Lawyers Archive

Stuart Graiwer is a partner in the Century City office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group.

Stuart’s practice focuses on all transactional aspects of commercial real estate, and is particularly focused in the structuring of complex joint venture and partnership agreements, financing transactions, purchase and sale agreements and all aspects of development deals. Stuart handles transactions for a multitude of asset classes, including office buildings, hotels, multi-family and residential developments, industrial parks, data centers and retail projects. Stuart has developed a particular expertise in representing owners, operators and developers of studio projects having represented clients in the largest studio transactions in the country.

Stuart has been recognized as a leading lawyer by:

Chambers USA Band 3 for Real Estate in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025
The Best Lawyers in America in the area of Real Estate Law in 2016-2026
Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers in 2024 and 2025
Los Angeles Business Journal named Stuart to their “Thriving In Their 40’s” list in 2020
Profiled in the Super Lawyers article “Billion Dollar Man” for his work in commercial real estate
Daily Journal named Stuart as one of the Top 30 Real Estate Lawyers in California from 2012-2013 and one of the Top 20 California Attorneys Under 40 in 2013

Stuart has recently represented:

Hackman Capital Partners in the $1.85 billion acquisition and financing of CBS Studio Center and its associated operating business from ViacomCBS.
Hackman Capital Partners in the $650 million acquisition, financing and creation of a joint venture with respect to Manhattan Beach Studios, a 22-acre production facility located in Manhattan Beach also known as the MBS Media Campus, and various matters with respect to acquisition and investment in the operating business associated therewith.
Hackman Capital Partners in the $750 million acquisition and financing of Television City, a fully operational and broadcast facility in Los Angeles, CA comprised of approximately 780,000 square feet of stage, office, broadcasting and support space on a contiguous 25-acre campus.
AECOM Capital and Combined Properties in a joint venture for the $505 million permanent financing of the Pendry West Hollywood provided by Credit Suisse, an approximately 300,000-square-foot mixed-use hotel and condo project encompassing a full city block along the famed Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.
Affiliates of AIG Global Real Estate in a multi-asset class development program, including the acquisition, financing and entry into joint ventures for multifamily, industrial and senior housing facilities.
AIG in connection with the recapitalization of a portfolio of multifamily properties across 6 states valued at approximately $692 million where the transaction involved a REIT restructuring, joint venture and agreement regarding future investments.
CBRE in its $650 million acquisition, financing and entry into a joint venture in connection with a 30-asset medical office building with Kayne Anderson and MB Health Care.
CBRE in its $1.2 billion acquisition, financing and entry into a joint venture in connection with a 70-asset grocery-anchored shopping center portfolio with Merlone Geier.
ICONIQ Capital, LLC in its development of a two-phase, 803-unit multifamily community with more than 15,000 square feet of retail space in the heart of Miami’s Brickell neighborhood.
IPI Partners, LLC in a real estate joint venture with Oaktree Capital Management for the development of a data center in Inzai, Japan.
JP. Morgan Investment Management Inc. in the $540 million sale of 800 5th Avenue, an office building located in downtown Seattle.
JP. Morgan Investment Management Inc. in the $178 million acquisition and $97.9 million seller financing of Pen Factory, an office building in Santa Monica, California.
JP Morgan Investment Management Inc. in the complicated redevelopment of a defunct shopping mall in Northern California, into a mixed-use area with residential, shopping, entertainment and office space.
Regent Properties in the $615 million acquisition and financing of the Trammel Crow Center in Dallas, Texas.
Silvercup Studios Associates Limited in the $500 million sale of real estate and the existing operating business of Silvercup Studios to an entity managed by Hackman Capital Partners and Square Mile Capital Management.
Wynn Las Vegas in connection with spinning off all of the retail properties within Wynn and Encore into a joint venture with Crown Retail, which acquired a 50% interest for approximately $470 million. This deal was featured in The Wall Street Journal.

Additional relevant information about Stuart includes:

Stuart earned his Juris Doctor in 2000 from Harvard Law School. He received his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, in 1996 from the University of California, Berkeley.
He is on the University of California, Berkeley’s Fisher Center for Real Estate & Urban Economics Advisory Board.
Stuart is admitted to practice law in California.

Joanne Franzel is a partner in Gibson Dunn’s New York office. She is a member of Gibson Dunn’s Real Estate Practice Group.

Joanne’s practice has included all forms of real estate transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions and financing, with a particular focus on leasing, including large office leases often in new construction or with significant construction. She also has represented a number of clients in New York City real estate development, representing developers as well as users in various mixed-use projects, often with a significant public/private component.

Joanne has worked on various aspects of the Hudson Yards project, representing the developer, which is a joint venture of The Related Companies and Oxford Properties. Joanne’s involvement to date includes the equity transactions with Time Warner, KKR and Wells Fargo to move their respective corporate headquarters to 30 Hudson Yards, a 2.6 million square foot office tower adjacent to a retail shopping mall which opened in March of 2019. She also handled the land acquisition for 55 Hudson Yards and a lease with Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy to relocate its offices to the new building, and the anchor tenant lease with BlackRock for 50 Hudson Yards which was inked during the design phase of the project.

Subsequent to the opening of 30 Hudson Yards, Joanne worked with a team at Gibson Dunn to buy the 1.4 million square foot Warner Media unit (formerly Time Warner) and lease it back to Warner Media. In 2024, she led a team working with Related and Warner Media on two long term sublease-to-direct lease transactions covering in excess of 300,000 square feet within the Warner Media unit. Joanne also represented Related and Oxford in connection with the redevelopment and sale of the former Neiman Marcus store at 20 Hudson Yards to Wells Fargo, including development agreements to convert the retail space and 10^th Avenue façade for use as commercial offices.

On the tenant side, Joanne was part of the team representing Macquarie in their new headquarters lease at 660 Fifth Avenue, which includes “top-of-house” signage. She also represented KKR in leasing several floors at 30 Hudson Yards from Related, and has handled numerous other commercial office leases for tenants in Manhattan in buildings such as 1 Vanderbilt, 550 Madison, 9 West 57^th and 50 Hudson Yards ranging in size from 20,000 to 100,000 square feet.

Joanne represented Jamestown in the sale of Chelsea Market to Google, which was one of the largest NYC transactions of 2018. Prior to that, she represented Jamestown on numerous office and retail leases at Chelsea Market. Other transactions for Jamestown included the acquisition of 1250 Broadway, numerous office leases and restaurant lease for the top floor of the building, and 2016 sale of the building.

The Commercial Observer named Joanne one of five power lawyers of 2019 which recognizes attorneys “who are crucial to the real estate industry of New York” and “have become the authorities in their area.” She was recognized for being “instrumental in some of the city’s most notable recent deals” and for closing “one of the highest-profile transactions in the city.” Joanne was recognized in Lawdragon‘s 500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers 2025. In addition, Joanne was named to the elite group of 2018 Law360 MVPs in Real Estate, and as one of Real Estate Forum’s 2017 “Women of Influence,” a select group of 50 women who have significantly impacted commercial real estate.

Joanne received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania in 1980. She received her Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in 1977 from Brown University.

Lauren Giovannone is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher and practices in Real Estate Practice Group. She represents real estate development companies, financial institutions, investors, and commercial lessors and tenants in all aspects of the acquisition, development and finance of hotels, condo-hotels, resorts, theme and water parks, and large mixed-use projects, including, without limitation, the negotiation of management, franchise, licensing and branding agreements, restaurant leases and management agreements, pre-opening, technical service and PIP agreements, marketing and sales agreements, subordination and non-disturbance agreements, executive compensation and consulting agreements, and celebrity chef joint venture and management agreements.

Ms. Giovannone is ranked as a leading lawyer in Chambers USA for Nationwide Leisure & Hospitality. She was also recognized in Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers in 2024 and 2025, as well as The Best Lawyers in America® for Leisure and Hospitality Law and Real Estate Law for 2023 – 2026.

Ms. Giovannone received her B.S. in Psychology from Vanderbilt University, magna cum laude, in 2002 and her J.D. degree from Loyola Law School, cum laude, in 2005, where she was awarded the Order of the Coif, received five American Jurisprudence Awards, and was a member of the St. Thomas Moore Honor Society.

Drew Flowers is a partner in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Los Angeles office. Mr. Flowers practices in the firm’s Real Estate Department. His real estate practice experience includes extensive representation of real estate funds, lenders, developers and institutional and non-institutional investors in all areas of real estate, including: the formation and negotiation of joint ventures; structured finance, including preferred and mezzanine financing; workouts, loan restructuring and loan enforcement; the purchase, sale and finance of secured real estate loans; loan participations; acquisition and sale of vacant land, office buildings, apartment buildings, hotels, shopping centers, and other commercial and residential properties; all aspects of real estate development, including contractor, architect, broker and management agreements; commercial leasing; ground leasing and ground leasehold financing. Mr. Flowers has been especially active in representing borrowers and lenders in complex financing transactions. Mr. Flowers has been selected by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Business Lawyers for his significant experience in real estate. He was recognized in Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers in 2024 and 2025, and was selected by his peers in The Best Lawyers in America© in the area of Real Estate Law every year since 2020. Law360 named Mr. Flowers to its 2014 and 2017 MVPs for Real Estate, which features lawyers who have “distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.”

Prior to joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Mr. Flowers practiced at Fennemore Craig in Phoenix, Arizona.

Mr. Flowers received his law degree from the University of Southern California in 1998, where he was a member of the University of Southern California Law Review. He received a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, in Economics and English from the University of Arizona in 1995. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and the outstanding economics undergraduate in 1995.

Mr. Flowers is licensed to practice in the State of California. He is a member of the American Bar Association.

Mehdi Eddebbarh is a partner in the Los Angeles and Orange County offices of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the firm’s Real Estate Department where he represents private equity funds, REITs, institutional and non-institutional real estate investors, developers, operators, sponsors, lenders and borrowers in negotiating and structuring real estate joint ventures, acquisitions, sales, sale leasebacks, developments and financings involving a wide range of commercial real estate asset classes, including hotel/hospitality, life sciences, office, multifamily, vacant land, industrial, mixed-use buildings, retail and shopping centers.

Mehdi has been recognized as a leading lawyer by:

Chambers USA for Southern California Real Estate
Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers
Euromoney 2022 Rising Stars for Real Estate
The Best Lawyers in America© for Real Estate Law

A sample of recent matters include:

Representation of a capital partner in the joint venture, acquisition and financing of a $1.5+ billion retail shopping center portfolio located throughout the western United States.
Representation of the seller in the $1.1+ billion sale of the luxury retail center known as “The Shops at Crystals, Las Vegas”.
Representation of Blackstone in the acquisition of a multi-property industrial portfolio located in the western United States.
Representation of a joint venture among Juniper Capital Partners, Fengate Real Asset Investment (on behalf of LIUNA), Virgin Management and others in the $500+ million acquisition and redevelopment of the 1,500 key Hard Rock Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas from a Brookfield-managed private real estate fund.
Representation of the developer in the development of an approximately 40 acre mixed use development located in Boston, Massachusetts.
Representation of the lender in the construction financing of a senior housing facility located in southern California.
Representation of the seller in a sale-leaseback of a portfolio of 20+ manufacturing assets located throughout the United States.

Additional relevant information about Mehdi includes:

Prior to attending law school, Mehdi obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Physiological Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. Mehdi earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School where he was a member of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau.
Prior to joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Mehdi served as a law clerk to the Honorable Philip M. Pro of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada and practiced as a real estate associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison in New York.
Mehdi is admitted to practice law in the State of California and the State of New York.

Rob Carr serves as co-partner in charge of the London office at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and is a member of the firm’s Real Estate and Finance Practice Groups.

Rob advises lenders and borrowers across the market on real estate backed financing transactions in the UK and continental Europe acting for investment banks, private equity funds and other alternative lenders and has particular expertise in representing private equity and other top tier sponsors on their borrowing transactions. He has advised on a wide variety of real estate financings spanning the last decade including loan originations, debt trades and restructurings.

Rob is ranked by The Legal 500 UK 2024 as a “Leading Individual” for Real Estate Property Finance and recognized for Real Estate: Commercial Property – Investment. He is also ranked by Chambers UK 2024 for Real Estate Finance and has been recently named to The Lawyer’s Hot 100 2024 list, which recognizes “the UK’s most adventurous, most innovative and most dynamic lawyers.” He was also recognized in Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers” in 2024 and 2025.

Jesse P. Myers is a partner in Gibson Dunn’s Houston office. Jesse focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, and capital markets matters. He regularly represents buyers and sellers in public and private mergers and acquisitions and issuers and underwriters in public and private securities offerings. Jesse has experience advising clients on:

Public and private company acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures and strategic transactions
Private equity transactions, including leveraged buyouts and portfolio company investments
Capital markets matters, including initial public offerings and other securities offerings
General corporate and securities matters

Before joining Gibson Dunn, Jesse was a partner at two different Am Law 100 law firms.

Jesse graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law, summa cum laude, in 2007 where he was elected to the Order of the Coif and served as research editor for the Tennessee Law Review. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee, magna cum laude, in 2003.

Jesse’s experience includes:*

Representative Experience

M&A and Private Equity

Rumble Inc., a video sharing platform, in its pending $2.1 billion business combination with CF Acquisition Corp. VI
Genesis Park Acquisition Corp. in its $615 million business combination with Redwire, a space infrastructure company
Oak Street Real Estate Capital, a real estate asset manager, in its $1.6 billion acquisition by Blue Owl Capital.
Post Oak Energy Capital, LP in its PIPE investment made as part of Earthstone Energy’s approximately $860 million acquisition of Bighorn Permian Resources’ oil and gas assets.
CM Group, a provider of email and multichannel marketing products, in its merger with Cheetah Digital
The Sterling Group in the formation of its PET recycling platform and acquisition of recycling facilities
Aeva, a perception platform company, in its $1.7 billion business combination with InterPrivate Acquisition Corp.
Partners Group in its acquisition of Resilient Infrastructure Group, a water infrastructure platform
Affiliates of Riverstone Holdings in the recapitalization of Enviva Holdings, LP
TechnipFMC, a global oilfield services company, in the spin-off of its engineering and construction segment
AIMPERA Capital Partners in the formation of its cold storage platform
Multiple management teams in their negotiations with private equity fund sponsors to form new platforms and portfolio companies
ArcLight Capital Partners in the $550 million sale of common and preferred equity in portfolio company Limetree Bay Ventures, LLC (LBV) in connection with the restart of LBV’s terminal and refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Five Point Energy LLC, a leading private equity firm focused exclusively on the midstream energy sector, and WaterBridge Resources LLC, in the sale of a minority equity stake in WaterBridge to affiliates of GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, at a purchase price that implied a WaterBridge enterprise value of approximately $2.8 billion
Pembina Pipeline in its acquisition of Kinder Morgan Canada, a company that transports petroleum products, and the U.S. portion of the Cochin Pipeline from Kinder Morgan for approximately $1.5 billion
Energy Transfer Partners, LP in its joint venture with Satellite Petrochemical USA Corp. for the development of an ethane export facility
Energy Transfer Partners, LP in its sale of an interest in the Rover pipeline to Blackstone funds for $1.57 billion
Morgan Stanley Infrastructure in its $1.75 billion acquisition of Brazos Midstream
Quantum Energy Partners in its formation of 547 Energy, which will focus on the acquisition and development of clean energy projects and/or companies
Quantum Energy Partners in its $500 million initial investment in PetroLogistics II, LLC, which will focus on acquiring, developing, and operating petrochemical manufacturing, processing, and logistics assets in North America
Quantum Energy Partners in its $500 million initial investment in Trillium Energy Partners, which will focus on the acquisition and development of midstream solutions across the U.S.
Quantum Energy Partners in its formation and investment in ConnectGen LLC, a renewable energy company, and its acquisition of non-transmission development assets from Clean Line Energy Partners LLC
Teton Range, LLC with respect to Centerbridge Partners’ investment in Teton’s preferred equity
Safe Harbor Marinas, one of the largest owners and operators of marinas in the world and a portfolio company of American Infrastructure Funds, in the investment by Koch Real Estate Investments in Safe Harbor’s marina business
Safe Harbor Marinas in its acquisition of 25 marina properties from Brewer Yacht Yard Group
AIM Granite Holdings LLC in its sale of Granite Communities, an owner of manufactured housing communities, to Apollo
American Infrastructure Funds in the sale of Tunnel Hill Partners, a waste handling company, to Macquarie
Kayne Anderson Acquisition Corp. in its joint venture with Apache Corporation to form a $3.5 billion pure-play Permian Basin midstream company
Agave Energy, a Delaware Basin midstream company, in its sale to Lucid Energy Group
Sanchez Production Partners LP in its $345 million acquisition of midstream assets from Sanchez Energy Corporation
Linn Energy Company in its $4.3 billion acquisition of Berry Petroleum Company
Calumet Specialty Products Partners, LP in its $330 million joint venture with WBI Energy Inc. to develop a diesel topping plant
Energy Transfer Equity, LP in the $1.03 billion sale of its local natural gas distribution companies to The Laclede Group
Enbridge Energy Company, Inc. in its $2.15 billion acquisition of the Midcoast gas gathering and processing business from Enbridge Energy Partners, LP
Enbridge Energy Company, Inc. in its $1.0 billion sale of interests in the U.S. portion of the Alberta Clipper Pipeline to Enbridge Energy Partners, LP
Enbridge Inc. in its $1.59 billion sale of interests in the Southern Lights Pipeline and Alliance Pipeline to Enbridge Income Fund
Enbridge, Inc. in its acquisition of all of the outstanding common units held by the public in a $120 million take-private transaction
Enbridge Energy Partners, LP in its $870 million joint venture with Anadarko Petroleum Corporation and Enterprise Products Partners LP to develop and construct a 580-mile NGL pipeline

Capital Markets

Underwriters in the $149.5 million initial public offering of Viper Energy Partners, LP
Underwriters in the $125 million initial public offering of North Atlantic Drilling Ltd
Underwriters in the $258.7 million initial public offering of Dynagas LNG Partners, LP
Underwriters in the $256.5 million initial public offering of Suncoke Energy Partners, LP
Pacific Coast Oil Trust in its $370 million initial public offering
Marlin Midstream Partners, LP in its $137.5 million initial public offering
Underwriters in multiple offerings of common units by Viper Energy Partners, LP
Initial purchasers in multiple offerings of senior notes by Suncoke Energy Partners, L.P.
Initial purchasers in the $800 million offering of senior notes by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation
Underwriters in the $169.4 million offering of common units of CVR Refining, LP
Underwriters in the $75 million offering of cumulative redeemable preferred units of Dynagas LNG Partners, LP
Underwriters in the $146 million offering of common stock of Matador Resources Company
Initial purchasers in the $175 million offering of senior notes of Matador Resources Company

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

Soumya Kandukuri is a litigation associate in the Palo Alto office of Gibson Dunn.

Soumya received her Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law, where she served as a Notes Editor of the New York University Law Review and was an Intesa Sanpaolo Junior Scholar. While in law school, she interned for the White House Counsel’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine.

Prior to law school, Soumya worked at two education technology start-ups and a court-based AmeriCorps program. Soumya earned her Bachelor of Arts in Diplomacy and World Affairs from Occidental College.

Soumya is a member of the California bar.

Krystyna M. Blakeslee is a partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of the Real Estate Department where she focuses on commercial real estate finance and investment.

Krystyna has led some of the country’s largest and most high-profile commercial real estate transactions in recent years. She concentrates on the origination, acquisition and disposition (including securitization and syndication) of mortgage loans, mezzanine financings, preferred equity, bridge loans and corporate debt. In addition, Krystyna has extensive experience in restructures and workouts, as well as the exercise of remedies (including, in connection with acquiring assets in bankruptcy). She is also experienced in handling joint venture investments and acquisitions of real estate assets, including hotels, and advises funds in connection with their investment and financing activities in real estate.

Krystyna is ranked as a leading practitioner in the area of Real Estate Finance (New York) by Chambers USA (2025) and recognized by The Legal 500 U.S. (2025). Chambers describes Krystyna as “fantastic”, “very knowledgeable and commercial”, having “experience with highly structured deals and very strong market knowledge” and being “well-versed with handling unusual and complex situations. She can be relied upon to effectively manage large transactions involving multiple parties.” Krystyna was recognized in Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers” in 2024 and 2025. She was also named “Rising Star Attorney of the Year” at the 2024 Commercial Real Estate RED Awards, was honored as a “Notable Veteran Executive” by Crain’s New York in 2021, and in 2018 she was recognized as a “Working Mother of the Year” in the October/November issue of Working Mother. Krystyna current serves on the board of the New York Restoration Project and is a member of She Builds.

Krystyna previously served as a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps and also served in Iraq.

Her recent experience includes the following representations: *

Represent administrative agent and lender syndicate in connection with a $680 million construction loan secured by development project to be used primarily for lab and office space in Cambridge, MA.;
Represent mezzanine lender in connection with the origination of mortgage and mezzanine loans in the aggregate amount of $1.2 billion on a ground up construction of five buildings to be used for research and development (and other ancillary uses) in San Diego, California;
Represent lender in connection with the origination of various loan secured by hotels located on the Papagayo Peninsula in Costa Rica;
Represent the lender syndicate in the restructuring and exercise of remedies on a $1.2 billion construction project;
Represent the lenders in connection with the origination of a $500 million mortgage loan secured by 43 properties; and
Represented a financial services company with respect to two $200 million mezzanine loan acquisition platforms with an unrelated third party and a loan origination platform with an unrelated third party.

Distressed Debt Representations

Represented various lenders in connection with the restructure of over a $1 billion worth of mortgage loans secured by a variety of asset classes (including hotels and resorts) during the COVID-19 pandemic, including amendments related to PPP loans;
Represented the borrower in connection with the workout and restructure of a $800 million mortgage loan held by a syndicate of lenders which loan is secured by an office property in New York City;
Represent mezzanine lender in connection with the restructure of the entire debt capital stack related to a distressed office property in New York City;
Represented the lender with respect to providing exit financing for a bankrupt debtor;
Represented the mezzanine lender in connection with a foreclosure of the mezzanine lender’s UCC collateral, which was secured indirectly by an iconic building in New York City; and
Represented various CMBS special servicers in connection with a myriad of matters, including foreclosures, modifications, forbearance agreements and restructures.

Before joining Gibson Dunn, Krystyna was a partner and head of Real Estate at an international law firm. She also previously served as law clerk for the Honorable Alan H. W. Shiff of the United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Connecticut. Krystyna received her B.A. from the University of Connecticut, summa cum laude, and her J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law with high honors. She is admitted to practice in the state of New York.

*Includes representations prior to Krystyna’s association with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.

Aaron Beim is a partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of Gibson Dunn’s Real Estate Practice Group.

Mr. Beim’s practice focuses on the representation of a variety of institutional real estate investors (as lenders and borrowers) in the origination, workout, restructuring, sale, and purchase of structured financings, including syndicated, securitized, and single lender mortgage and mezzanine loans (including construction, bridge and permanent loans); preferred equity investments; corporate, repurchase, subscription, and other credit facilities; and the negotiation and/or analysis of participation, intercreditor, and pooling and servicing agreements. He also represents investors in acquisitions, sales, the negotiation of joint venture agreements and warehouse lending.

Mr. Beim is ranked as one of the leading real estate finance lawyers in New York by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Chambers notes that Mr. Beim is “a brilliant lawyer who understands concepts quickly and communicates effectively,” “very responsive, very thoughtful in his approach and very business minded,” “a tireless lawyer and a great adviser,” and “very technically strong and is a go-to guy for complex financings.” In addition, Mr. Beim is ranked as a leading lawyer in The Legal 500 US for Real Estate Finance, was recognized in Lawdragon‘s 500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers 2024 and 2025, and was recognized as a leading real estate attorney in The Best Lawyers in America®.

Mr. Beim received his Juris Doctor in 2006 from the New York University School of Law, where he was a member of the Environmental Law Journal. He earned his Master of Arts from Northwestern University in 2003, and his Bachelor of Arts from Amherst College, magna cum laude, in 2000.

Rommy Flores is Of Counsel in the Los Angeles office of Gibson Dunn. She is a member of the firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations, Litigation, and Anti-Corruption & FCPA Practice Groups.

Rommy’s practice focuses on government and internal investigations, white collar criminal matters, and complex civil litigation. She has successfully represented individuals and companies across a range of industries in government investigations and prosecutions in matters before the Department of Justice (DOJ), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), US Attorney’s Offices (USAO), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), states’ Attorneys General, and others.

She has particular expertise in cross-border investigations and has handled government and internal corporate investigations related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), money laundering, accounting fraud, insider trading, and executive misconduct. She also has extensive experience responding to DOJ and SEC subpoenas. A fluent Spanish speaker, Rommy has deep experience in Latin America where she has handled numerous investigations, enforcement actions, and advised on anti-corruption compliance transactions throughout the region. Additionally, she advises clients on the effectiveness of their internal controls and compliance programs, with an emphasis on compliance with anti-corruption laws.

Rommy has considerable civil litigation experience at all stages of civil litigation, including fact discovery, expert discovery, and trial. Her litigation practice focuses on trade secret—with a focus on damages— breach of contract, and healthcare matters. Her litigation practice spans a variety of industries including software and technology, mortgage servicing, cryptocurrency, and media and sports.

Representative Matters:

Internal Investigations, Government Enforcement Defense, and Compliance

Conducting investigation on behalf of special committee of independent directors of a cryptocurrency company into allegations of executive misconduct.
Conducting investigation on behalf of the board of directors of pharmaceutical company into allegations of insider trading.
Conducting a post-monitorship anti-corruption compliance review and assessment for an international telecom and manufacturing company.
Conducting investigation on behalf of a special committee of independent directors of a California bank regarding allegations by an anonymous short seller and related SEC action.*
Conducting investigation into potential accounting fraud on behalf of a large construction company.*
Representing California waste management company in parallel investigations by the US Attorney’s Office and local prosecutors related to bribery.*
Conducting investigation on behalf of large automotive manufacturer in relation to allegations of bribery by its distributors in Latin America.*
Representing a major media company in connection with the Eastern District of New York’s investigation into the role of a business partner in the FIFA corruption scandal.*
Representing a US oilfield services company in parallel SEC and DOJ FCPA investigations regarding conduct by a subsidiary in Mexico.*
Representing a former BSA officer of a multinational bank in an investigation by DOJ and the US Attorney’s Office regarding the bank’s AML program.*
Representing several international conglomerates in investigations by multiple multinational development banks.*
Representing multiple multinational companies in more than two dozen anti-corruption compliance transactions in Latin America.

Complex Civil Litigation

Representing leading mortgage servicing company as trial counsel in a six-week trade secret misappropriation and breach of contract arbitration.
Representing insurance company in breach of contract litigation.
Representing technology company in class action litigation alleging violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).*
Representing large California bank in securities class action litigation.*
Representing major conglomerate in antitrust litigation.*

Pro Bono

Rommy maintains an active pro bono practice focused on criminal defense, veteran benefits, and immigration matters. Representative matters include:

In 2020, representing a California client wrongfully convicted of murder and successfully filing a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, resulting in her client’s conviction being reversed after 25 years and his case being dismissed.*
Successfully securing multiple years of back disability pay for a veteran wrongfully denied benefits by the US Department of Veterans Affairs.*
Representing multiple individuals in federal court charged with drug trafficking, RICO conspiracy, and other federal crimes and successfully reducing their sentences.*
Securing immigration benefits for numerous clients.

Rommy earned her Juris Doctor from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 2014 and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Hunter College in 2010.

She is a member of the State Bar of California and is admitted to practice law before the United States District Court for the Central District of California, the Northern District of California, and the Southern District of California. She is a member of the Hispanic National Bar Association, the Women’s White Collar Defense Association, and the Los Angeles County Bar Association.

*Representations prior to joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.

Andrew Friedman
(1981–2026)

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our partner and friend, Andrew Friedman.

Andrew joined Gibson Dunn as an associate and dedicated his entire career to our firm, ultimately becoming a partner in our Century City office. A graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School, he built a practice spanning public and private M&A, investment funds, equity investments, joint ventures, and strategic partnerships across a broad range of industries.

Throughout his career, Andrew was consistently recognized as one of Southern California’s “Rising Stars” by Super Lawyers, and he served on the executive committee of the Business Law Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. A brilliant lawyer across industries and disciplines, he earned the respect of colleagues, clients, and counterparties alike for his formidable intellect and the calm, creative manner with which he approached every transaction.

What those who worked with Andrew will remember most, however, is not the deals or the accolades — it is his character, his decency, his desire to help others, and his genuine kindness. Whatever challenges he faced, whether professional or personal, he met them with composure and treated everyone around him with the utmost respect. The grace and resilience with which Andrew carried himself through difficulty left a lasting impression on all whose lives he touched.

Andrew exemplified what we mean when we speak of Gibson Dunn’s culture of excellence and collaboration. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, who shared him with us so generously over the years. It was a privilege to know him, he will be profoundly missed, and his legacy will influence lawyers at Gibson Dunn and elsewhere for years to come.

Marwan Azzi is a partner in the New York office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Private Equity Practice Group. Marwan’s practice focuses on representing companies, private equity and infrastructure funds, and management teams in global investments in the infrastructure space, including assisting clients with domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, project development, co-investments, and other corporate matters. Marwan’s infrastructure experience spans the energy space (power generation, energy transition, and midstream), transportation, digital infrastructure, and social infrastructure in North America and Latin America.

Marwan is recognized as a “Leading Lawyer” for M&A and Private Equity in the United States by Euromoney (2020). He is also a recipient of a “40 under 40 Emerging Leaders Award” by The M&A Advisor (2018).

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Marwan was a partner at an Am Law 100 firm. He serves as current Chairman of the Board of ABANA and also serves on the board of LIFE Lebanon.

Marwan received his LLM from Boston University and earned his LLB from St. Joseph University (Lebanon). He is admitted to practice in New York and Beirut.

Marwan’s experience includes the representation of:

Transportation Infrastructure

Blackstone in its acquisition of Safe Harbor Marinas, a marina and superyacht servicing business, for $5.65 billion.
Ardian in its acquisition of Aviation Facilities Company Management, LLC “AFCO” from Goldman Sachs Alternatives. AFCO is an independent industry leader in the investment, development, management, and operation of on-airport cargo facilities and other airport infrastructure in the United States.
Meridiam in its acquisition of an additional stake in LaGuardia Gateway Partners (LGP) from Skanska.
Antin Infrastructure Partners in its acquisition of Lake State Railway Company, a Michigan-based regional freight railroad.
I Squared Capital in its:
- U.S.-based trailer lessor Transportation Equipment Network’s “TEN” (formerly, Star Leasing) acquisition of the Canadian business of TIP Group, a European-based truck and trailer leasing company.
- U.S.-based trailer lessor Star Leasing’s acquisition of Commercial Trailer Leasing (CTL), a full-service trailer lessor.
- U.S.-based trailer lessor Star Leasing’s acquisition of North East Trailer Services (NETS), a full-service trailer lessor.
- Acquisition of a controlling stake in Colombian port concessionaire Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Barranquilla S.A. from private equity firm Southern Cross Group.
- Acquisition of Star Leasing, a leading trailer lessor in the United States.
- Acquisition of FlexiVan Leasing, the third-largest marine chassis provider in the United States.
UniSuper Ltd., as part of a consortium of investors, in the $2.1 billion acquisition of a 50 percent stake in Transurban’s toll roads in the U.S. Transurban sold a 50 percent interest in its U.S. toll roads located in the Chesapeake region, which was purchased in part by AustralianSuper, CPPIB, and UniSuper.

Power & Energy

I Squared Capital in its:
- Portfolio company’s Inkia Energy’s sale of Peruvian power generator Samay I SA, operator of the 724 MW Puerto Privado thermal power plant, to Grupo Romero.
- Portfolio company’s Inkia Energy’s sale of Energuate, its electricity distribution asset in Guatemala, to Threelands Energy Ltd.
- Portfolio company’s Inkia Energy’s sale of the Agua Clara wind farm in the Dominican Republic to AES.
- Sale of interests in Kendall Green Energy, a cogeneration facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Veolia Energy North America.
- Portfolio company’s Inkia Energy’s sale of its Peruvian transmission line company Orazul Energy Group to Interconexión Eléctrica S.A. Orazul Energy Group operates three transmission lines in central and northern Peru with a combined length of 176km (109.4 miles) and three transmission lines in central Peru with a combined length of 394km.
- $1.3 billion acquisition of Inkia Energy, which has a highly contracted portfolio of approximately 3,400 MW of gross installed capacity in nine countries, with a fleet of highly efficient hydroelectric, wind and thermal facilities.
- $1.2 billion acquisition from Duke Energy of a portfolio of hydroelectric and natural gas generation plants, transmission infrastructure and natural gas processing facilities, totaling 2,300 MW in Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Argentina.
- Acquisition of an equity interest in Oleoducto Central, S.A. (OCENSA) from Advent International. OCENSA operates the largest crude oil pipeline in Colombia.
Ardian and Agr-Am in the acquisition of the Peruvian business of Latin America Power Holding B.V., a renewable energy company.
Sempra Energy in its:
- $3.59 billion sale of its Peruvian businesses including its 83.6 percent in Luz Del Sur to China Yangtze Power International (Hongkong) Co., Limited. The transaction was named “M&A Deal of the Year” by China Business Law Journal in 2020.
- $2.23 billion sale of its Chilean businesses, including its 100 percent stake in Chilquinta Energía S.A., to State Grid International Development Limited (SGID). The transaction was named “M&A Deal of the Year” by China Business Law Journal in 2020.
GE Energy Financial Services in its acquisition of 49 percent of EGPNA Renewable Energy Partners LLC from Enel Green Power SpA. The partnership has assets in North America with 760 MW of generating capacity.

Digital Infrastructure

I Squared Capital in the acquisition of KIO Networks, a leading digital infrastructure service provider in Mexico.
Ardian Infrastructure in the acquisition of a 50% co-control equity interest in MXT Holdings, a Mexico-based telecommunications infrastructure company and MXT’s follow-on acquisition of Centennial Towers Mexico from Madison Dearborn Partners.
InfraBridge and its portfolio company Everstream as a borrower in connection with a syndicated credit facility and in a potential bolt-on acquisition.

Sustainability

Antin Infrastructure Partners in its investment in PearlX Infrastructure LLC, an owner and operator of fully integrated smart grid infrastructure systems.
Blue Earth Capital AG in its investment in AMP Robotics Corp., a pioneer in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and infrastructure for the waste and recycling industry.
Blue Water Energy LLP’s portfolio company in a joint venture with NextEra to develop, operate and market mobile and onsite gas liquefaction technology in the U.S. market.

Other M&A

Harkness Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in New York, in the sale of Kane Logistics to ID Logistics. Kane is a third-party logistics company (3PL) that provides value-added warehousing and distribution services.
Dominus Capital, L.P. a private equity firm based in New York, in the sale of W.F. Taylor, LLC to Meridian Adhesives Group. Taylor is a leading specialty flooring adhesives and sealants manufacturer with operations in Dalton, GA and Fontana, CA.
Pernod Ricard SA, the world’s second-largest distiller, in the acquisition of Rabbit Hole Spirits, LLC, a U.S. premium bourbon brand.
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) in its $500 million minority investment in Mexican pharma business Sanfer.
Vale S.A. (NYSE: VALE), a Brazilian mining company and the largest producer of iron ore and nickel in the world, in the $550 million acquisition of Ferrous Resources Limited, a mid-sized iron ore company also located in Brazil.

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

Michael McQueeney is a litigation associate in the San Francisco office of Gibson Dunn.

He began his legal career at Gibson Dunn in 2020. From 2023 to 2024, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Haywood S. Gilliam Jr., Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, Jon S. Tigar, and Jeffrey S. White of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Michael earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University.

He is a member of the California and New York bars.

Emily Harvey is a corporate associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn.

She received her Juris Doctor with High Honors from Emory University School of Law, where she was elected to the Order of the Coif and earned the Transactional Law Certificate. She also served as the Executive Articles Editor of the Emory Law Journal and as a Dean’s Teaching Fellow. Emily graduated, summa cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Law & Public Policy from Mercer University, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

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

Matt Staugaard is an associate in the Orange County office of Gibson Dunn, where he is a member of the firm’s Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Investment Funds Practice Groups.

Matt received a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola Marymount University in Economics, with minors in Political Science and History.

Matt is admitted to practice in the State of California.

Michael Holmes is a corporate associate in the Houston office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the Private Equity, Mergers and Acquisitions, and Oil and Gas Practice Groups.

Michael advises and represents private equity clients as well their portfolio companies and management teams in connection with a variety of transactions, including mergers, equity and asset acquisitions, joint venture arrangements, and other general corporate matters.

He earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Houston Law Center, where he served as the Executive Editor for the Houston Business and Tax Law Journal.

Prior to law school, Michael received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Science in Finance from Texas A&M University, and was a Tax Consultant for the Houston office of Deloitte Tax LLP.

Hunter Michielson is a corporate associate in the Houston office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Energy Practice Groups.

He advises and represents clients with respect to mergers and acquisitions, project development, joint ventures, and other general corporate matters.

Hunter received a J.D. from The University of Chicago Law School. He also received a B.A., magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Duke University, where he double majored in Philosophy and German.

Prior to joining the firm, Hunter served as a law clerk to The Honorable Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, and he worked in the corporate and energy practice groups of another international law firm.

Hunter is admitted to practice law in the State of Texas.

David Koch-Weser is of counsel in the Los Angeles office of Gibson Dunn, where he practices in the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity, and Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance Practice Groups. He advises companies, private equity firms and investment banks across a wide range of industries, focusing on public and private merger transactions, stock and asset sales and joint ventures and strategic partnerships. David also advises public companies with respect to certain corporate governance matters.

Representative Transactions:

Odyssey Investment Partners, LLC, a private equity firm, in its approximately $900,000,000 sale of Wencor Group, LLC to Warburg Pincus LLC.
Ducommun Incorporated, a publicly-traded aerospace company, in its $340,000,000 acquisition of LaBarge Inc., a publicly traded aerospace company.
Ducommun Incorporated’s $200,000,000 offering of senior notes and subsequent note exchange.
Dole Food Co. Inc., in the restructuring of its foreign subsidiaries in connection with its $1,700,000,000 divestiture of its worldwide packaged foods and Asia fresh businesses to Itochu Corporation.
Aurora Capital Group, a private equity firm, in its acquisition of Restaurant Technologies, Inc., the largest national provider of closed-loop automated cooking oil solutions to the U.S. restaurant and hospitality markets.
Aurora Capital Group, in its approximately $270,000,000 acquisition of, and subsequent going-private transaction with, National Technical Systems, Inc., a leading provider of testing and engineering services to the aerospace, defense, telecommunications, automotive, energy and high technology markets.
Aurora Capital Group, in its acquisition of Pace Analytical Services, a leading provider of U.S. environmental and life sciences testing.
Wencor Group, LLC, a specialized aftermarket aircraft parts and services company, in its acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Flight Line Products, Inc., a leading provider of aircraft parts and services.
Wencor Group, LLC, in its acquisition of Star Aero, LLC, an independent provider of commercial aircraft parts and services.
Wencor Group, LLC, in its acquisition of Xtra Aerospace, Inc., a leading provider of specialized repair services for a wide variety of electrical and mechanical systems for commercial aircraft.
Leslie’s Poolmart, in its acquisition of In the Swim, a leading retailer of aftermarket pool and spa supplies.
THQ, a developer and publisher of video games, in the chapter 11 sale of substantially all of its assets to various buyers, including Take-Two Interactive, Sega Corporation, Koch Media and Ubisoft.
Fortress Investment Group LLC, a financial investment group, in its joint venture and acquisition of large retail centers.
Future Ads LLC, an advertising technology industry company focused on performance marketing, in its merger with Kitara Media, a publicly-traded digital media and technology company providing video solutions to advertisers, digital marketers and publishers.
PDL BioPharma, Inc.’s exchange of up to $180,000,000 in convertible senior notes.
PDL BioPharma, Inc., in connection with its acquisition of $150,000,000 in notes from a wholly-owned subsidiary of kaleo, Inc. and related revenue interest purchase arrangement.
A leading mobile phone-based verification company’s acquisition of an Israeli company and related intellectual property spin-off transactions.
The Core Group, Inc., in connection with its acquisitions of several sales and marketing support companies in the food services industry.
A growth stage solar power generation company, in connection with multiple bridge financings leading up to an anticipated sale.
Acumen Fund, in its investment in Azahar Coffee, a Colombian specialty coffee processor and distributor.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles in its acquisition and consolidation of several Los Angeles area Boys & Girls Clubs.

David earned his Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from Cornell University Law School in 2010. He graduated cum laude from the University of California, San Diego in 2004, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.

David is admitted to practice law in the State of California and the United States District Court, Central District of California.

Kevin H.W. Kim is an English qualified associate in the London office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the firm’s Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions, and ESG Practice Groups.

Kevin advises on a broad range of corporate transactional and advisory matters and has experience representing private and public companies, private equity funds, banks, and other financial institutions on a variety of corporate transactions.

He received his LL.B. from the University of Cambridge and completed the Legal Practice Course at BPP after which he finished his training contract at Gibson Dunn.