Lawyers Archive

Benjamin Hershkowitz is a partner in the New York office of Gibson Dunn where he is a member of both Gibson Dunn’s Intellectual Property Practice and Technology Transactions Practice. Ben serves on the firm’s Technology Committee and chairs the firm’s Finance Committee.

Ben focuses his practice on intellectual property matters, both litigation and corporate, with a particular emphasis on complex patent litigation. In addition, Ben has extensive experience successfully representing clients in trademark, copyright, trade secret, computer fraud and breach of contract matters. Ben has represented companies in diverse industries including network, consumer and business electronics, software, telecommunications, consumer/retail, medical products and industrial manufacturing. Companies have ranged from the world’s leading technology companies to innovative start-ups.

Ben has regularly served as lead trial counsel in district courts around the country as well as before the United States International Trade Commission and in arbitrations. His work has garnered him recognition by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the area of Intellectual Property: Patent, noting that he is “the full package,” being both “incredibly savvy with tech and an incredibly savvy trial lawyer,” and having “every skill set you could want and need for running a patent litigation.” He has also been recognized by IAM Patent 1000, which describes him as “adept at weaving stories around complex technical issues,” and “very smart, hardworking, technically astute, thorough and good on his feet; he is the complete package and someone you can trust.” Managing IP named him a national IP Patent Star. He was also listed as one of the top five Best Performing attorneys in the country in Patexia’s inaugural Top Patent Litigation Attorneys. BTI Consulting named Ben to its Client Service All-Stars list which recognizes those “delivering the absolute best client service.” Ben has been repeatedly featured as one of Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Litigators in America.”

Ben’s litigation experience has covered a wide range of technologies including computer networking equipment, optical transmitters, cellular telephony, voicemail, semiconductors, computer hardware and software, e-mail, e-commerce, video-on-demand, compact discs, liquid crystal displays, VoIP, business methods, digital rights management, electromechanical industrial equipment, chemical processes, medical equipment and Internet and information technologies and protocols.

Ben also regularly counsels clients in technology transactions, including both the licensing in and licensing out of intellectual property, technology and know-how. In addition, he works with clients to acquire and divest patent and other intellectual property assets. Ben also handles intellectual property matters arising in corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments and strategic alliances. He further provides guidance to clients in establishing internal procedures and policies for addressing intellectual property issues and handling copyright software audits.

Ben is a frequent author and speaker and served for five years as the Editor-in-Chief of Patent Strategy & Management, an Incisive Media newsletter. His articles and presentations have covered topics including patent damages, selecting and working with expert witnesses, the intersection of patents, antitrust and standards-setting organizations, as well as trade secrets, the licensing of intellectual property, collaborative research agreements, computer software and business method patents, patent standardization and patent pooling arrangements, and prior art searching. He has presented in front of organizations including the ABA, NYIPLA, LSI, ACCA, Computer Law Association, PLI and IPIC. Ben is a former Chair of the Committee on Internet Law for the NYIPLA and participated in the Hon. William C. Conner Inn of Court.

Ben interned in the chambers of both a Federal District Judge in the District of New Jersey and a Federal Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of New York. Ben graduated from Rutgers University, College of Engineering (with highest honors) and New York University, School of Law, where he helped launch the Environmental Law Journal and served as its first Science Editor. He is also registered to practice before the United States Patent & Trademark Office.

Representative Litigations

Multiple Service Operators: Represented several of the largest multiple service operators, including in defending patent suits involving all aspects of their commercial offerings such as video-on-demand, pay-per-view, set-top boxes, head-end equipment, cable modems, SONET, networking equipment, VoIP, visual voicemail, and automated attendants as well as copyright suits concerning its ability to deploy a remote server DVR.
E-commerce Companies: Represented e-commerce companies in defending against suits directed to searching and database management.
Entertainment Companies: Represented entertainment company in copyright and contract disputes as well as defending patent litigations directed toward video encoding and content delivery.
Retailers: Represented market leading retailers in defending multiple patent suits directed toward a range of technologies including Internet searching, e-commerce, shipment tracking, geolocation, point of sale devices, Wi-Fi and internet and information technologies.
Internet Service Provider: Represented ISP in copyright and patent disputes.
Networking Companies: Represented networking companies in defending against patents directed toward network interfaces, memory devices, semiconductor chips and storage area networks.
Financial Services: Represented software and security companies in defending suits involving patents directed toward security systems, anti-money laundering and fraud detection software.
Optical Networking Equipment Company: Represented optical networking equipment company in defending against patents directed toward optical transmitters.
Consumer Electronics: Represented Japanese multinational corporations in defending against patent suits directed toward Blu-ray DVD players, cameras, Wi-Fi and encryption/security.
Telecommunications: Represented software provider in defending against a suit brought by a competitor involving patents directed toward call roaming in wireless mobile networks.
Security Company: Represented security company in defending against patents directed to multi-factor authentication and contract disputes.
Consumer Electronics and Business Solutions: Represented leading consumer electronics company in defending multiple patent lawsuits involving LED lighting, LED panels, Blu-ray DVD players, semiconductors, encryption/security, televisions and monitors, and video projectors.
Internet: Represented top-app providers s in defending multiple patent suits directed toward music identification system and internet audio.
U.S. mobile phone carriers: Represented many of the largest U.S. mobile phone carriers in their most significant patent lawsuits directed toward the wireless networking, network equipment, geolocation, e-commerce, Wi-Fi, messaging and security systems as well as arbitrations concerning contract disputes.

Other Recent Representative Matters

Software Audits: Represented telecommunications companies, financial institutions and medical products companies in connection with software audit by the Software & Information Industry Association, Business Software Alliance and various software companies.
Licensing-in and Licensing-out of Technology and Patents: Represented consumer electronics companies, telecommunications companies, retail and software companies as well as financial institutions in connection with licensing-in and licensing-out of technology and patents.
Developing Intellectual Property Strategies and Procedures: Represented telecommunications, energy, entertainment and software companies in developing strategic intellectual property plans.
Intellectual Property Form Agreements: Represented Internet companies and e-commerce retailers in connection with establishing intellectual property forms and agreements.
Due Diligence: Represented technology, software, telecommunications, semiconductor companies and financial institutions in intellectual-property due diligence in connection with mergers, acquisitions and investments.
Standards-Setting Organizations: Represented technology companies in evaluating IPR obligations and making declarations and disclosures to standards-setting organizations.
Trademark and Copyright: Represented companies in trademark and copyright disputes in court and before Trademark Office; represented companies in copyright registration and prosecuting trademark applications; represented companies in acquisition and disposition of domain names.

Marc Aaron Takagaki is an associate in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the firm’s Litigation Department, where his practice centers on high-stakes commercial, securities, class action, and white-collar litigation across a wide range of industries, including finance, technology, and life sciences. He has successfully represented clients in securities, accounting, contract, trade secrets, and founder disputes, along with criminal and internal investigations.

Marc Aaron has significant motion practice, witness questioning, and civil discovery experience. He has conducted an evidentiary hearing in federal court, drafted dispositive motions in federal court, led appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court, and first-chaired fact and expert witness depositions. He also has experience with mediations and settlement negotiations.

Representative matters include:

Representing Amazon.com in lawsuit concerning Key for Business service.
Representing SolarEdge Technologies and its senior executives in securities class action for accounting fraud and financial reporting violations.
Representing Electric Solidus Inc. d/b/a Swan Bitcoin in lawsuit concerning trade secrets and breach of contract related to cryptocurrency venture.
Representing Welltower Inc. in lawsuit concerning investment in residential housing complexes.
Representing Evan Greebel in criminal and civil matters.
Representing financial institution in criminal and regulatory investigation.
Representing accounting firm in regulatory investigation.
Representing Sequential Brands Group, Inc. and its senior executives in securities class action for accounting fraud and financial reporting violations.
Represented Esperion Therapeutics in pharmaceutical licensing dispute.
Represented S&P Global in class action concerning antitrust violations.
Represented Meta Platforms, Inc. in class action related to the aftermath of the widely reported Cambridge Analytica issues.
Represented Solomon Levy in lawsuit involving breach of contract.
Represented the University of Southern California in lawsuit related to Dr. George Tyndall.
Represented Vale S.A. in multiple securities class actions concerning mining accidents in Brazil.
Represented Rio Tinto Group in securities enforcement action concerning multi-billion-dollar investment in Mozambique.
Represented life science company in pharmaceutical licensing dispute.
Represented accounting firm in internal investigations.
Represented cryptocurrency company during corporate formation.
Represented casino in corporate governance dispute.

Marc Aaron further maintains an active pro bono practice. He is currently lead trial counsel in a federal civil rights action on behalf of an inmate in New York’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and represents asylum applicants fleeing persecution.

He received his Juris Doctor in 2017 from the University of Michigan Law School where he was a Contributing Editor of the Journal of Law Reform. Marc Aaron was also the winner of the 2016 University of Michigan Law Transactional Competition and was awarded “Best Drafting for Buy-Side Counsel” and “Best Overall Buy-Side Counsel.” He also represented the University of Michigan Law School in a national transactional law competition, where he was a semi-finalist. During law school, Marc Aaron also worked with low-income individuals as part of the General Civil-Criminal Litigation Clinic and worked with criminal defendants on appellate matters in the Advanced Civil-Criminal Litigation Clinic.

Marc Aaron received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from the University of California Los Angeles in 2011.

He is admitted to practice in the State of New York and the State of California, and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.

Michael P. Darden is a partner in the Houston office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Mr. Darden is chair of the firm’s Oil & Gas Practice Group, a member of the firm’s Energy and Infrastructure, and Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Groups, and previously served as partner in charge of the Houston office.

His practice focuses on:

International and U.S. oil and gas ventures (including LNG, deep-water and unconventional resource development projects)
International and U.S. infrastructure projects
Asset acquisitions and divestitures
Energy-based financings (including project financings, reserve-based loans and production payments)
Carbon capture, utilization and sequestration projects

Before joining Gibson Dunn, Mr. Darden served as the global chair of the oil and gas transactions practice and co-chair of the global oil and gas industry team at Latham & Watkins as well as the firmwide chair of the global oil and gas practice at Baker Botts. Prior to Baker Botts, Mr. Darden was Vice President, Business Development, for Nuevo Energy Company, with responsibility for U.S. and international business development, international new ventures, international legal and negotiations matters, international mergers and acquisitions, as well as real estate portfolio management and land matters in the United States. He has also worked in the international legal and/or negotiations areas for Tenneco Oil Company, BHP Petroleum and Hunt Oil Company.

Mr. Darden has been recognized in the following publications:

Chambers USA – America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in Energy: Oil & Gas (Transactional), 2005-2025 (Band One)
The Legal 500–Hall of Fame in Energy Transactions–Oil and Gas, 2021-2025; The Legal 500–Tier 1 leading lawyers in the U.S. in the practice of Energy: Transactions – Oil & Gas, 2015-2020; The Legal 500, 2012–2014
The Best Lawyers in America©, 2007–2025, Lawyer of the Year: Oil and Gas, Houston 2025
Who’s Who Legal Oil & Gas, 2010–2025; Who’s Who Legal Oil & Gas – Thought Leader, 2023-2025
Chambers Global, 2011-2025 (Band One)
Law360 Energy MVP, 2012, 2018, 2019, 2021
Law & Politics as a “Texas Super Lawyer,” 2003–2004, 2006–2025; Top 100 “Houston Super Lawyers List,” 2018 and 2019
Who’s Who Legal Project Finance, 2012–2014, 2017-2023

Mr. Darden is a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators, in which he has served as an officer, director and committee chairman and was co-chair of the committee that developed the model form international farmout agreement. Mr. Darden is Board Certified in Oil and Gas Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and a member of the Houston Bar Association.

Representative Matters*

Domestic U.S.—Upstream; M&A/A&D

Representation of Pioneer Natural Resources in its $64.5 billion merger with ExxonMobil
Representation of Chief E&D Holdings, LP and Tug Hill, Inc. in the $2.65 billion acquisition by Chesapeake Energy Corporation of Chief E&D Holdings and associated interests held by affiliates of Tug Hill
Representation of Pioneer Natural Resources Company in its $7.6 billion acquisition of Parsley Energy, Inc.
Representation of Pioneer Natural Resources in $6.4 billion bolt-on acquisition of DoublePoint Energy
Representation of Callon Petroleum Company in connection with acquisition of the leasehold interests and related oil, gas, and infrastructure assets of Primexx Energy Partners in the Delaware Basin
Representation of Occidental Petroleum in a $3 billion joint venture with Ecopetrol to develop almost 100,000 net acres of Midland Basin properties in the Permian Basin
Representation of Murphy Oil Company in a $3 billion joint venture with Petrobras America for ownership and development of deep water Gulf of Mexico assets
Representation of EnerVest in connection with its $2.66 billion sale of its Eagle Ford and Austin Chalk assets to TPG Pace Energy Holdings (TPGE)
Representation of Concho Resources in its $9.5 billion merger with RSP Permian
Representation of seller in divestiture of 63,000 net acres of productive and exploratory leasehold in the Wolfcamp Shale of the Permian Basin, along with seller’s interest in certain mid-stream gathering assets, for $2.5 billion
Representation of purchaser of 12,000 net acres of productive Spraberry and Wolfcamp leasehold in the Permian Basin for $600 million
Representation of seller in divestiture of Spraberry and Wolfcamp leasehold in the Permian Basin for $980 million
Representation of purchaser of 36,860 net acres of Wolfcamp leasehold in the Permian Basin for $855 million
Representation of buyer in its $2 billion investment in exchange for 30% of seller’s interest in approximately 650,000 net acres in the Cline shale and the Midland-Wolfcamp Shale of the Permian Basin
Representation of seller in divestiture of Eagle Ford Shale-focused midstream company for $2.15 billion
Representation of seller in divestiture of 120,000 net acres of productive and exploratory leasehold in the Eagle Ford Shale formation in South Texas, along with the seller’s interest in certain mid-stream gathering assets, for $1.45 billion
Representation of largest seller in multi-company divestiture of approximately 32,000 gross acres in the Bakken Shale formation of North Dakota for $1.4 billion
Conveyance of $5 billion of onshore exploration and production assets in relation to spin-off of exploration and production company from regulated utility
Representation of producer (gas owner) in terminaling agreement for counterparty to store and transport producer’s natural gas stream to producer’s terminal and to process the natural gas stream to produce and deliver ethane to producer’s ships at the terminal for overseas delivery
Representation of buyer in acquisition of interests in producing deepwater Gulf of Mexico leases, along with associated capacity rights in offshore infrastructure and interests in related contracts, for $2.15 billion
Representation of buyer in acquisition of interests in 28 deep-water Gulf of Mexico leases and structuring, negotiating and implementing (i) Participation Agreement calling for a minimum expenditure of $600 million and (ii) Management Services Agreement
Representation of buyer in acquisition of several producing deepwater Gulf of Mexico fields (23 leases encompassing five field areas), along with associated capacity rights in offshore infrastructure and interests in related contracts, for $5.55 billion

Domestic U.S.—Midstream and Infrastructure

Representation of 1PointFive, a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corporation, in a 25-year CO2 offtake, transportation, and sequestration agreement
Representation of midstream company in creation of JV for 550-mile crude oil pipeline from the Permian Basin to the Gulf Coast, including JV documents, commercial contracts, and construction management agreements
Representation of seller in divestiture of Eagle Ford Shale-focused midstream company for $2.15 billion
Joint venture with Frontier Midstream Solutions IV to create Beta Crude Connector to build and provide crude oil gathering, transportation and storage services in the Northern Midland region
Representation of seller in divestiture of 63,000 net acres of productive and exploratory leasehold in the Wolfcamp Shale of the Permian Basin, along with seller’s interest in certain mid-stream gathering assets, for $2.5 billion
Representation of seller in divestiture of 120,000 net acres of productive and exploratory leasehold in the Eagle Ford Shale formation in South Texas, along with the seller’s interest in certain mid-stream gathering assets, for $1.45 billion
Acquisition of Saragosa Field Services, LLC (a provider of midstream services) as part of an $800 million acquisition of Delaware Basin assets
Representation of seller in divestiture of productive Eagle Ford assets, along with seller’s interest in certain midstream gathering assets, for $2.7 billion
Negotiation, and renegotiation, of numerous midstream commercial agreements, such as gathering agreements, handling agreements, processing agreements, storage agreements, production agreements, marketing agreements, and transportation agreements
Renegotiation of agreements with midstream services provider during and after bankruptcy of joint working interest owner
Analysis of all midstream contracts of target entity prior to $7.6 billion merger; structuring of client’s midstream business subsequent to merger; and dedication of all upstream assets to the new midstream entity
Analysis of all midstream contracts of target entity prior to $6.4 billion acquisition, and dedication of all upstream assets to midstream entity
Drop-down of midstream assets of general partner to midstream services MLP and negotiation of associated midstream agreement
Analysis of midstream contracts of target entity prior to $9.8 billion merger
Negotiation of suite of midstream contracts with midstream services provider following creation of $3 billion upstream joint venture
Representation of buyer in a series of acquisitions of midstream assets located in South Texas
Representation of seller in divestiture of rights in gathering, processing, and sales agreements applying to Marcellus Shale assets as part of a $325 million transaction
Representation of buyer in acquisition of midstream gathering assets located in the Haynesville Shale area as part of a $1.3 billion transaction
Representation of producer (gas owner) in terminaling agreement for counterparty to store and transport producer’s natural gas stream to producer’s terminal and to process the natural gas stream to produce and deliver ethane to producer’s ships at the terminal for overseas delivery
Representation of satellite field operator in structuring, negotiating and implementing deep-water Gulf of Mexico Production Handling Agreement addressing processing of, and capacity management for, production from satellite field on existing deep-water floating production system
Representation of buyer in acquisition of interests in producing deepwater Gulf of Mexico leases, along with associated capacity rights in offshore infrastructure and interests in related contracts, for $2.15 billion
Representation of buyer in acquisition of several producing deepwater Gulf of Mexico fields (23 leases encompassing five field areas), along with associated capacity rights in offshore infrastructure and interests in related contracts, for $5.55 billion
Acquisition of an interest in an offshore floating production system for in excess of $168 million, including documentation for a special-purpose entity, operating and production handling, capacity management, minimum throughput guarantees, supporting parent company guarantees, and nonrecourse financing
Acquisition of an interest in a producing deep-water Gulf of Mexico oil field, along with associated capacity rights in offshore infrastructure, for $1.2 billion

LNG Projects

Representation of a confidential client in diligence and document review for acquisition of an interest in the Driftwood LNG Project in Louisiana, U.S.A.
Representation of a confidential client in the upstream segment of the Tangguh LNG Project in Indonesia
Representation of a confidential client in the upstream, gas sales and plant operations segments of the EG LNG Project in Equatorial Guinea
Representation of a confidential client in the upstream, gas transportation and plant operations segments of the Peru LNG Project in Peru
Representation of a confidential client in the sale of an interest in the Peru LNG Project
Representation of a confidential client in the reorganization of ownership shares in the project company for the Peru LNG Project
Representation of a confidential client in the upstream segment of the Al Khaleej Gas (AKG) Project in Qatar
Representation of a confidential client in the upstream segment of the Mozambique LNG Project in Mozambique
Representation of a confidential client in the upstream segment of the Yemen LNG Project in Yemen
Representation of a confidential client in diligence of a target company’s global LNG business, assets, and contracts
Representation of a confidential client in a terminaling agreement to store natural gas, transport natural gas to a terminal (Houston Ship Channel), and process natural gas to produce and deliver ethane to the producer’s ships (VLECs) at the terminal
Representation of a confidential client in the unitization of the Gobe and SE Gobe Fields in Papua New Guinea for gas development

International

Extensive work on petroleum exploration, development and/or production projects in all regions of the world, including several LNG projects. Involvement at all stages of petroleum projects, working with governments, industry participants, partners, contractors, suppliers, lenders and insurers
Drafting and negotiation of production sharing contracts (and other host government contracts), licenses, LNG project agreements, technical evaluation agreements, confidentiality agreements, joint bidding agreements, joint venture agreements, development agreements, company organization, structuring and operating documents, farmout agreements, purchase and sale agreements, joint operating agreements, EPC contracts, drilling contracts and service contracts for exploration, development and production activities in more than 60 countries
Countries, by region, include: Canada; Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Venezuela; Albania, France, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Russia, Turkey and the United Kingdom; Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Tunisia and Yemen; Angola, Benin, Congo, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sudan and Zambia; Australia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Tonga and Vietnam

Education

Mr. Darden received his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center, an M.B.A. from Rice University and a B.B.A. in Petroleum Land Management from The University of Texas.

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

Simon is an energy regulatory associate whose practice focuses on advising and representing clients in the electricity, natural gas, and renewable energy industries.

He represents independent power producers, public utilities, transmission companies, and oil and gas companies in connection with a variety of regulatory, transactional, administrative, and advisory contexts including energy utility mergers and acquisitions, project development, negotiating transaction agreements, obtaining federal and state regulatory approvals in connection with project development, PURPA mandatory buys, and FERC settlement procedures.

He received his Juris Doctor cum laude and LL.M in Taxation with distinction from the Georgetown University Law Center. He was selected as the student commencement speaker, served as a member of the Georgetown Environmental Law Review, and received the highest grade in coursework related to the taxation of energy markets. Simon earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Florida where he was a member of Florida Blue Key.

He was as a judicial intern to the Honorable Helene White Levin of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

He is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Florida.

Grant Henri Lallande is an associate in the San Francisco office of Gibson Dunn. He works in the firm’s Litigation Department and practices in the areas of Complex Commercial Litigation, Law Firm Defense, and White Collar Defense and Investigations.

Grant earned his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 2024. While in law school, he was a member of the California Law Review and received the Jurisprudence Award in Remedies. He earned his B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego in 2021.

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

Simon Wörrlein is an associate in the Munich office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group.

Simon advises clients in the area of corporate governance and compliance. His practice includes advice in the structuring, implementation and assessment of compliance management systems as well as assistance in connection with internal corporate investigations both nationally and internationally.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Simon worked as an in-house lawyer in the global legal department of a DAX^®40 multinational in the chemical industry in Ludwigshafen, Germany and Dubai, UAE, where he initially advised global and regional business units and functional units in their daily legal matters and later focused on the design and implementation of group-wide compliance measures as well as on the handling of compliance cases in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Simon studied law at the University of Tübingen, Germany, the University of Granada (UGR), Spain, and the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, specializing in International Economic Law. He holds a Master of Administrative Sciences (Magister rerum publicarum) from the German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer, Germany.

During his studies and his legal clerkship, Simon worked as a research fellow and trainee for renowned international law firms in Frankfurt and Stuttgart, Germany and Barcelona, Spain, and for the German Corporation for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH) in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Simon speaks German, English, Spanish, French and Italian.

Angelika Niebler is an of counsel in the Munich office of Gibson Dunn. She is heavily engaged in female lawyers’ empowerment and diversity efforts at the firm.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Angelika practiced at different international law firms with focus on IT and Media and focused on providing legal and strategic advice on European and international law to companies with European and global interests. Since 1999, she is Member of the European Parliament.

Angelika is a member of the University Council of the University of Applied Sciences Munich, the Board of Trustees of the Technical University of Munich and the Board of Trustees of the ifo Institute. She is also Vice-President of the Foundation Board of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs and President of the Bavarian Economic Council.

Since 2009, she is lecturing at the Faculty of Business Administration at the University of Applied Sciences Munich, where she has been appointed honorary professor in 2016.

Angelika has been honored in 2008 with the European Medal of the Free State of Bavaria, in 2010 with the Bavarian Constitutional Medal in Silver, in 2011 with the Bavarian Order of Merit and in 2017 with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

She studied law in Geneva and at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, from where she also obtained her doctor’s degree in 1992. She has been admitted as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwältin) since 1991.

Angelika speaks German, English and French.

Yannick Oberacker is an associate in the Munich office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the firm‘s Antitrust and Competition, Privacy and Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and Technology Transactions Practice Groups.

Yannick advises clients on complex German and international transactions, focusing on IP/technology and antitrust.

He studied law at the Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg, focusing on corporate and trade law. During his legal clerkship, he worked for a renowned German car manufacturer in Munich.

Yannick obtained his Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in “Innovation, Technology and the Law” from the University of Edinburgh in 2021 focusing on the regulation of Artificial Intelligence. He has been admitted as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwalt) since 2022.

Prior to his LL.M. studies and to joining Gibson Dunn, Yannick worked in the Munich office of a renowned international law firm.

In addition to his native German, he is fluent in English and speaks French and Spanish.

Babette Milz is an associate in the Munich office of Gibson Dunn . She is a member of the firm’s Litigation and Antitrust Practice Groups.

Babette studied law at the University of Passau, where she passed her first state examination in 2019. Prior to starting her legal clerkship, Babette wrote a Ph.D. thesis with focus on Corporate Law. During her legal clerkship, she gained experience in Antitrust Law for a renowned international law firm in Munich. Babette passed her second state examination at the Higher Regional Court of Munich in 2024 and has been admitted as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwältin) since 2025.

In addition to her native German, Babette speaks English.

Maximilian Kornwachs is an associate in the Munich office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group.

Maximilian advises clients on German and international commercial arbitration and complex litigation matters.

He studied law at the Humboldt-University of Berlin and the University of Sydney, Australia, earning his law degree in 2017. He obtained his Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, in 2019 where Maximilian specialized in Alternative Dispute Resolution and International Law. Before and during his legal clerkship, he gained experience in a leading international strategy consulting firm and several renowned international law firms. Maximilian passed his second state examination at the Higher Regional Court of Munich in 2022 and has been admitted as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwalt) since 2023.

Maximilian speaks German and English.

Marc Kanzler is an associate in Gibson Dunn’s Munich office. He is a member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group.

Marc focuses his practice on German and international commercial arbitration and complex litigation matters.

He studied law at the University of Passau, where he passed his first state examination in 2019. During his legal clerkship, Marc worked for different renowned international law firms in Munich. He passed his second state examination at the Higher Regional Court of Munich in 2021. Marc has been admitted as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwalt) since 2022.

After his second state examination, Marc worked for a legal tech start-up as Legal Innovation Manager. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, he was an associate in the Mergers and Acquisitions practice of a renowned U.S. law firm in Munich.

In addition to his native German, Marc speaks English.

Franziska Knecht is an associate attorney in the Munich office of Gibson Dunn where she currently practices with the firm’s Litigation Department.

She studied law at the University of Augsburg and passed her first state examination in 2020. During her legal clerkship she worked for a renowned law firm in Munich and London. In 2022 Franziska passed her second state examination at the Higher Regional Court Munich and has been admitted as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwältin) since 2023.

Franziska speaks German and English.

Lars A. Hauck is an associate in the Munich office of Gibson Dunn where he is part of the firm’s Litigation and International Arbitration Practice Groups.

Lars advises clients on complex commercial litigation, both domestic and cross-border, as well as on domestic and international arbitration.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Lars wrote a Ph.D. thesis in international investment law at Bucerius Law School and, as a visiting researcher, at the University of Oxford. He gained legal experience as a trainee lawyer at various other international law firms, the Federal German Parliament and the German Federal Chancellor´s Office in Berlin, as well as at the Permanent Representation of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations in New York.

Lars studied at Bucerius Law School in Hamburg and at the University of Miami where he received a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in international arbitration. He has been admitted as a German lawyer (Rechtsanwalt) since 2024.

In addition to his native German, he speaks English and French.

Kriti Hannon is an associate in the Orange County office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She currently practices in the firm’s Corporate Department.

Kriti earned her law degree from Yale Law School in 2024, where she received the Stephen J. Massey Prize for her work on behalf of clients in the Community and Economic Development Clinic. She was also Chair of the South Asian Law Students Association. Prior to law school, Kriti was policy analyst at a think tank in Washington, DC.

Kriti earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy Studies from the University of Chicago in 2018, where she was a Student Marshal and Phi Beta Kappa.

Kriti is admitted to practice law in the State of California, and has been admitted to USDC, Central District of CA.

Sam Learner is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson Dunn. He practices in the firm’s Litigation Department.

Sam earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2023, where he served as an editor on the Virginia Journal of International Law. During law school, he also interned with the Legal Aid Society of New York, Juvenile Rights Practice, and the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Virginia.

Sam received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 2015 from Bates College, where he graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, with honors in history. He earned his Master’s degree in history from the University of Cambridge, graduating with Distinction. Prior to law school, Sam worked in campaign politics in Massachusetts.

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

Andrew Barron is a litigation associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He joined the firm after serving as a law clerk to Judge Kermit V. Lipez of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and Judge Catherine C. Blake of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

Andrew earned his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, graduating with Order of the Coif honors in 2021. While in law school, Andrew was an Executive Editor for the California Law Review and competed on the Moot Court team.

Andrew graduated with a degree in Political Science from Baylor University, where he was awarded a full-tuition scholarship as a member of the policy debate team.

Andrew is licensed to practice law in California and the District of Columbia. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Chaplin J. Carmichael is a litigation associate in the Palo Alto office of Gibson Dunn. Chaplin’s practice focuses on complex business and commercial litigation, with an emphasis on securities litigation, along with government and internal investigations and enforcement matters.

Chaplin is a member of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee and maintains an active pro bono practice. He represented Mr. Jones in the firm’s historic jury trial victory over an LAPD officer in Jones v. City of Los Angeles (C.D. Cal.), in which a federal jury unanimously awarded $375,000 in compensatory and punitive damages after a weeklong jury trial. Chaplin also represents clients in a variety of other pro bono matters, including helping domestic violence survivors obtain legal protections against their abusers.

Chaplin earned his J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of California, Irvine School of Law, where he was articles editor for the UC Irvine Law Review and vice president of the Student Bar Association, among other activities. Chaplin also successfully briefed and argued a First Amendment appeal on behalf of an indigent prisoner in the Ninth Circuit, was a legal extern in the civil division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, and did pro bono work for the Orange County Public Defender’s Writs & Appeals Unit. He earned his B.A. in Political Science and minor in Environmental Studies from the University of Michigan.

Chaplin is a member of the California Bar and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Tina Samanta is a partner in the New York office of Gibson Dunn. She is a member of the firm’s Litigation, Securities Enforcement, White Collar Defense and Investigations, and Securities Litigation Practice Groups.

Tina’s practice focuses on representing financial institutions, corporations, and individuals in sensitive and high-stakes securities-related investigations and litigation. She has represented clients in investigations conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Justice, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the New York Attorney General’s Office, and numerous other regulatory authorities. She has also represented a diverse range of clients in all phases of litigation, including trial, before federal and state courts across the country.

Tina is a frequent speaker and author on matters relating to enforcement of the securities laws. She is a co-author of the Securities Enforcement chapter in the Practicing Law Institute Treatise, Securities Litigation: A Practitioner’s Guide.

Representative Securities Enforcement Matters and Investigations

Represented broker-dealer and investment bank in multiple coordinated regulatory investigations and class actions arising out of sale of structured products issued by Lehman Brothers.
Represented former employee of financial technology company in SEC investigation relating to proprietary trading in dark pool.
Represented broker-dealer in SEC investigation of municipal bond offering and secondary trading practices.
Represented broker-dealer in SEC investigation of mutual fund sales charges.
Represented insurance company in SEC investigation of variable annuity contracts.
Represented audit committee of financial services company in internal investigation and review of compliance and audit issues arising out of whistleblower complaint.
Represented market making divisions of financial institution in regulatory review of “flash crash.”
Represented government-sponsored enterprise in New York Attorney General investigation of appraisal practices.
Represented Chief Executive Officer of investment bank in NASD investigation relating to alleged research analyst conflicts of interest.
Represented multiple financial institution employees in FINRA investigations relating to registration requirements.

Representative Litigation Matters

Represented former outside directors of Bear Stearns in Southern District of New York derivative and ERISA class action litigation relating to the near collapse of Bear Stearns.
Represented financial institution underwriters of Washington Mutual debt in Western District of Washington securities class action litigation.
Represented insurance company in New Jersey State Superior Court litigation relating to alleged damages arising from September 11 World Trade Center attack.
Represented investment banker in successful Second Circuit appeal of obstruction of justice charges.
Represented private equity firm in successful California Superior Court jury trial and subsequent appeal alleging breaches of contract and fiduciary duty relating to initial public offering of online ticketing company

Representative Speaking Engagements

Panelist, DOJ and SEC Enforcement Updates, 2023 EY Integrity and Compliance Seminar.
Moderator, Establishing an Effective Hedge and Private Fund Compliance Program, 2023 PLI Hedge Fund and Private Equity Enforcement & Regulatory Developments Seminar.
Panelist, Top of Mind Financial Industry Trends, 2023 SIFMA C&L St. Louis Regional Seminar.
Panelist, Supervision and Oversight of Hybrid and Remote Employees, 2023 SIFMA C&L Annual Conference.
Panelist, Recent Regulatory Developments and Perspectives, 2022 SIFMA C&L St. Louis Regional Seminar.
Panelist, ESG Litigation and Enforcement, 2022 ABA Litigation Section Corporate Counsel Seminar.
Panelist, Recent Regulatory Developments, 2017 SIFMA C&L St. Louis Regional Seminar.

Tina maintains an active pro bono practice and has worked on a diverse range of pro bono matters. She is a certified mediator with Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts.

Tina earned her Juris Doctor cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School in 2002, where she was an editor of the Michigan Law Review. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude from Johns Hopkins University in 1999.

Tina is admitted to practice in the State of New York, as well as in the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. She is a Co-Chair of the New York Office Women’s Committee.

William Zhou is an associate in the Hong Kong office. He is a member of the firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice.

William’s practice focuses on advising clients on government and internal investigations and compliance counseling across the Asia-Pacific region. William has represented clients before Hong Kong courts involving potential corporate criminal liabilities, and various internal investigations relating to allegations of fraud and corruption. William also counsels clients on designing and implementing anti-corruption and compliance programs.

He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Melbourne in 2019. He earned a Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy from the University of California – Los Angeles in 2016. William is admitted to practice in Hong Kong and Australia. He is a native Mandarin speaker.

Natalia Toh is an associate in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of the firm’s Transportation and Space and Finance Practice Groups.

Natalia represents banks, institutional investors, and leasing companies and has acted on a range of complex transactions, including secured debt financings, warehouse financings, sale and leasebacks, operating and finance leases, and portfolio sales and acquisitions.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Natalia was a member of another major international law firm’s asset finance group.

Natalia is dually qualified admitted to practice in England and Wales and New York.