Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher

Lawyer & team qualitySector knowledge

Thomas Barker is an English-qualified Of Counsel based in Gibson Dunn’s London office. He is a member of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity, Technology Transactions, and Capital Markets Practice Groups. Thomas advises listed companies, financial institutions, and private equity funds on complex cross-border transactions. His broad corporate practice covers mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, equity issues, public offerings, restructurings and securities law advice. Thomas has a particular focus on the TMT and Digital Infrastructure sectors advising clients on high-value corporate and commercial matters. He also has significant experience in private equity, advising sponsors such as Blue Owl, Lone Star and Brookfield in Europe and North America and Fajr Capital, Gulf Capital, Investcorp, and Jadwa in the MENA region.

Rebecca Barry is an English qualified associate in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She is a member of the firm’s Dispute Resolution Group. Rebecca has broad experience of commercial litigation, international arbitration and regulatory investigations. She also maintains an active pro bono practice and is a member of the London Pro Bono Committee.

Alison Beal is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of the firm’s Technology Transactions Practice Group and its Strategic Sourcing and Commercial Transactions Practice Group. Admitted to practice in multiple jurisdictions, Alison has extensive international experience and capability in complex commercial transactions for clients based in Europe, US and APAC, focusing on new technologies, R&D collaborations and externalisations, ITO, BPO, telecommunications, strategic alliances and the re-negotiation and exit of those transactions. Alison focuses on structuring, negotiating, and documenting large-scale and global information technology and business process outsourcing transactions and other commercial and technology related transactions. She also regularly advises clients on intellectual property and information technology issues in connection with corporate transactions, including private equity representations, mergers and acquisitions and distressed acquisitions.

Isabel Berger is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Isabel is a member of the Private Equity, Mergers and Acquisitions and Real Estate practice groups. Isabel advises private equity funds and other financial investor clients on domestic and cross-border transactions including leveraged buyouts, acquisitions and divestitures, equity growth investments, joint ventures and co-investments and management equity plans, as well as related advisory work. She has experience advising sponsors across a broad range of industries including real estate private equity transactions. She has previously spent 12 months on secondment at KKR.

Sandy Bhogal is a partner in the London office and serves as co-chair of Gibson Dunn’s Global Tax Practice. He regularly advises multinational companies, asset managers and fund sponsors, investment banks, insurers, REITs and institutional investors (including sovereign wealth funds) on their most complex tax issues. Sandy’s experience ranges from general corporate and indirect tax advice to transactional advice on matters involving M&A, corporate finance & capital markets, investment funds, structured and asset finance, insurance and real estate. He also has significant experience with corporate tax planning and transfer pricing, and often provides clients with advice on domestic and cross border tax efficient structures. He also assists clients with tax authority enquiries, wider tax risk management and multi-lateral tax controversies.

Attila Borsos is a partner at Gibson Dunn based in the Brussels office. He is a member of the firm's Antitrust and Competition, International Trade, Litigation, and Government Contracts Practice Groups and has 15 years of experience advising on antitrust and competition as well as international trade matters. Attila advises on a wide range of antitrust issues, including merger control, vertical arrangements, and cartel investigations, both before the European Commission and national competition authorities. He regularly advises international companies on their global merger control strategy and co-ordinates merger control and other regulatory filing approvals in order to get the deal through and meet clients’ strategic objectives. He has particular experience in advising companies in the IT, consumer goods, construction materials, and chemical industries sectors. Attila has significant experience in State aid proceedings before the European Commission and subsequent litigation before the European Courts. He has successfully advised investors on the State aid aspects of the privatization a flag carrier airline of one of the EU member states and subsequently represented that airline with State aid complaints regarding Alitalia, Croatian Airlines, and Air Serbia. He has particular expertise in the application of the market economy investor principle, rescue and restructuring aid, the rules regarding direct business taxation, the guidelines on regional aid, and the sale of public property. In the field of international trade, Attila represents both complainants and importers in anti-dumping and anti-subsidy proceedings before the European Commission. He regularly advises importers, exporters and downstream users on the implications of trade defence measures, the impact of Brexit on customs tariffs and trade defence instruments, tackling technical barriers to trade in third countries and on the EU sanctions regime.

Alice Brogi is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Alice is a member of the Private Equity, Mergers and Acquisitions and Capital Markets practice groups. Alice practices private equity M&A, representing sponsors in cross-border transactions across a number of sectors with a focus on infrastructure and hard assets. She has advised clients on domestic and cross-border acquisitions, disposals, preferred equity and debt investments, joint ventures, loan-to-own restructurings, and portfolio acquisitions in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria and the Nordics. Alice has also advised private equity firms on investments across a number of sectors, including telecom, construction, financial services and technology sectors. She has previously completed secondments both at Hudson Advisors UK and also to the merchant banking division of Goldman Sachs.

Susy has extensive experience in commercial litigation in the English and Cayman courts, including complex transnational litigation and financial services disputes. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn as partner, Susy was Head of Litigation for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at UBS. In that role, she had responsibility for all litigation and contentious regulatory matters in the EMEA region for the bank including commercial and white-collar criminal litigation, as well as certain internal investigations. Susy also regularly advises clients on sustainability and business & human rights matters such as supply chain issues and investigations, emerging ESG legislation and regulatory requirements, human rights and policy training, ESG-related disclosures and Modern Slavery Act 2015 compliance, and ESG related disputes. She supports clients from a wide variety of industries including oil & gas, food & beverage, and technology. Susy has supported the Thun Group of banks since 2016 – considering business and human rights issues across the banking sector, and is an ongoing (pro bono) advisor to a UK modern slavery charity. Susy is also a member of the firm’s global pro bono committee and pro bono partner for the London office.

Rob Carr is an English law partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of the firm’s Real Estate and Global Finance Practice Groups. Rob advises lenders and borrowers across the market on real estate backed financing transactions in the UK and continental Europe acting for investment banks, private equity funds and other alternative lenders and has particular expertise in representing private equity and other top tier sponsors on their borrowing transactions. He has advised on a wide variety of real estate financings spanning the last decade including loan originations, debt trades and restructurings.

Trinh Chubbock is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Trinh is a member of the Projects and Infrastructure Practice Group. Trinh is an energy specialist focusing on project developments, M&A transactions, and commercial contracts. She has a broad practice covering the full value chain from upstream oil and gas to downstream sectors, with experience in midstream work and LNG. She also focuses on renewable energy and energy transition.

Stephanie Collins

Stephanie Collins is an Of Counsel and English law qualified solicitor advocate in Gibson Dunn’s London office. She is a member of the firm’s Geopolitical Strategy and International Law, International Arbitration, ESG: Risk, Litigation, and Reporting, and Judgment and Award Enforcement Practice Groups. She has particular experience guiding clients in the energy, infrastructure, mining, financial services and tech sectors. Stephanie specialises in public international law, and advises clients on a broad range of matters, including international human rights law and climate change law. She has recently advised a State on the establishment of a new international organization. Stephanie also regularly offers strategic guidance to clients on geopolitical risk management. This includes advising on developing jurisprudence, regulation and policy which may impact clients’ operations. She represents corporate actors in human rights-related disputes, including before the European Court of Human Rights and UN Treaty Bodies. In the international arbitration space, Stephanie has extensive experience of acting in investor-State proceedings under the ICSID and UNCITRAL Rules, as well as experience of commercial arbitration disputes under the ICC, LCIA, Ciarb and SIAC Rules. She has acted in over ten Energy Charter Treaty arbitrations and numerous BIT proceedings, where she has gained advocacy experience. Stephanie is the co-founder and Chair of Young EFILA (European Federation of International Investment Law and Arbitration) and a member of the International Law Association, British Branch. She has previously served as member of CPR’s Young Leaders in ADR Steering Committee (2021-2024), as well as the Global Steering Committee for the Campaign for Greener Arbitrations (2022-2024). An experienced business and human rights lawyer, she has experience representing clients in civil litigation proceedings with a human rights and environmental nexus; advising clients on climate change and greenwashing risks as well as supply chain risks; and acting in proceedings brought under the OECD Guidelines before National Contact Points. She also advises on a host of ESG-related regulations and delivers strategic advice such as designing human rights policies, due diligence processes and grievance mechanisms, as well as heat-mapping sustainability regulatory developments. She has been an active member of the Business and Human Rights Lawyers Association—of which Gibson Dunn is a founding member—since its inception.

Martin Coombes is an English qualified senior solicitor in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the firm’s Financial Regulatory, Financial Institutions, Investment Funds and ESG Practice Groups. Martin specializes in advising on UK and EU financial services regulation. He advises on a wide range of financial services and compliance issues including advice on UK and EU regulatory developments, the regulatory aspects of corporate transactions and the on-going compliance obligations of financial services firms. Martin also has experience of conducting internal investigations for financial services firms and acting on a section 166 skilled person review under the Financial Services and Markets Act. His clients include institutional asset managers, private equity firms, hedge fund managers, credit fund managers, investment banks, cryptoasset firms, payment services firms and corporate finance houses.

James Cox is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of the firm’s Labour and Employment Practice Group. James has extensive experience in contentious and non-contentious labor and employment matters, with an emphasis on cross-border employment issues, collective labor and industrial disputes, redundancies and workforce restructurings, ARD/TUPE, the employment aspects of public and private mergers and acquisitions and outsourcing arrangements, corporate governance matters, boardroom appointments and removals, contractor and directorship matters, employment issues facing private equity companies, whistle-blowing, equal pay and other discrimination claims, worker consultation, enforcing and resisting post-employment restrictive covenants, and protecting confidential information from misuse by current and former employees. James also advises on data privacy and data protection issues.

Kavita Davis is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher. Kavita is a member of the Finance Practice Group and focuses on cross-border debt finance matters. She has significant experience in advising on leveraged buyouts representing sponsors, including sponsors focusing on infrastructure transactions.

Wim De Vlieger is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Wim is co-chair of Private Equity in Europe and a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions and Capital Markets practice groups. Wim advises private equity investors and their portfolio companies on a wide range of corporate transactions, including growth equity and control investments and co-investments, structured transactions, buy-out transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and exits. He also has considerable experience advising on strategic cross-border M&A transactions and on international capital market transactions. He has broad experience counselling clients across a wide range of European jurisdictions, with a focus on transactions in the technology and life sciences sectors.

Robert Dixon is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the Private Equity, Mergers and Acquisitions and Capital Markets practice groups. He advises private equity and corporate clients on M&A, joint ventures, equity investments and commercial contracts. He has extensive experience in cross-border M&A, with a particular emphasis on digital infrastructure and other TMT transactions.

Patrick Doris is a partner in Gibson Dunn’s Dispute Resolution Group in London, where he specialises in global white-collar investigations, commercial litigation and complex compliance advisory matters. Patrick’s practice covers a wide range of disputes, including white-collar crime, internal and regulatory investigations, transnational litigation, class actions, contentious antitrust matters and administrative law challenges against governmental decision-making. Patrick handles major cross-border investigations in the fields of bribery and corruption, fraud, sanctions, money laundering, financial sector wrongdoing, antitrust, consumer protection and tax evasion. Patrick’s recent commercial disputes experience has extended to advising corporations, UK public bodies and sovereign states in claims in courts and tribunals in the UK and around Europe. He has particular expertise in antitrust cases, human rights disputes and collective actions.

Bridget English

Bridget English is of counsel in the London office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the firm’s Tax Practice Group. Bridget is an experienced tax adviser with a broad practice. She advises on a wide range of domestic and cross-border matters, including in relation to mergers and acquisitions, private equity, corporate reorganisations, real estate, corporate finance and capital markets.

Charles Falconer KC

Charlie Falconer is an English qualified King’s Counsel and partner based in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s London office. The former UK Lord Chancellor and first Secretary of State for Justice spent 25 years as a commercial barrister, becoming a QC in 1991 and a KC in 2022. His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, international arbitration and investigations.

Federico Fruhbeck

Federico Fruhbeck is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Federico is co-chair of the Projects and Infrastructure Practice Group, co-head of Private Equity in Europe, and a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions and Capital Markets Practice Groups. Federico’s practice focuses on cross-border M&A transactions across Europe and Latin America for private equity clients and large family-owned conglomerates, with a particular focus in the infrastructure, ESG and real assets sector. He also advises both issuers and underwriters on capital markets transactions, particularly in high-yield issuances (including green bond issuances) and initial public offerings. He has extensive experience across multiple jurisdictions, with a particular focus on Spain, Italy, Germany, France and the Nordic region.

Ben Fryer is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of the firm’s Tax Practice Group. Ben is an experienced tax adviser with a broad practice – he advises on a wide range of domestic and cross-border matters and transactions, including in relation to banking, capital markets, corporate finance, corporate reorganisations, debt restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, real estate and structured finance. He also guides clients on general corporate tax planning and risk management matters. Ben has advised on the structuring and execution of numerous mainstream private equity and real estate private equity transactions. He also regularly advises on carried interest and co-investment structures, executive compensation matters and equity incentive arrangements.

Sacha Harber-Kelly

Sacha Harber-Kelly is a partner in the Dispute Resolution Group of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher’s London office, where he specialises in global white-collar investigations, related litigation and compliance. He has extensive litigation, investigation and advisory experience on behalf of both companies and individuals in a broad range of service and industry sectors including financial services, oil and gas, extractives, legal services, telecommunications, sport, media, real estate, consumer products and manufacturing.

Claibourne Harrison

Clai Harrison is a dual-qualified (admitted as a solicitor in England & Wales and licensed by the State Bar of Texas) corporate partner based in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s London office, focusing on private equity, real estate private equity and venture capital / growth investment transactions. He represents private equity/investment firms, corporates and other institutional investors in the UK, across Europe and the United States on private equity and real estate private equity transactions, corporate real estate M&A, joint ventures, majority-control or minority investments, divestitures, carve-outs and loan portfolio acquisitions.

Joel Harrison is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, a Co-Chair of the firm’s Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Innovation Practice Group and a member of the firm’s Technology Transactions Practice Group. Joel advises on everything technology-related, including transactions, disputes and renegotiations, as well as regulatory issues. He also specialises in data protection and cybersecurity, advising on the full range of regulatory, transactional and contentious matters. Joel’s clients include some of the world’s leading corporations and financial institutions. Joel advises clients on a wide range of technology projects, including outsourcing, cloud computing, software development and licensing and system integration agreements, as well as collaborations and strategic alliances in the technology sector. He has also represented clients in major disputes and renegotiations on technology projects, and regularly advises on a wide variety of issues in technology regulation and policy development. Joel also advises clients on data protection matters, including data protection and ePrivacy issues in the development of new products and services and international data transfers, as well as data protection disputes and regulatory proceedings. He regularly advises on cybersecurity issues, and has represented clients in a wide range of sectors (including financial services, technology and pharmaceuticals) on incident preparedness and response.

Christopher Haynes is an English qualified corporate partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher. Chris has extensive experience in equity capital markets transactions and mergers and acquisitions including advising corporates, investment banks and shareholders on initial public offerings (including multi-track processes), rights issues and other equity offerings as well as on public takeovers, private company M&A and joint ventures. He also advises on corporate and securities law and regulation.

Patrick Hennessy

Patrick Hennessy is an English qualified partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher. He is a member of the Corporate Transactional, Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity and Real Estate practice groups. Patrick has extensive experience advising clients in the U.K., across Europe and Asia on a wide range of corporate matters, including cross-border mergers and acquisitions, disposals, leveraged buy-outs and joint ventures. Patrick has a particular focus on corporate real estate, mainstream private equity (including management and institutional buyout transactions) and all aspects of real estate private equity (including real estate mergers and acquisitions, real estate joint ventures and co-investment deals and structures). Patrick has advised clients on numerous high profile, cross-border, complex transactions in these areas. He also has significant experience advising clients in the betting and gaming industries.

Christopher Howard

Chris is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and is a member of the firm’s Business Restructuring and Reorganisation, and Finance practice groups. Chris is a leader in English law restructuring and finance with 25 years of extensive international experience. He advises multinational corporations, investment and commercial banks, and financial sponsors on complex corporate restructurings and financing matters across Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.

Osma Hudda is an English qualified partner in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s London office and is a member of the Firm’s Dispute Resolution Group. She has broad-based dispute resolution experience including litigation and international arbitration. Osma’s litigation experience has involved representing clients in Employment Tribunals, the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. In arbitration she has represented clients from a wide variety of industries, including construction and oil & gas, before arbitral tribunals including the ICC and LCIA.

David Irvine is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. David is the head of European Leveraged and Acquisition Finance and serves as Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn’s Finance Practice. David is a leading adviser to high-profile private equity sponsors on their most significant cross-border leveraged financing transactions and to private credit funds on their most complex financing arrangements. David also advises on recaps, minority back-leverage, special situations financings, margin loans, fund level financings and restructurings. He brings an excellent understanding of the Asian markets, having practised in Hong Kong.

Associate, Transportation & Space

Michelle Kirschner

Michelle Kirschner is an English law partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, and co-chair of the firm’s Global Financial Regulatory group. She advises a broad range of financial institutions, including investment managers, integrated investment banks, corporate finance boutiques, private fund managers and private wealth managers at the most senior level. Michelle has a particular expertise in fintech businesses, having advised a number of fintech firms on regulatory perimeter issues. Michelle works closely with the Corporate team on financial services capital markets and M&A deals, in particular on investments by funds into regulated firms and related prudential issues. Michelle has extensive experience in advising clients on areas such as systems and controls, market abuse, conduct of business and regulatory change management, including MiFID II, MAR and Senior Managers & Certification Regime. Following the EU referendum, she has spent considerable time advising regulated clients in relation to their options for conducting business in / into the EU following Brexit. Michelle has particular experience in contentious regulatory matters, including acting as a section 166 skilled person under the Financial Services and Markets Act. She has also conducted internal investigations, in particular reviews of corporate governance and systems and controls in the context of EU and UK regulatory requirements and expectations.

Ceyda Knoebel is an English-Turkish dual-qualified solicitor and Of Counsel in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She is a member of the firm’s Dispute Resolution, International Arbitration, Judgment and Award Enforcement Groups. Ceyda specialises on public international law and international arbitration, advising clients on a wide range of cross-border and complex disputes in common and civil law jurisdictions. She has extensive experience in investment treaty and commercial arbitration proceedings under the UNCITRAL, ICSID, ICC, SCC, VIAC and LCIA Rules as well as enforcement of arbitral awards in multiple jurisdictions. Ceyda represents and advises clients across a broad spectrum of industries including energy, mining, oil and gas, financial services, banking and construction and she appears as counsel and advocate in commercial and investor-state disputes. She is also appointed to the United Nations Global Arbitration Counsel List. Alongside her fee earning practice, she also has an active pro bono practice focusing on advising clients on a wide range of issues in public international law and international human rights law.

Till is a partner in the London and Singapore offices of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Mr. Lefranc is a member of the Private Equity practice group. He advises clients on cross-border acquisitions and divestitures, growth capital investments, buy-outs, shareholder arrangements, minority investments and management equity arrangements.

Sarah Leiper-Jennings

Sarah Leiper-Jennings is an English qualified Of Counsel in the London office of Gibson Dunn. She is a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity and Capital Markets practice groups. Sarah has extensive experience advising corporates, private equity funds and investment banks on a broad range of corporate transactional matters, including public and private M&A, joint ventures, IPOs and secondary offerings.

Penny Madden is an English qualified King’s counsel and serves as co-partner in charge of the London office at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She is co-chair of the International Arbitration Practice Group and a member of the firm’s Transnational Litigation Practice Group. She has a wide range of experience in all key aspects of international arbitration with particular expertise in shareholder, telecommunications, SPA, energy, international trade and insurance disputes. She represents clients across the globe in a wide variety of arbitration proceedings, including those before the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague (PCA) Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) and London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA), as well as in ad hoc proceedings. In addition to representing clients as counsel, Penny regularly sits as an arbitrator. Her recent cases include representing two Middle Eastern oil and gas companies in multiple LCIA arbitrations arising out of a multi-billion oil and gas project in Kurdistan and disputed gas pipeline; representing a Middle Eastern oil and gas company in a multi-billion PCA administered arbitration against a state owned Middle East oil and gas company in a gas sales and pipe-line infrastructure project dispute; representing a telecommunications corporate in its US$17 billion dollar UNCITRAL investment treaty arbitration against a North African state for creeping expropriation and breach of the fair and equitable treatment standard; and representing shareholders in a major oil company with respect to multibillion dollar claims for expropriation under the Energy Charter Treaty against the Russian Federation.

Amar K. Madhani is an English law qualified partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity, Investment Funds and Strategic Sourcing and Commercial Transactions Practice Groups. Amar’s practice focuses on domestic and international private equity M&A, corporate real estate transactions and investments and private M&A transactions including domestic and international cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity and venture capital transactions. He regularly represents international sponsors, public and private buyers and targets in auctions, asset and share sales and mergers across a broad range of sectors, including industrials

Ben Myers is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Ben is a member of the firm’s Global Finance and Business Restructuring Practice Groups. He is also one of the leaders of the firm’s UK ESG practice and a member of the firm’s global ESG Practice Group. Ben regularly advises private equity sponsors and their investment funds/portfolio companies, major financial institutions, corporates, hedge funds and other investors and agency/trustee services providers across a wide range of complex and multi-jurisdictional financing transactions including leveraged finance, real estate finance, asset finance, fund finance and restructuring transactions. In addition to advising clients on mainstream finance and restructuring transactions, Ben’s practice has a particular focus on special situations transactions. He has extensive experience advising private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, special situations teams at major financial institutions and credit/special situations funds on deal specific credit solutions including holdco/PIK financings, rescue financings, GP co-invest financings, minority investment financings and post-restructuring recapitalisations.

Allan Neil is an English qualified partner in the dispute resolution group of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s London office. His recent work involves large-scale multi-jurisdictional disputes and investigations (both regulatory and internal investigations) in the financial institutions sector. His work covers investment banking, asset management and compliance matters.

Ali Nikpay serves as co-partner in charge of the London office at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and is a co-chair of the firm’s Antitrust and Competition Group. He is regularly cited as one of Europe’s leading competition practitioners, with more than 25 years of EU and UK merger control and antitrust experience in both the private and public sectors.

Piers Plumptre is an English qualified partner working in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Piers is a member of the Dispute Resolution and International Arbitration Groups. Piers’s practice includes international arbitration and enforcement, complex commercial litigation, financial services disputes, and international fraud and white collar crime. He has extensive experience of international litigation and arbitration matters, spanning multiple jurisdictions, and in a wide variety of sectors. Piers’s recent commercial arbitration experience includes acting for a major international contractor in a US$ 4 billion dollar ICC arbitration arising out of a Middle Eastern infrastructure project, acting for an energy company in an ICC arbitration against an African State concerning a power project, and acting for a global mining company in a US$ 2 billion LCIA arbitration (and related English High Court proceedings) concerning a long-term supply contract. Piers has significant investment treaty arbitration experience, including ongoing representation of the former shareholders in a major oil company in a long-running US$ 6 billion UNCITRAL arbitration against the Russian Federation. Piers has also represented an Egyptian telecoms company in an ICSID arbitration against Canada, and continues to act for a major personal care products company in an investment treaty arbitration against Venezuela. Piers also regularly acts for clients seeking to enforce arbitral awards and judgments, both in the UK and elsewhere. Examples include recently seeking and obtaining a freezing injunction and related relief from the English High Court, in connection with a US$ 550 million ICC arbitration award arising out of a mining dispute. He has also appeared (as junior to Charlie Falconer) in the recent proceedings bought by Tethyan Copper Company in the BVI (where he is admitted to practice), seeking to enforce an ICSID award worth more than US$ 6 billion against the Government of Pakistan. Piers’s experience of offshore litigation also includes acting for UBS in BVI proceedings brought by the liquidator of the largest Madoff feeder funds to recover monies paid out during the lives of the funds; including representing UBS before the BVI High Court, the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal and the Privy Council (sitting as the ultimate BVI appellate court).

Philip Rocher is the senior partner in the Dispute Resolution Group in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s London office. He specialises in litigation, often with an international element, and regulatory and internal investigations. He has extensive experience in the financial services sectors. Philip regularly advises on high value disputes arising from the full range of commercial activities and has taken many large and complex matters through to a concluded trial. In recent years he has conducted a three-month hedge fund fraud trial in the Cayman Islands, a ten-week fraud trial in the Commercial Court, and the two-week trial of the first phase of a ground breaking private sector equal value employment claim. He has conducted numerous regulatory and internal investigations in the UK and internationally for clients in the financial services sector and in other industries, reporting the results to both regulators and boards of directors. These matters range from examining the conduct of senior managers in an investment bank, to major multinational regulatory investigations.

Alexa Romanelli

Alexa Romanelli is a Senior Associate in Gibson Dunn’s London office and a member of the firm’s International Arbitration and Arbitral Award Enforcement, ESG and Geopolitical Strategy and International Law practice groups. Alexa represents clients in investment treaty and commercial arbitrations under all major institutional rules, and in global campaigns relating to enforcement of arbitral awards, in particular against sovereign states. Alexa represents corporate clients in human rights-related disputes, including before the European Court of Human Rights and UN Treaty Bodies. She also advises clients on matters of PIL, and on business and human rights matters such as emerging ESG legislation and regulatory requirements, and climate change litigation risk.

Claire Shepherd

Claire Shepherd is a partner in the London office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the Antitrust and Competition practice group. She advises on a broad range of contentious and non-contentious UK and EU competition law matters. Claire advises on the merger control, foreign investment and national security aspects of international transactions, cartel investigations and appeals, competition related litigation and disputes, and other competition compliance issues including abuse of dominance. She also has experience advising on other aspects of economic regulation. Claire advises clients across wide range of industry sectors, including technology, financial services, media, manufacturing, retail and consumer goods/services.

Ben’s practice is focused on the development and financing of complex, large-scale energy and infrastructure projects, with a particular focus on energy transition, conventional power and water, and oil and gas projects. He regularly advises both sponsors and lenders on innovative, “first-in-kind” projects and has worked with the leading clients in the energy sector in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Robert Spano is a partner in the London and Paris offices and the co-chair of the firm’s Artificial Intelligence Practice Group. He practices in the field of EU litigation, international dispute resolution and advises on regulatory matters. He is a member of the Transnational Litigation, International Arbitration, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Innovation, Technology Regulatory and Litigation, and Public Policy Practice Groups. He is a leading expert in public international law, business and human rights, EU law and the law of the European Convention on Human Rights, bringing unparalleled experience from senior roles in the judiciary, private practice and academia.

Mark Sperotto is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher and a member of the Corporate Transactional practice group. Mark has broad experience in both the UK and Italian markets, covering all aspects of corporate, private equity and investment banking with a focus on cross-border M&A, leveraged buy-outs, fund establishment and international corporate finance and equity capital markets transactions. Mark’s experience extends to advising private equity and investment funds, major domestic and international corporates and investment banks on a wide range of company law and transactional matters. He has particular expertise in the retail, leisure, healthcare, gaming, e-commerce, real estate and energy/infrastructure sectors, having advised clients on numerous high profile and complex transactions in those areas.

Lisa Stevens is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Lisa is a member of the Business Restructuring and Reorganization, and Finance Practice Groups. Lisa advises global clients on bespoke and complex cross border restructurings, special situations debt transactions and stressed liability management transactions. Lisa has a broad client base which includes capital solutions funds, direct lending funds, CLOs, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, other large asset managers and corporates.

Will Summers is a partner in the London office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the Private Equity Practice Group. Will’s practice focuses on advising private equity houses and financial sponsors on a range of complex cross-border acquisitions, divestitures, co-investments, joint ventures, minority and growth capital investments, carve-outs, and corporate restructurings.

Deirdre Taylor is an English law partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of the antitrust and competition practice. Ms. Taylor’s practice encompasses the full range of antitrust issues, including cartel investigations, merger control, and abuse of dominance. Ms. Taylor has provided antitrust advice to clients across a number of industries, including: telecommunications, aviation, financial services, oil and gas, engineering, retail, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing. Since joining Gibson Dunn, she has counselled clients such as UBS, Asda, Gala Coral, Energizer, Marriott Hotels, William Hill, Debenhams and a number of leading technology companies. Ms. Taylor’s recent experience in relation to cartel investigations includes defending a multi-national corporation in connection with worldwide antitrust and regulatory investigations in the financial sector and advising a client in the consumer goods sector in relation to a national, and potentially EU-wide, cartel investigation. Recent merger experience includes obtaining UK clearance in the engineering sector, UK clearance for a high-profile retail merger, and EC clearance for a merger in the electronics distribution sector.

Steve Thierbach

Stephen A. Thierbach is a US-qualified corporate partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. A senior U.S. securities lawyer, he advises issuers, underwriters and selling shareholders on complex, innovative and multi-jurisdictional offerings of equity, equity-related and debt securities. He has a broad capital markets transactions practice, with a focus on initial public offerings and secondary offerings, and has represented corporates, investment banks, private equity firms and governments in transactions in the UK and other jurisdictions in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Sean Tierney is a partner of the firm’s Real Estate Department. Sean represents private equity funds, institutional and non-institutional real estate investors, developers, operators, lenders and borrowers in negotiating and structuring real estate joint ventures, acquisitions, sales, developments and financings. Sean also has deep experience in representing hotel investors, operators, and lenders in connection with the acquisition, financing, development, operation, and disposition of hospitality assets. He also has a market-leading expertise in the negotiation of long-term hotel management agreements.

Alana Tinkler is a partner in the London office of Gibson Dunn and a member of the Antitrust and Competition Practice Group. She advises on a wide range of U.K. and European competition law, spanning complex merger control matters (including for strategic M&A, financial investments and restructurings), foreign investment & national security, and antitrust investigations. Her experience covers a variety of industry sectors, including: Biotechnology, Communications, Consumer Goods, Critical Infrastructure (including Water and Energy), Enterprise and Infrastructure Software, Financial Services, Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Space & Defence, and Technology.

Nick Tomlinson is an English and New York qualified corporate partner based in Gibson Dunn’s London office, having joined the firm in January 2001. He has also practised out of the firm’s New York office for two years and helped establish our Dubai office. Nick advises and leads deal teams on a wide range of UK and international cross-border transactions, principally in the Private Equity, Growth Capital, Management Equity Incentivisation, Joint Venture and M&A fields. He has also worked on international capital raisings and investment banking advisory arrangements. Given the international nature of the transactions, he often works closely with our tax, FCPA and OFAC/sanctions specialists in London and the U.S. as well our FDI and antitrust colleagues in London and Brussels. He regularly acts for global and regional private equity firms, investment banks, family investment companies and a range of companies across a number of sectors, which include: healthcare, education, media, IT & digital infrastructure, digital communications & marketing, gaming, retail, sports & hospitality, hotels & leisure, beverages, shipping, manufacturing & distribution, mining and oil & gas.

Has extensive experience in U.S. and international taxation, with emphasis on advice to foreign clients with investments in U.S. and advice to U.S. clients with foreign operations. Clients include sovereign wealth funds, multinational corporations, high-net worth individuals, private equity funds, hedge funds, and real estate opportunity funds. Areas of practice include advice on structuring investment in domestic and foreign real estate, public and private companies, sports franchises and other investment assets. Has worked in firm’s U.S. and European offices (London for eleven years; Munich for four years).

Simon Tysoe is a partner in the Corporate Department of the London office and served as former Co-Chair of the firm’s Oil & Gas Industry Group. Simon specializes in transactions in the energy sector, and has extensive experience advising clients on a range of cross-border energy and natural resources transactions, including upstream, midstream, and downstream oil and gas M&A, joint ventures, restructuring, and project development. Mergers & Acquisitions Oil & Gas Transactions Project Development & Finance Africa Practice Latin America Practice

Presley is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and is a member of the firm’s Business Restructuring and Reorganisation, and Finance practice groups. Presley advises financial institutions, private equity firms, and corporate clients on a wide range of cross-border financing and restructuring transactions. Presley advises on complex private equity transactions, supporting both sponsors and lenders in navigating leveraged buyouts and public-to-private deals in the U.K. and Europe. His expertise includes structuring financing solutions across various instruments, such as first and second lien, PIK, and hybrid debt, as well as managing leveraged recapitalizations, senior credit facilities, bridge financings, and distressed debt arrangements. Corporate transactions include advising corporates and lenders on event-driven investment grade financings and build-out transactions. Restructuring transactions include advising bondholders, financial institutions, and corporate and private equity-owned debtors on restructurings in the U.K., Europe, and the Middle East.

Doug Watson is an English-qualified Partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He is a member of the firm’s Dispute Resolution and International Arbitration Groups. Doug specialises in commercial litigation and international arbitration. He has broad-based experience, encompassing High Court litigation, judicial review, cross-border disputes, regulatory investigations and associated follow-on litigation. He has acted for clients across a wide spectrum of industries including telecommunications, energy, aviation, media and sport.