&P 100 Cos.’ Human Capital Disclosures Are Evolving” (2023)
• Co-Author, Insights, “A Double-Edged Sword? Examining the SEC’s Amendments to Regulation S-K Disclosure Requirements” (2020)
• Co-Author, Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, “Streamlined SEC Disclosure Requirements” (2018)
• Co-Author, Directors Handbook: A Field Guide to Situations Commonly Encountered in the Boardroom, “Retaining and Changing an Audit Firm” and “Going Concern Qualifications” (2017)
• Co-Author, Deal Lawyers, “What’s the Big Deal? Why Some Seemingly Material Acquisition Agreements Might Never See the Light of Day” (2014)

Mike earned his law degree in 2009 from the UCLA School of Law, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree magna cum laude in Accountancy from Brigham Young University in 2006.

Dan Warner is an English-qualified associate in Gibson Dunn’s Dispute Resolution Group in London.

Dan has a broad disputes practice with experience of handling complex and substantial cross-border disputes. His litigation experience has involved representing clients in Employment Tribunals, the High Court, the Competition Appeal Tribunal, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. A particular focus of his practice is collective actions, and he has advised on several of the largest and most significant UK class actions in recent years.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Dan trained and practised at a Magic Circle firm.

Representative experience:

• Representing a leading global corporation in the technology sector in connection with class actions commenced against it in the Competition Appeal Tribunal alleging abuses of dominance.
• Advising a major global technology company on the management of various antitrust-related class actions and related litigation brought against it in a number of countries worldwide.
• Representing a major bank in relation to both the High Court litigation and the proposed collective proceedings brought in the Competition Appeal Tribunal arising out of the forex investigations (including an appeal to the Supreme Court in respect of the collective proceedings which was heard in April 2025).
• Representing a UK retailer in one of the largest private sector mass equal pay claims to be heard in the English courts.
• Representing a truck manufacturer in its defence of one of the largest ever competition law follow-on damages proceedings in the UK courts and Competition Appeal Tribunal.
• Representing a technology company in relation to High Court litigation arising out of the smart card chips cartel.