Charlie Peskowitz is a corporate associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the Sports Law, Mergers and Acquisitions, and Betting and Gaming Practice Groups.

He has been recognized as a “Rising Voice” in Entertainment and Sports Law by The American Bar Association.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Charlie was a corporate associate in the New York office of a large, international law firm. He received his Juris Doctor in 2018 from New York University School of Law. While in law school, Charlie interned for the New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Vikings, as well as the National Football League and Madison Square Garden Sports & Entertainment. He received his Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, in Psychology from The George Washington University in 2015.

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

Steven Perkins is an associate in the Los Angeles office of Gibson Dunn. He currently practices in the firm’s Litigation Department.

Steven earned his law degree in 2022 from USC Gould School of Law, where he served as the Student Bar Association Diversity Chair and member of the Hale Moot Court Honors Program. While in law school, Steven was the Vice President of Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and served as a member and mentor in the school’s First Generation Professionals student organization.

Prior to law school, Steven graduated from Northwest Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Theatrical Performance.

Steven is admitted to practice in the State of California.

Aaron F. Adams is a partner in the New York office of Gibson Dunn and Co-Chair of the firm’s Finance Practice Group. He represents borrowers and lenders in connection with senior credit facilities, note offerings, mezzanine financings, asset-based financings and other banking and credit matters.

Aaron is ranked nationally as a leading Banking & Finance lawyer by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business and has also been recognized by IFLR1000 as Highly Regarded in Banking. Chambers notes that Aaron “is on top of all the latest developments in the market, focused, diligent and inspires confidence,” adding that “he works incredibly well with management teams in explaining complex debt structuring issues.”

Aaron earned his Juris Doctor in 2000 from the Boston University School of Law, where he was a member of the Boston University Law Review. He received a Master of Arts degree from The University of Chicago in 1996 and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy with honors from Swarthmore College in 1994.  Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Aaron was an associate in the New York office of Cravath, Swaine & Moore from 2000 to 2006.

Rahul D. Vashi is a partner in the Houston office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is Co-Chair of the firm’s Oil and Gas practice group and a member of the firm’s Energy and Infrastructure and Mergers and Acquisitions practice groups.

Rahul’s practice focuses on acquisitions, divestitures, and strategic joint ventures involving a broad range of energy assets, with an emphasis on the upstream and midstream sectors. Rahul’s practice includes advising clients with the formation of drilling partnerships, joint development arrangements, farmout and participation agreements and other joint venture arrangements, the acquisition and divestiture of upstream and midstream oil and gas assets and companies, and oil and gas special situations and alternative financing transactions.

Rahul has been recognized in Chambers Global for Energy: Oil & Gas — Transactional (USA) for 2022–2025, and in Chambers USA for Energy: Oil & Gas — Transactional (Nationwide) for 2019–2025, with clients noting that “his strengths are his attention to detail and breadth of knowledge. He provides practical advice and appreciates what businesses are trying to accomplish.” The Legal 500 U.S. recognized Rahul for his work in Energy Transactions: Oil and Gas for 2020-2022, as well as being recognized as On the Rise by Texas Lawyer at the Texas Legal Excellence Awards in 2021. Law360 has recently named Rahul as a Top Energy Attorney under 40 for 2024, and Texas Super Lawyers Magazine has recognized him has a 2024 Rising Star for M&A.

Rahul earned his Juris Doctor from the New York University School of Law in 2010. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Texas at Austin in 2007, earning his Bachelor of Arts with Plan II Honors, and his Bachelor of Business Administration with Business Honors.

Rahul is a member of the Houston Bar Association in the Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Section. He is admitted to practice in the state of Texas.

Representative Matters*

  • Representation of Ovintiv Inc. in its $4.275 billion acquisition of all leasehold interest and related assets of Black Swan Oil & Gas, PetroLegacy Energy and Piedra Resource, and the concurrent $825 million sale of its Bakken assets
  • Representation of IOG Resources II LLC in its acquisition of Appalachia Basin non-operated oil & gas assets
  • Riley Exploration Permian, Inc. in its joint venture with Conduit Power, LLC to use gas from oilfield production in the Permian Basin to generate electrical power
  • Riley Exploration Permian, Inc. in its $330 million acquisition of oil and gas assets in the Permian Basin from Pecos Oil & Gas, LLC
  • IOG Resources II LLC in its acquisition of a non-operated interest in Appalachia Basin producing gas assets operated by Seneca Resources from an undisclosed buyer
  • Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. in its $330 million acquisition of a 36.7% working interest in certain oil and gas leases and wells and associated midstream assets and infrastructure in Midland County, Texas, from Midland-Petro D.C. Partners, LLC
  • Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. in its $130 million acquisition of certain non-operated interests in the Delaware Basin from a private seller
  • Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. in its $157.5 million acquisition of certain non-operated interests in the Delaware Basin from Alpha Energy Partners
  • EQT Corporation in its $5.2 billion acquisition from THQ Appalachia I, LLC and THQ-XcL Holdings I, LLC (affiliates of Quantum Energy Partners and Tug Hill Operating) of their direct and indirect upstream and midstream subsidiaries and associated oil and gas assets, properties and gathering systems in the Appalachian Basin
  • Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. in its $110 million acquisition of Midland Basin oil and gas properties
  • Devon Energy Corporation in its $1.8 billion acquisition of Validus Energy, an operator of Eagle Ford Shale assets
  • Freehold Royalties Ltd. in its $100 million acquisition of oil and gas mineral and royalty assets in the Midland Basin from a private seller
  • H3 Minerals LLC, an affiliate of Haymaker Minerals & Royalties III and portfolio company of Denham Capital, in its acquisition of a large-scale diversified mineral portfolio in Texas, Louisiana, North Dakota, and Montana
  • Stronghold Energy, a portfolio company of Warburg Pincus LLC, in the $465 million sale of its Permian Basin assets to Ring Energy, Inc.
  • Red Bluff Resources and Bricktown Energy, portfolio companies of HPS Investment Partners, in the sale of substantially all of their oil and gas properties to Citizen Energy
  • Northern Oil & Gas in its $170 million acquisition of working interest properties in the Williston Basin
  • North Hudson Resources Partners and its affiliated funds in the $402 million purchase of LOGOS Resources II LLC, an operator of oil and gas assets in the San Juan Basin, from affiliates of ArcLight Capital Partners
  • Alamo Borden County IV, an operating subsidiary of Alamo Frac Holdings, in its $201 million sale of oil and gas properties in the Permian Basin to HighPeak Energy, Inc.
  • Kimmeridge in its $200 million investment in Chestnut Carbon LLC, a nature-based carbon offset platform
  • IOG Resources LLC in its acquisition of Delaware Basin producing oil and gas assets from Tier 1 Merced Holdings LLC Diversified Energy Company in the closing of a sustainability-linked asset backed securitization (ABS) of certain Barnett Shale assets in North Texas
  • Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. in its acquisition of non-operated Permian Basin assets owned by affiliates of Veritas Energy, LLC for $406.5 million, plus ~ 1.9 million common equity warrants with an exercise price of $28.30 per share
  • Elk Range Royalties, LP in its acquisition of royalty interests in the Permian Basin from an undisclosed seller
  • Northern Oil and Gas Inc. in its $154 million acquisition of non-operated interests across over 400 producing wellbores primarily in Williams, McKenzie, Mountrail and Dunn counties in North Dakota
  • Warwick Investment Group on its $450 million acquisition of operated oil and gas assets in Texas’s Eagle Ford Shale from Rosewood Resources and related drilling commitments
  • Freehold Royalties Ltd. in its $180 million acquisition of royalty assets in the Eagle Ford oil basin from a private seller
  • Quantum Energy Partners in its partnership with Houston Energy to form HEQ Deepwater with more than $400 million of equity capital commitments and HEQ’s first major acquisition of oil and gas assets in the Gulf of Mexico
  • Vine Energy Inc. in its $2.2 billion acquisition by Chesapeake Energy Corporation
  • Indigo Natural Resources LLC in its $2.7 billion merger with Southwestern Energy Company
  • Pickering Energy Partners in its partnership with a private operator in the Midland Basin
  • IOG Resources, LLC in its acquisition of non-operated horizontal wells in the Utica Shale from Sequel Energy Group
  • EQT Corp. in its $735 million acquisition of Chevron USA’s upstream and midstream assets in the Appalachian Basin
  • HPS Investment Partners LLC in its $32.96 million acquisition of Echo Energy Partners I LLC’s assets out of bankruptcy
  • Cordero Energy Resources LLC in its $130 million sale of certain oil and gas assets in Howard County, Texas, to Laredo Petroleum
  • The private equity sponsors and Sable Permian Resources, LLC (as operator of the oil and gas assets) in the successful completion of AEPB’s $2.1 billion out-of-court recapitalization. The transaction reduced AEPB’s debt obligations by approximately $1.4 billion and reduced upcoming debt maturities over the next four years to approximately $36 million from approximately $2.1 billion. In addition, the transaction eliminated approximately $94 million of annual cash interest expense and simplified AEPB’s organizational structure
  • Riviera Resources, in its $295 million sale of oil and gas assets and gas processing facilities in the Hugoton Gas Field in Kansas
  • Amplify Energy Corp. in an all-stock merger-of-equals with Midstates Petroleum Company, Inc.
  • Riviera Resources in the sale of securitized notes backed by a VPP on helium production from the Hugoton Field
  • LLOG Bluewater Holdings, LLC in its $1.4 billion sale of Gulf of Mexico assets to Murphy Oil Corp.
  • Roxo Energy, a portfolio company of Vortus Investments, in the sale of its interest in oil and gas leases and wells in Howard and Borden Counties, Texas, to Murchison Oil and Gas, LLC
  • Newfield Exploration Co. in its approximately $5.5 billion acquisition by Encana Corp. in an all-stock transaction
  • COERT Holdings 1 in its successful Section 363 acquisition of the Enduro Royalty Trust assets and interests from Enduro Resource Partners
  • Red Rocks Energy Partners, L.P. in the acquisition of certain conventional assets in Oklahoma’s SCOOP play from affiliates of Titanium Exploration Partners, LLC
  • Canyon Creek Energy, a portfolio company of Vortus Investments, in the formation of a drilling partnership arrangement with Pivotal Petroleum Partners II, LP to develop wells in the Arkoma STACK play
  • Alta Marcellus Development, LLC in the $115 million acquisition of Ultra Petroleum Corp.’s non-operated asset in the Marcellus Shale
  • IOG Resources, LLC in the formation of a drilling partnership arrangement with a private oil and gas operator to develop up to 10 wells in the STACK play in Oklahoma
  • LINN Energy, Inc. in the following divestures of oil and gas assets: (1) $585.1 million sale of its interest in properties located in the Jonah Field in Wyoming to Jonah Energy LLC; (2) $285 million sale of its interest in properties in the Williston Basin to a wholly-owned subsidiary of Valorem Energy, LLC; (3) $263 million sale of its interest in properties located in the San Joaquin Basin in California to Berry Petroleum Company, LLC; (4) $200 million sale of its interest in properties located in the Washakie Field in Wyoming to Washakie Exaro Opportunities, LLC; (5) $122 million sale of its interest in waterflood properties in Oklahoma and properties in the Texas Panhandle to an undisclosed buyer; (6) $119.5 million sale of its interest in conventional properties located in the Permian Basin, Texas, to an undisclosed buyer; (7) $100 million sale of its interest in properties located in the Brea-Olinda Field in California to Bridge Energy LLC; and (8) $71.5 million sale of its interest in properties located in the Salt Creek Field in Wyoming to Denbury Resources Inc.
  • EQT Production Company’s $527 million acquisition of Stone Energy Corporation’s Marcellus and Utica Shale assets out of bankruptcy
  • Samson Resources Corporation in the following sales of oil and gas assets as part of its ongoing Chapter 11 proceeding in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware: (i) sale of assets located in the Williston Basin to Resource Energy Can-Am LLC for $75 million; (ii) sale of assets located in the San Juan Basin to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, doing business as Red Willow Production Co., for $116 million; (iii) sale of West Anadarko assets to Tecolote Holdings LLC for $131 million; (iv) sale of East Anadarko assets to Rebellion Energy LLC for $152 million; (v) sale of Central Anadarko assets to Fairway Resources Partners III LLC for $132 million; and (vi) sale of mineral interests located in the Permian Basin to Stone Hill Minerals Holdings LLC for $51.7 million
  • Blackstone Energy Partners and Sanchez Energy Corporation in their 50/50 partnership, definitive purchase agreement and related financing to acquire Anadarko Petroleum Corporation’s working interest in approximately 318,000 gross operated acres in the Western Eagle Ford for approximately $2.3 billion
  • Evercore, as financial advisor to two portfolio companies managed by Kimmeridge Energy Management Co., in a $1.5 billion sale to PDC Energy, Inc.
  • Evercore Group LLC as financial advisor to the board of directors of Silver Run Acquisition Corp. in its proposed acquisition of a controlling interest in Centennial Resource Production, LLC
  • A major E&P company in a series of five divestitures of producing properties in South and East Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi totaling over $1.2 billion
  • A public company in the sale of its Granite Wash assets in Texas and Oklahoma for $588.5 million
  • A public E&P company in the acquisition of assets in the Midland Basin for $538 million and the implementation of a horizontal drilling program on the acquired acreage
  • A private E&P company in the acquisition of assets in the Eagle Ford Shale for $639 million
  • A private E&P company in the acquisition of assets in the Anadarko Basin, Texas and Oklahoma, for $655 million
  • A public company in its largest-ever acquisition of oil and gas assets, 42,000 net acres in the STACK play in Oklahoma for $470 million
  • A U.S. energy company in the $750 million sale of membership interests in a private equity-backed oil and gas properties in the Eagle Ford Shale
  • A public company in the acquisition of assets in the Permian Basin for $300 million
  • A public E&P company in the Section 363 sale of all of its oil and gas assets out of bankruptcy for $245 million
  • A major oil and gas producer in a joint exploration and development venture covering 100,000 acres in the Eaglebine Formation in Southeast Texas
  • A private equity-backed investment entity in a proposed drilling partnership with a private oil company in the Eagle Ford Shale A private equity-backed E&P company in a joint development project in the East Texas Eaglebine play with one of the world’s largest public E&P companies
  • A public E&P company in a large farmout and participation project in the Eagle Ford Shale
  • A group of farmors in a multi-well farmout of leasehold acreage in the Eagle Ford Shale to a Fortune 100 company
  • A publicly traded corporation in the acquisition of membership interests in a company owning leasehold in the Utica Shale for $300 million
  • A private equity fund in its debt and equity investment to fund a private E&P company’s acquisition of oil and gas assets in Colorado
  • A private equity fund in its acquisition of an equity stake in a drilling partnership to develop unconventional resources in Pennsylvania
  • A public company in the sale of escalating wellbore interests to a master limited partnership and documents governing the joint operation of such wellbores
  • A public oil and gas company in multiple asset dropdown transactions with its master limited partnership

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

Sophia (Vandergrift) Hansell is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson Dunn. She is a member of the Antitrust and Competition Practice Group. Before joining the firm, Sophie served as an attorney in the Mergers IV Division of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition, where she focused on merger review and enforcement litigation.

At the FTC, Sophie was a core member of trial teams that blocked proposed mergers for Sysco and US Foods, Advocate Health Care and NorthShore University HealthSystem, and Wilhelmsen and Drew Marine. Previously, Sophie served in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the General Crimes Division. She also was a special counsel at another law firm.

Leveraging her experience in government enforcement, Sophie’s practice focuses on complex antitrust litigation and investigations before the Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, and state attorneys general. She also has experience counseling companies on a broad range of competition issues relating to M&A transactions, including pre-deal risk assessments, transaction negotiations, and gun jumping issues. Sophie also develops and executes strategies to secure merger clearance with U.S. and foreign competition authorities. She has been recognized by “Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation” guide for three consecutive years (2023-2025), and named a “Rising Star” in Antitrust and Competition by IFLR in 2021 and by Euromoney Legal Media Group in 2020.

Sophie received her law degree, magna cum laude, from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, where she was Notes Editor of the Washington University Law Review. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree summa cum laude from Wake Forest University.

Sophie is admitted to practice in Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Etienne Paletto is an associate in the Paris office of Gibson Dunn, where he serves as a member of the Energy & Infrastructure and Power & Renewables Practice Groups.

His practice focuses on the structuring, financing (including loans, bonds, hybrid and derivatives financings) and development of major energy and infrastructure projects on behalf of French or international sponsors, lenders, multilateral institutions, contractors and host governments. Over the years, he thus developed significant experience in infrastructure and energy M&A transactions.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn in 2023, Etienne practiced for five years within the Energy & Infrastructure department of a Magic Circle law firm in Paris.

Admitted to the New York and Paris Bars since 2018 and 2019 respectively, Etienne received a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from NYU in 2017 and graduated in Business law from University Paris I – Pantheon Sorbonne in 2014 and from Business Law and Finance from ESCP Europe in 2015.

He speaks French and English fluently.

Representative Transactions:

Digital Infrastructure

  • Representation of InfraVia as sponsor in connection with the structuring of holdco debt for its Green data center project in Switzerland.
  • Representation of the lenders in connection with a €3.15 billion financing made available to Société de Participation et d’Investissement dans le Numérique (SPIN), subsidiary of Infravia Capital Partners, Iliad S.A. and Free, for the purposes of (i) financing the acquisition of the shares of Investissement dans la Fibre du Territoire (IFT) by SPIN, (ii) refinancing the existing indebtness of IFT and (iii) financing the acquisition of new IRU rights and CCF (cablages clients finaux).

Energy and Power

  • Representation of Electra, a European fast-charging specialist, on the EUR 60 million green loan financing for the roll-out of electric vehicles charging stations, in the context of a global partnership between Electra and Delhaize for the installation of such charging stations over parking slots of Delhaize supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg.
  • Representation of the lenders to Asterion Industrial Partners in connection with Asterion’s successful bid to acquire 100% of Steag, a leader in the energy sector and provider of no less than 25% of the electricity in the German market.

Jay Pak is a corporate associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn, where his practice focuses on Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity.

He received his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School, where he was named a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. Jay received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University.

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

Joe Orien is a partner in the Dallas office of Gibson Dunn. His practice focuses on complex business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, growth and venture investments, minority investments, leveraged acquisitions, exits, complex strategic and commercial agreements, operating agreements and equity incentive structures, and advising on general corporate matters.

Previously Joe served as the General Counsel of Integrity Marketing Group, an independent distributor of life and health insurance products, where he advised the company on legal, business and regulatory matters, including several acquisitions. He has also represented a variety of public and private companies, investment funds and high-net-worth individuals and family offices in various industries, including financial services, marketing, infrastructure, retail and consumer products, energy, entertainment and technology, in transactions in size ranging from several millions to billions of dollars.

Joe earned his law degree summa cum laude from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Brigham Young University Law Review. He graduated with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Accounting from Brigham Young University. Prior to joining the firm, Joe clerked for the Honorable Jennifer Walker Elrod of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Representative Transactions

  • Counsel to Keystone Group, a privately held investment firm, in numerous investments
  • Counsel to Arcosa, Inc. in the disposition of its international storage tanks business
  • Counsel to Trive Capital and its OWL Services business in several acquisitions
  • Counsel to CenterOak Partners LLC in its acquisition and divestitures of numerous businesses
  • Counsel to American Airlines in its partnership with JetSMART, an ultra-low-cost carrier operating in South America
  • Counsel to Callaway Golf Company in its strategic investment in Five Iron Golf
  • Counsel to Topgolf International, Inc. in strategic investments
  • Counsel to D.R. Horton in its acquisition of a controlling interest in publicly-traded Forestar Group, Inc.
  • Counsel to Sony Pictures Television Networks in its agreement to acquire a substantial majority stake in Japanese anime distributor Funimation Productions, Ltd.
  • Counsel to Atmos Energy in its acquisition of a natural gas pipeline and related assets from EnLink Midstream and its disposition of its energy marketing subsidiary to CenterPoint Energy
  • Counsel to Edge Natural Resources, LLC in its formation of a joint venture focused on small-cap upstream oil and gas investments
  • Counsel to FAM AB, owned by the three largest Wallenberg Foundations, in connection with its investment in Swedish packaging manufacturer Nefab
  • Counsel to French pharmaceutical company Virbac SA in its acquisition of assets from Eli Lilly
  • Counsel to Brazos Private Equity Partners in connection with acquisitions of multiple portfolio companies

Karin Thrasher is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of the FinTech and Digital Assets and Financial Regulatory Practice Groups. Her practice focuses on the representation of traditional financial institutions, non-bank financial services companies, and technology companies in various regulatory and transactional matters.

Karin received her law degree from University of Michigan Law School, where she served as the Notes Editor for the Michigan Journal of International Law. She also served as a research assistant for Adrienne Harris and Michael Barr, and was an extern at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe in Geneva, Switzerland. Karin earned her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from University of California, Los Angeles.

She is admitted to practice law in the State of California and the District of Columbia.

Experience

Karin regularly advises leading financial technology, payments, and digital asset companies on complex regulatory, enforcement, chartering, and policy issues, with deep experience across product development, government investigations, and innovative financial services structures. A sampling of her experience includes:

Representative Payments and Lending Product Development Matters

  • Counseling a multinational payment card services corporation regarding development of crypto and stablecoin-enabled payments products and related offerings in the U.S. and Latin America.
  • Advising global rewards company in connection with expansion into the U.S. market, including compliance with the Federal Bank Secrecy Act, state money transmission licensing laws, state escheatment laws, state gift card laws, and other consumer protection laws.
  • Advising investors on the applicability of ECOA and Regulation B to a target fintech company’s products.
  • Advising a telecommunications company on the applicability of state consumer lending laws.
  • Counseling software company on the development of a factoring product outside the scope of lending laws.

Representative Government Investigation and Enforcement Matters

  • Representing a global payments company in connection with an enforcement action brought by the Federal Trade Commission, including remediation of allegations subject to consumer financial laws and regulations.
  • Representing a global cryptocurrency exchange in connection with investigations by the DOJ and FinCEN and resolutions of enforcement actions brought by the SEC and OFAC.
  • Representing a decentralized finance prediction markets platform in connection with an investigation by the CFTC and SDNY.
  • Representing a peer-to-peer lending platform in connection with multi-agency enforcement action subject to state consumer lending laws.
  • Advising a financial technology company on the applicability of GLBA and Regulation P in connection with a CFPB examination response.
  • Advising a payments company on the scope of EFTA, Regulation E, and card network rules in connection with a CFPB enforcement action.
  • Representing a payments company in connection with a multi-state enforcement action focused on Bank Secrecy Act compliance.

Representative Chartering Matters

  • Advising Zero Hash, a crypto and stablecoin infrastructure platform, in the formation of Zero Hash Trust Company, a de novo North Carolina chartered trust company.
  • Advising Surus, an institutional-grade asset management, custody, and compliance platform, in the formation of Surus Trust Company, a de novo North Carolina chartered trust company.
  • Advising fintech company in the formation of a proposed de novo uninsured national trust bank.

Representative Policy Matters

  • Advising food delivery platform in connection with congressional inquiry regarding financial services products in the gig economy.

Cody Wong is an associate in the Orange County office of Gibson Dunn. He currently practices in the firm’s Transactional Department.

Cody earned his law degree cum laude in 2023 from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. He holds a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in Finance and Economics with a minor in Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis.

Cody is admitted to practice in the State of California.

Jonathan Whalen is a partner in Gibson Dunn’s Dallas office and a member of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice Groups. Jonathan advises public and private companies, private equity sponsors, and their portfolio companies in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and general corporate matters. He has extensive experience managing complex domestic and cross-border transactions across a variety of industries, including consumer goods, manufacturing, financial services, and energy.

Jonathan’s practice emphasizes high-profile M&A transactions, strategic investments, and transactional risk management, including the use of representation and warranty insurance. His clients value his ability to navigate challenging deal dynamics and craft innovative solutions that drive successful outcomes.

Representative Clients and Transactions

  • CenterOak Partners LLC
    • Counsel to CenterOak Partners LLC in its acquisitions and divestitures of numerous businesses, including Wetzel’s Pretzels, Vivify Specialty Ingredients, and Shamrock Environmental.
  • Audax
    • Counsel to Audax in connection with numerous portfolio companies and add-on transactions.
  • Citation Capital
    • Acquisition of Cibo Vita, a leading provider of trail mixes and snacks.
  • TreeHouse Foods
    • Divestiture of its meal preparation business to Investindustrial.
    • Acquisition of Farmer Brothers’ Northlake, Texas coffee facility and direct ship coffee business.
    • Acquisition of the Harris Tea private brand tea business from Harris Freeman.
  • Kimberly-Clark
    • Divestiture of its tissue business in Brazil to Suzano.
  • D.R. Horton
    • Acquisition of Vidler Water Resources, a publicly traded developer of water rights and water infrastructure assets.
    • Acquisition of Forestar Group Inc., a publicly traded residential lot development company.
  • Celanese Corporation
    • Acquisition of the Elotex redispersible polymer powders business from Nouryon.
    • Acquisition of thermoplastics custom compounder Next Polymers Ltd.
    • Acquisition of thermoplastics custom compounder Omni Plastics.
  • Murata
    • Acquisition of Resonant Inc., a publicly traded provider of radio frequency filter design solutions for the mobile device industry.
  • Arq Inc. (formerly Advanced Emissions Solutions)
    • Business combination with Arq Limited, a producer of innovative carbon-based products and advanced energy materials.
  • United Therapeutics
    • Acquisition of SteadyMed, a publicly traded medical device manufacturer.
  • The Williams Companies
    • $10.5 billion merger with Williams Partners, L.P.
  • Berkshire Hathaway Energy
    • Acquisition of publicly-traded NV Energy, Inc. for $10 billion.
  • Luminant Holdings
    • Acquisition of natural gas generation facilities from NextEra Energy for approximately $1.3 billion

Thought Leadership and Recognition

Jonathan co-authors the LexisNexis M&A Practice Guide, a comprehensive resource for transactional attorneys, and regularly speaks and writes on mergers and acquisitions topics, including representation and warranty insurance. Recognized as an “Up and Coming” Corporate/M&A attorney by Chambers USA in their 2023 publication and a finalist for D CEO magazine and the Association of Corporate Growth Dealmaker of the Year in 2018, Jonathan combines deep legal expertise with a practical, client-focused approach.

As the Hiring Partner for Gibson Dunn’s Dallas office, Jonathan is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of legal talent while continuing to deliver exceptional results for his clients.

Education

Jonathan received his law degree summa cum laude in 2009 from the SMU Dedman School of Law, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and served as an Articles Editor on the SMU Law Review. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree summa cum laude and his Master of Business Administration degree from Louisiana Tech University.

Bar Admission

Jonathan is a member of the Texas Bar and admitted to practice in the State of Texas.

Emma Wexler is an associate in Gibson Dunn’s Palo Alto Office. Her practice focuses on data privacy, artificial intelligence, and consumer protection.

Emma earned her Juris Doctor from University of California Los Angeles Law School in 2024, where she served as the Chief Articles Editor of the Journal of Law and Technology. While in law school, she served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Jacqueline Scott Corley. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Decision Sciences from Brown University. Emma is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US).

She is admitted to practice in the State of California.

Mitri J. Najjar is a partner in the London office. He is admitted in both Washington D.C. and New York. He has 30 years of experience representing a wide variety of clients in numerous international transactions.

Mitri has resided and practiced law in Riyadh, New York City, Washington D.C., Dubai, and London. He works extensively in the international commercial and banking areas, as well as on domestic securities matters and acquisitions.

Mitri is ranked as a ‘foreign expert’ for both UAE: Corporate/M&A and UAE: Corporate/Commercial by Chambers Global 2016, and recognised as a Corporate/M&A ‘expert’ in advising on inbound and outbound Middle Eastern deals by Chambers UK 2017. He is also recommended for UAE: Corporate and M&A by Legal 500 EMEA 2016, and has most recently been recognized by Best Lawyers 2025 in the UK for Corporate Law. He was also recognized by Best Lawyers in 2017 in the UAE as a leading lawyer for Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Mitri is also ranked as a notable practitioner in IFLR1000 2022 for M&A.

He was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations from 1989 to 1994 and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He is fluent in Arabic.

Haley Moritz is an associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn. She currently practices in the firm’s Transactional Department.

Haley earned her law degree from New York University School of Law. At NYU, she served as the Academic Events Editor on the New York University Journal of Law & Business and instructed first-year students as a Teaching Assistant in the Lawyering Program. Haley also participated in the Role of the Corporate General Counsel externship program.

Prior to law school, she graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics.

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

Victor Milon is an associate in the Paris office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity, as well as Corporate Governance and Securities Law Practice Groups.

He advises all sorts of public and private companies, as well as investment funds, in connection with a variety of operations, including mergers and acquisitions, LBOs, divestments, reorganizations, and governance matters, including in distressed situations.

Admitted to the Paris Bar since 2022, Victor received an LL.M. in International and European Business Law from Trinity College Dublin in 2020 and graduated in Corporate and Tax Law from University Paris I – Panthéon Sorbonne in 2018.

He speaks French and English fluently.

Valy Menendez is an associate in the Los Angeles office of Gibson Dunn. She practices in the firm’s Transactional Department.

Valy earned her Juris Doctor in 2022 from Columbia Law School, where she was named a James Kent Scholar and a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. While in law school, she held leadership positions in the Latinx Law Students Association, the California Society, and the Paralegal Pathways Initiative. Valy also served as a Teaching Assistant for Professor Eric Talley in Corporations and Judge Gerard Lynch in Civil Procedure.

She graduated with distinction from Yale University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, having double majored in Political Science and Ethnicity, Race, and Migration.

Valy is admitted to practice in the State of California.

Colette McNeela is a corporate associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn, where she currently practices in the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Group. She is currently on secondment.

She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she was a Hardy Cross Dillard Scholar and a member of the senior editorial board of the Virginia Law & Business Review. Colette graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in History, Politics & Philosophy and History and Philosophy of Science, with a minor in French.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, she was an associate in the New York office of another international law firm.

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

Mason Stringer is an associate in the Denver office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group.

Mason received his Juris Doctor summa cum laude from Brigham Young University in 2024. In law school, he served as the president of the Moot Court team and as an executive editor on the Law Review. He received his Bachelor of Science in Finance from Brigham Young University in 2019.

Mason is admitted to practice in the State of Colorado.

Lyons George is an associate in the San Francisco office of Gibson Dunn, where he practices in the Firm’s Litigation Department.

Lyons received his B.A. in English Literature from the University of Maryland, and his J.D. from Stanford Law School. During law school, he served as a teaching assistant at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and an extern in the Yosemite Park Prosecutor’s Office. Lyons initially joined the Firm following a clerkship with the Honorable Richard Seeborg, Chief United States District Judge for the Northern District of California. 

In 2023, Lyons left the Firm to join the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, where as a Deputy DA he successfully first-chaired multiple criminal jury trials. Lyons rejoined the Firm in 2025.

Tom Caruso is an associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn where he practices in the firm’s Transportation and Space and Capital Markets Practice Groups. Tom represents clients in a variety of corporate transactions including asset-backed securities offerings, secured and unsecured lending, public offerings, debt restructuring, and private placements. He has expertise in structured finance transactions, with particular experience in transportation asset classes, including commercial and business aviation, rolling stock, vessel finance, and equipment loans and leases.

Relevant experience includes advising:

  • The initial purchasers in a 144A/Reg S offering by ALTDE 2025-1 Trust of two classes of notes backed by a portfolio of 24 aircraft in an aggregate principal amount of $582,880,000.
  • Castlelake as the issuer and servicer on its C-LAKE 2023-1 transaction, whereby the issuer issued $467 million of notes backed by 12 aircraft loans relating to 32 aircraft with 7 different obligors in 6 different countries.
  • Flexjet, Inc. as the issuer of a $550 million unsecured note issuance.
  • Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs, as managers and initial lenders, on an aircraft portfolio financing for Castlelake, with a value of up to $1.327 billion, secured by a portfolio of 60+ aircraft.
  • AIP Capital, as issuer’s counsel, in connection with its $242 million enhanced equipment trust certificate (EETC) financing, comprised of $202.2 million of Class A notes and $39.9 million of Class B notes. The notes are backed by a portfolio of seven new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft on long-term leases to two airlines.
  • Deutsche Bank AG, as lender, administrative agent and syndication agent, in a $200 million warehouse loan financing secured by rolling stock.

Tom earned his Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School, where he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy. Tom earned his undergraduate degree in Economics-Mathematics from Columbia University.