Duncan K. R. McKay is a partner in the New York office of Gibson Dunn and serves as the Head of Fund Finance. He is a member of the firm’s Finance Practice Group and Investment Funds Practice Group.

Duncan represents financial sponsors in a broad range of complex and bespoke financing transactions involving their investment funds, including private equity, growth equity, venture capital, GP stakes, secondaries and continuation vehicles, private credit and direct lending platforms, real estate, infrastructure, energy and transition, hedge funds, hybrid structures and evergreen/open-ended funds.

In addition to Duncan’s deep experience with commitments-based, NAV-based, hybrid, asset-based, GP Finance and other bespoke investment funds-related transactions, he is widely recognized as a market leader in structuring and executing complex rated note feeder and collateralized fund obligation transactions. Over the past decade, he has consistently led some of the most innovative fund financings and structured capital raisings for alternative asset managers, investment fund sponsors and direct lenders in the U.S. and abroad.

Clients rely on Duncan for his deep market knowledge, innovative financing solutions and clear, commercial advice, as well as his ability to steward and execute the most sophisticated and pioneering fund-level and fund-adjacent financings and fundraisings. He frequently speaks at conferences and participates in panel discussions on fund finance, including relating to securitization in fund finance, fundraising, rated note feeder and collateralized fund obligation transactions, and other key topics in the industry.

Duncan received his Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) from the University of Technology, Sydney, a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) and a Diploma of Language (Chinese) from the University of Sydney. 

Duncan is a member of the U.S. Advisory Committee of the Fund Finance Association.

Danielle J. Moss is a partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of the firm’s Labor and Employment and Litigation Practice Groups. She is recognized for representing employers across a wide range of matters, including high-stakes discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims, as well as wage and hour and restrictive covenant issues. She has also led numerous highly sensitive internal investigations.

Beyond her vast litigation experience, what sets Danielle apart is her passion for counseling clients on preventive measures such as anti-harassment training and the proper receipt and investigation of complaints. By implementing these and other best practice measures, Danielle’s clients are better positioned to thrive in the modern workplace where culture is often valued above all else in order to attract, and retain, top talent.

Recognized for being dynamic and determined in her approach and adept at solving problems efficiently, Danielle has become a “go-to” lawyer for health and wellness, emerging technology, financial services, and lifestyle brand clients around the country. In her pro bono practice, Danielle remains passionate about pursuing causes that protect and advance women’s and victim’s rights.

Danielle is ranked by Chambers for Labor & Employment and included in Lawdragon‘s 2026 “500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers” guide for Labor & Employment (Litigation). She was recognized by Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch for Labor and Employment Management and Labor and Employment Litigation from 2021-2022 and was named an Acritas Star Lawyer, a client-nominated recognition of stand-out lawyers in private practice, from 2019-2021.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Danielle practiced in the Labor & Employment Law Department of an AmLaw 50 firm. Prior to that, she served as a Felony Assistant District Attorney at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, New York.

Danielle earned her Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School in 2011, where she was a member of the Moot Court Honors Society as well as a recipient of the Robert Lewis Prize (for excellence in Labor Law) and Judge Doris A. Thompson Award (for excellence in Trial Advocacy). She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University’s School of Industrial & Labor Relations in 2008.

Danielle is admitted to practice in the States of New York and New Jersey and before the U.S. District Court for the Southern, Eastern, Northern, and Western Districts of New York.

Recent Representative Matters:*

  • Led and concluded a nation-wide governmental audit of wage-and-hour and leave policies and practices for a publicly-traded company with no finding of liability.
  • Prevailed at arbitration resulting in the complete dismissal of gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and whistleblower retaliation claims brought by a former executive against a publicly-traded company, its CEO, and its CFO.
  • Successfully brought a motion to dismiss sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation claims brought by a former employee against a major corporation.
  • Led and concluded the investigation of highly sensitive and widely publicized discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims against various executives at a major television network.
  • Successfully brought a motion to dismiss and compel arbitration of sexual harassment and gender discrimination claims which had received press coverage post-New York State’s passage of budgetary measures precluding mandatory arbitration of sexual harassment claims.
  • Led and concluded numerous investigations of sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation claims brought by current and former employees against several major corporations and cultural institutions.
  • Conducted an extensive overhaul of executive compensation as well as on-air talent agreements and advised an emerging technology company regarding a wage-hour audit.
  • Led and concluded the investigation of a highly sensitive sexual assault and harassment claim brought by a current employee against another employee at a publicly-traded company.
  • Achieved settlement of a discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuit for $150,000 (inclusive of attorney’s fees and releases) brought against a financial institution client in which plaintiff’s counsel initially presented a $9 million demand.
  • Successfully defended numerous retail, food and beverage, and fashion industry clients against charges brought by former employees before the New York State Division of Human Rights (“NYSDHR”) and New York City Commission on Human Rights (“NYCCHR”) alleging harassment, discrimination and retaliation.
  • Prevailed in a Minimum Standards Hearing before JAMS to require the opposing party to share the cost of arbitration.
  • Obtained a T Non-Immigrant Status Visa (“T-Visa”) for a client under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (“VTVPA”).

*Some representations occurred prior to Danielle’s association with Gibson Dunn.

Bonnie Tse is an of counsel in Hong Kong. She is a member of the firm’s Private Equity and Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group.

She has extensive experience advising private equity and corporate clients on a broad range of mergers and acquisitions throughout the Asia-Pacific region, including complex domestic and cross-border buyouts, as well as pre-IPO, PIPE, and privatization transactions.

Bonnie is recognized as a notable practitioner for private equity and mergers and acquisition by IFLR1000.

Some of her recent and most significant experience includes advising:*

  • The Carlyle Group on multiple transactions across the Asia-Pacific region for its Asia buyout and growth funds, including the acquisition of Strata Geosystems, a leading provider of geosynthetic and geotechnical engineering solutions in India, the KRW 2.9 trillion disposal of its Korean portfolio company ADT Caps to SK Telecom and Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, and the CNY 3.6 billion sale of its controlling stake in Crystal Orange Hotel Holdings, a China-based hotel operator, to China Lodging Group
  • A consortium led by Starwood Capital Group, Sixth Street, and SSW Partners on the US$7.1 billion take-private of ESR Group Limited by way of a scheme of arrangement from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. This deal represents the largest privatization from the HKEX since 2021
  • Baring Private Equity Asia on multiple transactions, including its partial exit from Indian IT healthcare services company CitiusTech Healthcare Technology
  • Tencent on its US$1.38 billion take-private of the HKSE-listed Leyou Technologies, an international game development and distribution company, by way of a scheme of arrangement; as well as the US$1.1 billion privatization by a buyer consortium led by Tencent of Bitauto Holdings Limited, a US-listed internet content and marketing service provider focusing on the automobile industry, and the consequential mandatory general offer of Yixin Group Limited, Bitauto’s Hong Kong-listed subsidiary
  • China Jinmao Holdings Group Limited on multiple transactions, including the privatization by way of a scheme of arrangement of China VAST, one of the pioneer service providers in the planning, development and operation of large-scale industrial towns in China

* Includes matters handled prior to joining Gibson Dunn.

Bonnie received her Bachelor of Arts in Law from the University of Cambridge. She is admitted to practice in Hong Kong and New York and is fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and English.

Katie Cheung is an associate in Hong Kong and a member of the Antitrust and Competition Practice Group. Katie advises on a broad spectrum of competition law and regulatory matters, including antitrust litigation, market investigations and studies, regulatory compliance, merger control, foreign direct investment and national security review issues. Her experience spans various sectors, including technology, financial services, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, hospitality and shipping.

In particular, Katie has extensive experience working with clients in the digital and technology industry. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, she was a competition associate at a magic circle firm, where she worked on a wide range of matters in the digital space, and was seconded to the competition team of a multinational technology company for eight months.

Her recent experience includes advising:*

  • A leading technology platform in various lawsuits in China against alleged abuse of dominance and consumer law claims
  • A multinational technology company in the market investigations and inquiries conducted by competition regulators in various jurisdictions, including Japan, Taiwan, Australia, India, and the UK, concerning issues of abuse of dominance and data privacy
  • An international online travel agent in the investigation concerning parity clauses by the Hong Kong Competition Commission
  • A local hotel operator in the investigation concerning a price-fixing cartel by the Hong Kong Competition Commission, and the subsequent commitment and settlement process
  • VMWare’s acquisition by Broadcom
  • Vitol’s acquisition of Noble Resources
  • Alcon’s proposed acquisition of STAAR Surgical Company
  • A leading pharmaceutical company in the acquisition of an international animal health business
  • An international online travel agent in the acquisition of another global online travel platform
  • The local shipping industry in the application for a block exemption order from the Hong Kong Competition Commission

* Includes matters handled prior to joining Gibson Dunn.

Katie gained her Bachelor of Laws from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is admitted to practice in Hong Kong and is fluent in English, Cantonese and Mandarin.

Ali Nikpay is a partner in the London office at Gibson Dunn and is a Co-Chair of the firm’s Antitrust and Competition Practice Group. He is regularly cited as one of Europe’s leading competition practitioners, with more than 25 years of EU and U.K. merger control and antitrust experience in both the private and public sectors.

Ali is ranked Band 1 for Competition Law in Chambers UK 2025, with the publication highlighting him as one of the top competition law specialists in London. Clients praised him, noting that “he is as good as it gets”. Ali is also ranked in its highest band by The Legal 500‘s 2025 and Who’s Who Legal Competition with the latter describing him as a “Global Elite Thought Leaders. In 2021 Chambers described Ali as “the lawyer you want at your side when it really matters”. In 2019 The Lawyer selected Ali, for an unprecedented second time, as one of its “Hot 100” in 2019 stating “few other practices can say they have dealt with more high-profile competition cases over the past three years.” In 2018, in an opinion piece, the editor of The Lawyer, Catrin Griffiths, described him as “arguably one of the most significant hires” by a firm in the London market. In 2017, the Financial Times named him among the Top 10 Innovators in Europe at the 2017 FT European Innovative Lawyer Awards, which recognized the “ten original legal thinkers in a fast moving world.” In 2016, Ali was described by the U.K.’s leading broadsheet newspaper (the Daily Telegraph) in an editorial as “one of the world’s preeminent experts in European competition law.”

Under his leadership, the Gibson Dunn London competition team has become one of a handful of “destination practices” for many of the most significant and sophisticated clients in the world on “bet the company” matters including for UBS, Walmart, Viagogo, Asda, Marriott, Kimberly-Clark, Schlumberger, LKQ Corp, Energizer, and Ladbrokes Coral.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Ali served at both the European Commission’s DG for Competition (DG COMP) and the U.K.’s competition authority. At DG COMP Ali acted as legal/policy advisor to case-teams in over 50 antitrust and merger cases. He was also lead case-handler for a number of high-profile competition and merger cases. In addition he was actively involved in the initiatives which reformed the EU’s policy on vertical agreements and non-cartel horizontal agreements.

During his time at the U.K. Competition Authority, Ali held a number of important positions including senior director for merger decisions, senior director of its Cartels and Criminal Enforcement Division and senior director of policy international (in which capacity he interacted with senior officials at agencies in the U.S., the EU, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada etc). He was also a member of the authority’s highest decision-making organ, its Executive Committee.

He is currently Vice-Chair of the London School of Economic’s governing Council. He has also served on the Confederation of British Industry’s Competition Panel and on several occasions appeared before the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Union.

He is Co-Editor of “Faull & Nikpay: The EU Law of Competition,” which was described by European Competition Law Review as “… the best single volume work dealing with EU competition law that is available”. He serves on the editorial boards of the following journals: “European Competition Law”, “World Competition”, “Antitrust Enforcement Review” and “Competition Law International”.

Ali teaches competition law at University of Oxford and was a Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Arjun Patil is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson Dunn. He currently practices in the firm’s Corporate Department.

Arjun graduated from Columbia Law School with Honors. While at Columbia, he was recognized as a Public Interest Honoree for his commitment to completing pro bono projects. Arjun received his undergraduate degree summa cum laude from New York University.  At NYU, Arjun served as Chair of the Student Activities Board and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Arjun is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia.

Frederick Freeman is a litigation associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.

Frederick is a graduate of Yale Law School, where he served as an Articles Editor and Submissions Editor for the Yale Journal of Law and Technology.

Frederick received a B.S. in Justice Studies, summa cum laude, from Arizona State University, and M.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati.

Prior to attending law school, Frederick was a Deputy U.S. Marshal assigned to the electronic surveillance branch.

Frederick is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, and holds CIPP/US, CIPP/E, and CIPM certifications.

Timothy Dragonette is an associate in the Washington D.C. office of Gibson Dunn. He currently practices across the firm’s Corporate group.

Tim received his law degree in 2025 from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif. During law school, he was an editor of the Virginia Tax Review.

Prior to attending law school, Tim was an auditor with KPMG and a recipient of the AICPA’s Elijah Watt Sells Award. Tim graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland.

Anna Strong is an associate in the Houston office of Gibson Dunn. She currently practices in the firm’s Corporate Practice Group.

Anna earned her Juris Doctor from The University of Texas School of Law. She received her Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin.

Mary Karapogosian is an associate in Gibson Dunn’s Los Angeles office. She is a member of the firm’s Litigation Department.
 
She received her Juris Doctor from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 2023, where she served as an Associate Editor of the Cardozo Law Review and graduated cum laude. During law school, Mary also was a member of the Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic where she provided pro bono legal representation for indigent immigrants facing deportation before federal immigration authorities and in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. 
 
Mary earned a degree in Political Science from New York University in 2019, where she graduated with high honors and was inducted into the National French Honor Society. Prior to law school, Mary also served as a paralegal in a real estate law firm. 
 
She is admitted to practice law in New York and California.

Allyson Parks is a litigation associate in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group.

Her practice concentrates on intellectual property and complex commercial disputes across diverse industries, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, telecommunications, specialty chemicals and manufacturing processes, and consumer products and packaging. She has been involved in all phases of litigation and arbitration. In addition to her work in patent litigation, Allyson has represented multiple clients in matters involving sponsored research agreements, licensing agreements, and contract manufacturing agreements.

Allyson also has significant experience with inter partes reviews and other patent office proceedings, as well as Federal Circuit appeals. Allyson has also advised clients on IP diligence in connection with licensing, freedom to operate assessments, and worldwide patent portfolio management and enforcement.

Allyson has been recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America® for Litigation – Intellectual Property (2024-2026), and Litigation – Patent (2023-2026) and by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star (2019-2025).

She received her Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School, where she was named a James Kent Scholar and served as the Bluebook editor of the Columbia Law Review. She received her Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering and Master of Engineering in Engineering Management from Stevens Institute of Technology, graduating with high honors and as a member of the engineering honor society Tau Beta Pi.

Notable Representations – Patent Litigation:

  • Represented SharkNinja against Dyson in litigation involving hair care and vacuum patents.
  • Represented Sophos against Open Text in litigation involving software technology.
  • Represented Dell against VideoLabs in litigation involving video compression technology.
  • Represented Cubist, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., against multiple generic companies in Hatch-Waxman litigation regarding CUBICIN® RF (daptomycin RF), including successfully defending against an inter partes review.*
  • Represented Pfizer, Wyeth, and Genetics Institute in inventorship action involving patents directed to anti-PD-L1 antibodies for cancer therapies. Also represented Pfizer and Merck KGaA in BCPIA infringement litigation concerning Bavencio® (avelumab).*
  • Represented Allergan in Hatch-Waxman litigation regarding LINZESS® (linaclotide) peptide products for the treatment of various gastrointestinal disorders.*

Notable Representations – Commercial Disputes:

  • Represented Esperion against Daiichi Sankyo in licensing agreement dispute.
  • Represented client in a high-stakes arbitration (JAMS) relating to a contract manufacturing agreement for antibody products.*
  • Represented a non-profit organization in a breach of contract arbitration (ICDR) against an international pharmaceutical company involving mRNA drug therapies, winning an award of all requested damages and attorneys’ fees.*

*Representation occurred before employment at Gibson Dunn

Allyson is admitted to practice in the State of New York, the United States District Courts for the Southern District of New York and the Eastern District of New York, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. She is also registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Melanie Neary is a partner in the San Francisco office of Gibson Dunn where she practices in the firm’s Capital Markets Practice Group, focusing on representing leading life sciences companies and investors. Melanie advises clients on a wide range of complex financing transactions and matters, including initial public offerings, secondary equity offerings, and venture and growth equity financings, as well as mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs, and PIPEs. Melanie regularly serves as principal outside counsel for numerous publicly-traded companies and advises management and boards of directors on corporate law matters, Securities and Exchange Commission reporting requirements and ownership filings, and corporate governance.

Representative Clients and Transactions:

  • Initial Public Offerings: Apogee Therapeutics, Rain Oncology, Shattuck Labs, Biora Therapeutics, 89bio, Cricut, StepStone Group, Petco Health and Wellness Company, Odonate Therapeutics, Excelerate Energy
  • Follow-on Equity Offerings: Apogee Therapeutics, Spyre Therapeutics, Shattuck Labs, Biora Therapeutics, Protagonist Therapeutics, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, 89bio, Odonate Therapeutics, Rain Oncology, Rockwell Medical, Heron Therapeutics, Rocket Pharmaceuticals, StepStone Group, Leslie’s, Peloton, Eledon Pharmaceuticals, Viridian Therapeutics
  • PIPE Offerings: Shattuck Labs, Viridian Therapeutics, Spyre Therapeutics, Dianthus Therapeutics, Biora Therapeutics
  • ATM Facilities: Protagonist Therapeutics, Shattuck Labs, Rain Oncology, Biora Therapeutics, Ultragenyx, Viridian Therapeutics, 89bio, Rockwell Medical, California Water Service Group, Urovant
  • Debt Offerings: Mauser Packaging, California Water Service Group, Wells Fargo & Company and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Gran Tierra Energy, Keysight Technologies, Magnite
  • Venture Financings: Apogee Therapeutics – Series B, Cullgen – Series C, Perceive Biotherapeutics – Series B, Ellodi Pharmaceuticals – Series B, Tourmaline Bio – Series A, Jaanuu – Series B, Waterloo Sparkling Water – Series D, Bandier – Series E, ConnectRN – Series F, Sling Therapeutics – Series B
  • Mergers and Acquisitions:
    • Cullgen in its business combination with Pulmatrix
    • Quidel in its acquisition of Ortho Clinical Diagnostics
    • Glassdoor in its sale to Recruit Holdings
    • BPGBio in its investment in Berg, LLC
    • California Water Service Group in proposed acquisition of SJW Group
    • Novus Therapeutics in its merger transaction with Tokai Pharmaceuticals
    • Rocket Pharmaceuticals in its merger transaction with Inotek

Melanie received her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 2016, where she was the Managing Editor of the Michigan Business & Entrepreneurial Law Review. She earned her B.A., magna cum laude, in Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics and Government, with a minor in French, from American University in 2013.

Alan Bannister is a partner in the New York office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Capital Markets, Finance, Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance, and Business Restructuring and Reorganization Practice Groups.

Alan concentrates his practice on securities and other corporate transactions, acting for underwriters and issuers, including foreign private issuers in high-yield, equity (including ADRs and GDRs), and other securities offerings, as well as U.S. registered public offerings, Rule 144A offerings, other private placements, and Regulation S offerings. He provides counsel on recapitalizations, NYSE and NASDAQ listings, shareholder rights offerings, spin-offs, PIPEs, exchange offers, and other general corporate transactions. Alan also advises issuers and underwriters on dual listings in the U.S. and on various exchanges across Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

Alan regularly advises companies in connection with cross-border equity tender offers and liability management transactions, including debt tenders, exchange offers, and consent solicitations. With extensive corporate and securities experience in connection with corporate restructuring, he routinely advises companies, creditors, and hedge funds in connection with debt exchange offers, high-yield refinancing, rescue rights offerings, and other capital infusions.

Alan regularly advises U.S. and non-U.S. registrants on their reporting obligations under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Dodd Frank Act, stock exchange corporate governance requirements, as well as (for U.S. registrants) advising on other Exchange Act issues relating to Regulation FD, Section 16, and the proxy statement requirements of Regulation 14A.

Representative Clients and Transactions:

  • Advised Welltower, a healthcare infrastructure REIT, on its:
    • UPREIT conversion;
    • $2.5 billion at-the-market equity program allowing for traditional and forward sales of common stock under its automatic shelf registration statement.
  • Represented Berkshire Hathaway Energy Co in its $850 million Rule 144A offering of 5.75% Senior Secured Notes issued, in part, to finance the construction of Topaz Solar Farms, a photovoltaic solar energy generation facility.
  • Advised Eastern Energy Gas Holdings, LLC (EEGH), a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company that is engaged in interstate natural gas transmission and underground storage in the eastern region of the United States, on a registered offering of $700 million aggregate principal amount of 5.800% Senior Notes due 2035 and $500 million aggregate principal amount of 6.200% Senior Notes due 2055.
  • Advised BMO Capital Markets Corp., BofA Securities, Inc., Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc., HSBC Securities (USA), and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as global coordinators and joint bookrunners, and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Santander US Capital Markets LLC, as joint bookrunners for a U.S. registered public offering of $750.0 million of 6.34% Notes due 2054 issued by Vale Overseas Limited and guaranteed by its parent company, Vale S.A., a Brazilian metals and mining company.
  • Advised BMO Capital Markets Corp., BofA Securities, Inc., Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as dealer managers for the waterfall cash tender offer by Vale Overseas Limited for up to $450.0 million in aggregate principal amount three series of Notes previously issued by Vale Overseas and guaranteed by Vale S.A.
  • Advised SES, the Luxembourg-based satellite telecommunication network group, on the acquisition of its Virginia-based counterpart, Intelsat.
  • Advised Mondelēz International, Inc. and Mondelez International Holdings Netherlands B.V. in Mondelēz International’s offering of €300 million private offering of exchangeable senior notes, exchangeable into ordinary shares of JDE Peet’s.

Alan received his Juris Doctor, summa cum laude, from the University of Alabama in 1988, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif, articles editor for the Alabama Law Review and a Hugo Black Scholar. He received a B.S. (Accounting) from Auburn University in 1984.

Alan is a member of the Board of Trustees for the University of Alabama School of Law Foundation and a member of the Board of Advisors to the Financial Management Association within the School of Finance at the Auburn University Harbert School of Business. He is a frequent writer and speaker on securities laws matters.

Eric M. Scarazzo is a partner in the New York office of Gibson Dunn where he is a member of the firm’s Capital Markets Practice Group, Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance Practice Group, Public Company Industry Group, and Cleantech Industry Group. Eric represents issuers and underwriters, public, private, and private equity portfolio companies, and businesses from development-stage to blue chip, in high-profile securities transactions.

As a certified public accountant for over 20 years, Eric provides counsel to clients navigating the intersection of legal and accounting matters, principally as they relate to capital markets financings and M&A disclosure obligations. He also focuses on capital raising transactions, reporting obligations under the Exchange Act, prospective and remedial stock exchange compliance, and Section 13 and 16 beneficial ownership reporting.

Representative Clients and Transactions:

  • Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (TSX: AQN) (NYSE: AQN), a Canadian-based energy company, in its:
    • remarketing of $1.15 billion aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes due 2026
    • upsized public offering of 20,000,000 equity units with proceeds of $1 billion, and in related option to underwriters to purchase up to an additional 3,000,000 Equity Units
    • public offering of 23,000,000 equity units with proceeds of $1.15 billion
    • $500 million at-the-market offering of common shares
  • Coeur Mining, Inc., a U.S.-based diverse precious metals producer, in its:
    • $1.7 billion acquisition of SilverCrest Metals Inc.
    • $50 million at-the-market offering of common stock
    • $375 million Rule 144A offering of senior notes, cash tender offer, and credit facility amendment
  • Enovis Corporation in a private offering of $460 million of convertible senior notes due 2028
  • IperionX Limited, an Australia-based titanium company, in its U.S. listing and private offerings of ordinary shares
  • Liberty Utilities Co., a subsidiary of Algonquin Power, in a private offering of $850 million of notes due 2029 and due 2034
  • Piedmont Lithium, Inc., a U.S.-based lithium company, in a $50 million at-the-market offering of common stock
  • SolarEdge Technologies, Inc., a global energy technology company, in its:
    • $337 million private offering of 2.250% convertible senior notes due 2029 and concurrent capped call transactions
    • public offering of 2,300,000 shares of common stock
  • South Jersey Industries, Inc., a U.S.-based energy company, in its remarketing of equity units
  • StepStone Group Inc., a global private markets investment company, in its initial public offering and subsequent secondary offerings
  • Stem, Inc. in a private offering of $240 million of green convertible senior notes due 2030

Eric received his Juris Doctor, with a concentration in Corporate Law, in 2005 from the University of California, Los Angeles. He earned a master’s degree in Accounting, with a concentration in Tax Consulting, in 2000, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance, Economics and Accounting in 1999, from the University of Virginia.

Lavi M. Ben Dor is a litigation associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson Dunn. He practices in the firm’s Appellate and Constitutional Law and Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Groups.

Lavi previously clerked for the Honorable A. Raymond Randolph of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and the Honorable Kent A. Jordan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Lavi earned his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif, served as an Executive Editor on the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and received the Lipman Redman Prize for the best first-year brief. He graduated summa cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he completed concentrations in finance and marketing and a minor in mathematics and was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma.

Lavi’s writings have appeared in the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy and the law reviews at Penn, Wisconsin, and Brooklyn Law.

Lavi is a member of the bars of the District of Columbia, New York, and Pennsylvania. He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fifth, Ninth, and D.C. Circuits, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Talus Iorio-Ronek is a litigation associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn and practices in the firm’s Intellectual Property group.

Talus received his J.D., magna cum laude, from the Boston University School of Law in 2024. While in law school, he served as an Articles Editor for the Boston University Law Review and worked for the Student Innovations Law Clinic. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Yale University in 2021.

Talus is a member of the New York bar and is admitted to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Maziar Jamnejad is an Associate in the London office of Gibson Dunn. He is a specialist in contentious and regulatory technology law, advising the big technology companies on EU frameworks such as the Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act, and conducting related investigations and class action defence. 

He regularly advises on artificial intelligence related matters, and is recognised by Legal 500 as a ‘key lawyer’ for artificial intelligence law. Maziar also has a particular expertise in cybersecurity/infosec. He has led a number of significant recent security engagements and is National Cyber Security Centre accredited in Cyber Incident Planning and Response.

Maziar brings a uniquely practical perspective to his technology practice. He has held a number of positions as a technologist, including product roles at AI startups and scrum mastering software development teams. He holds certifications in a range of technologies from organisations like Microsoft, Google and IBM. 

In addition to his technology focus, Maziar is a recognized specialist in financial crime. He has led investigations for financial institutions into market manipulation, systems and controls, and asset management, and has advised clients on financial sanctions, export controls, and market abuse. He has represented clients before regulatory authorities such as the SFO, CMA, FCA, and OFSI. He regularly advises clients on contentious competition law, including leading investigations into information exchange, cartels, and hub-and-spoke arrangements.

Maziar is an expert in legal innovation and the application of technology – particularly AI – to complex contentious and transactional matters. He has held leadership roles in legal innovation at major law firms, including serving as Global Head of Legal Innovation at a magic circle firm, and as Senior Legal Counsel for Innovation at HSBC. He has designed and delivered modernization programs for legal departments, developed technology-enabled methodologies for regulatory compliance, and led teams in the adoption and implementation of advanced legal technologies.

Alexus Payton Leach is an associate in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She is a member of the Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Innovation Practice Group, and a member of the Artificial Intelligence Practice Group. She is currently on secondment.

Alexus is enthusiastic about technological innovation, business optimization, and legal compliance. Having previously seconded at Meta Platforms on an extended contract, she is uniquely positioned to provide clients with practical, clear, and actionable legal guidance, whilst also prioritizing client business pillars as they manage dynamic and large-scale technical considerations. In her role at Meta as a subject matter expert on youth privacy, security, and predictive technology, Alexus regularly advised engineers, data scientists, and other business professionals towards compliance with global obligations.

Alexus leads clients through privacy and security incidents, regulatory engagements, and in development and implementation of operational frameworks and policies. A former complex commercial litigator, she also has meaningful experience advising multinational clients across industries, in all stages of international and domestic high-stakes privacy litigation. Alexus leverages her experiences at the intersections of litigation, compliance, and counseling to guide clients through all matters touching on privacy, security, and data innovation as legal and regulatory spaces continue to evolve at rapid rates and in unprecedented ways.

Alexus earned her law degree in 2017 from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. She received her bachelor’s degree in English Literature and minor in Philosophy from Loyola Marymount University.

She is a member of the State Bar of California and is admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Central District, Southern District, and Northern District of California.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Alexus was an associate in the Global Technology Industry Group at White & Case, as well as the Complex Commercial Litigation Group at Mayer Brown in Los Angeles.

Rob Fitzgerald is Of Counsel in the Business Restructuring & Reorganization group in Gibson’s New York office. Rob advises creditors, sponsors, and other stakeholders in connection with Chapter 11 restructurings, out-of-court restructurings and recapitalizations, distressed M&A and asset sale transactions and debtor-in-possession (DIP) financings.

Rob’s recent representations include*:

  • Castlelake, L.P.:
    • As Backstop Commitment Party for $1.9 billion of exit financing to GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A and certain of its affiliates
    • As a lead investor in connection with a $740 million term loan facility to Abra Group Limited and its affiliates as part of a refinancing
    • In connection with the DIP and exit financing transactions in Scandinavian Airlines’ (SAS’) bankruptcy case. This included:
      • Castlelake’s $500 million refinancing of SAS’ DIP term loan
      • Entry into and closing of an investment agreement as part of a consortium of bidders for a $1.2 billion debt and equity investment in reorganized SAS
  • UNIFIN Financiera S.A.B. de C.V. in connection with its cross-border restructuring
  • Bank of America:
    • As agent under a $125 million asset-based DIP financing facility in Instant Brands’ Chapter 11 bankruptcy case
    • As prepetition and DIP asset-based lending agent in Sears’ bankruptcy case
  • An ad hoc group of bank lenders to Crédito Real S.A.B. de C.V., in connection with the restructuring of their credit facilities
  • Party City in its out-of-court liability management transaction
  • Affiliates of The Washington Companies in connection with their provision of a $55 million interim financing facility in connection with Dominion Diamond Mines’ Canadian insolvency proceedings

Rob graduated cum laude from Bowling Green State University and with highest distinction from the University of Iowa College of Law, where he served as Senior Articles Editor for the Iowa Law Review. Rob is a member of the Illinois and New York Bars.

In recognition of his work, Rob has been repeatedly named one of Best Lawyers’ Ones to Watch in America (including in its 2023-2025 editions).

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

Joseph Barakat is a litigation associate in the Dallas office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the firm’s Appellate and Constitutional Law and Labor and Employment Practice Groups.

Joseph specializes in litigating high stakes appeals and critical motions. He has supported arguments in various courts, including the Ninth Circuit en banc, the Texas Supreme Court, and the California Supreme Court. Joseph has successfully represented clients in cases involving arbitration, contracts, wage-and-hour disputes, constitutional law, data privacy, state enforcement actions, and class and representative actions.

Recent Representative Matters:

  • Obtained the first federal circuit decision defeating application of the Federal Arbitration Act’s Section 1 exemption to rideshare drivers. See Capriole v. Uber Techs., Inc., 7 F.4th 854 (9th Cir. 2021).  Persuaded the Third Circuit to reach the same result and the U.S. Supreme Court to deny review. See Singh v. Uber Techs., Inc., 67 F.4th 550 (3d Cir. 2023), cert. denied, 144 S. Ct. 566 (2024).
  • Convinced a unanimous Ninth Circuit panel to reverse the dismissal of an equal-protection challenge to California’s worker classification law A.B. 5. See Olson v. California, 62 F.4th 1206 (9th Cir. 2023).
  • Persuaded the Austin Court of Appeals to invalidate the Public Utility Commission rule setting prices at their maximum during the 2021 Texas winter storm for exceeding the Commission’s statutory mandate. See Luminant Energy Co. v. PUC, 665 S.W.3d 166 (Tex. App.—Austin 2023).
  • Convinced the Fifth Circuit to reverse the grant of judgment as a matter of law and to remand for a new trial in a trademark infringement case. See Rex Real Estate I, L.P. v. Rex Real Estate Exch., Inc., 80 F.4th 607 (5th Cir. 2023).
  • Overturned a $14 million summary judgment by persuading the court to uphold the validity of a payment brand’s security program and to revive the brand’s counterclaim for fraud. See Visa Inc. v. Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc., 651 S.W.3d 278 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth Dec. 9, 2021, pet. filed).  Preserved victory by persuading the Texas Supreme Court to deny review after calling for full merits briefing. Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. v. Visa Inc., No. 22-0024 (Tex.).
  • Persuaded the Fifth Circuit to uphold the dismissal of contractual and tort claims seeking over $12 million dollars. See Paymentech, L.L.C. v. Landry’s Inc., 60 F.4th 918 (5th Cir. 2023).
  • Achieved a favorable settlement for Meta Platforms in a state enforcement action seeking $300 billion for Meta’s alleged capture and use of Texans’ biometric data in violation of Texas privacy law. See State of Texas v. Meta Platforms, Inc., No. 22-0121 (71st Dist. Ct., Harrison Cnty., Tex.).

Before joining the firm, Joseph clerked for the Honorable Jerry E. Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He attended the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served as an articles editor of the Virginia Law Review, drafted a successful cert petition in Quarles v. United States, No. 17-778 (U.S.), while participating in the school’s Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, and graduated as a member of the Order of the Coif.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science at Presbyterian College, graduating with valedictorian honors.

Joseph is admitted to practice in the State of Texas and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.