Lawyers Archive

Andrew D. Ferguson is an associate in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Washington, D.C. office. He practices in the firm’s Litigation Department, and is a member of the Securities Litigation, Appellate and Constitutional Law, and Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice groups.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Andrew served as a law clerk to Judge Steven M. Colloton on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and to Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. He received his J.D. in 2017 from Harvard Law School, where he served as Forum Executive Editor for the Harvard Law Review. Andrew received his Bachelor of Arts in Government from Patrick Henry College in 2013.

He is admitted to practice in Tennessee and the District of Columbia.

Peter E. Seley is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of the Environmental Litigation & Mass Torts Practice Group. Peter has represented clients handling foreign and domestic environmental matters for more than 25 years, and has been at the forefront of developing jurisprudence in mass tort litigation, environmental investigations, international environmental disputes, and the use of U.S. discovery mechanisms in foreign litigation.

He is recognized as a leading environmental lawyer in the District of Columbia by Chambers USA: Leading Lawyers for Business. Peter was recently recognized by Benchmark Litigation as a “Litigation Star.” Peter is a Vice Chair of the ABA SEER Committee on Environmental Litigation and Toxic Torts and was recognized in the National Law Journal’s first edition of Energy & Environmental Trailblazers as one of the leading legal innovators on energy and environmental issues.

One of Peter’s cases, featured in multiple articles in legal trade publications and on 60 Minutes, involved a fraudulently obtained $19 billion judgment against Chevron for alleged environmental damages associated with oil production in the Oriente region of Ecuador. Peter led a team of Gibson Dunn attorneys in bringing more than 20 discovery actions in jurisdictions around the United States. Information developed during that discovery revealed that the Ecuadorian judgment was the product of fraud, and as a result, Chevron filed a civil RICO action in the Southern District of New York against the plaintiffs’ lawyers and co-conspirators involved in the Ecuador case and filed an international arbitration action against Ecuador.

Peter was one of the leaders of the Gibson Dunn trial team for the seven-week RICO trial in late 2013. In early 2014, the Southern District of New York issued a 487-page opinion finding that the plaintiffs’ lawyers and their co-conspirators had violated the RICO Act and conspired to violate the RICO Act, committing acts of extortion, mail and wire fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering. That ruling was upheld by the Second Circuit in 2016 and the U.S. Supreme Court in 2017. Peter continues to be involved in follow-on actions related to the massive Ecuador fraud.

Peter also represents Chevron in climate change litigation in multiple state and federal jurisdictions around the United States. He was involved in the first climate change “tutorial” held in federal court in 2018 and was one of the leaders of the team that successfully argued for dismissal of the first two climate change public nuisance cases to be considered on the merits.

Peter has managed a number of significant internal investigations regarding environmental issues, including compliance with regulatory requirements for automobile emissions, management of oil field wastes, and compliance with environmental regulations during wind-up of resource extraction operations. A number of these investigations are cross-border, multinational investigations involving billions of dollars of potential expenditures and the risk of civil or criminal sanctions.

Peter regularly handles mass tort and “contaminated community” toxic tort cases in courts around the country. He has, for example, handled cases involving personal injury and property damage claims based on vapor intrusion and exposure to crude oil in soil, allegations of exposure to hexavalent chromium and TCE in air and groundwater, and claims based on releases of solvents and metals from an aircraft manufacturing facility.

Peter also has represented clients and industry coalitions impacted by state and federal agency actions, including a multi-circuit challenge to an EPA Clean Water Act rulemaking impacting the nation’s pulp and paper industry, an APA challenge to a Department of Interior rulemaking on an agricultural payment-in-kind program, a challenge to the Department of the Interior’s “Roadless Rule” that would have made more than 50 million acres of woodlands off-limits for active management, Clean Air Act challenges to California regulation of automobile emissions and Virginia’s adoption of California “Zero Emission Vehicles,” and a variety of NEPA challenges to the Department of the Interior’s efforts to take agricultural land for various projects in South Florida.

Peter also has defended clients in numerous citizen suits and State and Federal enforcement actions, involving a variety of different statutory and regulatory programs, including a multi-million dollar citizen suit in the Maryland District and Bankruptcy Courts alleging violations of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, TSCA, and various state laws, a multi-million dollar citizen suit in South Florida alleging violations of the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act, a $600 million Clean Air Act/New Source Review EPA enforcement action in Maryland, a large CERCLA/RCRA groundwater cleanup action in Southern California, a multi-million dollar CERCLA claim in Pennsylvania federal court involving novel successor liability issues, a multi-site Clean Water Act /RCRA criminal enforcement action in Virginia, and pre-enforcement defense of several clients investigated or in receipt of Notices of Violation under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, RCRA, and State analogues.

Peter has represented clients prosecuting and defending CERCLA cost-recovery and contribution actions, including defending a $500 million CERCLA cost recovery action in Southern California, defending a multi-million dollar CERCLA claim in Virginia involving novel mixed funding/orphan share issues, prosecuting a $250 million CERCLA action against the United States for contribution based on government involvement at a contractor-operated manufacturing facility in California, and prosecuting a $100 million CERCLA action against the United States for involvement at a WWII-era aircraft component facility in New York.

Peter’s work also includes significant matters before Federal appellate courts, including appeals in the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, and D.C. Circuits, and amicus briefs filed in numerous appellate courts and in the Supreme Court.

Vivian Tran is an associate in the Palo Alto office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She currently practices with the firm’s Litigation department. Vivian has supported clients in connection with matters related to entertainment, data privacy, and artificial intelligence.

Vivian earned her Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University Law School and Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from the University of Southern California. While in law school, Vivian was a member of the Administrative Law Review and served as a board member on the Sports, Entertainment, and Technology Law Society.

Vivian is admitted to practice in the State of California.

Patrick Stokes is a litigation partner in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Washington, D.C. office. He is the co-chair of the Anti-Corruption and FCPA Practice Group and a member of the firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations, National Security, Securities Enforcement, Trials, and Litigation Practice Groups.

Patrick’s practice focuses on internal corporate investigations, government investigations, enforcement actions regarding corruption, securities fraud, and financial institutions fraud, and compliance reviews. He has tried more than 30 federal jury trials as first chair, including high-profile white-collar cases, and handled 16 appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Patrick regularly represents companies and individuals before the DOJ and SEC, in court proceedings, and in confidential internal investigations. Patrick’s experience covers every significant business sector and includes investigations, trials, and the assessment of corporate anti-corruption compliance programs and monitorships.

He is recognized by Chambers Global and Chambers USA, noting his “impressive government experience, having previously served as head of the FCPA unit at the DOJ” and that he “is regularly called on by corporations facing major investigations by the DOJ and SEC.” He is also regularly recognized by Benchmark Litigation, Global Investigations Review, Who’s Who Legal Thought Leaders USA, and Best Lawyers in America^®.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Patrick headed the FCPA Unit of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he managed the FCPA enforcement program and all criminal FCPA matters throughout the United States. Patrick also served as the DOJ’s principal representative at the OECD Working Group on Bribery, working with law enforcement and policymakers from 41 signatory countries on anti-corruption enforcement policy issues.

Patrick also served as Co-Chief of the DOJ’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit, overseeing investigations and prosecutions of financial fraud schemes involving corporations, financial institutions, and individuals. He also served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, where he prosecuted a wide variety of financial fraud, immigration, and violent crime cases. Patrick received multiple awards while at the DOJ, including the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award and the Assistant Attorney General’s Exceptional Service Award (Criminal Division).

Representative engagements include:

Representing a biotechnology firm in DOJ and SEC investigations related to drug testing and disclosures.
Representing a private equity firm relating to potential anti-corruption violations by a portfolio company in Mexico.
Representing a medical device company before DOJ relating to interactions with distributors and health care providers in China.
Representing a major technology company in an FCPA investigation before the DOJ and SEC relating to conduct in India.
Representing a major technology company related to alleged real estate kickback scheme associated with data centers.
Representing a major retailer in a DOJ investigation of potentially adulterated product under the FDCA that resulted in a favorable misdemeanor resolution.
Representing a major technology company in a multi-billion dollar investment due diligence, risk assessments associated with infrastructure projects, and internal investigations.
Representing an international firm in a Special Counsel investigation.
Representing a global company in the evaluation of its compliance with a government resolution.
Representing a private equity firm in SEC and DOJ investigation of accounting practices and alleged securities manipulation at a portfolio company.
Representing a global medical company before the DOJ and SEC in an investigation of accounting practices and potential FCPA violations across many countries in Asia.
Representing a medical device manufacturer before the DOJ and SEC relating to its interactions with public hospitals, health care providers, and distributors in Asia.
Representing the Audit Committee of an educational services company before the DOJ and SEC in an FCPA investigation in Middle East.
Representing direct marketing company in an investigation before the DOJ and SEC of its internal controls and potential FCPA violations in Asia.
Representing hospitality company before the DOJ and SEC in an investigation of potential FCPA violations in the Middle East.
Representing Audit Committee of a public medical diagnostics company in an internal investigation of whistleblower allegations of accounting improprieties and internal controls deficiencies.
Representing independent short seller in SEC and DOJ investigation of alleged manipulative stock trading practices.
Representing former executive of biopharmaceutical company in DOJ and SEC investigations into alleged securities fraud scheme relating to drug trial performance.
Representing executive in criminal and civil False Claims Act investigations by DOJ related to alleged government contracting fraud.

Patrick received his bachelor’s degree and Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia, where he was an editorial board member of the Virginia Journal of Social Policy and the Law. He is a member of the Maryland State Bar and the District of Columbia Bar.

William Lord is an English-qualified associate in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the firm’s Dispute Resolution Group.

Will advises clients in the context of all forms of dispute resolution, including litigation, arbitration and mediation.

Will is recognised in Legal 500 UK 2024 as a key lawyer in the field of Banking Litigation, and clients describe him as being “absolutely responsive [with] a unique understanding for client’s needs” and “one of the best and most effective associates”.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, he trained and practiced at the London and Hong Kong offices of an international law firm and spent six months on secondment to a leading hedge fund company.

Will graduated from the University of Cambridge with a First Class Honours degree in Chinese Studies and also studied at Peking University, Beijing. He speaks Mandarin Chinese.

He was admitted as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales in 2019 and has rights of audience before the civil higher courts.

Richard W. Mark is a partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of Gibson Dunn’s Product Liability, Litigation, Intellectual Property, Appellate and Constitutional Law, Environmental Litigation and Mass Tort, FDA and Health Care, Life Sciences, and White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Groups.

Richard has represented businesses and individuals in product liability, tort, contract, patent law, ERISA, employment law, constitutional, and commercial disputes, and in government civil and criminal investigations. Richard has tried more than a dozen jury and non-jury cases, and has argued more than 30 appeals in state and federal courts, including the United States Courts of Appeal for the Second, Third, Fifth and Federal Circuits; the Illinois Appellate Court; the New York State Court of Appeals; the New York State Appellate Division; the Oregon Court of Appeals; the Pennsylvania Superior Court; and the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Richard is ranked nationally as a leading lawyer for Mass Tort Litigation and Class Actions in Best Lawyers in America®. The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit appointed Richard to its pro bono panel of appellate advocates and has designated him as counsel for indigent appellants.

Richard has served as the Election Supervisor for the nationwide, multi-stage process of electing the officers of the 1.3-million member International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York appointed Richard to that position in 2005, under a court order entered to root out corruption in the union. The Court reappointed him to supervise the elections in 2011 and 2016, and the Union, making its own decision, appointed Richard to supervise the 2021 eleciton. As Election Supervisor, Richard issued more than 1,000 decisions interpreting and enforcing the Election Rules, including decisions on matters of campaign finance issues and integrity of the voting process. He also supervised the secure preparation, mailing, and tabulation of ballots, protecting each voter’s right to ballot secrecy.

Richard was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York from 1984 through 1994, holding the position of Chief of the Civil Division for his final three years in the office. During the following three years, he was First Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI). The DOI investigates and refers for prosecution elected officials, City employees, and City contractors engaged in corrupt or fraudulent activities, or unethical conduct.

Richard received his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 1980, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1977. He clerked for the Honorable Thomas P. Griesa of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He is a member of the Federal Bar Council and The Association of the Bar of the City of New York.

Immediately before joining Gibson Dunn, Richard was a partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, where he was the firm’s Litigation Practice Group leader.

Richard is admitted to practice in New York.

Selected Representative Matters

American Cyanamid Company: Serves as national counsel for American Cyanamid in its lead-pigment-in-paint litigation. The cases include personal injury and property damage actions brought on behalf of states, local governments, private classes and individuals. The plaintiffs’ legal theories include public nuisance as well as product liability. Richard has won summary judgments in favor of Cyanamid in lead pigment cases in New York, Maryland and Wisconsin. He has successfully resolved other cases in California, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas. Richard also represented Cyanamid in State of Rhode Island v. Lead Industries Association, in which the manufacturers convinced the Rhode Island Supreme Court to reject the State’s novel attempt to hold product manufacturers liable for public nuisance. Richard argued for Cyanamid in the Wisconsin Supreme Court in Godoy v. E.I. DuPont DeNemours & Co., 2009 WI 78 (2009).
Wyeth: Served as national counsel for Wyeth in hundreds of product liability cases involving claims that Wyeth’s childhood vaccines containing thimerosal caused autism in some vaccinated children. Richard argued preemption motions in vaccine cases in federal and state trial and appellate courts in Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oregon and Pennsylvania. He argued, and won, the first federal appellate court ruling that the federal Vaccine Act pre-empts design defect claims for vaccine-related injuries. Bruesewitzv. Wyeth, Inc., 561 F.3d 233 (3d Cir. 2009), aff’d 562 U.S. 223 (2011).*
Chevron Corporation: Member of the team that successfully represented Chevron on motion to dismiss the City of New York’s claim for damages arising from global climate change. City of New York v. BP P.L.C., 18-CV-182 (S.D.N.Y. July 19, 2018).
The Dow Chemical Company: On behalf of Dow Chemical, Richard won dismissal of the civil RICO and other federal claims asserted in a nationwide class action alleging personal injury and property damage caused by exposure to pesticide containing Dursban®. Williams v. The Dow Chemical Co., 255 F. Supp. 2d 219 (S.D.N.Y. 2003).*
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey: Won summary judgment dismissing Commerce Clause challenge to certain toll and fare increases approved by the Port Authority. AAA Northeast v. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, 221 F. Supp. 3d 374 (S.D.N.Y. 2016). Earlier in the same litigation, defeated plaintiffs’ application for a preliminary injunction (Automobile Club of New York, Inc. v. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 11 Civ. 6746 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 2, 2014)), and won ruling upholding exercise of the deliberative process privilege (Automobile Club of New York, Inc. v. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 11 Civ. 6746 (S.D.N.Y. May 27, 2015)).
Lawson Software: Represented defendant at trial and on appeal in a civil contempt case following a plaintiff’s verdict of patent infringement and the entry of a permanent injunction by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The case ended with a complete victory for defendant on the contempt charge, and a remand with instructions to vacate the injunction and dismiss the case. ePlus, Inc. v. Lawson Software, Inc., 789 F.3d 1349, reh. denied, 790 F.3d 1307 (Fed. Cir. 2015).
PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP: obtained judgment on the pleadings for PwC, defeated two motions fro reconsideration, and successfully opposed Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment in an ERISA class action, in which Plaintiffs sought to compel payment of “whipsaw claims” exceeding $1 billion. Laurent v. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 06-CV-2280 Slip Op. (S.D.N.Y. July 24, 2017), reh. denied, Slip Op. (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 19, 2018), reh. denied, Slip Op. (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 24, 2018).
PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP: Represented PricewaterhouseCoopers in wage-and-hour class action litigation. In Commisso v. PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, 2012 WL 3070217 (S.D.N.Y. July 27, 2012), a proposed class action under New York Labor Law and the Fair Labor Standards Act on behalf of 3,800 putative class members, Richard secured dismissal of the state law claim for failure to satisfy the Class Action Fairness Act jurisdictional requirements, and denial of plaintiff’s motion to create federal jurisdiction by amending the complaint to add an FLSA claim.
Chevron Corporation: Member of the team that successfully represented Chevron in the action that won a judgment of civil RICO liability against defendants for using corrupt means to obtain a multi-billion dollar judgment against Chevron in an environmental case brought in the courts of Ecuador. Chevron Corp. v. Donziger, 974 F. Supp. 2d 362 (S.D.N.Y. 2014).
Mycogen Plant Science, Inc.: Represented Mycogen in cases involving patents on making genes that confer insect-resistance, methods of making such genes, and methods of transforming plants with such genes. These cases, which focused on transgenic corn crops, were at the leading edge of applied molecular biology. He argued and briefed appeals before the Federal Circuit, including Mycogen Plant Science, Inc. v. Monsanto Co., 252 F.3d 1306 (Fed. Cir. 2001) and Mycogen Plant Science, Inc. v. Monsanto Co., 243 F.3d 1316 (Fed. Cir. 2001).*
American Cyanamid Company: Represented American Cyanamid in a dispute relating to the invention of a particular formulation for a prenatal multivitamin / mineral supplement with iron. The University of Colorado Foundation, Inc. v. American Cyanamid Company, 342 F.3d 1298 (Fed. Cir. 2003).*
School Specialty, Inc.: Won enforcement of an arbitration agreement to resolve a post-closing purchase price adjustment dispute. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. v. School Specialty, Inc., 42 A.D.3d 360, 840 N.Y.S.2d 47 (1st Dep’t 2007).*
Pro bono: As pro bono counsel appointed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Richard has represented petitioners under final orders of removal. In one matter, Richard argued that the petitioner had derived U.S. citizenship through the petitioner’s naturalized father. The Second Circuit granted the petition and remanded the matter to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) for further action. Watson v. Holder, 643 F.3d 367 (2d Cir. 2011). On remand, the BIA recognized Mr. Watson’s entitlement to U.S. citizenship. In another matter, Richard argued that the BIA erred in classifying the petitioner’s petit larceny conviction as a “crime involving moral turpitude,” and the court remanded the case to the BIA for further consideration under that Board’s own precedents. Obeya v. Holder, 572 Fed, App’x 34 (2d Cir. 2014). On remand, the BIA denied relief based on a newly-announced rule that overturned 70 years of precedents. Richard won reversal of the BIA’s order on a second petition for review, with the Second Circuit holding that the new rule could not be applied retroactively. Obeya v. Sessions, 884 F.3d 442 (2d Cir. 2018). Richard submitted briefs amicus curiae on behalf of The Innocence Network in support of petitioners, both at the petition and merits briefing stages, in Turner v. United States, 137 S. Ct. 1885 (2017), a case that considered the Government’s compliance with Brady disclosure obligations.
Investigations: Represented businesses and individuals in investigations conducted by the New York State Attorney General’s Office, the New York City Department of Investigation and the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board. He has also conducted internal investigations for professional services firms and for a labor union.
Government representations: As an Assistant United States Attorney,* Richard’s noteworthy representations of the government included In re Chateaugay (United States v. LTV Corp.), 944 F.2d 997 (2d Cir. 1991) (dischargeability of contingent environmental liabilities); Abrams v. Brady, 77 N.Y.2d 741, 570 N.Y.S.2d 468 (1991) (upholding constitutionality of federal statute controlling disposition of unclaimed tax refunds); and United States v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters, 931 F.2d 177 (2d Cir. 1991) (consent decree binds non-party affiliates of signatory international union).

Selected Publications and Presentations

Co-Author, “Don’t Count On PREP Act To Defend Pandemic IP Infringement,” Law360 (July 2, 2020).
Co-Author, Exposure Torts, in “A Practitioner’s Guide to Class Actions” [Second Ed.] (ABA 2017).
Co-Author, Exposure Torts, in “A Practitioner’s Guide to Class Actions” (ABA 2010).
Presenter, “Attorney-Client Privilege: Considerations for In-House Counsel” (Client Presentation).
Presenter, “Document Retention: Considerations When Litigation Looms” (Client Presentation).
Adjunct Professor of Law, Fordham University Law School from 1998-2004 (taught courses in Legal Research and Writing and a clinical seminar in civil litigation).
Faculty, Attorney General’s Institute on Appellate Advocacy, United States Department of Justice (1992-1993).
Speaker on Civil RICO, FBI Academy.

* Representations occurred prior to attorney’s affiliation with Gibson Dunn.

Lafayette Matthews is an associate attorney in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He practices in the firm’s Litigation Department.

Lafayette received his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 2023, where he served as an Executive Editor of the Georgetown Law Journal. While in law school, Lafayette interned at the United States Department of Justice in the Civil Rights Division and at the Americans United for the Separation of Church & State.

Lafayette graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and certificates in American Studies and Gender & Sexuality Studies.

Joseph A. Gorman is of counsel in the San Francisco office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. He is a member of the Firm’s Litigation, Intellectual Property, Trade Secrets, Artificial Intelligence, Labor and Employment, and Appellate Practice Groups. His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation with a focus on copyright, trade secret, cybersecurity, employment, and contract disputes. He served as a law clerk to Judge Andrew J. Kleinfeld of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and to Judge Garland E. Burrell, Jr. of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California.

Joe has represented clients in the technology, software, pharmaceutical, healthcare, semiconductor, sports, energy, and retail industries in a variety of high-stakes disputes, in several federal jury and bench trials and on appeal.

Representative matters include:

Represented Rimini Street, a leading software support services provider, in copyright, false advertising, and unfair competition litigation against Oracle in the District of Nevada. Represented Rimini Street in several trials and appeals in connection with this matter, including obtaining a unanimous decision in United States Supreme Court concerning interpretation of Section 505 of the Copyright Act.
Represented Hewlett Packard Enterprise against claims of copyright infringement, tortious interference, and unfair competition brought by Oracle in a lawsuit relating to a subcontractor’s handling of components of an Oracle Operating System. Achieved summary judgment in part, based on statute of limitations arguments, which was affirmed by the Ninth Circuit on appeal. Defended Hewlett Packard Enterprise in a 3-week jury trial, after which the parties settled on confidential terms.
Represented Nike in lawsuit filed by high-profile competitor concerning endorsement contract with then top-ranked professional golfer. Obtained summary judgment on behalf of Nike on all claims.
Represented Nike in trade secret misappropriation case concerning three designers leaving Nike for high-profile competitor. Secured confidential settlement after winning temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction.
Represented Allergan in consolidated patent and unfair competition case concerning eyelash growth drugs. Obtained summary judgment and a permanent injunction for Allergan.
Represented Walmart in wage-and-hour class action federal trial. Defeated motion for $80 million in penalties and liquidated damages following trial and obtained affirmance on appeal.
Represented national trucking company in wage-and-hour class action federal trial.

Joe also has an active pro bono practice, focused on veterans, immigration, and animal rights. Joe serves on the Swords to Plowshares pro bono advisory board. Joe currently serves in the United States Navy Reserves.

Joe earned his law degree magna cum laude in 2009 from the University of San Diego School of Law, where he was a Dean’s Scholar and was elected to Order of the Coif. During law school, Joe was a member of the San Diego Law Review and the school’s National Moot Court Team. He was a recipient of the Pro Bono Service Award. In 2006, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude from the State University of New York at Geneseo.

Joe has practiced in federal courts throughout the country and is a member of the California bar.

Ruby Lang is an associate in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s New York office, where she practices in the firm’s Privacy, Cybersecurity, and Data Innovation, as well as Artificial Intelligence practices. She has experience advising companies on data privacy, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence issues, focusing on strategic product counseling, compliance program development, regulatory compliance counseling, and complex corporate transactions. She is currently on secondment.

Ruby represents companies in a range of industries subject to requirements under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and equivalent U.S. privacy laws in Virginia, Colorado, and other states; the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act); the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA); marketing laws, including the CAN-SPAM Act and Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA); the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); and other current and emerging international, federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and guidance, including those related to artificial intelligence. Ruby also has experience counseling companies on data breach response management and notification concerns.

Ruby received her Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2020 and received a Masters in Economic Law from the Institut d’Études Politiques (Sciences Po) in 2020. During law school, Ruby served as a Notes Editor on The Columbia Journal of Transnational Law, spent two semesters interning at the New York State Attorney General’s Office, and worked as a research assistant, conducting research on data privacy and cybersecurity issues, specifically related to cyber liability insurance.

Ruby received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Environmental Studies from Wesleyan University where she graduated with high honors and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Ruby was an associate in the Cybersecurity, Privacy & Data Protection Practice at another New York law firm.

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

Sara D. Williams is a litigation associate in the San Francisco office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. Her practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, internal and government investigations, and labor and employment law.

Sara previously served as a law clerk to the Honorable Jesus G. Bernal of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. She earned her J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 2020, where she served as a Senior Editor of the UCLA Law Review, Class President, and Co-Chair of OUTLaw, the school’s LGBTQ+ student organization. While in law school, she was awarded First Place in both the Dean’s Brief Writing Competition and the 1L Moot Court Competition. In 2017, Sara earned her B.A., cum laude, from the University of California, Davis as a dual-major in History and Political Science. She was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and received department awards in both areas of study.

Sara is a member of the State Bar of California.

Abigail Averill is an associate in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She currently practices in the firm’s Litigation Department. From 2022 to 2023, Abigail served as a law clerk for the Honorable Sherilyn Peace Garnett of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Abigail earned a J.D. and an LL.M. in International and Comparative law from Duke University School of Law in 2019, where she was elected to the Order of the Coif. While in law school, Abigail served as a Research Assistant to Professor Sara Sun Beale, ran a pro bono project assisting cancer patients in Duke’s healthcare system, and served as an editor for the Duke Journal of Comparative & International Law. Abigail holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Middle Eastern Studies from Emory University, where she graduated summa cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Abigail is admitted to practice in California.

Jeremy Bunting is a litigation associate in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn, & Crutcher. He maintains a wide practice across all stages of commercial litigation and white collar defense work, including trial. Jeremy has litigated high-stakes matters at the trial and appellate level, in New York federal and state court, as well as California federal court, the Delaware Court of Chancery, and several other jurisdictions, including confidential arbitration. Jeremy has extensive experience with motion practice, including drafting dispositive and discovery motions, as well as motions for sanctions. He is well-versed in supervising discovery across his matters, with years of experience preparing for and taking depositions, and managing written and document discovery.

Representative matters include:

Represented Meta in several high-profile data privacy litigations.
Represented Bob Dylan in multiple matters at the trial and appellate level, including securing sanctions against attorneys that engaged in discovery misconduct.
Secured favorable settlement on behalf of alternative investment manager in DGCL 225 action to determine rightful leadership of startup.
Represented large tech company in confidential DOJ investigation alleging violations of privacy laws.
Represented public insurance company in confidential DOJ investigation alleging filing of fraudulent SEC filings.
Defended multiple AmLaw 100 firms in legal malpractice actions.
Represented pro bono clients in immigration, housing, and police brutality matters.

Jeremy graduated cum laude from New York University School of Law in 2017, where he was an Articles Editor for the Annual Survey of American Law and an active member of the Latino Law Students Association. Jeremy received his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Political Science magna cum laude from Fordham University in 2014, with Departmental Honors in both areas.

Monica Limeng Woolley is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Her practice includes litigation, government enforcement, and investigations, with a focus on the areas of intellectual property, auditing and accounting, and securities fraud. She also counsels clients concerning enforcement and defense of intellectual property claims, as well as compliance with SEC, PCAOB, and other federal and state rules and standards.

Monica’s IP litigation and counseling practice includes experience in trademark, copyright, licensing, and trade secret matters. She has represented various companies in a broad range of industries, including financial services, consumer goods, entertainment, transportation, and online services. Monica’s experience also extends to representing clients in arbitration proceedings under the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) to enforce trademark rights in fraudulently registered domain names, with successful outcomes in all proceedings to date.

Monica frequently represents both accounting firms and public company clients on SEC and PCAOB accounting and auditing matters, including enforcement investigations conducted by the SEC and PCAOB, and counsels large and mid-sized accounting firms and professional organizations on compliance with applicable SEC and PCAOB rules and standards, as well as state licensing requirements for individuals and firms. She is experienced in conducting internal investigations involving potential violations of SEC and PCAOB rules and standards, and also advises public companies on the adequacy of the design and implementation of their corporate ethics and compliance programs, with a special expertise in ensuring the preservation of attorney-client privilege and work product protection over internal investigations.

Monica maintains an active pro bono practice and has been recognized on the D.C. Courts’ Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll each year since 2021. Monica’s pro bono practice focuses on litigating federal appellate and constitutional matters as well as assisting not-for-profit organizations with intellectual property issues.

Representative pro bono matters include:

Represented prisoner in successful Seventh Circuit appeal challenging violations of his rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Rehabilitation Act, and Eighth Amendment during his incarceration in McDaniel v. Syed, No. 20-2946 (7th Cir.).
Represented immigrant in Ninth Circuit appeal challenging denial of asylum and withholding of removal, ultimately resulting in the government’s motion for remand in Zheng Hui v. Garland, No. 20-70047 (9th Cir.).
Wrote amicus curiae brief on behalf of nonprofit press organization in support of First Amendment challenge to retaliatory state legislation against a major media and entertainment company.
Litigated successful constitutional challenge to Mississippi’s application of licensing requirements for cosmetologists to makeup artists.
Advised various not-for-profit organizations regarding trademark and copyright enforcement and defense.
Represented not-for-profit organization in arbitration proceeding under the UDRP to enforce trademark rights in fraudulently registered domain name.

Monica received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the Georgetown University Law Center. During law school, she served as Executive Editor of The Georgetown Law Journal. While at Georgetown, she assisted with an investigation conducted by a boutique litigation firm in Washington, D.C. on behalf of the Government of Rwanda, which scrutinized the role of French officials in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Monica also served as a law clerk in the Federal Tort Claims Act Section of the Department of Justice. She graduated cum laude from the University of Southern California (USC), where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations (Global Business) with a minor in Music Industry.

Monica is admitted to practice in California and the District of Columbia.

Hayato Watanabe is an associate in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he currently practices in the firm’s Litigation Department.

Prior to joining the firm, Hayato served as a law clerk for the Honorable Susan P. Graber of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the Honorable Karin J. Immergut of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.

Hayato received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Michigan in 2020. He served as an editor of the Michigan Law Review, where he published a Note on municipal clemency. He earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science, summa cum laude, from New York University.

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

Praharsh Johorey is an associate attorney in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the firm’s International Arbitration Practice Group.

Praharsh works with clients to resolve a wide range of complex disputes, with a focus on cross-border investment-treaty and commercial arbitrations. He has experience advising clients under a variety of arbitration rules, including the UNCITRAL, AAA, SCC and JAMS rules.

Praharsh earned a Bachelor of Arts and Laws (with Honors) from the National Law Institute University (India) in 2018. He subsequently earned a Master of Laws from Columbia Law School (USA), where he graduated as a James Kent Scholar for outstanding academic achievement, and a J.N. Tata Endowment Scholar. Before joining the firm, Praharsh served as a law clerk to Justice R.F. Nariman in the Supreme Court of India from 2019 to 2021.

Praharsh maintains an active pro bono practice at the firm, advising clients on issues of public international law and international human rights law. He is fluent in English and Hindi, and is admitted to practice in the State of New York and across India.

Kirsten Bleiweiss is an associate in the Litigation practice group. She regularly represents and advises companies on matters involving biological sciences, technology, and privacy.

Kirsten graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and a Bachler of Arts in Political Science from the University of Southern California. She then earned her Master’s in Bioethics and Science Policy from Duke University, focusing on issues related to neuroscience, privacy, and emerging technologies. Kirsten received her Juris Doctor from Duke University School of Law, where she was Editor in Chief of the Duke Law and Technology Review and a member of the First Amendment Clinic.

Justin DiGennaro is Of Counsel in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Labor and Employment Practice Group. Trusted by C-suite executives, boards of directors, and private investors, Justin serves as a thought partner to help them navigate their most complex employment challenges. He seamlessly integrates legal, HR, and PR considerations to achieve creative and commercially sound solutions.

Justin focuses on high-stakes employee mobility disputes, including matters related to non-competes, non-solicitation agreements, and confidentiality restrictions. His experience encompasses executive onboarding and departures, mass exoduses, workforce raids, client poaching, and trade secret misappropriation. He frequently represents employers in single-plaintiff and class action litigation relating to discrimination, harassment, whistleblower retaliation, breach of contract, wage and hour disputes, and the WARN Act.

In addition to his litigation practice, Justin leads internal investigations into sensitive employment issues. He regularly advises clients on high-risk executive terminations, large scale reductions-in-force, workforce restructurings, and the drafting of employment, consulting, retention, secondment, and separation agreements.

Superlawyers has recognized Justin as a “Rising Star” each year from 2017-2024.

Representative Experience:

Secured a sweeping injunction on behalf of DraftKings against the former head of its VIP business prohibiting him from working in a competitive capacity, soliciting his former colleagues, or using or disclosing DraftKings’ trade secrets and confidential information (DraftKings Inc. v. Michael Hermalyn (D. Mass. 2024)).
Obtained a comprehensive status quo order requiring the return of AlixPartners’ trade secrets from a former managing director and subsequently won a bench trial for trade secret misappropriation (AlixPartners, LLP et al. v. Mori (Del. Ch. 2021)).
Successfully defended JLT and several recently-hired senior executives against allegations by their former employer that the senior executives breached their customer and employee non solicitation restrictions. (Aon plc et al. v. JLT Specialty Ins. Servs., Inc. et al. (Ill. Ch. 2016)).
Settled allegations of gender discrimination and hostile work environment made by a partner and vice president against a global bank on favorable terms.
Negotiated claims with a trio of former executives of a major manufacturing company concerning substantial severance benefits under their change-in-control agreements.
Successfully defended technology company GiveSmart, owned by Community Brands, in a wage and hour class action alleging numerous violations of the California Labor Code.
Narrowed the size of the putative class of employees in an action against the estate of the former nuclear power services company, Westinghouse, in connection with WARN Act litigation arising out of the company’s shutdown of a power plant construction project.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Justin was Counsel in the Employment Litigation Practice Group of another highly-ranked international law firm.

Justin received his J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2015, where he was a two-time James Kent Scholar, and winner of the Lawrence S. Greenbaum Prize for the Best Oral Presentation in the Final Arguments of the Harlan Fiske Stone Moot Court Competition. Justin also prosecuted domestic violence offenders for the Queens District Attorney, worked as a summer intern to the Honorable Joseph F. Bianco in the Eastern District of New York (who has since risen to the Second Circuit), served as the Notes and Case Notes Editor for the Columbia Journal of European Law, and volunteered as a Moot Court Judge. Justin graduated from Cornell University in 2012, where he earned placement on the Dean’s list.

Justin is dedicated to his robust pro bono practice, representing numerous non-profits that provide support and services to domestic violence survivors and underprivileged students.

Al Kelly is an associate in the Denver office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of its Class Actions, Environmental Social Governance, and Litigation practice groups.

Al has substantial experience representing clients at the trial and appellate level in cases involving consumer protection and mass torts, including high-stakes and multi-jurisdiction class actions. Al also has extensive experience with investigations by state and federal regulators into environmental and consumer-protection issues. In addition, Al advises clients on compliance and litigation risk, with a particular focus on supply chain liability risks and ESG issues.

Representative Matters Include:

Represent a leading food and beverage company in class-action litigation involving allegations of consumer deception relating to the global supply chain.
Represent a leading consumer packaged goods manufacturer in connection with public nuisance litigation related to marine plastic pollution.
Secured dismissal and a favorable ruling on appeal on behalf of a leading consumer products company accused of consumer deception relating to “natural” claims.
Provide ongoing advice to multiple companies related to ESG representations and supply chain issues.
Represent a leading infant-formula manufacturer in class-action litigation relating to alleged consumer deception and regulatory violations.
Advise a multinational company in multiple overlapping state and federal regulatory investigations.

Al also dedicates substantial time to pro bono matters and has successfully litigated multiple constitutional challenges to local criminal ordinances on behalf of his clients, which include non-profits and indigent criminal defendants facing disproportionate punishment for petty offenses.

Prior to joining the firm, Al served as a law clerk for the Honorable Justice Monica M. Márquez of the Colorado Supreme Court. He graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2020, where he was a finalist in the Ames Moot Court competition. Al received his Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Colorado Denver.

Shlomo Rubinfeld is an associate in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He currently practices in the Firm’s Real Estate Practice Group. Shlomo’s practice covers a broad range of real estate transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures, financings, and leasing of various classes of real estate assets.

Shlomo earned his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2022 where he was an associate editor of the Columbia Journal of European Law and was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He received his Bachelor of Science in 2019 in Liberal Arts from Excelsior College. He is admitted to practice in the State of New York.

Amy Pan is a litigation associate in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She currently practices in the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group.

Amy earned her Juris Doctor in 2022 from the University of Virginia School of Law where she served as Assistant Managing Editor of the Virginia Law Review. She received her Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Georgia in 2019.

Amy is admitted to practice law in the state of New York.