Cassidy Lewis is a litigation associate in Gibson Dunn’s Los Angeles office.

Cassidy earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2024, where she graduated cum laude with honors. While in law school, Cassidy earned the Dean’s Academic Achievement Award. She also served as a student attorney for the Wisconsin Innocence Project, where she contributed to the successful exoneration of a wrongfully convicted individual. In addition, Cassidy was also an editor for the Wisconsin International Law Journal and served as an Academic Enhancement Fellow, tutoring first year law students in civil procedure and criminal law.

She received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from California Polytechnic State – San Luis Obispo.

She is admitted to practice in the State of California.

Sara Ghalandari is a partner in the San Francisco office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She is a member of the firm’s Land Use and Development Practice Group.

Ms. Ghalandari’s practice encompasses a wide-array of land use/development matters and real estate transactions, including zoning, planning, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), public private partnerships, and matters regarding construction access, underpinning and shoring. The primary focus of her practice is the processing of entitlements for major real estate development projects in the Bay Area and throughout California, supervising the preparation and approval of environmental documentation, and negotiating transactional documents associated with land use, project development, and construction, including agreements between private and public entities. Ms. Ghalandari also advises institutional investors and lenders on land-use related matters.

Ms. Ghalandari successfully advises her clients on the complex regulatory and political issues impacting their projects to successfully achieve their goals. Such representation encompasses a wide-range of projects, including the redevelopment of large retail centers, mixed-use and multi-family developments, sports venues, office developments, large master planned communities, hotels, and historic rehabilitation projects. For example, she has represented her clients in the following matters:

  • Brookfield working on the entitlement of a mixed use development on the parking lots and some existing development surrounding the Stonestown Galleria Shopping Mall;
  • The Oakland Athletics working on the entitlement of a new ballpark and mixed-use development on the Oakland Waterfront; and
  • Build Inc. in the successful entitlement of a large mixed-use public/private development with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department.

Additional relevant information about Ms. Ghalandari includes:

  • Ms. Ghalandari was recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America™ 2024 and Best Lawyers in America® 2026 in Real Estate Law.
  • She is a board member of the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy and has an extensive pro bono practice.
  • She also currently serves as a Commissioner on the San Jose Historic Landmarks Commission.
  • Ms. Ghalandari earned her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, where she was awarded the Prosser Prize, and her B.A. in Political Science with high honors from the University of California, Davis, where she was awarded a Regents Scholarship.
  • Ms. Ghalandari is admitted to practice law in the State of California.

Patrick W. Pearsall is an international arbitration and disputes partner in the Washington D.C. office of Gibson Dunn. He is Global Co-Chair of the Geopolitical Strategy and International Law practice. Patrick is Chambers ranked in multiple practice areas and focuses on helping clients resolve complex disputes, respond to crises, and protect themselves in dozens of jurisdictions throughout the world. He has litigated in U.S. courts at the highest levels and has practiced under all of the world’s leading arbitral rules. Patrick regularly advises sovereign states and Fortune 500 companies and is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts in the world on international law. Clients describe Patrick as a “rockstar” with an “unmatched razor-sharp mind” who is an “incredible,” “terrific advocate and a real thought leader.”

Patrick’s experience cuts across several industries, including energy, mining, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, maritime, fisheries, financial services, infrastructure, geographic boundaries, consumer products, emergent technology, and manufacturing. Clients reach out to Patrick at all stages of a potential or active dispute. In addition to his commercial and treaty disputes work, Patrick is often called upon to assist companies, executives, and sovereign states when they are struggling with exposure from a geopolitical crisis. Patrick is a recognized specialist in investment protection and dispute avoidance. He has successfully resolved claims involving tens of billions of dollars for clients.

Patrick is widely recognized, including by Chambers USA, Chambers Global, and Lexology as a “Global Elite Thought Leader.” He is also listed by Latinvex as one of the ten best disputes lawyers in Latin America and is recommended by Legal 500. He was previously named to Global Arbitration Review’s “45 under 45” list, which features global leaders in the field of international arbitration under 45. Patrick has also been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America year after year for his work, one of the youngest to hold this peer-ranked distinction at the time of his first recognition.

For nearly a decade, Patrick served in the U.S. State Department, working on economic and natural resources diplomacy, and trade and dispute resolution. He departed in 2017 as Chief of Investment Arbitration, responsible for defending the United States in various international fora. In addition to his representations, Patrick was on the drafting committee for the revision of the ICC Rules, an advisor on the revision of the AAA and ICDR Rules, and led the negotiations of several bilateral and multilateral treaties on behalf of the United States. He sits on the Panel of Arbitrators for the International Center of the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) as well as for the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKAIC) and the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB).

Select Representative Experience*:

Commercial Disputes and Geopolitical Crisis Management

  • Representing a large multinational bank in four related ICC arbitrations in Brazil.
  • Representing a large multinational bank in an ICC arbitration against a European telecommunications company.
  • Representing a global mining company in a dispute concerning intellectual property and trade secrets.
  • Representing large electronics manufacturing company in an ICC arbitration arising from a failed joint venture agreement and an intellectual property dispute.
  • Representing a multinational Asian-headquartered client in a series of ICC and ICDR arbitrations arising out of a joint venture agreement.
  • Representing a large construction company and private equity firm in a series of disputes under the ICDR arising out of a large municipal infrastructure project.
  • Representing a global technology company on a sensitive geopolitical matter and internal international governance issues.
  • Advising a Latin American state on a crisis concerning administrative actions in a key sector of its economy.
  • Representing one of the largest companies in the world on a series of disputes arising from alleged competition violations in several jurisdictions.
  • Representing Luxshare Ltd. at the United States Supreme Court on the question of how section 1782 of the United States Code should be interpreted to apply to discovery in aid of arbitration.

Public International Law and Investment Arbitration

  • Representing a Latin American state before the Permanent Court of Arbitration on a claim concerning alleged breaches in relation to a large metallurgical complex.
  • Representing a renewable energy company in an investment under ICSID claim against a European state.
  • Representing a Fortune 500 company in two separate investment arbitrations against two separate Latin American states under ICSID.
  • Representing a large European energy company against a Latin American state to protect against an expropriation.
  • Representing a Latin American state in a billion-dollar arbitration under ICSID concerning a bond issuance.
  • Representing a European multinational energy company in an ICSID annulment proceeding and follow-on U.S. federal court enforcement proceedings.
  • Representing the Kingdom of Sweden in a multibillion-dollar claim brought by an energy company under the Energy Charter Treaty.
  • Representing a European state in an investment claim brought through the Energy Charter Treaty under the SCC Rules.
  • Representing the United States in a UNCITRAL arbitration arising from the alleged expropriation of a gold mine.
  • Representing the United States in a multibillion-dollar ICSID arbitration arising out of a permit denial for a large cross-border infrastructure project.

Treaties Assisted in Negotiating

  • Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP Investment Chapter)
  • Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (Investment & Environmental Chapters)
  • United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA)
  • United States – China Bilateral Investment Agreement (US-China BIT)
  • North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
  • Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR)
  • Korea United States Free Trade Agreement (KORUS)
  • United States Panama Free Trade Agreement (US-Panama FTA)
  • United States Peru Free Trade Agreement (US-Peru FTA)
  • International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID Rule Revisions)

Patrick has earned degrees from Columbia Law School, the Parker School of Foreign and Comparative Law, and Columbia College. He graduated from Columbia Law School with honors and from Columbia College magna cum laude, where he received the Robert Lincoln Carey prize, which is awarded annually to one student college-wide who achieved the highest academic achievement. Prior to practice, Patrick worked at the ICC Secretariat and for the Honorable Sonia Sotomayor on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Patrick is a member of the adjunct faculty at Columbia Law School, where he directs the International Claims and Reparations Project, and at Georgetown University Law Center, where he teaches on international dispute resolution. He regularly lectures at several other leading law schools and conferences around the world, and has published several articles and chapters on international arbitration and litigation, international investment law, and public international law, many of which have been cited in international arbitration decisions, courts around the world and leading treatises. He is the co-author of two books: Reflections on International Arbitration and International Claims Commissions, the leading treatise on the subject. 

Patrick has served as an officer to the IBA Arbitration Committee in various roles for nearly a decade, is a member of the Academic Council of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration, co-chairs the Mid-Atlantic Committee of the United States Council for International Business, and is the incoming Vice President of the American Society of International Law (ASIL) where he has also served on the Executive Council, the Executive Committee, and co-chaired the ASIL Annual Conference. Patrick was also co-chair of the 75-member international delegation to Ukraine for the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which became the subject of an award-winning film.

Patrick is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and New York and is a registered foreign lawyer in England and Wales.

Recent Publications:

  • Patrick W. Pearsall, Causation and the Draft Articles on State Responsibility, 37 ICSID Rev. – Foreign Inv. L. J. 192 (2022).
  • Patrick W. Pearsall, The Role of the State and the ISDS Trinity, 112 AJIL Unbound 249 (2018).
  • Patrick W. Pearsall et al., International Litigation, 44 Int’l Lawyer 167 (2010).
  • Patrick W. Pearsall, Article 26 of the VCLT: Pacta Sunt Servanda, in General International Law in International Investment Law: A Commentary, 64 (Andreas Kulick & Michael Waibel eds., 2024).
  • Patrick W. Pearsall, David Ingle & Gary Smadja, The Energy Charter Treaty: A Friend or Foe of Decarbonisation?, in Investment Arbitration and Climate Change 245 (Anja Ipp & Annette Magnusson, eds. 2024).
  • Chiara Giorgetti & Patrick W. Pearsall, Creating an International Compensation Mechanism for Ukraine, in Research Handbook on International Claims Commissions, 292 (Chiara Giorgetti, Patrick W. Pearsall & Hélène Ruiz-Fabri eds., 2023).
  • Chiara Giorgetti & Patrick W. Pearsall, International Claims Commissions: Learning from the Past, Looking at the Future, in Research Handbook on International Claims Commissions, 1 (Chiara Giorgetti, Patrick W. Pearsall & Hélène Ruiz-Fabri eds., 2023).
  • Patrick W. Pearsall, The New Invisible College, in Pro-Arbitration Revisited: A Tribute to Professor George Bermann from his Students Over the Years, 33 (Elora Neto Godry Farias, Gino Rivas, Gustavo Favero Vaughn & Mateo Verdías Mezzera eds., 2023).
  • Patrick W. Pearsall & Craig D. Gaver., Guarantees Against the Stay of Enforcement, in Provisional and Emergency Measures in International Arbitration, 228 (Julien Fouret ed., 2023).
  • Timothy Nelson et al., Should Costs Go with the Cause in Investment Treaty Arbitration?, in Investment Treaty Arbitration and International Law, 265 (Meriam Al-Rashid, Kabir Duggal, Miriam K. Harwood & Todd J. Weiler eds., vol. 13 2020).
  • Patrick W. Pearsall et al., Parallel Proceedings: A Right or Wrong?, in Investment Treaty Arbitration and International Law, 247 (Meriam Al-Rashid, Kabir Duggal, Miriam K. Harwood & Todd J. Weiler eds., vol. 12 2019).
  • Patrick W. Pearsall & J. Benton Heath, Causation and Injury in Investor-State Arbitration, in Contemporary and Emerging Issues on the Law of Damages and Valuation in International Investment Arbitration, 81 (Christina L. Beharry ed., 2018).
  • Robert Reyes Landicho et al., Full Protection and “Cyber” Security?, in Investment Treaty Arbitration and International Law, 133 (Ian A. Laird, Borzu Sabahi, Frédéric G. Sourgens & Todd J. Weiler eds., vol. 11 2018).
  • Ian A. Laird et al., Promoting and Protecting Investment in the Asia-Pacific Region: What Is the Role for Investment Agreements?, in Investment Treaty Arbitration and International Law, 61 (Ian A. Laird, & Todd J. Weiler eds., vol. 4 2012).
  • Patrick W. Pearsall, International Investment Agreements in the Asia-Pacific Region and the Promotion Objective, in Investment Treaty Arbitration and International Law, 35 (Ian A. Laird & Todd J. Weiler eds., vol. 4 2012).
  • Research Handbook on International Claims Commissions (Chiara Giorgetti, Patrick W. Pearsall & Hélène Ruiz-Fabri eds., 2023).
  • Reflections on International Arbitration: Essays in Honour of Professor George Bermann (Julie Bédard & Patrick W. Pearsall eds., 2022).
  • Patrick W. Pearsall & Kyle R. Rice, United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA): Investment Protection and Arbitration, Thomson Reuters Practical Law
  • Chiara Giorgetti & Patrick Pearsall, A Significant New Step in the Creation of An International Compensation Mechanism for Ukraine: The Council of Europe Establishes A Register of Damages Caused by Russia’s Aggression Against Ukraine, Just Sec. (July 27, 2023),
  • Patrick W. Pearsall & Guled Yusuf, United Nations General Assembly Seeks Historic Climate Change Opinion from International Court of Justice, JDSupra (May 4, 2023),
  • Chiara Giorgetti, Markiyan Kliuchkovsky, Patrick W. Pearsall & Jeremy K. Sharpe, Historic UNGA Resolution Calls for Ukraine Reparations, Just Sec. (Nov. 16, 2022),
  • Chiara Giorgetti, Markiyan Kliuchkovskyi and Patrick W Pearsall, Launching an International Claims Commission for Ukraine, EJIL: Talk! (May 20, 2022),
  • Patrick W. Pearsall, The Biden Administration Approach to Investment Arbitration? Retail Multilateralism, Kluwer Arb. Blog (Nov. 9, 2020)
  • International Finance Corp.: May International Organizations Violate Rights with Impunity?, Just Sec. (Oct. 30, 2018)
  • Patrick W. Pearsall & Thomas Wingfield, A View Toward the Post-Brexit Future: The UK in the NAFTA? Part II, Kluwer Arb. Blog (Feb. 13, 2018)
  • Patrick W. Pearsall & Thomas Wingfield, A View Toward the Post-Brexit Future: The UK in the NAFTA? Part I, Kluwer Arb. Blog (Feb. 11, 2018)
  • Patrick W. Pearsall, Note, Means/Ends Reciprocity in the Act of State Doctrine, 43 Colum. J. Transnat’l L. 999 (2005).

*Includes matters handled prior to joining Gibson Dunn

Stephen I. Glover is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson Dunn who has served as Co-Chair of the firm’s Global Mergers and Acquisitions Practice. Stephen has an extensive practice representing public and private companies in complex mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, equity and debt offerings, and corporate governance matters. His clients include large public corporations, emerging growth companies and middle market companies in a wide range of industries. He also advises private equity firms, individual investors, and others.

Stephen has been ranked in the top tier of corporate transactions attorneys in Washington, D.C. for the past nineteen years (2005 – 2025) by Chambers USA America’s Leading Business Lawyers. He has also been selected by Chambers Global for the past five years as a top lawyer for USA Corporate/M&A. Chambers has singled out Stephen as the only “Star” corporate lawyer in the District of Columbia. Stephen has also been named Washington, D.C. “Lawyer of the Year” by The Best Lawyers in America® in the 2026 edition for Securities/Capital Markets Law, and in 2018 for Mergers and Acquisitions Law. In 2018, he was recognized by BTI Consulting as a BTI Client Service All-Star MVP for making the Client Service All-Star list in four consecutive years.

Stephen is the author or co-author of several books, including M&A Practice Guide; Business Separation Transactions: Spin-Offs, Subsidiary IPOs and Tracking Stock; and Partnerships, Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances. He has written more than 60 articles and speaks frequently on corporate and securities law issues.

Stephen has served as a member of the DC Bar Board of Governors and the DC Bar Pro Bono Committee, and as Co-Chair of the Steering Committee for the D.C. Bar’s Corporation, Finance and Securities Law Section. He is a member of the advisory board of BNA’s Mergers & Acquisitions Law Report and the editorial board of The M&A Lawyer. He has served as D.C. representative to the New York Tribar Opinion Committee. Stephen has also served as an Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown University Law Center.

Stephen served as a law clerk to Justice Thurgood Marshall in the United States Supreme Court from 1981 to 1982 and to J. Skelly Wright, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1980 to 1981. He was the DC Bar Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year for 2004.

Stephen earned his law degree cum laude in 1980 from Harvard Law School, where he was Managing Editor of the Harvard Law Review. He received his undergraduate degree summa cum laude from Amherst College.

Selected recent representations include:

  • Apex Tools, a joint venture between Danaher and Cooper Industries, in its $1.6 billion sale to Bain Capital
  • CACI in its contested $7.2 billion bid for CSRA, as well as several other multi-billion bids and numerous completed transactions.
  • The Carlyle Group Holdings Conflicts Committee in connection with Carlyle’s conversion from a publicly traded limited partnership to a corporation
  • Cortina Partners in numerous acquisitions and dispositions, including the sale of Classic Aviation, an air ambulance service, to Intermountain Health Care.
  • CoStar in its acquisitions of Apartments.com, Apartment Finder and other internet-based apartment listing services
  • Eaton Corporation in several transactions, including the $3.3 billion sale of its hydraulics business to Danfoss, the $1.4 billion sale of its lighting business to Signify, the $920 million acquisition of Souriau-Sunbank from Transdigm, and the formation of a $1.2 billion joint venture with Cummins Engines for the production of automated transmissions
  • Euronet Worldwide in its contested $1 billion bid for MoneyGram International
  • Intel in its approximately $2.5 billion flash RAM manufacturing venture with Micron Technology
  • Marriott International in numerous transactions, including its contested $13.6 billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, its acquisition of UK public company Elegant Hotels, its acquisition of the Gaylord hotel brand and management company, the spin-off of Marriott Vacations Worldwide, its vacation ownership business, and various joint ventures.
  • Quidel Corporation in its approximately $6 billion business combination with Ortho Clinical Diagnostics Holdings plc.
  • The controlling stockholder of government contractor SRA in its $1.8 billion sale to Providence Equity
  • Towers Watson in its $18 billion merger of equals with Willis Group, and Watson Wyatt in its approximately $6 billion merger with Towers Perrin that led to the formation of Towers Watson
  • United Therapeutics in several acquisitions and dispositions, as well as its conversion to a Delaware public benefit corporation.

Jessica Um is an associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn, where she practices in the firm’s Transactional Department.

Jessica earned her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center, where she served as a student attorney in the school’s Intellectual Property and Information Policy (iPIP) Clinic. In this role, she represented clients on matters involving corporate governance, copyright, and media law. Prior to law school, Jessica worked in the music industry, gaining early exposure to transactional work within the entertainment sector.

She received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, cum laude, from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2019.

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

Ayushi Sutaria is an associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn. She is currently a member of the Transactional Department.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Ayushi worked as an associate with a leading law firm in India, where she assisted on a broad range of India-based acquisition transactions, alongside corporate and foreign exchange law advisory work.

Ayushi received her LL.M. from Harvard Law School in 2022. She graduated from law school (B.A., LL.B. (Hons.)) from National Law School of India University, where she served as the Chief Editor of the University-based Indian Journal of International Economic Law.

Ayushi is currently admitted to practice in India and in New York. She speaks English, Hindi, and Gujarati.

Daniela L. Stolman is a partner in Gibson Dunn’s Century City office and a member of the firm’s Private Equity, Mergers and Acquisitions, Capital Markets, and Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance Practice Groups. She advises companies and private equity firms across a wide range of industries, focusing on public and private merger transactions, stock and asset sales, and public and private capital-raising transactions. Daniela also advises public companies with respect to securities regulation and corporate governance matters, including periodic reporting and disclosure matters, Section 16, Rule 144, and insider trading.

Daniela has been named as a Rising Star by Southern California Super Lawyers since 2014. The Deal also named her as a Rising Star, which recognizes new M&A partners who are ‘deemed by The Deal to be one of the most promising of 2019.’ She was named a 2019 Rising Star by Law360 for private equity. The list recognizes “attorneys under 40 whose legal accomplishments transcend their age.”

Representative Transactions – Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Represented Stone Canyon Industries LLC, a global industrial holding company, in its $850 million recapitalization of its subsidiary, SCI PH Inc., which through its subsidiaries, BWAY and Mauser, is a leading global supplier of rigid packaging products and services.
  • Represented Aurora Capital Partners in its acquisition of VLS Recovery Services, LLC, a leading provider of specialty cleaning and waste processing services in the South Eastern United States.
  • Represented Stone Canyon Industries LLC in its $2.3 billion acquisition of Mauser Group NV, a global supplier of rigid packaging products and services for industrial use.
  • Represented Aurora Capital Partners in its disposition of Dubois Chemicals Inc., a specialty chemical company.
  • Represented Group Health Cooperative, a nonprofit integrated health care delivery system, in its $1.8 billion sale to Kaiser Permanente.
  • Represented Stone Canyon Industries LLC in its $2.4 billion acquisition of BWAY Corp., a manufacturer of rigid metal, plastic and hybrid containers used to package industrial, bulk food and retail goods.
  • Represented Ducommun Incorporated in its sale of its subsidiary, Miltec Corporation, a provider of engineering, technical and program management services principally to the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. intelligence agencies.
  • Represented Korn/Ferry International in its acquisition of Hay Group, a global leader in people strategy and organizational performance.
  • Represented Doremi Labs, a digital cinema technology company, its sale to Dolby Laboratories Inc.
  • Represented AECOM Technology Corporation in its $6.0 billion acquisition of URS Corporation, a provider of engineering, construction, and technical services for public agencies and private sector companies around the world.
  • Represented Aurora Capital Partners in its acquisition of National Technical Systems Inc., a leading provider of testing and engineering services.
  • Represented Dole Food Company in connection with David Murdock’s $1.6 billion acquisition of outstanding stock to take the company private.
  • Represented Aurora Capital Partners in its sale of ADCO Global, Inc., a leading global provider of specialty sealants, tapes and adhesives.
  • Represented Dole Food Company in the sale of certain businesses to ITOCHU Corporation for approximately $1.7 billion.
  • Represented K-Swiss in its sale to E.Land World, an integrated fashion and retail company.
  • Represented Ducommun Incorporated in its acquisition of LaBarge Inc., a supplier of electronics manufacturing services operating across many high-growth industries.
  • Represented K&F Industries Inc in its going private sale to Meggitt-USA, Inc., a subsidiary of Meggitt PLC, for approximately $1.8 billion.

Representative Transactions – Capital Markets

  • Represented Douglas Dynamics, Inc. in its initial public offering and follow-on secondary offerings.
  • Represented Dole Food Company in its initial public offering in 2009, valued at $446 million (the largest IPO in 2009).
  • Represented AECOM in a $80 million common stock public offering and an at-the-market equity offering of up to four million shares of common stock.
  • Represented Stone Canyon Industries LLC in its Rule 144A acquisition financing for the Mauser acquisition.
  • Represented Ducommun Incorporated in its Rule 144A acquisition financing for the LaBarge acquisition.

Additional Representations – Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance

Daniela has represented, among others, the following clients with respect to securities regulation and/or corporate governance matters: AECOM, Dole Food Company (while a public company), Ducommun Incorporated, Fluor Corporation, General Electric Company, Herbalife, HP Inc., Korn/Ferry International, K-Swiss (while a public company), Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation, Moody’s Corporation, Neustar, Tiffany & Company, and The Clorox Company.

Publications

Daniela has authored publications and client memoranda on a variety of securities law related matters.

  • “Building a Better Insider Trading Compliance Program”
  • “SEC Staff Issues Updated Interpretive Guidance on Rule 10b5-1 Plans”
  • “Highlights from the 44th Annual San Diego Securities Regulation Institute” (2016)
  • “Highlights from the 43rd Annual San Diego Securities Regulation Institute” (2015)

Education

Daniela received her law degree in 2006 from the University of Southern California Law School, where she was elected to the Order of the Coif and was a Senior Editor of the Southern California Law Review. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and economics, magna cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002.

Daniela is admitted to practice law in the State of California.

Dennis J. Friedman is a partner in the New York office of Gibson Dunn. He has led Gibson Dunn’s mergers and acquisitions practice for many years. He has also served on Gibson Dunn’s Executive Committee and its International Management Committee. He is a widely recognized corporate lawyer with extensive experience in the mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. In addition to his 40-plus year legal career, Dennis was an investment banker at several major Wall Street firms, where he was a senior mergers and acquisitions banker and also the head of a merchant banking group.

Dennis is consistently regarded as one of the top M&A lawyers in New York and globally. Dennis has been ranked as a leading M&A lawyer by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business, The Legal 500 United States edition, The Best Lawyers in America®, The International Who’s Who of Merger & Acquisition Lawyers, Euromoney’s Guide to the World’s Leading Merger & Acquisition Lawyers, U.S. News Best Lawyers, New York Magazine’s Best Lawyers in New York, American Lawyer Media, Guide to the World’s Leading Banking Finance and Transactional Lawyers, IFLR1000’s Leading Lawyers and has been named a Law360 MVP for Mergers and Acquisitions. He was also named as one of the Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America and was named among the Lawdragon 2023 Hall of Fame Honorees. Dennis is the recipient of the annual M&A Advisor Leadership Award in recognition of his accomplishments in cross border M&A legal service. He was also named to BTI’s Client Service All-Starts List for delivering “incomparable levels of client service excellence.” In addition, Dennis was ranked as a leading Corporate Governance attorney by Who’s Who Legal and was also named by the National Association of Corporate Directors to the NACD Directorship 100 list as one of the most influential people in the boardroom community. Chambers notes that Dennis has “a very strong knowledge base that comes with having 40 years of experience” and “the advantage that he’s been a banker as well as a lawyer, so he can see everything from that perspective and anticipate additional problems that might arise.”

Dennis represents both domestic and foreign entities, boards of directors, special board committees, and investment banks in many of the world’s largest mergers and acquisitions, cross-border transactions, and unsolicited takeover offers. He also represents private investors in their mergers and acquisitions activity. Dennis advises clients in connection with board governance issues, conflicts of interest, restructurings and recapitalizations.

Dennis has been a frequent speaker at seminars in the United States and abroad on issues relating to corporate governance, and mergers and acquisitions. He also has co-authored numerous publications on SEC rules and Delaware corporate law issues. He has been a member of the Board of Advisors of the Institute for Law and Economics at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dennis earned his Juris Doctor in 1969 from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he served as Articles Editor of the Georgetown Law Journal. He received his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Finance, in 1966.

J. Keith Biancamano is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the firm’s Transactional Department.

Mr. Biancamano has broad experience in mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, private equity and corporate securities matters. His practice includes both domestic and international transactions, including cross border transactions.
Mr. Biancamano has particular experience in dealing with State-owned and State-controlled enterprises. Clients and targets include corporations, LLCs, partnerships and other entities. He represents both public and private companies (including venture backed companies) across multiple industries including internet, energy, marketing, advertising, and direct sales. His clients have included Yukos International, Adknowledge, Intermix Media (MySpace), Odyssey Partners, Wencor, Houlihan Lokey and Petroval S.A. among others.

Mr. Biancamano has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© from 2014 – 2023 in the field of Corporate Law. He is a frequent lecturer on mergers and acquisitions and other corporate law topics.

Mr. Biancamano received his law degree in 1991 from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law. He earned his B.A. degree from Cornell University in 1988. During law school,
Mr. Biancamano received American Jurisprudence Awards in both Criminal Procedure and Evidence. He was also selected as a Teaching Assistant for Legal Research and Writing.

Representative transactions include:

Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Representation of publicly traded major integrated oil company in approx. $70 billion merger (not closed)
  • Acquisition of multiple internet advertising and marketing companies in the United States, Canada and throughout Western Europe from 2005 to present
  • Representation of publicly traded major integrated oil company in approx. $1.5 billion Sale of equity interest in Eastern European refinery, pipelines and port, including negotiations with involved governments
  • Representation of publicly traded major integrated oil company in approx. $250 million sale of equity interest in Eastern European pipeline, including negotiations with involved governments
  • Sale of Dutch bunkering company to AIM listed English company
  • Representation of publicly traded HMO in approx. $4 billion merger of equals
  • Representation of diversified real estate services company in multi-year acquisition program, involving over ten acquisitions

Public Securities

  • Representation of diversified real estate services company in approx. $86 million Initial Public Offering, listing on NYSE
  • Acquisition of London Stock Exchange listed consumer products company
  • Representation of diversified real estate services company in $175 million senior subordinated debt offering

Private Securities

  • Representation of online advertising company in approx. $48 million venture capital financing
  • Representation of internet company in financing transactions totaling over $160 million
  • Representation of online consumer product company in financings totaling approximately $50 million

Corporate Governance

  • Advising Nasdaq listed company in connection with SEC and Nasdaq investigations, restatement of financials
  • Representation of major investment bank in connection with NASD investigation

General Corporate

  • Oversee coordination of global legal strategy for major international integrated oil company, including provision of services by over 130 timekeepers

Michael Flynn is a partner in the Orange County office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions and Capital Markets Practice Groups. Michael previously served as partner in charge of the Orange County office from 2016-2021. Michael’s practice focuses on corporate and securities law with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets transactions, and general corporate representation. He has extensive experience counseling publicly held companies on corporate governance matters, activism matters, defensive measures, disclosure issues, and other complex securities law issues.

Michael’s clients include publicly traded and privately held high growth, technology, aerospace & defense, life science, manufacturing, real estate, home building, restaurant, and consumer products companies. He also provides counsel to equity funds and investment banking firms.

Michael received his Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School in 1985 and his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame in 1982. He is a member of the State Bar of California. He was named one of the Top 100 Attorneys in California by the Daily Journal in 2006. Michael has been named a “Super Lawyer” by Los Angeles Magazine between 2012 and 2017. Between 2017 and 2021 Michael has been named to the OC 500 by the Orange County Business Journal. He is a past president of The Pacific Club, and serves on the Board of Directors of Big Canyon Country Club.

Representative Transactions:

Selected Mergers & Acquisitions Experience:

  • Represented Landsea Homes Incorporated in connection with its proposed merger with LF Capital Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: LFAC) in a transaction valued at $510 million
  • Represented American Technologies, Inc., in its acquisition by TSG Consumer Partners
  • Represented EnCore Group (including Encore Interiors, Inc., EnCore International and LIFT by EnCore) in connection with its acquisition by the Boeing Company
  • Represented EnCore Composite Structures, Inc. in its sale to AC&A Enterprises Holdings LLC, a portfolio company of AE Industrial Partners LLC
  • Represented the financial advisor to Ruby Tuesday, Inc. in its acquisition by NRD Capital for $335 million
  • Represented the financial advisor to Bob Evans Restaurants in its acquisition by Golden Gate Capital for $565 million
  • Represented Newport Corporation in connection with its $980 million acquisition by MKS Instruments, Inc.
  • Represented PneuDraulics, Inc. in connection with its $325 million sale to TransDigm Group Incorporated
  • Represented Eureka Restaurant Holdings, LLC in connection with its rollup of store partnerships and subsequent recapitalization with KarpReilly, LLC
  • Represented TRI Pointe Homes, Inc. in connection with its $2.8 billion acquisition of Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Company, a subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser Company
  • Represented Lazy Dog Restaurants, LLC in connection with its rollup of store partnerships and subsequent recapitalization with Brentwood Associates
  • Represented Bruxie, LLC in connection with its recapitalization with Catterton Partners
  • Represented Celtic Leasing Corp. in its acquisition by MB Financial Bank, N.A.
  • Represented International Bay Clubs, Incorporated (including its wholly owned subsidiaries Balboa Bay Club, Inc. and The Newport Beach Country Club, Incorporated) in its acquisition by an investor group led by Eagle Four Partners and Pacific Hospitality Group
  • Represented Yard House Restaurants in its $200 million acquisition by TSG Consumer Partners
  • Represented CKE Restaurants, Inc. in its $1 billion acquisition by Apollo Management L.P.
  • Represented TGV Capital Partners in its acquisition of portfolio company Thompson/Center Arms, Inc.
  • Represented TGV Capital Partners in its $102 million sale of Thompson/Center Arms, Inc. to Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation
  • Represented Mimi’s Café Restaurants in its $182 million acquisition by Bob Evans Farms
  • Represented Innovate Partners Inc. in its sale of portfolio company Ultimate Ears, LLC to Logitech International
  • Represented Hawker Pacific Aerospace in its acquisition by Lufthansa Technical
  • Represented Legacy Pharmaceuticals International in its acquisition of certain businesses from Valeant Pharmaceuticals International
  • Represented Z Tejas Restaurants, Inc. in its acquisition by Karp Reilly, LLC

Selected Debt and Equity Security Offerings Experience:

  • Represented TRI Pointe Group, Inc. in connection with its offering of $350 million aggregate principal amount of Notes due 2028
  • Represented TRI Pointe Group, Inc. in connection with its offer to purchase for cash any and all of its Senior Notes outstanding due 2021
  • Represented TRI Pointe Group, Inc. in connection with the offering and sale of $143 million of the Company’s common stock by a fund affiliated with Starwood Capital Group
  • Represented TRI Pointe Group, Inc. in a public offering of $300 million senior notes
  • Represented the distribution agent in a $200 million “At the Market” offering program for Clean Energy Fuels Corp.
  • Represented the underwriters in the $46 million follow-on offering of Del Taco Restaurants, Inc.
  • Represented the underwriters in the $103.5 million initial public offering of The Habit Restaurants, Inc.
  • Represented TRI Pointe Homes, Inc. in a private placement under Rule 144A of $900 million senior notes
  • Represented CKE Restaurants, Inc. in a $150 million private placement of convertible subordinate notes
  • Represented Fidelity National Financial, Inc. in a public offering of $250 million principal amount of notes
  • Represented CKE Restaurants in a private placement under Rule 144A of $200 million senior subordinated notes
  • Represented Fidelity National Financial, Inc. in a $270 million secondary public offering of common stock
  • Represented Newport Corporation in a $360 million secondary public offering of common stock

Joseph M. Barbeau is an international commercial lawyer with extensive experience in both Greater China and Silicon Valley. He practiced in Hong Kong for 12 years (1985-1997) and returned as the Partner in Charge of the firm’s Hong Kong and Beijing offices established in 2010 and 2013 respectively. Joseph also practiced in the Bay Area for 15 years, and continues to be actively involved with domestic and cross-border transactions in both regions.

Joseph’s M&A experience includes representing St. Jude Medical, Inc. on its $30.7 billion acquisition by Abbott Laboratories; representation of a Chinese consortium (led by Hua Capital and Citic Capital) on its $1.9 billion acquisition of Omnivision Technologies, Ltd.; and representation of St. Jude Medical, Inc. on its $3.4 billion acquisition of Thoratec Corp.

His practice has been wide-ranging, including public and private mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, start-up financings, and major licensing transactions, and spans an exceptional breadth of businesses, including internet, software, semiconductor and other technology companies, medical device and health care service companies, apparel, automotive and electronics companies, cleantech and other energy-related transactions, and project infrastructure companies. Joseph also has substantial experience representing pooled investment funds (private equity and venture capital), both in formation and portfolio investment transactions.

Joseph is ranked as a leading attorney in the Corporate Law and Mergers & Acquisitions categories of the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America, and as a 2013 Top Rated Lawyer in Healthcare, in the 2013 joint rankings by The American Lawyer and Corporate Counsel. In addition, Chambers and Partners Global 2013 and 2014 editions list Joseph as an “expert based abroad” in the category China – Corporate/M&A (International Firms), noting that he “comes recommended for his experience of both Californian and Chinese jurisdictions” and “earns special praise for his cross-border focus and as someone who is very easy to work with and knows the ins and outs of getting a deal done.”

Joseph was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, receiving his B.A. degree, summa cum laude , in 1977, and his J.D. degree, magna cum laude , in 1981, where he was Articles Editor of the Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif. He was a law clerk to the Hon. Gerald W. Heaney of United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit.

Jesse Shapiro is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the firm’s Real Estate Department. Jesse was ranked in the 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions of Chambers USA for Real Estate. Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for his work in real estate law, he was named “Lawyer of the Year” for 2020 and as one of the leading real estate lawyers in America for 2024, 2025, and 2026. He has also been named a Southern California Super Lawyer from 2014-2019, and in 2013, both Super Lawyers and Law360 named him a ‘Rising Star.’ Law360 designated him as one of its six “Rising Star” Real Estate attorneys under 40 to watch nationwide.

Jesse’s practice experience includes representation of real estate funds, lenders, and institutional and non-institutional investors in all areas of real estate, including: acquisitions and dispositions; construction, mortgage (fee and leasehold), mezzanine and participating financing; loan restructuring and workouts; and forming and representing limited liability companies, general and limited partnerships and joint ventures. Prior to joining the Real Estate Department, he represented debtors and creditors in high profile Chapter 11 proceedings, out-of-court restructurings, commercial bank financings and complex inter-creditor litigations.

Jesse received his law degree from the New York University School of Law in 2000. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History with a minor in Math, cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996.

Jesse is admitted to practice law in the States of California, New York and New Jersey.

David Korvin is of counsel in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson Dunn where he practices in the firm’s Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance Practice Group.

David advises public companies and their boards with respect to corporate governance, federal securities, financial reporting and accounting, insider trading, shareholder engagement and activism matters, and executive compensation matters. He is a Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) FSA Credential Holder and a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Charterholder. David is recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America for his work in Corporate Law and Securities Regulation. He has co-authored two chapters in “A Practical Guide to Section 16: Reporting and Compliance.”

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, David was an attorney at the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Division of Corporation Finance, where he handled the legal review of Securities Act and Exchange Act filings and served as a member of the Shareholder Proposal Taskforce.

David received his Juris Doctor in 2013 from Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He graduated with distinction from Cornell University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Government.

Frederick Lee is a partner in the Dallas office of Gibson Dunn. He focuses on advising special situations investors, other alternative capital sources, private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies on financing transactions.

Frederick has extensive experience representing alternative capital sources in connection with loan originations and distressed investments and private equity sponsors, portfolio companies and other borrowers in connection with leveraged buyouts and corporate finance transactions. He also has extensive experience with restructuring the balance sheet of overleveraged companies. He routinely advises on out-of-court restructurings including exchange offers and debt workouts. In addition, Frederick performs risk arbitrage analysis for special situations investors as they assess potential credit investments. Fred is recognized by The Best Lawyers in America 2026 for his work in “Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law”.

Representative Experience*

Restructurings

  • Represented secured bond holders of Hexion in connection with committed exit financing relating to pre-arranged Chapter 11 plan.
  • Represented bondholders of Weatherford International in connection with debtor in possession financing and committed exit financing relating to pre-arranged Chapter 11 plan.
  • Advised second lien lender group in connection with out-of-court restructuring of $290 million first lien facility and $135 million second lien facility for an industrial supply distribution company, involving partial equitization of second lien debt.
  • Represented lenders in connection with $90 million debtor in possession financing provided to a mining company.

Direct Lending/Alternative Capital Transactions

  • Represented the sole lender in connection with a $550 million senior secured term loan financing to HCR Manorcare.
  • Represented Vista Credit Partners in connection with a $175million senior secured term loan to Meltwater in connection with its global recapitalization.
  • Represented credit fund in connection with a $150 million senior secured term loan to data and software company.
  • Represented lenders in connection with a $50 million secured term loan to Petroquest Energy, L.L.C.

Private Equity and Portfolio Companies

  • Advised a private equity fund in connection with a $500 million senior secured credit facility to finance its acquisition of a publicly traded military contractor.
  • Counseled a marketing services portfolio company of a private equity fund in connection with a $1.4 billion first lien credit facility.
  • Acted for a global logistics portfolio company of a private equity fund in connection with a $1.3 billion senior secured credit facility.
  • Acted for Centerpoint Energy, Inc. in connection with $5 billion bridge commitment to support contemplated acquisition of Vectren Corporation.

Frederick received his law degree from Yale Law School in 2004 and a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in 1999.

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

Douglas S. Horowitz is a partner in the New York office of Gibson Dunn where he is the head of Leveraged and Acquisition Finance and Co-Chair of the firm’s Finance Practice Group. He is also an active member of the Capital Markets Practice Group .

Doug represents leading private equity firms, public and private corporations, investment banking firms and commercial banks with a focus on financing transactions involving private credit, syndicated institutional and asset-based loans, new issuance of secured and unsecured high-yield debt securities, equity and equity-linked securities, as well as out-of-court restructurings. He was involved in the financings for a number of significant acquisitions, including the $67 billion purchase by Dell of EMC, the $19 billion purchase by Western Digital of SanDisk, Stone Point’s $8.2 billion buyout of CoreLogic, 40 North’s $7.4 billion buyout of W.R. Grace and several of the landmark acquisitions of the LBO boom, including hospital-operator HCA, SunGard Data Systems, VNU / Nielsen, ARAMARK, U.S. Foodservice, Biomet, Avaya and TXU Corp. Doug also represents his clients in public and private equity issuances, high-yield bonds, bank side acquisitions and debt refinancing in a variety of industries including technology, media, telecommunications, industrials, healthcare, gaming, real estate, and natural resources.

Awards and Accolades:

  • Chambers USA, “Capital Markets: Debt & Equity: Eastern United States”, “Banking & Finance: New York” (2010 – 2025)
  • The Best Lawyers in America, “Commercial Finance Law”, “Securities/Capital Markets Law” (2024 – 2026)
  • Legal500, “Leading Partner: Commercial Lending and Capital Markets Debt Offerings” (2022 – 2025)
  • New York Law Journal, “Dealmaker of the Year” (2021)
  • IFLR1000, “Lawyer of the Year: Banking and Finance” (2020)
  • Law360, “MVP: Capital Markets” (2020)

Representative Clients and Transactions:

  • Representation of Evergreen Coast Capital Corporation, an affiliate of Elliott Investment Management L.P., and a private equity consortium in the bridge loans and subsequent $1.96 billion high yield bond offering in connection with the $16 billion acquisition of Nielsen Holdings plc, a marketing services company providing demand analysis, product development, sales measurement and promotion strategies.
  • Representation of Veritas Capital in the $1.2 billion broadly syndicated senior secured credit facilities incurred in connection with their purchase of Candescent (formerly the digital banking business segment) from NCR Voyix.
  • Representation of a Private Equity consortium including Elliott, Patient Square and Veritas in the $3.2 billion senior secured credit facility and $1.0 billion senior secured high yield notes, incurred in connection with the approximately $7.1 billion take private acquisition of Syneos Health.
  • Representation of JPMorgan Chase Bank and various other lenders with respect to the approximately $4.6 billion broadly syndicated senior secured credit facilities and approximately $3.4 billion high yield bonds (including a landmark $2.2 billion unsecured PIK Toggle bond) in connection with the pending take private transaction for Skechers USA Inc. by affiliates of 3G Capital.
  • Representation of Veritas Capital in the private credit loan financing for its acquisition of the Wood-Mackenzie business from Verisk and subsequent $1.465 billion broadly syndicated senior secured credit facilities.
  • Representation of RedBird Capital in the private loan financing for its acquisition of AC Milan.
  • Representation of Mauser Packaging (a Stone Canyon portfolio company) in connection with its $2.75 billion first lien high yield bond offering and contemporaneous offer to exchange previously issued unsecured bonds for up to $1.35 billion of new second lien high yield bonds.
  • Representation of Primoris Services Corporation in connection with its $1.27 billion senior secured credit facilities, the proceeds of which were used to refinance existing debt and to finance the $470 million acquisition of PLH Group.
  • Representation of Bank of America and other initial purchasers in connection with over $1.2 billion of senior secured high yield bonds and approximately $150 million of senior unsecured convertible notes and Bank of America as Lead Arranger and JPMorgan as Administrative Agent in connection with an amended $600 million senior secured credit agreement, in each case for AMC Networks.

Doug earned his Juris Doctor in 2001 from Cornell University Law School. He also earned his Master of Business Administration from Cornell University in 2001 and his B.A. from Columbia University in 1997.

Michael J. Cohen is a partner in Gibson Dunn ‘s New York office and a member of the Business Restructuring and Reorganization Practice Group. Michael represents a diverse array of parties in bankruptcy and insolvency matters, distressed investments, acquisitions and financings, debt exchanges, and in-court and out-of-court restructurings.

Awards and Accolades:

  • The Best Lawyers in America®, “Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights, Insolvency & Reorganization Law” (2024 – 2026)
  • Lawdragon, “Leading Global Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers” (2024 – 2025)
  • The Legal 500 – United States, “Leading Lawyer in Bankruptcy” (2024 – 2025)
  • International Financial Law Review, “Notable Practitioner” (2019)

Michael recently represented an ad hoc secured creditor group in the complex restructuring of pharmaceutical company Endo International plc, negotiating several transformative settlements, including with numerous tort claimants and U.S. Department of Justice, which served to anchor the debtors’ chapter 11 plan, alongside the reduction of $8 billion of funded debt and $3 billion of newly raised debt and equity capital at exit. He also served as creditors’ counsel in the out-of-court restructurings of PGX Holdings, the cross-border prepackaged chapter 11 of Lumileds, and the $1.15 billion chapter 11 cases for Cyxtera Technologies.

Michael’s representation of secured lenders includes Cano Health’s prearranged chapter 11 restructuring, the two in-court restructurings of pharmaceutical manufacturer Mallinckrodt plc, as well as restructrurings and related transactions with leading mattress manufacturer Serta Simmons, Exela Technologies, involving a full par payoff of the creditor group, Catalina Marketing, and David’s Bridal.

Michael earned his law degree in 2002 from Fordham University School of Law, where he was a member of Fordham Law Review and was awarded the American Bankruptcy Institute Medal of Excellence and the Benjamin Finkel Prize for his academic work on bankruptcy law. He graduated with highest honors from Rutgers University, where he was a Henry Rutgers Scholar. Michael served as a law clerk for Judge Stephen D. Gerling of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of New York from 2003 to 2004.

Laura is an associate in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and is a member of the firm’s Finance and Business Restructuring and Reorganisation practice groups.

Laura has extensive expertise in debt financing transactions, advising global corporations, financial institutions, and private equity firms on complex financing solutions.

Prior to joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Laura was an associate in the Finance and Restructuring practice groups at another major international law firm. Laura is admitted to practice in New York and Israel.

Linda L. Curtis is a partner in Gibson Dunn’s Los Angeles office and a member of the firm’s Finance Practice Group. Her practice focuses on all aspects of corporate finance, including leveraged financings — with a specific focus in recent years on acquisition financings, real estate financings and investment fund financings (including subscription lines of credit). She also represents clients in debt capital markets transactions and has experience in debt restructurings. Linda’s clients include public and private companies in a variety of industries, private equity funds and commercial lenders.

Selected matters include the representation of:

  • a public apparel company with respect to the issuance in a 144A transaction of $550 million in high yield notes and a $1.1 billion senior secured term loan and revolving credit facility;
  • a real estate investment fund with respect to the issuance of $450 million in fixed rate private placement notes;
  • numerous investment funds with respect to subscription and net asset value lines of credit;
  • a real estate investment fund with respect to a workout of senior mezzanine debt on a trophy office building
  • a public company in connection with the $1.1 billion financing of upgrades to facilities at Los Angeles International Airport;
  • a public transportation and logistics company with respect to the acquisition financing for a $610 million purchase of a highly leveraged company pursuant to a complex carveout transaction;
  • ad hoc lender groups in connection with DIP and exit financings to companies in the manufacturing and technology industries.

Linda is ranked by Chambers USA as a Band 1 Banking and Finance lawyer in California, The Best Lawyers in America® in Banking and Finance Law, and included in Law and Politics and Los Angeles magazines as one of Southern California’s “Super Lawyers.” Since its inception in 2018, Linda has been named to every annual IFLR1000 “Women Leaders” list which recognizes 750 female lawyers in the world considered to be among the best transactional specialists in their markets and practice areas. Chambers describes her as having “incredible knowledge on the state of the debt financing market” and notes that market sources commend her “exceptional” representation of borrowers in sophisticated transactions.

Linda was the 2014 – 2015 President of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA), which is one of the nation’s largest local bar associations. She served previously as chair of LACBA’s Business and Corporations Law Section Executive Committee and LACBA’s Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section Executive Committee. Publications include Financing Provisions in Acquisition Agreements, California Business Law Practitioner, Summer 2011 (with Melissa Barshop).

Linda received her Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School and her Master of Business Administration degree from Stanford Business School in 1987. At Stanford Law School, she was an Articles Editor of the Law Review. Prior to her graduate work at Stanford, Linda received a Bachelor of Arts in Jurisprudence from Oxford University, where she was a Newton-Tatum scholar, and an A.B. in public affairs/economics from Princeton University, where she graduated summa cum laude and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. After graduating from Stanford, Linda clerked for one year for the Honorable Robert F. Peckham, who was then Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

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

Leesa has been recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for Criminal Defense: White-Collar since 2024.

She received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, in 2015 from Northwestern University School of Law, where she served as managing editor for the Journal of Law and Social Policy.

Leesa received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History and Theater Studies from Emory University in 2010. Following graduation, she joined Teach for America and taught high school math. Leesa earned a Master of Education degree in 2011 from Lipscomb University.

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

Darius J. Mehraban is a partner in the New York office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the firm’s Finance Practice Group, focusing on loan and other debt financing transactions, as well as swaps and other derivative transactions.

Darius’ debt finance experience includes syndicated credit facilities for leveraged and investment-grade corporate borrowers, project financings, credit facilities for private investment funds, investment-grade, high-yield and convertible note issuances, and structured finance transactions. He has represented borrowers, issuers, arrangers and lenders in many types of secured and unsecured financing structures in a wide range of industries, with particular concentrations in the energy, natural resources and technology sectors.

Darius’ derivative transactional representations for a range of end-user and dealer clients cover many types of equity derivative structures, as well as commodity, currency, interest and credit hedging and total return and synthetic debt products.

Darius is recognized as a leading lawyer in the area of Banking and Finance Law by The Best Lawyers in America® 2026.

Darius earned his Juris Doctor cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School in December of 1996, where he was an editor of the Michigan Law Review. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and Philosophy with high honors from the University of Michigan in 1994.