Monica M. Murphy is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where she is a member of the firm’s Litigation Department. Her practice focuses on environmental litigation and regulatory enforcement as well as white collar defense and investigations. Her experience includes assisting clients appearing before government agencies as part of regulatory enforcement proceedings and counseling clients on regulatory compliance issues.

She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School in 2020, where she served as the Managing Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. During law school, Monica served as a Littleton Fellow for the Legal Practice Skills Program.

In 2016, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Colgate University where she was awarded the Dean of the College Special Recognition Award and the Women’s Studies Award for Academic Excellence.

Monica is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.

Sophie Wellen is an associate in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She currently practices in the firm’s Real Estate Department.

Sophie earned her law degree cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School, where she worked in both the Pediatric Advocacy Clinic and Civil Criminal Litigation Clinic.  Prior to attending law school, Sophie worked for three years as a staffer for a member of Congress in Washington, D.C.  Sophie earned a dual Bachelor of Arts with International Honors in International Relations, graduating from the College of William and Mary and University of St Andrews.

She is admitted to practice law in the State of California

Yan Zhao is an associate in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She currently practices in the firm’s Litigation Department.

Yan earned her law degree from UCLA School of Law, where she was elected to the Order of the Coif. During law school, she served as a Co-Editor-in-Chief of the UCLA Journal of Law and Technology and Co-Chair of the VAWA/U-Visa clinic. Yan was also a member of the UCLA Moot Court Honors Society, and served as a judicial extern for Judge John A. Kronstadt of the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Yan graduated from Peking University School of Law with a Juris Master degree, and Tianjin University with a dual bachelor’s degree in Construction Management and English. She is fluent in Mandarin.

Yan is admitted to practice in the State of California.

Henry Rittenberg is an associate in the San Francisco office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he practices in the firm’s real estate department.

Henry earned his Juris Doctor degree from Northwestern University in 2023, where he served as an Articles Editor of the Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property. Henry was simultaneously enrolled at the Kellogg School of Management and received his MBA from Northwestern University in 2023.

Prior to attending law school, Henry worked in strategy and business intelligence roles for Fever-Tree USA and Edrington America, respectively. Henry earned his B.A. in Art History from Hamilton College in 2015. Henry is admitted to practice law in the State of California.

Ally Harris is an associate in the Orange County office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where she currently practices in the firm’s Litigation Department.

Before joining the firm, Ally served as a law clerk to the Honorable Kenneth K. Lee of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

She graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2020. While in law school, Ally served as the Executive Articles Editor for the Harvard Journal on Legislation and as a Research Assistant to Professor Michael Klarman. She also participated in Harvard’s Supreme Court Litigation Clinic in January 2020.

Ally graduated summa cum laude from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2017 with her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History.

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

Amanda Ng is an associate in the Singapore office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She is a member of the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice Groups.

Amanda advises private equity funds, their portfolio companies, global asset managers and multinational corporate clients on a broad range of corporate and commercial transactions, including cross-border acquisitions and divestures, growth equity investments, buyouts, minority investments, joint ventures and restructurings. 

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Amanda was an associate with one of Singapore’s largest law firms.

Amanda received her Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honors from the National University of Singapore in 2018. She is an Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore.

Ben Schlichting is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He practices in the firm’s Litigation Department.

Ben earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served as an editor on the Virginia Journal of Criminal Law and coached the undergraduate University of Virginia Mock Trial Team. Before and during law school, Ben served as an intern in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the District of Nevada.

Ben received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 2017 from the University of Virginia, where he graduated with highest distinction in Political & Social Thought. During that time, Ben was an All-American competitor and captain on Virginia’s Undergraduate Mock Trial Team, which won the national championship in 2017. Ben then served as a legal analyst at a firm in New York City before law school.

He is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.

Daniel Luskin is of counsel in the San Francisco office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of the firm’s Real Estate Department. He represents lenders, developers, landlords and investors with regard to a variety of real estate transactional matters, including acquisitions and dispositions of real estate and related interests, construction and permanent financings, joint ventures, fund structuring, and commercial leasing. His matters involve a variety of asset types such as office buildings, multi-family and mixed-use projects, hotels, restaurants, and other commercial and residential properties.

Prior to joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Daniel practiced as an associate in the corporate group at Davis Polk & Wardwell, advising corporations and underwriters on capital markets transactions and mergers and acquisitions. He also worked for five years as a television news and documentary producer and editor before attending law school.

Daniel received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 2009, where he was a Student Director of the Community and Economic Development Clinic, litigating construction and real estate disputes involving local non-profits, and Executive Editor of the Yale Journal of Health Policy, Law, and Ethics. He earned his A.B., magna cum laude, with Highest Honors in Psychology and Biology from Harvard University in 2001.

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

Kirti Sarkar is of counsel in the San Francisco office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group.

Her practice is principally focused on representing lenders and borrowers in the origination of mortgage and mezzanine loans secured by all types of real estate collateral. She also represents balance sheet lenders, CMBS servicers and borrowers in connection with workouts, loan assumptions, equity transfers, and other loan modifications and requests. She also represents lenders buying and selling whole loans, notes and participations.

Kirti earned her law degree in 2012 from University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she was a Senior Editor on the Journal of Business Law. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Interdisciplinary Humanities summa cum laude in 2009 from Michigan State University. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Kirti was in-house counsel at a lender and an associate in the real estate finance departments of other national and international law firms in San Francisco.

She is admitted to practice law in California and Michigan.

Sample representations include*:

Loan Originations

• Represented institutional lender in origination of $130 million mortgage and mezzanine financing, secured by ground-leased and brand-managed hotel portfolio with PropCo/OpCo structure, and in subsequent mezzanine loan sale
• Represented institutional lender in origination of $375 million mortgage, senior mezzanine and junior mezzanine financing secured by portfolio of ten select-service franchised hotels across three states
• Represented institutional lender in origination of $450 million construction financing secured by entitled land
• Represented institutional lender in origination of $200 million bridge financing secured by portfolio of six to-be-stabilized office properties across two states
• Represented real estate investor as borrower in various financing matters on its multistate healthcare property portfolio, including refinancing $1 billion mortgage and mezzanine financing secured by 170 property healthcare portfolio across nineteen states; implementing operator change and obtaining CMBS servicer consent to same; and subsequent loan compliance, loan modifications and property releases
• Represented developer as second lien lender on subordinate loan behind $340 million senior loan secured by multifamily property

Secondary Market Transactions/Syndications

• Represented institutional lender in modifications of intercreditor agreement and loan documents on $110 million loan with $35 million third-party junior mezzanine component, in connection with junior mezzanine loan default; to reflect junior mezzanine forbearance, modifications of junior mezzanine foreclosure requirements, and associated modifications of underlying loan documents
• Represented A-note lender in co-origination of $60 million multifamily construction financing with $20 million third-party B-note component, including negotiation of A/B co-lender agreement and negotiation with co-lender regarding modifications of underlying loan documents
• Represented institutional lender in modification of $45 million mortgage loan to allow for third-party $15 million preferred equity investment, including negotiation of recognition agreement with preferred equity investor and associated modifications of underlying mortgage loan documents
• Represented institutional lender in CLO securitization as loan origination counsel, including coordinating with various parties on preparation of securitization disclosures and issuing of origination counsel legal opinion
• Represented life insurance company in borrowing of $200 million repurchase line facility and pledging of mortgage and mezzanine loans to same

Asset Management/Loan Servicing Transactions

• Represented institutional lender in restructuring of $75 million mortgage and mezzanine hotel construction loans to allow for various Covid-19-related accommodations (including hotel closure, paycheck protection program loan, interest deferral, and changes to reserves/cash management requirements) and negotiated with third-party CLO lender regarding its approval
• Represented institutional lender in restructuring of $40 million defaulted hotel construction loan, including forbearance agreement requiring resolution of ongoing contractor litigation and clearing of associated liens, as well as subsequent modification agreement to allow for various Covid-19-related accommodations (including hotel closure, interest deferral, changes to reserves/cash management requirements, extension of maturity date, and reallocation and cancellation of earnout advances)
• Represented institutional lender in restructuring of $110 million mortgage and mezzanine loans to allow for replacement of defaulted guarantor and loan upsize to buy out preferred equity investor
• Represented special servicer in assumption of $50 million defaulted hotel loan by new institutional sponsor, including restructuring from brand-managed hotel to franchised affiliate-managed hotel, and including analyzing necessity of approvals from controlling class holders, companion noteholder and rating agencies
• Represented multiple master servicers in omnibus modification of multiple affected loans to allow for sponsor implementation of PropCo/OpCo structure, including analyzing necessity of approvals from special servicers, controlling class holders, and rating agencies
• Represented master servicer in modification of multiple affected loans to allow for non-permitted merger of sponsor with another real estate investor, including analyzing necessity of approvals from special servicers, controlling class holders, and rating agencies

* Several representations occurred prior to Kirti joining Gibson Dunn.

Nikki McArthur is Of Counsel in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Washington, D.C. office where she practices in the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group.

She defends employers against complex litigation under a variety of employment laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and whistleblower statutes such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Federal Railroad Safety Act, and Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (“AIR-21”). She has litigation experience at all levels – from first-chairing trials before the Department of Labor’s Office of Administrative Law Judges to arguing before the U.S. Courts of Appeals. Nikki also has extensive background conducting internal investigations and counseling managers regarding disability accommodations, protected employee leave, disciplinary action, and other personnel decisions. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, she worked as an associate at a large international law firm.

Before practicing law, Nikki served in various White House roles including Speechwriter to the First Lady and Director of Rapid Response. She received her law degree cum laude from Harvard Law School.

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

Laura Corbin is Of Counsel in the New York office, practicing in the Intellectual Property and Commercial Litigation practice groups, with a focus on patent litigation and trial practice.

Laura has represented a wide array of clients in industries including telecommunications, aviation, data storage, music streaming, investments and banking, fashion, telemedicine, and pharmaceuticals.  Laura has experience litigating every phase of patent and commercial cases, from complaint through trial.  Laura’s trial experience includes defending a major wireless telecommunications provider in a three-week jury trial resulting in a complete defense verdict of non-infringement;  representing a plaintiff patentee data storage company in a jury trial leading to an eight-figure damages award for the client; defending a manager of alternative investments in a negligent misrepresentation lawsuit brought by a hedge fund, leading to a complete defense verdict of no liability; and representing a plaintiff pharmaceutical corporation in a suit under the Hatch-Waxman Act against generic drug companies, leading to a favorable verdict of infringement and validity of the patent-in-suit.  Laura’s arbitration experience includes representing a claimant telecommunications holding company in a bilateral investment treaty arbitration.  

Her pro bono experience includes drafting an amicus brief submitted to the United States Supreme Court on behalf of the Innocence Project and representing community groups regarding land-use issues in Greenwich Village before the New York Court of Appeals.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Laura served as a law clerk from 2012 to 2014 to the Honorable Carol E. Jackson in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. She received her Juris Doctor in 2012 from Columbia Law School, where she was named a James Kent Scholar and a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. Laura received her Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from Carleton College in 2009.

She is admitted to practice in the State of New York and before the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.

Jeffrey Warren is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He practices in the firm’s Litigation Department.

Jeffrey earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center. While there he served as an Articles Editor on the American Criminal Law Review. He also participated in Georgetown’s “Street Law” program, a community outreach practicum which allows law students to teach mock trial to local high school students. During law school Jeffrey interned for the Honorable Richard J. Leon on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

Jeffrey received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2018 from the University of Virginia where he graduated with a major in Government and a minor in Economics. Prior to attending law school, Jeffrey was a Judicial Assistant at the United States Supreme Court.

He is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.

Cydney Swain is an associate in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Washington, D.C. office. She practices in the firm’s Litigation Department.

Cydney earned her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2023, where she was elected to the Order of the Coif, served as a senior editor on the Virginia Journal of Social Policy & the Law, and was a member of the Appellate Litigation Clinic. During law school, Cydney also interned for the Economic Justice Program at the Legal Aid Justice Center.

Cydney graduated summa cum laude from Florida State University with a major in International Affairs and a minor in Social Work. She is also a Jack Kent Cooke Scholar.

Cydney is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.

Lesley V. Davis is Of Counsel in the Orange County office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of the firm’s Real Estate Department.

Her practice experience includes representation of lenders, borrowers, real estate funds, REITs, institutional and non-institutional real estate investors, developers and operators in a broad range of matters, including commercial and residential financing; loan restructuring, workouts and enforcement; commencement and completion of foreclosure proceedings and receiverships; forming and representing joint ventures and negotiating joint venture agreements; commercial leasing; and acquisitions and sales of a variety of commercial real estate asset classes, including vacant land, industrial properties, cold storage warehouses, residential multifamily complexes, office buildings, hotels, retail and mixed-use buildings, shopping centers, and other commercial and residential properties. In 2013-2020, she was recognized as a Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Star.

Lesley received her Juris Doctor degree, with a concentration in corporate and business law, in 2005 from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, where she was an Executive Editor of the UCLA Law Review and a Managing Editor of the UCLA Entertainment Law Review. In 2001, she graduated magna cum laude from the University of Southern California, earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication.

Lesley is admitted to practice in the State of California.

Mason Pazhwak is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He practices in the firm’s Litigation Department.

Mason earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2023. During law school he served on the Executive Board of the Virginia Journal of International Law as the Submissions Development Editor. He also interned with the State of Alaska Department of Law.

Mason received a Bachelor of Arts degree from George Mason University in 2016, where he graduated magna cum laude with a major in Global Affairs and a minor in Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Prior to attending law school, Mason worked at two consulting firms in the Washington, D.C. area and served as a Fulbright Grantee in Malaysia.

He is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.

Skylar Drefcinski is an associate in the Washington, D.C., office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She practices in the firm’s Litigation Department.

Skylar earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she received the Eppa Hunton IV Memorial Book Award. While in law school, she was a Dillard Legal Writing Fellow, a senior editor on the Virginia Law & Business Review, and a member of the Holistic Youth Defense Clinic. She served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Lynne J. Boomgaarden of the Wyoming Supreme Court and the Honorable Michael J. Newman of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Skylar earned her undergraduate degree with highest distinction from Indiana University, during which time she interned for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

Skylar is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.

Jack Strachan is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He currently practices in the firm’s Corporate Department.

He earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 2023. During law school, Jack interned with the Division of Enforcement of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Prior to attending law school, Jack worked in the Finance department of a large federal contractor. He received undergraduate degrees in Economics and Philosophy from the University of Michigan in 2017.  

Jack is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.

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

Martina focuses her practice on international commercial and investor-state arbitrations. She has advised clients in proceedings conducted under the major arbitration rules, including the UNCITRAL, ICSID, ICC, ICDR, and LCIA Rules. She also has experience in disputes relating to energy, mining, construction, intellectual property, consumer products, and financial services.

Martina also maintains a significant pro bono practice and was awarded the 2019 TrustLaw Lawyer of the Year award from the Thomson Reuters Foundation for her work on rural education in Argentina.

Martina earned her Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in 2022 from Harvard Law School, where she acted as Vice-President of Alumni & Sponsor Relations for the Harvard International Arbitration Law Students Association. She earned her law degree, magna cum laude, in 2017 from Universidad de San Andrés in Argentina. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Martina was an associate in a leading Argentine law firm, where she specialized in International Arbitration, Domestic Litigation, and Compliance & Investigations. She was also an Executive Board member of Argentina Very Young Arbitration Practitioners and the coordinator of the Youth Committee of a domestic mediation and arbitration institution in Argentina.

Martina is fluent in English and Spanish, and is admitted to practice in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires and in the State of New York.

Arthur Halliday is a litigation associate in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. In addition to his litigation practice, Arthur is a member of Gibson Dunn’s working group on carbon offsets, and advises clients on use of carbon offsets, carbon-neutrality strategies, and related litigation and government investigations.

He earned his law degree in 2022 from Columbia Law School, where he was named a James Kent Scholar and awarded the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Prize. At Columbia, Arthur worked as an Articles Editor on the Columbia Journal of Law & Social Problems. He also served as co-president of the California Society, as a research assistant for Professor Elizabeth Emens, and as a teaching assistant for Professor Jane Ginsburg and Professor Michael Gerrard.

Arthur graduated from Wesleyan University in 2016, earning a bachelor’s degree with High Honors in the College of Social Studies.

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

Victor Twu is an associate in the Orange County office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he currently practices in the firm’s Corporate Department. His practice is focused on securities regulation and corporate governance (including matters relating to ESG and sustainability, investor engagement, shareholder activism) and other general corporate matters.

Victor has assisted clients of all sizes, ranging from pre-IPO companies to large-cap companies with global operations. His clients operate in a variety of sectors, including retail, technology, and life sciences.

He earned his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 2016, where he served as a member of the Asian American Law Journal and the Berkeley Journal of Entertainment & Sports Law. While in law school, Victor served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Susan Y. Illston of the Northern District of California.

He earned his undergraduate degree in Sociology, cum laude, from the University of California, Irvine.

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

Certifications

Certified Corporate Governance Professional, Society for Corporate Governance