Robert A. Vincent is a partner in the Dallas office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the firm’s Litigation Department and practices in the Intellectual Property Practice Group.

Mr. Vincent’s practice focuses primarily on intellectual property litigation. He also has experience in Lanham Act litigation, trade secret litigation, securities litigation, antitrust and trade regulation, regulatory enforcement proceedings, and punitive damages liability. Mr. Vincent represents leading companies involving a variety of technologies, including biopharmaceuticals and recombinant DNA technology, smartphones, user interfaces, semiconductors, software, video games, data compression, and LCD technology. He has litigated complex patent infringement cases across the country, including the International Trade Commission.

Mr. Vincent’s experience includes all aspects of litigation, including pre-suit investigation, e-discovery, taking and defending numerous fact and expert depositions, summary judgment and Markman proceedings, trial preparation, and post-trial briefing. He has successfully written and argued motions in multiple jurisdictions, including the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas and the District of New Jersey. Mr. Vincent is also recognized by IAM Patent 1000 as a 2025 leading patent lawyer.

Mr. Vincent earned his law degree from Columbia University School of Law in 2006, where he was named a Kent Scholar. He also received the Whitney North Seymour Medal, awarded annually to the student who shows the greatest promise of becoming a distinguished trial advocate. While in law school, Mr. Vincent worked as an extern for the Honorable Sonia Sotomayor of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University in 2003.

Mr. Vincent is a member of the State Bar of Texas. He is also admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Sarah E. Erickson is of counsel in the Denver Office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She is a core member of the firm’s Privacy, Cybersecurity, and Data Innovation; Artificial Intelligence; and Consumer Protection practice groups. Every year since 2021, Sarah has received the Best Lawyers: Ones To Watch recognition for her high caliber work in Commercial Litigation. The Legal 500 USA has also recognized Sarah as a Key Lawyer in Cyber Law (including Data Privacy).

Sarah’s practice focuses on counseling clients in various industries, ranging from start-ups to publicly traded Fortune 100 companies, on strategic compliance with data privacy and consumer protection laws and on representing clients in the technology sector in high-stakes investigations and inquiries by the FTC, CFPB, Congressional committees, and other federal and state consumer protection agencies and in litigation in federal and state court. Representative matters include:

  • successfully representing a leading generative AI company in an FTC investigation into downstream uses of the company’s AI technology, resulting in closure of the investigation with no further action;
  • representing a publicly traded lead generation company in an FTC investigation and enforcement action;
  • serving as a primary contact to a publicly traded social media company for ongoing, strategic advice on implementation of a data privacy compliance program required under a Consent Order following an FTC investigation relating to the company’s use of consumers’ personal information;
  • representing a leading online retailer and video streaming service in responding to two separate orders to file Special Reports under Section 6(b) of the FTC Act;
  • representing a publicly traded fintech company in responding to various market-monitoring orders from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) regarding consumer payments and buy now, pay later products;
  • representing a social media company in responding to U.S. House Select Committee investigation into the January 6, 2021 Capitol Riots;
  • representing a leading social media company in federal and state-level investigations related to the company’s use of consumer data and related litigation;
  • advising Fortune 500 health care company on strategic HIPAA compliance, including conducting risk assessments and preparing risk management plans;
  • advising a leading tech company and a healthcare company on HIPAA compliance in the development of AI tools to assist providers;
  • providing real-time and crisis management advice to companies during investigations of suspected and actual data breaches;
  • conducting HIPAA and FTC consumer protection diligence assessments for mergers & acquisitions involving health care entities and business associates;
  • advising companies from a variety of sectors on compliance with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), state breach notification laws, and federal and state consumer protection laws;
  • advising companies from the financial, technology, and retail sectors on Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) regulatory and compliance matters;
  • providing pro bono counseling to non-profit organizations on compliance with GDPR, state data breach notification statutes, and best practices for cybersecurity and data privacy.

Sarah has also represented clients in the health care, technology, telecommunications, and transportation industries in notice-and-comment rulemaking proceedings, regulatory appeals, and in the federal trial and appellate courts. Representative matters include:

  • representing a Fortune 100 telecommunications company and national trade association in high-stakes rulemaking proceedings before the FCC;
  • successfully challenging an agency ruling under the Administrative Procedures Act in the D.C. Circuit on behalf of the railroad industry, securing vacatur of the rule;
  • representing beverage and advertising trade associations in obtaining a preliminary injunction from the Ninth Circuit enjoining a compelled disclosure on First Amendment grounds;
  • representing state health care provider in challenging a Medicaid disallowance;
  • representing a managed health care company in responding to a proposed rule to change Medicare Advantage reimbursement methodology;
  • represented a health care company in responding to HHS-Office of Civil Rights’ request for information on revisions to HIPAA Privacy Rule.

Sarah also maintains an active pro bono practice that spans a range of subject matter, including representing individual clients seeking asylum in removal proceedings to representing nonprofits on compliance with privacy laws, including HIPAA.

Before joining the firm, Sarah served as law clerk to the Honorable Diana Motz of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

She graduated magna cum laude and in the top 1% of her class at Georgetown University Law Center. While at Georgetown, Sarah received the Charles A. Keigwin Award for achieving the highest GPA at the conclusion of first year courses and served as Articles Editor of The Georgetown Law Journal. She also published student notes on the subjects of civil rights and national security and served as a weekly contributor for SCOTUSblog.

Sarah also holds a Master of Arts in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Düsseldorf, Germany and a Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Prior to private practice, she worked in the field of international development. She speaks German, French, and Dutch.

Caroline Black is an associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Antitrust and Competition Practice Group.

She advises clients on all aspects of antitrust law, with a particular focus on counseling clients on antitrust compliance as well as merger and non-merger investigations before the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice. Caroline also has experience with complex private antitrust litigation. Her antitrust experience spans a wide range of industries, including technology, consumer goods, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, industrials, energy, and financial services.

Caroline currently serves as a Vice Chair in the ABA’s Antitrust Section. Caroline has also previously spent time at the General Court of the European Court of Justice, where she worked on novel competition law cases.

Caroline received her law degree from Columbia Law School.

Representative matters include*

  • American Express Company in its $400 million acquisition of Tock from Squarespace
  • Cadence Bank in its $6 billion merger of equals with BancorpSouth Bank
  • EchoStar Corporation, parent company of DISH Network Corporation, in its $256 million divestiture of certain Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands spectrum assets to Liberty Latin America Ltd.
  • First Horizon in its merger with IBERIABANK
  • Fiserv, Inc. in its $650 million acquisition of Finxact
  • Guardant Health in connection with Illumina’s $8 billion acquisition of GRAIL
  • U.S. Bank on its strategic alliance with State Farm
  • RPX Corp. in an antitrust/IP dispute brought by Xockets, alleging software licensing collusion with Microsoft and NVIDIA
  • Seagen in its $43 billion acquisition by Pfizer
  • SunTrust in its $66 billion merger of equals with BB&T
  • Tadano Ltd. in its $223 million acquisition of Manitex International

*Includes matters handled prior to joining Gibson Dunn.

Caroline is admitted to practice in New York and California.

Jaclyn Hellreich is an associate in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher where she currently practices in the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group. Jaclyn has experience in a wide variety of IP litigation matters in various courts including Western and Eastern Districts of Texas, the District of Delaware, and the Northern District of California. She also has extensive experience litigating in the U.S. International Trade Commission, and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Jaclyn has worked on cases covering a wide range of technologies including network communication, computer architecture, software, fintech, and medical devices. In addition, Jaclyn has frequently advised clients on strategic issues related to intellectual property rights.

Jaclyn’s pro bono work includes representing clients in defamation suits, public housing disputes, immigration proceedings, and domestic violence matters. She also advises small businesses on data, privacy and IP matters. 

She received her Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School in 2019. At Brooklyn Law School, Jaclyn was an Associate Managing Editor for the Brooklyn Law Review. Her student paper was presented at the NYCLA’s CLE Security in a Cyber World. Prior to law school, she received a B.S. in Biology from SUNY Geneseo and presented her scientific research at the Experimental Biology Conference in 2014 (San Diego) and 2015 (Boston).

Jaclyn is admitted to practice before the Southern and Eastern District Court of New York as well as New York state courts.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, she was an associate in the IP Litigation Department of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft in New York.

Sarah Elmiry is an associate in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher.

She received her Juris Doctor, summa cum laude, in 2022 from New York Law School, where she served as Staff Editor of the New York Law School Law Review.

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

William Goldman is of counsel in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group. He concentrates his practice on real estate finance transactions representing banks, debt funds and other institutional lenders in the origination of mortgage loan, mezzanine loans and construction loans across all asset types. Will’s practice also includes the representation of institutional investors and operating companies in connection with the acquisition and financing of real estate, joint ventures and leasing.

William received his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 2012. He received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the City University of New York (CUNY) in 2009.

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

Brandon Stoker is of counsel in the Los Angeles office of Gibson Dunn, where his practice focuses on complex business litigation at the trial and appellate levels. He is a member of the firm’s Antitrust and Competition, Appellate and Constitutional Law, Class Actions, and Labor and Employment Practice Groups.

Brandon works with clients in a variety of industries, including technology, consumer products, energy, healthcare, insurance, and financial services. He has represented clients in antitrust, breach-of-contract, consumer, and employment class actions; constitutional litigation involving challenges based on due process, equal protection, the Commerce Clause, and the First Amendment; and government investigation and enforcement actions involving the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Federal Trade Commission, and state attorneys general.

He has represented clients in 10 trials in federal and state courts throughout the country.  He also represents clients in diverse appellate matters, including briefing dozens of appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court, most federal circuits, and numerous state intermediate and supreme courts, and has successfully presented oral argument to the Ninth Circuit. He frequently advises business leaders on issues at the intersection of litigation, regulation, and public policy, and has substantial experience developing risk-mitigation strategies and guiding clients through crisis situations.

Since 2018, Brandon has been named a “Rising Star” in Class Action Litigation in the yearly Super Lawyers edition of Los Angeles Magazine, and since 2022 he has been recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America®. His litigation wins have been profiled in awards conferred by a variety of publications, including: “Litigators of the Week,” The Am Law Litigation Daily (June 2021); “Litigators of the Week,” The Am Law Litigation Daily (February 2018); “Top Verdicts of 2017,” Los Angeles Daily Journal (February 2018); “Litigation Department of the Year,” The American Lawyer (January 2016); “Top Verdicts of 2014,” Los Angeles Daily Journal (February 2015); “Practice Group Performs In Spotlight and Under Pressure,” Los Angeles Daily Journal (March 2012); and “Litigation Department of the Year,” The American Lawyer (January 2012).

Representative Matters:

  • The Standard Fire Ins. Co. v. Knowles (U.S. Supreme Court): Winning a unanimous victory in the first Supreme Court decision to interpret the jurisdictional limitations of the Class Action Fairness Act.
  • Campbell v. Uber Technologies, Inc. (Mass. Super. Ct.): Representing Uber in an enforcement action brought by the Massachusetts Attorney General in which the government sought injunctive and declaratory relief that drivers who use Uber’s rideshare application have been misclassified as independent contractors.  The parties reached a favorable settlement on the eve of closing argument following a three-week trial.
  • Razak v. Uber Technologies, Inc. (E.D. Pa.):  Representing Uber in two jury trials on misclassification claims asserted by luxury vehicle fleet owners who use Uber Black.  After both trials resulted in split verdicts favoring Uber, the court dismissed the action with prejudice.
  • Ballejos v. Facebook, Inc. (San Mateo Super. Ct.; Cal. App.): Winning dismissal with prejudice, and unanimous affirmance on appeal, of a consumer class action alleging undisclosed data sharing of user profile information on the Facebook platform.
  • In re Uber Technologies Wage and Hour Cases (S.F. Super. Ct.): Representing Uber in a series of putative class and government enforcement actions in California asserting that Uber has misclassified drivers as independent contractors, including defeating four preliminary injunction motions, winning several motions to enforce arbitration agreements, and securing an emergency stay on the eve of a statewide shutdown of Uber’s ridesharing platform in California.
  • In Facebook, Inc. Consumer Privacy User Profile Litigation (N.D. Cal.); New Mexico v. Meta Platforms, Inc. (Santa Fe Dist. Ct.): Representing Meta in a series of putative class actions and government enforcement actions relating to data privacy issues arising out of the Cambridge Analytica events.
  • Persian Gulf Inc. v. BP West Coast Prods. (S.D. Cal.): Representing Chevron U.S.A. in antitrust class actions alleging a conspiracy among eight oil companies to reduce supply and inflate gasoline prices in California. The Court granted summary judgment on all claims, excluded plaintiffs’ experts, and entered judgment for all defendants.
  • Cepelak v. HP, Inc. (N.D. Cal):  Representing HP in a consumer class action brought asserting claims of unfair competition and fraud on behalf of a sweeping class of HP inkjet printer owners. After the court issued a decisive order denying class certification, plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed the case.
  • Hewlett-Packard Co. v. Oracle Corp. (Santa Clara Super. Ct.): Securing a verdict finding that Oracle breached its agreement to continue porting software to HP’s high-performance Itanium servers. The jury awarded HP more than $3 billion in damages—one of the largest single-plaintiff verdicts in United States history.  The California Court of Appeal unanimously affirmed the judgment.
  • Bay Area Surgical Management et al. v. Aetna Life Insurance Company (N.D. Cal.): Representing Aetna in an antitrust action alleging an unlawful conspiracy to restrain trade in the healthcare market. The case successfully settled after the court granted defendants’ motion to dismiss.
  • Lawson v. Grubhub Inc. (N.D. Cal.): In a landmark case for the “gig economy,” preemptively defeating class certification and winning a verdict for Grubhub finding that a delivery service provider was properly classified as an independent contractor.
  • Mohamed/Gillette v. Uber Technologies, Inc. (Ninth Circuit): Persuading the Ninth Circuit to grant interlocutory review of a class certification order and obtaining unanimous decisions enforcing Uber’s arbitration agreements and decertifying a class of hundreds of thousands of drivers.
  • Parsons Constr. v. L.A. Cnty. Metro. Transp. Auth. (Cal. App.): Securing unanimous reversal of a $100 million judgment, on a 17-year trial record, arising from a contract dispute relating to the construction of the L.A. Metro Red Line.
  • Fischer v. Time Warner Cable, Inc. (Cal. App.): Persuading the court to unanimously affirm dismissal of a $6 billion class action against Time Warner Cable, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Lakers, alleging that it is unlawful to include sports programming in bundled cable packages.
  • Vergara v. California (L.A. Super. Ct.): Winning a significant ruling, following an eight-week trial, that California’s teacher tenure laws violate students’ fundamental right to education under the California Constitution. Named among the “Top Verdicts” of the year by the Daily Journal, Vergara was described by The New York Times Editorial Board as a landmark decision that “opens a new chapter in the equal education struggle,” and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan called the ruling a “mandate to fix the problems” that beset California’s public schools.

Brandon maintains an active pro bono practice that focuses on youth advocacy, military veterans, and first-generation entrepreneurs. In recent years, he has represented unaccompanied minors in petitions for asylum and secured permanent restraining orders on behalf of domestic violence survivors. He also presented oral argument to the Ninth Circuit and won unanimous reversal of an order dismissing the claims of a pro se civil rights petitioner.

He has written and presented on a variety of subjects, including class actions, arbitration, employment, and constitutional law. Brandon co-authored The Changed Landscape of Businesses’ Right to Enforce Arbitration Agreements: A Survey of Class Actions Involving Petitions to Compel Arbitration After Concepcion (Bloomberg/BNA Class Action Litigation Report), and contributes to chapters and updates in A Practitioner’s Guide to Class Actions (American Bar Association).

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Brandon served as a law clerk to the Honorable N. Randy Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He graduated magna cum laude and Order of the Coif from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the law review. While in law school, he externed with the Honorable David Sam of the United States District Court for the District of Utah and received the John S. Welch Prize for Outstanding Legal Writing.

Howard S. Hogan is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and is chair of the Consumer and Retail practice group. Over the course of his career, Howard has handled numerous complex cases in a variety of federal and state courts in several different substantive areas including general commercial, securities and employment matters, and internal investigations.

Howard has been repeatedly recognized as a leading voice in the intellectual property legal community, including being highly ranked in Chambers USA, by Managing IP as an IP Star for both trademark and copyright matters, in World Trademark Review’s list of “World’s Leading Trademark Professionals” and its “Global Leaders Guide,” and in serving as a committee chair with the International Trademark Association.  In 2024, WTR described Howard as a “tenacious litigator” who “knows how to deliver a convincing argument and makes all the right strategic moves to put an end to disputes swiftly.”

Howard’s practice focuses on IP litigation and counseling, including trademark, false advertising, copyright, right of publicity, licensing, trade secret, and patent matters. Howard has represented various corporations and individuals in a broad range of industries, including fashion, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, financial services, sports, entertainment, transportation, and online services. A significant portion of Howard’s practice involves computer, Internet, and new media-related issues. Many of Howard’s matters have tested the application of traditional legal principles to the Internet and emerging technologies, such as in connection with issues of Internet jurisdiction, online contracting, and the application of trademark and copyright law to search engines, social media, mobile apps, and artificial intelligence. Howard has been involved in cutting edge matters concerning the protection of data, and he has assisted clients with several substantial trade secrets and information security matters.  Howard also represents clients in connection with rights of publicity, Name Image and Likeness (NIL) rights, and the developing legal framework that governs uses of digital replicas.

Representative Matters

  • Represented TikTok and ByteDance Ltd. in a seven-day trademark infringement trial where plaintiffs asked the jury to award $116 million in damages. Howard’s direct and cross-examinations of expert witnesses helped convince the jury to unanimously reject the plaintiff’s claims.
  • Represented a real estate company in a trademark infringement case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Howard and the Gibson Dunn team convinced the appellate court to reverse the district court’s grant of judgment and to reinstate the plaintiff’s claims.
  • Served as lead counsel to A SHOC Beverage, LLC and Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. in a trade dress and false advertising lawsuit brought by the owner of the Celsius beverage brand that sought to ban the A SHOC Accelerator product from the marketplace. The district court granted Gibson Dunn’s motion to dismiss the claims with prejudice and ordered that plaintiff’s counsel reimburse defendants for $249,357 in fees.
  • Represented Brooks Sports, Inc. in a hotly contested trademark infringement suit in the Eastern District of Virginia against a prominent Chinese sporting goods company. Howard and the Gibson Dunn team built an extensive record of the defendant’s extreme discovery misconduct, leading to a default judgment sanction in Brooks’ favor. The parties then entered into a settlement agreement.
  • Argued a high-profile copyright case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which resulted in a published decision reversing an injunction that had purported to prohibit the sale and marketing of an allegedly infringing book written by Gibson Dunn’s client.
  • Served as lead counsel to Kimberly-Clark Corporation in a trademark infringement action seeking millions of dollars in damages because of Kimberly-Clark’s alleged use of the plaintiff’s registered phrase in online advertising. After eliciting testimony in which the plaintiff admitted that he could not meet his required burden of establishing a likelihood of confusion, the case was resolved on confidential terms.
  • Represented Heaven’s Door Spirits LLC, marketer of its “Heaven’s Door” line of premium whiskeys in partnership with Bob Dylan, in connection with a trademark infringement action that sought an injunction banning the product. The parties entered into a confidential settlement agreement and “Heaven’s Door” whiskey continues to be sold throughout the United States.
  • Represented Gucci America, Inc., Balenciaga America, Inc., Tiffany & Co., and other luxury brands in a series of trademark infringement actions against operators of websites that sell counterfeit goods, resulting in awards of millions of dollars in damages and broad injunctive relief. In 2009, Howard and the Gibson Dunn team brought claims in the Southern District of New York against Woodforest National Bank and others for their role in processing credit card orders for counterfeits. In June 2010, in a closely watched decision, the court denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss, finding that Gucci’s complaint sufficiently stated a contributory trademark liability claim. Later, in Gucci America, Inc. v. Li, a different court granted Gibson Dunn’s motion to compel the Bank of China to produce counterfeiters’ bank records, despite claims that the documents were protected under Chinese law, and denied the Bank’s cross-motion to relieve its obligation to freeze the counterfeiters’ accounts. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed that decision in relevant part and subsequently refused to stay the district court’s further order holding the Bank of China in contempt of court and assessing daily fines of $50,000 per day. The matter settled on confidential terms.
  • Represented Capital One Financial Corporation in a lawsuit against the most senior officers of BankUnited, Inc., for violation of non-competition agreements that they had entered into in connection with the sale of North Fork Bank to Capital One in 2006 for $13.2 billion. The case settled on favorable terms after Capital One prevailed in a number of discovery disputes, and after the district  court denied Defendants’ motion for summary judgment. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Capital One received $20 million in cash, and Defendants agreed to additional non-monetary relief.
  • Represented American Airlines, Inc. in a cutting-edge and hard-fought trademark dispute with Google seeking broad injunctive relief and extensive damages concerning the use of American’s trademarks in Google’s search advertising programs. After intense discovery battles, Gibson Dunn successfully argued to the Court that Google should be sanctioned by requiring Google to provide direct access to its extensive electronic databases so that American could show substantial trademark violations and extensive damages. The case was settled pursuant to a confidential settlement agreement. Gibson Dunn also represented American Airlines in a similar lawsuit against Yahoo alleging identical claims, and Yahoo also settled on the eve of an evidentiary hearing concerning Yahoo’s alleged discovery misconduct.
  • Served as lead counsel for the University of Southern California in a case filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by inventor Dennis Solomon asserting trademark, trade secrets, and other claims. In 2010, the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit summarily affirmed the order of dismissal obtained in the District Court below.

Howard is a frequent lecturer and writer on intellectual property and technology-related issues. Howard is the lead author of Fashion Law and Business: Brands and Retailers, a treatise published by the Practising Law Institute and recognized as one of the “21 Best Fashion Books of All Time” by Fashionista in 2023. He is also author of the trademark and domain name chapters of the treatise, Intellectual Property Law in Cyberspace.  Howard has also been a speaker at meetings of the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Conference in Austin, Texas; the American Bar Association Section of Intellectual Property Law; and Comic-Con San Diego. Howard has provided commentary for CBS News, Bloomberg TV, and National Public Radio, and he has been quoted in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.

Howard has long served as the Pro Bono Partner for Gibson Dunn’s Washington, D.C. office, and he devotes significant time to assisting not-for-profit organizations with different issues. In 2008, the Meals on Wheels Association of America honored Howard with its ‘Friend of the Year Award’ for his assistance to MOWAA’s efforts to end senior hunger, and in 2019, the Jewish National Fund honored Howard and a Gibson Dunn team with the organization’s inaugural Presidential Award for their pro bono contributions. Howard has served on the Boards of Directors for the Council for Court Excellence, the National Foundation to End Senior Hunger, and the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, among others.

From 1999-2000, Howard was Law Clerk to the Honorable Naomi Reice Buchwald, United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York. In 1994, Howard helped to initiate the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps, where he served as a Team Leader until 1996 and received the organization’s Outstanding Leadership Award in 1995.

Howard received his B.S.F.S., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in 1994 in International Relations, Law, and Organization, Phi Beta Kappa with a European Studies Certificate. In 1999, he received his J.D., cum laude, from New York University School of Law, where he was Editor-in-Chief of The Commentator and Research and Writing Editor for the Moot Court Board. Howard is also an alumnus of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University, where he spent the 1992-93 academic term as a visiting student.

Howard is a member of the bars of New York, Connecticut, and the District of Columbia, and has been admitted to appear before the United States Supreme Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the Third Circuit, the Fourth Circuit, the Fifth Circuit, the Ninth Circuit, the Eleventh Circuit, the D.C. Circuit and the Federal Circuit and the United States District Courts for the Southern, Eastern, and Northern Districts of New York, the District of Columbia, the District of Maryland, and the Eastern District of Texas.

Doug Watson is an English-qualified Partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and co-chair of the London Disputes Group. He is a member of the firm’s Dispute Resolution and International Arbitration Groups.

Doug specialises in commercial litigation and international arbitration. He has broad-based experience, encompassing High Court litigation, judicial review, cross-border disputes, regulatory investigations and associated follow-on litigation. He has acted for clients across a wide spectrum of industries including telecommunications, energy, aviation, media and sport.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Doug trained and practised at a Magic Circle firm, where he was seconded to both an international consumer electronics company and Europe’s largest defence contractor.

Doug is recognised in The Legal 500 UK 2025 for Commercial Litigation, Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail, Competition Litigation, International Arbitration and Administrative and public law. He is also ranked for International Arbitration and Litigation in the Lawdragon 500 Global Litigation Lawyers 2024 guide.

Mary G. Murphy is a partner in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s San Francisco office and is a member of the firm’s Land Use and Development, Real Estate, and Sports Law Practice Groups.

Mary represents a wide variety of developers and investors in real estate transactions and land use issues, with particular experience in public and private partnerships and historic rehabilitation projects. She has strong development experience within San Francisco and around the Bay Area, including extensive experience in significant and historic public/private development deals.

Mary has received numerous local, state, and national honors, including:

  • The Legal 500 U.S. named Mary to its “Hall of Fame,” having recognized her as a Leading Lawyer for Real Estate – Land Use/Zoning since 2017.
  • Expert Guides named Mary to its 2021 and 2022 Guide to the World’s Leading Women in Business Law.
  • Chambers USA as a Band 1 Lawyer in California – Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use.
  • Daily Journal as a 2017 California Lawyer of the Year.
  • San Francisco Business Times named Mary to the list of “100 Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business” several times, and was elevated in 2017 to their “Forever Influential” status.
  • Euromoney LMG Americas Women in Business Law award in Real Estate.
  • Best Lawyers consistently named Mary a Best Lawyer in Real Estate.
  • Who’s Who Legal recognized Mary in 2023 Real Estate

Highlights of Mary’s representations include:

  • Serving as lead counsel to the Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball team in its efforts to develop a new major league baseball stadium. Mary is representing the A’s in the efforts in Las Vegas, Nevada and previously assisted the A’s in working on a stadium and ancillary development in Oakland, California at Howard Terminal, owned by the Port of Oakland.
  • Representing Brookfield Properties in its proposed redevelopment of the Stonestown Galleria shopping center on the west side of San Francisco into a new mixed-use development with over 3000 new housing units. The redevelopment proposal includes a rezoning of the site and a development agreement with the City of San Francisco.
  • Represented the Golden State Warriors in their successful entitlement of a new event center and mixed-use development in the Mission Bay area of San Francisco, including successfully defending the entitlements and CEQA analysis pursuant to AB 900, an expedited judicial review process for CEQA cases and recently successfully entitled a further development of a hotel at the site.
  • Represented Treasure Island Community Developers in its successful negotiations to redevelop Treasure Island, a former naval base in the San Francisco Bay. The Treasure Island project is a complex, multi-year, multi-phase development project involving federal, state and local components. Mary continues to represent Treasure Island in the implementation of the project along with the Gibson Dunn team.
  • Represented Build, Inc. in the successful entitlement of a 1575 unit mixed-use development project with over 15 acres of public use space in the India Basin area of San Francisco.
  • Lead counsel in the successful entitlement for the redevelopment of the 312 acre Parkmerced residential development in San Francisco.
  • Represented Related Company in its 9 million square foot development in Santa Clara, including negotiating a development agreement and related documents and, with the Gibson Dunn team, is assisting in implementing the project.
  • Represented Cedar Fair, the owner of the Great American Theme Park in Santa Clara, in the acquisition of its property.
  • Representing Interfaith Chapel at the Presidio in its negotiations for a ground lease and a related development project at the Presidio.
  • Represented Sports Basement in its negotiations pertaining to its lease in the Presidio.
  • Represented Fortress Investment Group in its efforts to redevelop the Oakland Coliseum City site as a home for the Oakland Raiders.
  • Counsel to URW, formerly Westfield America, the developer of the $420 million public/private retail and entertainment complex, the Westfield San Francisco Centre, an urban 1-million-square-foot retail and entertainment complex, and representing Westfield in its efforts to redevelop a portion of the Centre. Mary also assisted Westfield in its acquisition of the 350,000-square foot SONY Metreon, an urban dining, gaming, music, exhibition, shopping, and movie entertainment complex, located in downtown San Francisco.
  • Represented developers in the public/private partnership with the Port of San Francisco, the rehabilitation of Piers 1 ½, 3 and 5, a historic waterfront property, and was lead counsel to the developers of the San Francisco Ferry Building, a national historic landmark. In 2003, this project was named “Deal of the Year” by the San Francisco Business Times. Both waterfront projects were federal historic tax credit projects.
  • Other important historic building rehabilitations in which Mary was legal counsel include the original Bank of Italy Building (One Powell Street), the old San Francisco Chronicle Building (690 Market Street, San Francisco’s first skyscraper), the Mutual Bank Building (700 Market Street), the Call Building (74 New Montgomery), and the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Building (140 New Montgomery), all located in downtown San Francisco.

Additional relevant information about Mary includes:

  • Appointed by both Presidents Clinton and Bush, Mary served two terms on the Presidio Trust Board, a United States Government Corporation established by Congress in 1996.
  • Mary recently stepped down from her role as the co-chair of the Bay Area Council Housing Committee, as well as a member of the Board of Directors and sits on the Executive Committee of Advance SF (formerly the Committee on JOBS).
  • Mary recently concluded her role on the Board of Trustees of San Francisco Planning & Urban Research and is a former board member of the San Francisco Boys & Girls Club, Hamlin School for Girls, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and the Drew School in San Francisco.
  • She is also a former San Francisco City Commissioner, having served on the San Francisco Board of Appeals, which hears, among other things, appeals from the Planning Commission and Zoning Administrator.
  • Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Mary was a partner at a San Francisco firm, as well as a law clerk for Judges Cecil F. Poole and James R. Browning of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
  • Mary received her law degree from Harvard University, cum laude, in 1986. She was a Rhodes Scholar and graduated from Oxford University with an Honours B.A. in 1983. She received her B.A., cum laude with distinction, from Yale University in 1981.

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

Mr. Haberman’s practice focuses on the representation of banks and funds as both borrowers and lenders on the origination, purchase and sale of balance sheet, securitized, syndicated, mezzanine, preferred equity and corporate loans (including land, construction, repositioning, bridge and permanent loans) across all real estate asset classes. He has extensive experience in structuring and negotiating complex financing arrangements for loans that present underwriting challenges. In addition, Mr. Haberman has substantial experience working out individual loans and entire capital structures for both lenders and borrowers as well as exercising remedies on behalf of lenders and counseling borrowers through insolvency proceedings. His practice includes representing institutional investors on joint venture agreements, acquisitions and developments.

Mr. Haberman is ranked as a leading lawyer for real estate in New York by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Chambers describes Mr. Haberman as a “tremendous” and “phenomenally intelligent and thoughtful lawyer” and notes “his negotiation skills are second to none” and “he has a great sense of the market and a deep understanding of distressed lending situations.” He is ranked as a leading lawyer in The Legal 500 US for Real Estate Finance, by GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum as one of its 50 Under 40 in the commercial real estate industry, by Lawdragon in its 500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers list, and by Crain’s New York as a “Rising Star in Real Estate.”

Mr. Haberman received his Juris Doctor in 2008 from New York University, where he served as an Articles Editor of the Journal of Legislation and Public Policy. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, in Political Science in 2005 from New York University. He is fluent in Hebrew.

Kyle Rice is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the Geopolitical Strategy and International Law Practice Group, the International Arbitration Practice Group, and the Arbitral Award Enforcement Practice Group.

Kyle’s practice focuses on assisting clients in complex, international disputes. He regularly advises clients on treaty and commercial arbitration, public international law, U.S. foreign relations law, award enforcement, and commercial litigation.

Kyle has represented and advised sovereigns, international organizations, and multinationals on issues of international and U.S. law and in public and private fora, including arbitral institutions such as the LCIA, SCC, PCA, ICC, AAA, and ICSID. His practice spans multiple industries, including infrastructure, telecommunications, commodities, renewables, energy, medical devices, and emerging technology.

Kyle earned his law degree magna cum laude from the New York University School of Law, where he was Senior Executive Editor for the Journal of International Law and Politics. He graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University, where he majored in Science, Technology, and International Affairs. Before attending law school, Kyle was a strategy and mergers and acquisitions consultant at Accenture LLP.

Kyle is admitted to practice in the State of New York and the District of Columbia.

Zach Lloyd is a senior associate in Gibson Dunn’s San Francisco office. He is a member of the firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations, Litigation, Latin America, Transnational Litigation, and Private Equity practice groups. 

He maintains a national practice where he has led diverse teams of lawyers and consultants in advising companies, their boards and audit committees, regulated entities and individuals in DOJ, SEC, FTC, and state attorneys general regulatory inquiries, enforcement proceedings, and related litigation. In addition, Zach regularly advises corporations on the design, implementation, and ongoing assessment of compliance programs, with a particular emphasis on compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) and other anti-corruption laws. He has conducted fieldwork throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa, and regularly conducts international investigations, due diligence, and compliance-program evaluations on behalf of clients across the globe. He is fluent in Spanish and regularly uses Spanish in professional contexts on behalf of his clients.

Zach also devotes a significant portion of his practice to high-stakes, complex commercial litigation with an emphasis on multi-jurisdictional, transnational disputes. He represents clients in the energy, technology, e-commerce, and pharmaceutical sectors in a broad range of commercial litigation and disputes—including foreign judgment recognition and enforcement, securities and corporate-governance, antitrust and unfair competition, intellectual property and inventorship rights, RICO, and traditional contract-related claims. Zach is experienced in all phases of litigation—from motion practice and e-Discovery to trials and appeals—in state and federal courts across the country, and he has conducted multi-jurisdictional litigation throughout Europe and Latin America.

Zach also has extensive experience advising corporate and private equity teams on compliance- and litigation-related due diligence and risk-mitigation issues related to the transactions. He has conducted compliance- and litigation-related due diligence on dozens of transactions for all types of clients—including mergers, asset acquisitions, stock purchases, debt and equity financings, carve outs and spin offs.

His representative litigation matters include:

White Collar and Compliance Matters

  • He represented a large international public telecommunications company in related investigations by DOJ, SEC, California Attorney General and FTC.
  • He represented a large international public software company in multiple related investigations by DOJ, the SEC, multiple state attorneys general and FCC.
  • He represented a privately held energy company in multiple related investigations by DOJ, FTC and the SEC.
  • He represented a large international consumer goods company in securities-related investigations by DOJ and the SEC.
  • He represented a large international energy institution in securities-related investigations by U.S. and European authorities.
  • He represented a privately held consumer services company in a multistate Attorney General investigation related to its data use and privacy practices.
  • He represented a regional financial institution in multiple investigations into its lending practices by DOJ, Federal Reserve OIG, and USDA.
  • He represented a large technology/telecommunications company in connection with ongoing disclosure and self-reporting obligations arising from an FCPA settlement.
  • He conducted multiple anti-corruption internal investigations fore energy and mining companies relating to allegations of misconduct in Latin America.
  • He conducted an anti-corruption internal investigation for a large energy company relating to allegations of misconduct in Africa.
  • He conducted an anti-corruption internal investigation for a large technology company relating to allegations of misconduct in Latin America.
  • He has conducted compliance program reviews for companies in the entertainment, energy, healthcare, medical devices, technology infrastructure, retail, consumer products, hospitality services, and gaming sectors.
  • He conducted an internal investigation for a consumer goods company related to whistleblower claims in Asia. 
  • He has conducted anti-corruption due diligence and post-acquisition compliance integration in connection with dozens of mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures, on behalf of large acquiring institutions, investment banks, and private equity funds.

Litigation

  • He successfully defended a REIT client in obtaining complete dismissal of felony criminal charges arising out of a COVID outbreak at one of its assisted-living care facilities.
  • He obtained a rare pretrial dismissal of a federal indictment in the Southern District of New York alleging that the founder of a pharmaceutical company tipped friends and family in advance of a $3.5 billion tender offer.
  • He was a member of the team representing Chevron Corporation in multiple venues throughout North and South America against a conspiracy seeking to extort billions of dollars from Chevron based on fraudulent environmental claims and a sham Ecuadorian lawsuit. Zach was a member of the trial team in Chevron’s RICO suit against the co-conspirators that resulted in the landmark decision hailed by The Wall Street Journal as uncovering the “legal fraud of the century.” The decision can be found at Chevron Corp. v. Donziger, 974 F. Supp. 2d 362 (S.D.N.Y. 2014).
  • He was the associate leader of the team representing Allergan, Inc. in the Southern District of New York (and corresponding litigation now on appeal in The Hague) regarding the inventorship of certain patents that Allergan acquired in 2010.
  • He successfully defended Allergan, Inc.’s board of directors in multiple derivative cases arising out of $600 million settlement of claims by the U.S. government and qui tam relators related to Allergan’s promotion of BOTOX®.
  • He has successfully defended multiple companies and their boards of directors in merger-and-acquisition litigation arising in multiple jurisdictions across the United States, defending breach of fiduciary and other corporate-governance claims.
  • He was a member of the trial team representing craigslist, Inc. in eBay v. Craig Newmark, where the Delaware Chancery Court affirmed craigslist’s approval of indemnification agreements for officers and directors and implementation of a staggered board. The decision can be found at Bay Domestic Holdings, Inc. v. Newmark, 2010 WL 3516473 (Del. Ch. Sept. 9, 2010).

Zach is also significantly involved in his community. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Orange County Chapter of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society and served as chair the Board’s service/pro bono and student/new lawyers committees. He also dedicates significant time to pro bono matters. This year, for example, he represented an immigrant from El Salvador in obtaining and enforcing a default judgment against a company she engaged to build her a food truck for her pupusa business but the truck was never delivered. He also led a Gibson Dunn team that successfully represented a pro bono client in obtaining a permanent restraining order against an individual with a history of sex crimes. Zach has also successfully represented a number of minor-aged individuals who came to the United States seeking asylum from extensive persecution on account of their religious beliefs. And he regularly works with KIND, the Kids in Need of Defense legal aid organization, to represent unaccompanied and separated children as they seek safety in the United States.

He graduated with High Honors from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah in 2008 and was elected to the Order of the Coif. He served as a Senior Member of the Utah Law Review, received the S.J. and Jesse E. Quinney Foundation Scholarship, and was designated a William H. Leary Scholar. Zach also served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Christine M. Durham, Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme Court, and his article, Waging War with Wal-Mart: A Cry for Change Threatens the Future of Industrial Loan Corporations, 14 Fordham J. Corp. & Fin. L. 211 (2008), was also selected for publication in the Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law. In 2004, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Theory from the University of Utah. Prior to joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, he was an associate with the law firm Perkins Coie LLP.

Zach is admitted to practice in the State of California, the Central District of California, and before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Becca Smith is an associate in the San Francisco office of Gibson Dunn. She practices in the firm’s Litigation Department. Becca’s practice focuses on complex healthcare, administrative law, class action, and other federal program-related matters. A substantial part of her practice includes representing clients in the managed care industry in trial court litigation and on appeal.

Representative matters include:

  • Berceanu v. UMR (M.D. Pa.): Representing a claims administrator of ERISA-governed health benefit plans in a class action. Primary drafter of successful class decertification and summary judgment brief.
  • Mabe v. OptumRx (M.D. Pa.): Representing a pharmacy benefit manager in a mass action by retail pharmacies challenging reimbursement rates. One of two primary drafters of successful motion to compel arbitration.
  • Defended biotechnology provider of molecular genetic testing products in DOJ civil investigation of allegations related to upcoding and the Anti-Kickback Statute, resulting in a Non-Prosecution Agreement and favorable civil settlement. 

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Becca worked as an associate at a law firm based in Washington D.C. where she was heavily involved in Administrative Procedure Act challenges to CMS decisions and proposed rules. She also represented state agencies in U.S. District Court, U.S. Circuit Court, and federal agency administrative appeals related to managed care and other healthcare financing issues, where she played a significant role in a state administrative trial. 

Becca has an active pro bono practice. She regularly represents individuals in immigration-related proceedings and is currently representing the Animal Legal Defense Fund in an Administrative Procedure Act challenge regarding a road-side zoo.

She received her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. During law school, she served as a law clerk to the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Becca earned her B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations with honors from Cornell University.

Becca is admitted to practice in California and the District of Columbia, as well as before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

Daniel Carvalho is an associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn. He practices in the firm’s Litigation Department.

Daniel earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Law and Politics and was a member of the Criminal Defense Clinic. Prior to law school, Daniel received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Florida.

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

Terrell Ussing is a partner in the Washington D.C. office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Tax Controversy and Litigation Practice Group. His practice focuses on federal tax controversy and litigation.

Terrell counsels and represents businesses across all industries in all aspects and phases of tax controversy and litigation. He has significant experience representing clients on a range of complex domestic and international tax issues, such as transfer pricing, fair market value disputes, foreign tax credits, character of income, and economic substance.

Terrell was recently recognized by Financier Worldwide as a Power Player – Distinguished Advisor for Tax Disputes and by Lawdragon as one of 500 Leading Global Tax Lawyers. Terrell was recognized in the inaugural “Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation” guide, and has been recognized multiple years as a Next Generation Partner by The U.S. Legal 500.

Representative matters include:*

  • Western Digital Corporation & Subsidiaries v. Commissioner, T.C. Docket No. 18984-18 and 4818-19 (transfer pricing and section 956) (settled)
  • Perrigo Company v. United States, Case No. 1:17-CV-737 (W.D. Mich.) (transfer pricing and deductibility of legal expenses; 2-week trial) (pending)
  • The Coca-Cola Company & Subsidiaries v. Commissioner, Tax Court Docket No. 31183-15 (transfer pricing and foreign tax credits; 10-week trial) (appeal pending)
  • Amazon.com, Inc. & Subsidiaries v. Commissioner, 148 T.C. 108 (2017) (transfer pricing (cost-sharing issues)) (>5-week trial), aff’d 934 F.3d 976 (9th Cir. 2019) in favor of Amazon.com
  • Represent pharmaceutical company during IRS examination and before IRS Appeals with respect to transfer pricing and fair market value issues
  • Represent investment company during IRS examination and before IRS Appeals with respect to hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign tax credit claims as a result of the section 965 transition tax and fair market value issues under section 311 (corporate distributions)
  • Represent partners and partnership during IRS examination with respect to method of accounting, character of income, and basis adjustment issues.
  • Represent ad-hoc lender group in connection with resolving billions of dollars of IRS proofs of claim relating to transfer pricing and net operating losses

*Includes matters handled prior to joining Gibson Dunn

Terrell is an adjunct professor in the Graduate Tax Program of Georgetown University Law Center, where he teaches “Survey of Transfer Pricing.” He speaks on transfer pricing, tax controversy, and litigation topics at Tax Executive Institute (TEI), ABA, and D.C. Bar events. Terrell is also the co-author of the most recent U.S. chapters on Transfer Pricing and Tax Controversy in both Chambers & Partners’ and Lexology’s practice guidebooks.

Terrell received his law degree in 2012 from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was an editor of the Virginia Journal of International Law. He received his undergraduate degrees in Finance and Spanish from North Georgia College and State University.

Terrell is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Alina Wattenberg is an associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn, where she is a member of the firm’s Privacy, Cybersecurity & Data Innovation and Artificial Intelligence practice groups. Alina’s practice focuses on advising companies on product and compliance strategies and on regulatory risk management, particularly with respect to global privacy and data protection laws, consumer protection frameworks, and emerging youth safety and social media laws. She is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US).

Alina has extensive experience advising on product launches – particularly those involving disruptive or cutting-edge technologies – and on the development and implementation of compliance programs. She also assists clients with drafting internal and public-facing terms, policies, and notices and with assessing data-related risk in complex transactional matters. She frequently counsels on internal investigations and on matters before the Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice, multiple state Attorneys General, and global data protection authorities.  

Previously, Alina worked for two years as product counsel at Meta Platforms, Inc. (on secondment).

Alina has served on the firm’s Associates Committee and maintains an active pro bono practice, having helped lead two Gibson Dunn teams that were awarded the Pro Bono Leadership Award by the National Center of Law and Economic Justice and the Pro Bono Team of the Year by Kids in Need of Defense. She has successfully obtained asylum for two clients and advises non-profit organizations and small businesses on privacy programs and policies.

Alina graduated from Harvard Law School in 2017, where she served as an Executive Article Editor for the Harvard Human Rights Journal. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, in 2014 from Duke University, where she was an Angier B. Duke Scholar.

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

Alena Farber is an associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn and practices in the firm’s Intellectual Property group.

Alena has litigated patent and trade secret cases involving computer software, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals. She has experience with all stages of district court litigation, from pre-suit diligence through post-trial briefing. Alena has defended fact and expert depositions, directed fact and expert witnesses at trial, and argued claim construction and evidentiary issues.

Alena earned her J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 2020 where she served as Article Editor for the Harvard Journal of Law and Technology. She earned her B.A. in computer science from Harvard University in 2017.

Prior to joining the firm, Alena clerked for the Honorable Maryellen Noreika in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware and was an associate in the Intellectual Property Litigation group at Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York.

Alena is admitted to practice in New York, New Jersey, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

Annie Saunders is an associate in the Orange County office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.  She currently practices in the firm’s corporate department.

Annie earned her law degree from the George Washington University Law School, where she graduated with high honors. During law school she served on the Federal Communications Law Journal and was a Research Assistant to Professor Donald Braman.

Annie graduated cum laude from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Linguistics and minors in History and Spanish.

Annie is admitted to practice in the State of California.

L. Mark Osher is a partner in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s New York and Los Angeles offices and is a member of the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group. Mark has broad experience representing both borrowers and lenders in all aspects of capital markets and balance sheet financing, including the origination, securitization and participation of senior and subordinate mortgage loans, mezzanine loans, credit facilities, as well as preferred equity investments. In addition, he represents these same clients in distressed situations, including foreclosures, workouts and restructurings.

Mark also routinely represents institutional and non-institutional real estate developers and operators, opportunity funds, private equity funds and hedge funds in acquiring, developing, operating and selling a broad range of commercial real estate asset classes, including vacant land, office and retail buildings, industrial projects, shopping centers, multifamily and hotels and resorts located throughout the United States. In connection with such investments, he is also experienced in negotiating management agreements, leasing agreements and joint-venture agreements for both operators and their capital partners.

Mark was recognized as a leading California Real Estate lawyer by Chambers USA in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Highlights of Mark’s recent representations include:

  • IQHQ in obtaining construction financing for commercial real estate projects including its approximately $2 billion life science campus in San Diego, California.
  • Stockdale Capital Partners in acquiring and financing various assets throughout the United States, including Horton Plaza in San Diego, California.
  • Mesa West Capital in originating multiple mortgage and mezzanine loans secured by hotel, office, industrial, multi-family and other assets located throughout the United States.
  • Sixth Street Partners in acquiring interests in existing loans, and in borrowings for property acquisitions including the acquisition of a senior note in an approximately $2 billion mortgage loan secured by a portfolio of industrial, office and mixed-use properties.
  • Dune Real Estate Partners in acquiring and selling various assets, including an apartment complex in Arizona, an industrial development project in Menefee, California and an office project in Bellevue, Washington.
  • MF1 Capital, in its preferred equity investment in an approximately $1 billion portfolio of multifamily assets located in the Western portion of the United States.
  • BioMed Realty in buying, selling and financing various commercial real estate assets.
  • Fortress in a complex workout and pre-packaged bankruptcy filing with respect to mortgage loan on a luxury resort in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

He earned his law degree in 1997 with honors from Rutgers University School of Law. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in history, cum laude, in 1994 from Saint Joseph’s University.

Mark is admitted to practice in the States of New York and California.