James Chandler is a partner in the London office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Tax Practice Group.

He advises on a wide variety of UK corporate tax matters with a particular focus on private equity and the technology sector.

James has extensive experience of structuring public and private corporate and real estate transactions as well as fund formation. He has also advised on a wide range of financial restructuring mandates.

Stephanie Collins is an Of Counsel and English law qualified solicitor advocate in Gibson Dunn’s London office. She is a member of the firm’s Geopolitical Strategy and International Law, International Arbitration, ESG: Risk, Litigation, and Reporting, and Judgment and Award Enforcement Practice Groups.  She has particular experience guiding clients in the energy, infrastructure, mining, financial services and tech sectors.

Stephanie specialises in public international law, and advises clients on a broad range of matters, including international human rights law and climate change law.  She has recently advised a State on the establishment of a new international organization.

Stephanie also regularly offers strategic guidance to clients on geopolitical risk management.  This includes advising on developing jurisprudence, regulation and policy which may impact clients’ operations.  She represents corporate actors in human rights-related disputes, including before the European Court of Human Rights and UN Treaty Bodies.  

In the international arbitration space, Stephanie has extensive experience of acting in investor-State proceedings under the ICSID and UNCITRAL Rules, as well as experience of commercial arbitration disputes under the ICC, LCIA, Ciarb and SIAC Rules.  She has acted in over ten Energy Charter Treaty arbitrations and numerous BIT proceedings, where she has gained advocacy experience.  Stephanie is the co-founder and Chair of Young EFILA (European Federation of International Investment Law and Arbitration) and a member of the International Law Association, British Branch.  She has previously served as member of CPR’s Young Leaders in ADR Steering Committee (2021-2024), as well as the Global Steering Committee for the Campaign for Greener Arbitrations (2022-2024).

An experienced business and human rights lawyer, she has experience representing clients in civil litigation proceedings with a human rights and environmental nexus; advising clients on climate change and greenwashing risks as well as supply chain risks; and acting in proceedings brought under the OECD Guidelines before National Contact Points.  She also advises on a host of ESG-related regulations and delivers strategic advice such as designing human rights policies, due diligence processes and grievance mechanisms, as well as heat-mapping sustainability regulatory developments.  She has been an active member of the Business and Human Rights Lawyers Association—of which Gibson Dunn is a founding member—since its inception.

Stephanie is recognised by Legal 500 as a “key lawyer” for Public International Law, International Arbitration and ESG Risk Advisory.

She regularly publishes and speaks on topics relating to public international law, international arbitration and business and human rights issues, and has guest lectured at Queen Mary University of London, as part of the Energy and Resources LLM.

Stephanie maintains an active pro bono practice and is a member of the London office’s pro bono committee.  Her practice centres on human rights and public international law issues, and clients she has acted for include the Public International Law and Policy Group.  She was trustee for a London-based women’s empowerment charity for over six years until 2024.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Stephanie trained and practised in the London office of a magic circle law firm.  During this time, she spent time in the firm’s Madrid and Singapore offices.  She was also seconded to the litigation / arbitration team of a multinational energy company for nine months in 2017 / 2018.

Stephanie holds a First-Class Honours degree in Law from University College London (2011).  She spent one year studying at the National University of Singapore. 

Valeri Bozhikov is a partner in the London office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the firm’s Antitrust and Competition Group. 

Valeri has extensive experience advising clients from a diverse range of industries on EU, UK, and international competition law, with a particular focus on merger control and foreign investment. He has routinely represented clients before the European Commission, the UK CMA, and the German Federal Cartel Office.

He is recognised in the Legal 500 UK 2024 directory as a Key Lawyer for EU and Competition and in the category Ones to Watch for Competition Law in the 2025 Best Lawyers edition.

Valeri graduated with a Master of Law (LLM) from Kings College London and a Magister Juris from Sofia University. He is admitted to practice in England and Wales, Belgium and Bulgaria. 

As of 2023, Valeri is a visiting professor at Queen Mary, University of London. 

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, he was a Special Counsel in the Competition practice group at another major international law firm. 

Valeri’s select representations include:*

  • Thoma Bravo in numerous transactions, including its acquisitions of Ping Identity for $2.8 billion and Darktrace for $5.3 billion, its portfolio company Ping Identity’s acquisition of ForgeRock for $2.3 billion, its portfolio company Proofpoint’s acquisition of Hornetsecurity, its portfolio company Flexera’s acquisitions of Snow Software and the USU GmbH, and its portfolio company LogRhythm’s merger with Exabeam.
  •  Viavi’s attempted $1.3 billion public takeover of Spirent Communications plc. 
  • AEA Investors in numerous transactions, including its acquisition of Excelitas, Scan Global Logistics, Process Sensing Technologies, Scio Automation. 
  • Aleris Corporation in its acquisition by Novelis for $2.8 billion, which resulted in Phase 2 (in-depth) reviews in the EU and China. 
  • $2.7 billion definitive agreement for Soho House & Co. Inc. to be taken private. 
  • Leidos in its acquisition of L3Harris’ Security, Detection and Automation business for $1 billion.
  • New Mountain Capital in numerous transactions, including sale of its portfolio company Blue Yonder to Panasonic for $8.5 billion and its disposal of Zep Inc. to Truelink Capital. 
  • RedBird Capital Partners and Compass Datacenters LLC in the acquisition of Compass by Brookfield Infrastructure Partners. 
  • Towebrook Capital Partners on the investment in GMC Group, the acquisition of IDAK Food Group and the $8.9 billion acquisition of R1 RCM (together with CD&R). 
  • Cambridge Information Group and its portfolio company ProQuest  in the acquisition of Innovative Interfaces. 
  • Allergan (now part of AbbVie) before the UK CMA in the hydrocortisone investigation and the subsequent appeals before the Uk Competition Appeal Tribunal. 
  • A financial institution in relation to two separate cartel investigations before the European Commission and various national competition authorities, including the UK, France and Germany. 

*Some of these representations occurred prior to Valeri’s association with Gibson Dunn. 

Matthew Squire is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the Business Restructuring and Reorganization and Finance Practice Groups. 

Matthew has a broad restructuring practice, advising clients on complex cross-border restructurings, distressed liability management exercises, and special situations debt transactions.  His finance practice includes leveraged financings, investment grade financings, and acquisition financings. 

Matthew received his Bachelor of Common Law (LL.B.) and Bachelor of Civil Law (B.C.L.) from McGill University.  He received his Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science with International Relations from the University of British Columbia. 

Matthew is qualified to practice in England and Wales and in the State of New York.

Matthew’s experience includes advising:*

  • Barclays Bank Plc as administrative agent to Cineworld in connection with its four successful English Part 26A restructuring plans
  • Fidera, as the largest creditor in the Part 26A restructuring plan of the Project Fürst development in Berlin
  • Amgen on its $28.5 billion financing for the public takeover of Horizon Therapeutics
  • Barclays Bank Plc as administrative agent and sole bookrunner to Cineworld plc in its Chapter 11 restructuring which involved a $1.935 billion Debtor-In-Possession credit agreement
  • The RCF Lenders, and Barclays Bank PLC as lender and sole bookrunner to Cineworld Group plc during its restructuring, which involved a $450 million priority senior secured rescue facility and a second-out elevated term loan (2020)
  • ZIM Shipping Market Investments on its tender offer to purchase outstanding 3.0% Series 1 Notes and 5.0% Series 2 Notes of ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. at 80% of face value
  • Eurazeo as significant shareholder to Europcar on Europcar’s €307 million financing related to COVID-19, consisting of a €220m new term loan, 90% guaranteed by the French State; €67m new financing facilities, 70% guaranteed by the Spanish State; and a €20m Incremental RCF guaranteed by Eurazeo
  • Signify N.V. on the financing matters in relation to its definitive agreement with Eaton to acquire Cooper Lighting Solutions for $1.4 billion

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

Graham is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of Real Estate Practice Group.

Graham advises lenders and sponsors on real estate backed investment and development financings in the UK and across continental Europe. His practice covers a wide range of asset classes and sectors, including hotels and leisure, offices, retail, industrial and build to rent. Graham regularly advises on secured senior and mezzanine financings, cross-border portfolio financings and REO/NPL transactions.

Mark Leverkus is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, and is a member of the firm’s Transportation and Space, and Finance Practice Groups.

Mark acts for financiers, arrangers, equity investors, leasing companies, export credit agencies and operators on a range of international financing, leasing and sale and purchase transactions, involving aircraft, satellites and other moveable equipment. He also has extensive experience in the trading and repackaging of such transactions, as well as in restructurings, disputes, work-outs and repossessions.

Mark is recognised by The Legal 500 Rankings in Finance: Transport Finance and Leasing, with sources describing Mark as “excellent” and noting that Mark “is commercially minded and understands what is important to the client and what is not”. Mark has also been named a “Rising Star” by Airfinance Journal.

Mark has lectured on topics related to aircraft leasing and financing, and satellite projects.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Mark was a member of the Transportation and Space group at Milbank LLP. Mark has previously spent six months seconded to the legal department of a major UK bank, and nine months seconded to a regional aircraft lessor in Dublin.                                                                                            

Mark’s experience includes advising*:

  • Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs and a syndicate of lenders in relation to a US$1 billion+ loan facility for Castlelake, secured by a portfolio of over 60 widebody and narrowbody aircraft.
  • An ad hoc group of secured creditors in respect of the reorganization of Nordic Aviation Capital, through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy process, and subsequent debt and equity refinancing.
  • A leading aircraft lessor on the distressed purchase of three off-lease Boeing 787 aircraft and subsequent leasing to a new lessee, and debt financing.
  • A leading investment bank on a limited recourse secured aircraft portfolio financing (with accordion feature) for a private equity sponsor.
  • SMBC Aviation Capital on its $6.7 billion acquisition of Goshawk Management Ltd.
  • Pasifik Satelit Nusantara, on its export credit financing, commercial financing and procurement process for the SATRIA-1 high-throughput satellite project, which is valued at $545 million.
  • An aircraft lessor on the acquisition of two Airbus A380 aircraft, on lease and with Shariah-compliant debt attached.
  • An investment firm on its secured debt financing for an airline group, secured by spares, shares and intellectual property.
  • A group of creditors with respect to AirAsia X’s Malaysian scheme of arrangement.
  • BNP Paribas as mandated lead arranger and original lender on the US$168 million financing for the acquisition of a portfolio of eight aircraft by Global Aviation Equipment Leasing (GAEL), an aviation fund arranged by SMBC Aviation Capital.
  • A syndicate of lenders on a US$400 million secured warehouse facility for an aircraft operating lessor, for the financing of a portfolio of narrowbody and widebody aircraft, leased to a number of lessees.
  • NCB Capital on the acquisition of a portfolio of 19 narrowbody and widebody aircraft from AerCap and financing under a US$500 million Murabaha facility jointly arranged by Citibank and BNP Paribas.
  • The Brazilian Government (as export credit guarantor) and the lenders on the repossession and remarketing of six aircraft on lease to Flybe, and matters related to Flybe’s administration proceedings.
  • Elix Aviation Capital on its US$200 million secured warehouse facility from Morgan Stanley for the refinancing of a portfolio of ATR and Bombardier turboprop aircraft.
  • OneWeb Communications on a senior secured credit facility for its global satellite constellation.
  • The lead arranger and lender with respect to a secured warehouse facility of up to $300 million, for the financing of a portfolio of aircraft leased to various lessees.
  • A leading Irish aircraft leasing company on the acquisition and financing of a portfolio of 45 aircraft.
  • Goshawk on its inaugural asset-backed securitization (ABS), relating to a portfolio of eighteen Airbus and Boeing aircraft on lease to various airlines.
  • Elix Aviation Capital in connection with its US$411 million debut ABS deal (the first ABS to be 100% secured against turboprops).
  • BOC Aviation on a US$548m ABS, secured by 17 aircraft leased to a range of lessees.
  • A syndicate of lenders on the financing of three Airbus A330 aircraft, and subsequent lease and debt restructuring.
  • An Irish leasing company on the acquisition and financing of a portfolio of 10 Boeing and Airbus aircraft.
  • An Irish leasing company on the purchase and leaseback, with debt financing, of three new Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
  • Various Chinese-backed leasing companies on the sales of portfolios of aircraft.
  • A Japanese-backed leasing company with respect to the sales and purchases of multiple portfolios of aircraft.
  • An Irish leasing company on a number of aircraft sales to third-party buyers, with ongoing lease management services.
  • AWAS and its owners Terra Firma and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board on an agreement to sell a portfolio of 90 aircraft to Macquarie Group Limited for a total consideration of US$4 billion.
  • A Brazilian airline on the COFACE/SACE supported financing of ten ATR aircraft.

*Includes representations made by Mark prior to his association with Gibson Dunn.

Michael Skouras is a partner in the London office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Private Equity Practice Group.

Michael focuses on advising private equity sponsors and other financial investors on a range of complex cross-border acquisitions, divestitures, co-investments, and minority and growth capital investments.

In 2020, Michael was seconded to Bain Capital Private Equity’s European legal team. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Michael worked at another leading international law firm in London.

Selected experience:*

  • Oaktree Capital Management and its co-investor on the sale of a majority controlling stake in OEG Energy Group to funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management
  • Oaktree Capital Management and its co-shareholders on the sale of a controlling stake in OSM Thome to funds advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s Global Transportation Group
  • KKR on its investment in Lighthouse, a leading data analytics and commercial intelligence platform
  • CVC Capital Partners on its acquisition of Partner in Pet Food Group
  • CVC Capital Partners on its acquisition of Packeta
  • The Carlyle Group on its acquisition of intelliflo from Invesco
  • The Carlyle Group on its acquisition of Meopta
  • The Carlyle Group on its acquisition of Tescan
  • The Carlyle Group on its on-going investments in Phrase, Disguise and the Unifrutti Group
  • The Carlyle Group and its portfolio company (LiveU) on the acquisition of EasyLive
  • Oaktree Capital Management on its sale of the Avenga Group
  • Oaktree Capital Management on its on-going investment in atomos
  • Providence Equity Partners on its acquisition of d&b
  • PSG Equity and its portfolio company (Sport Alliance) on its acquisition of Perfect Gym
  • Goldman Sachs Asset Management on its acquisition of Norgine
  • Howden (a portfolio company of General Atlantic, CDPQ and Hg) on its acquisition of Aston Lark from Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Bowmark Capital
  • Bain Capital Private Equity on its acquisition of Valeo Foods Group
  • Bain Capital Private Equity and its portfolio company (Kantar) on the acquisition of Numerator from Vista Equity Partners
  • General Atlantic on its minority investment in Visma
  • General Atlantic on its acquisition of a majority interest in Kiwi.com
  • Generation Investment Management on its strategic investment in Octopus Energy
  • Advent International and its portfolio company (Culligan) on its acquisition of Harvey Water Softeners
  • Providence Equity Partners and its portfolio company (Node4) on the acquisition of TNP
  • Verallia on its acquisition of Allied Glass from Sun European Partners LLP
  • CVC Capital Partners on its acquisition of a majority stake in Metropolitan Hospital Group

* Some of these representations occurred prior to Michael’s association with Gibson Dunn

Heather Skrabak is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson Dunn, where she currently practices in the firm’s Litigation Practice Group.

Heather earned her Juris Doctor with high honors from The George Washington University Law School. While at George Washington, she served as a Notes Editor on The George Washington University Law Review and was elected to Order of the Coif. She served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Amit P. Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Prior to law school, she worked in health policy for nonprofit health care organizations.

Previously, Heather served as a law clerk for Judge Carlos F. Lucero of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. Heather graduated from Boston University in 2010, with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health and Migration Studies. She is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.

Tamara Skinner is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson Dunn. She practices in the firm’s Litigation Department.

Before joining Gibson Dunn, Tamara served as a law clerk to the Honorable Michael B. Brennan of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

She earned her law degree with honors from the University of Chicago Law School, where she served as the Executive Online Editor of the University of Chicago Law Review and as the Events Coordinator of the University of Chicago Federalist Society. 

Prior to law school, Tamara worked for Arizona Governor Doug Ducey as part of his communications team. She graduated cum laude from Claremont McKenna College with an honors degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.

Tamara is admitted to practice in Arizona and the District of Columbia.

Jessica Pearigen Barnes is a litigation associate in the Orange County office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Her practice focuses on class actions and complex litigation at both the trial and appellate levels, with special emphasis on labor and employment litigation, consumer litigation, and environmental litigation and mass torts.

Jessica has significant experience at all stages of litigation, including trial work, case management, motion practice, depositions, witness preparation, and working with experts.  She has briefed cases in federal and state courts across the country, including multiple federal appeals courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court.  She has represented clients in a wide variety of industries, including technology, healthcare, elder care, retail, manufacturing, agriculture, education, and transportation. 

The Best Lawyers in America® has recognized her as “One to Watch” in Commercial Litigation.

Recent successes of Jessica’s teams include:

  • Defending trucking company against claims by 6,000+ participants in commercial driver’s license training program who alleged they were employees and securing complete victory following bench trial. 
  • Defeating certification of damages classes in putative class action alleging consumer claims against technology company.
  • Winning a full defense verdict for leading online retailer in a bench trial of employee misclassification claims in federal court.
  • Obtaining summary judgment for global agricultural producer in environmental litigation alleging exposure to DBCP.
  • Defeating class certification for various technology, retail, and manufacturing clients on wage and hour and consumer claims.

Jessica also maintains an active pro bono practice.  Highlights include:

  • Securing from the Ninth Circuit a new jury trial on a grandmother’s excessive force claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
  • Obtaining a remand from the Fifth Circuit then persuading the government to dismiss removal proceedings against a Honduran refugee.
  • Helping to negotiate a favorable settlement on behalf of a horse sanctuary for damages and removing neglected horses from abusive facility. Gibson Dunn received the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Pro Bono award for its work in this matter.    

Before joining the firm, Jessica served as a law clerk to the Honorable Rhesa H. Barksdale of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.  Jessica earned her law degree cum laude in 2017 from Duke University School of Law, where she was as Editor in Chief of Law & Contemporary Problems.  While in law school, Jessica also served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Nita L. Stormes of the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of California.  She also served as a Teaching Assistant for Distinctive Aspects of U.S. Law, and as a Research Assistant to Professor Ernest Young.  Jessica earned her bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from the University of Southern California.

Jessica serves on the Firm’s Pro Bono and Associates committees.  In her free time, Jessica enjoys volunteering at the local animal shelter, hiking with her husband and dogs, and watching USC football and Duke basketball.

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.

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.