Gibson Dunn

History

The firm was founded in May 1890 by John D. Bicknel and Walter Trask. In 1897, Judge James Gibson joined the firm. Six years later, at the suggestion of mutual client Henry E. Huntington, the firm merged with the law firm of former Los Angeles city attorney William Ellsworth Dunn and assistant city attorney Albert Crutcher, forming Bicknell, Gibson, Trask, Dunn & Crutcher, while creating the largest law firm in Los Angeles at the time. In 1911, the firm was renamed Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.

In 1914, the firm recruited its first attorney from Harvard Law School, Henry Prince, marking its transition to methods developed in the Eastern law schools. By 1931, name partners Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher were deceased. New Deal legislation during the 1930s stimulated labor practice legal work in the firm. In 1943, the firm had 25 lawyers, increased to 39 by 1954, then to 63 a decade later.

The firm opened offices in Washington, D.C. and in Paris, France in 1977, and expanded further within the U.S. during the 20th century, as well as to Europe and Asia, opening its London office in 1980, and operating 21 law practices globally. In 1980, the firm had about 200 lawyers and was rapidly expanding, to about 700 by 1991. In 1989, amid American trade expansion, the firm also became associated with the Brussels law firm of Van Bael & Bellis.

In 1991, legally-trained historian Jane Wilson (later Adler), completed a book for the firm, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, lawyers: An early history, which received a Donald H. Pflueger Local History Award in 1993, for outstanding scholarship in depictions of economic growth in Southern California.

Barbara Becker joined the firm with mentor Dennis Friedman in 2000, moving from an M&A partnership at Chadbourne & Parke. She was elected chair and managing partner in 2021.

Amid clashes at some college campuses, following the onset of the 2023 Israel-Hamas war; on November 1st, 2023, Gibson Dunn was one of two dozen law firms that submitted a letter to 14 American law school deans, denouncing anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and racism, and advising those mentoring future law graduates of entrenched workplace policies against harassment or discrimination at their firms. The firm was also one of 17 global law firms that signed a public statement denouncing growing anti-Semitic attacks in the U.S., published in The American Lawyer on May 27, 2021.

In October 2025, the Anti-Defamation League announced a partnership with the firm to launch a nationwide legal service network to support victims of antisemitism and provide legal counsel on a pro-bono basis.

Notable cases

Early clients of the firm include several utility and gas and oil companies, such as Los Angeles Gas & Electric Company; Amalgamated, Union, and Akron oil companies; and Henry E. Huntington and Pacific Light & Power Company.

Some of the firm's notable cases and clients include:

• Chevron, in its long-running, $27 billion environmental dispute in Ecuador. According to The Intercept, Gibson Dunn has hired private investigators to track Steven Donziger and created "a team of hundreds of lawyers to fight him". This resulted in a boycott launched in April 2021 by the student group Law Students for Climate Accountability.
• CNN, in its lawsuit against President Trump and many of his staff on the basis of Jim Acosta's right to a "hard pass", a clearance to enter the White House.
• Xerox, in the financing of its approximately $1.5 billion acquisition of Lexmark International.
• American Foundation for Equal Rights, in its litigation challenging California's Proposition 8 and supporting marriage equality. The litigation ultimately led to the overturning of Proposition 8.
• U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, in its suit against the federal government seeking a restoration of federal support for the church's immigration programs.
• Mother and child victims of domestic violence at the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
• Apple, Inc., in its patent infringement suit against Samsung (Apple v. Samsung) relating to the Galaxy Nexus smartphone, and won an injunction in June 2012 blocking the sale of the Galaxy Nexus phone in the United States. The injunction was vacated in October 2012 based on the results of the trial. It also represented Apple in Epic Games v. Apple, a lawsuit related to Apple's practices in the App Store and the removal of Fortnite from the App Store.
• Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, in a $17 billion contract dispute with purported seed money financier Paul Ceglia in 2011 The case was thrown out and Ceglia was charged with fraud in 2012; he became a fugitive.
• Gibson Dunn litigated in an attempt to give cities more authority in breaking up homeless encampments. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the firm litigated in an attempt to relocate homeless persons from the Upper West Side to downtown Manhattan. Randy Mastro, a Gibson Dunn partner, had his home was vandalized in October. Individuals on either side of the relocation dispute expressed regret of the vandalism.
• George W. Bush, in Bush v. Gore, the litigation contesting certification of Florida's results in the 2000 United States presidential election. Theodore Olsen, the partner who argued the case for Bush in the Supreme Court, went on to serve as solicitor general in the Bush administration.
• Citizens United, firm partner Theodore B. Olson successfully argued Citizens United v. FEC (2010) in its favor. The verdict sanctioned businesses' limitless campaign spending, which, according to nonpartisan legal organization Campaign Legal Center, promoted corruption and black money.
• Intel, in its defense against several multibillion-dollar antitrust lawsuits filed by AMD and the European Union.
• NBC Universal in its 2009 contract dispute with Conan O'Brien.
• Viacom, in its billion-dollar copyright infringement lawsuit against Google and YouTube in Viacom International Inc. v. YouTube, Inc. After multiple rulings at the District Court and Appellate Court, the case was settled in 2014.
• Governor Chris Christie hired Gibson Dunn attorney Randy Mastro to conduct an internal investigation of the circumstances surrounding the Fort Lee lane closure scandal and representing the Governor in a later federal investigation. The firm was later criticized by U.S. District Judge Susan Wigenton for its methods of record keeping, and accused the firm of "opacity and gamesmanship".
• Plaintiffs in Haaland v. Brackeen, pro bono litigation seeking to overturn the Indian Child Welfare Act. This has led to accusations that Gibson Dunn is seeking to weaken federal protections for Native American tribes overall, opening the way for corporate exploitation of natural resources or Native American gaming.
• VMware, in its $61 billion acquisition by Broadcom.
• Pioneer Natural Resources, in its $59.5 billion acquisition by ExxonMobil.
• Hewlett-Packard, in its £7 billion bid for Autonomy Corporation.
• Kraft. in its $19.7 billion bid for Cadbury.
• Heineken, in its $7.6 billion buyout of Mexican brewing conglomerate FEMSA.
• Collaboration with the Center for Individual Rights and the Election Law Center in representing Arnold Davis in Davis v. Guam, successfully challenging Guam's race-based voting restrictions.
• International Paper, represented by partner David Fotouhi in lawsuits to defend its use of PFAS ("forever chemicals") during the 2010s.
• Alliance for Automotive Innovation, partner David Fotouhi challenged the EPA's asbestos ban, filing an amicus brief, in October 2024, arguing that the agency had "failed to demonstrate that chrysotile asbestos presents an unreasonable risk of injury." Fatouhi was employed at the EPA during the first Trump Administrations, and was appointed Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency) during Trump's second term.
• Dole Food Company, in a 2007 multibillion-dollar tort suit in Nicaragua involving allegations of farm worker sterility stemming from Dole's use of certain pesticides. After the firm uncovered substantial evidence of fraud and a conspiracy between the plaintiffs and Nicaraguan judges to extort Dole out of billions with manufactured claims, courts in the United States dismissed multiple related suits against Dole and refused to enforce several Nicaraguan judgments.
• Walt Disney in his efforts to establish Disneyland.

Criticism

In 2007, the Montana Supreme Court ruled that Gibson Dunn "acted with actual malice" in its lawsuit against art expert Steve Seltzer. Seltzer asserted that a painting attributed to Charles Marion Russell was, in fact, the work of his grandfather, Olaf Carl Seltzer, diminishing the painting's value. The Supreme Court concluded that Gibson Dunn sought to use the legal system to intimidate Seltzer, which "amounts to legal thuggery". The Court upheld the $9.9 million punitive damage award to Seltzer that was initially awarded in 2005, but was appealed by both sides.

In 2023, the firm was sanctioned by a San Francisco District Court and ordered to pay $925,000 for its efforts to make the litigation unnecessarily expensive and difficult for the plaintiffs in a consumer privacy lawsuit for the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal. The judge found that Gibson Dunn engaged in a "sustained, concerted, bad-faith effort to throw obstacle after obstacle in front of the plaintiffs" to push them to settle.

In 2024, ProPublica published an expose, '"The Law Firm Helping Big Oil Weaponize the First Amendment", characterizing Gibson Dunn as "playing both sides' of free speech, using it to defend fossil fuel companies and silence the industry's critics". It has filed numerous lawsuits against industry critics, and litigated for numerous fossil fuel companies, including the American Petroleum Institute; Energy Transfer; Enbridge; ConocoPhillips; Occidental; and Chevron, in its long-running, $27 billion environmental dispute in Ecuador.

Recognition

• Law360: The firm has been named “Firm of the Year” ten times, most recently in the 2024 award cycle—the highest total in the honor’s 15-year history. In 2024 Gibson Dunn also collected Practice Group of the Year trophies in ten categories: Appellate, Trials, Competition, White-Collar, Employment, Environmental, Cybersecurity & Privacy, Real Estate, International Arbitration, and Securities. Earlier Appellate Practice Group of the Year wins were recorded in 2020, 2021 and 2023.

• The American Lawyer: Gibson Dunn is the only firm to win the biennial “Litigation Department of the Year” competition four times (2010, 2012, 2016 and 2020). The firm has appeared on The American Lawyer “A-List” nine times (2013, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025), a composite ranking based on financial performance, pro-bono work, diversity and associate satisfaction.

• Chambers USA 2025: The firm earned 130 Band-1 rankings—43 practice areas and 87 individual lawyers—along with 425 total listings, the second-highest Band-1 count of any firm.

• Global Investigations Review: Gibson Dunn’s investigations practice has been ranked #1 worldwide in the “GIR 30” for seven consecutive editions (2018–2024).

• Vault: Gibson Dunn has placed in the Top 10 of the Vault Law 100 for seven consecutive years (2019–2025). In regional prestige tables Gibson Dunn currently ranks #1 in the Mountain States, #2 in Southern California, #4 in Texas, and #5 in Washington, DC.

Notable firm alumni

• Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
• Aileen Cannon, judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida known for presiding over the federal criminal case against former President Donald Trump.
• James B. Comey, former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, known for overseeing the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.
• Gregg Costa, judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
• Tom Cotton, U.S. Senator from Arkansas.
• Stuart Delery, former White House Counsel
• Miguel Estrada, U.S. Supreme Court practitioner and former nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
• Charlie Falconer, former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice under Prime Minister Tony Blair
• Josh Hawley, U.S. Senator from Missouri.
• James C. Ho, judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
• Ron Kirk, former United States Trade Representative and first African American to hold the position.
• Theodore Olson, former United States Solicitor General.
• Jennifer H. Rearden, judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
• Eugene Scalia, former United States Secretary of Labor.
• William French Smith, former United States Attorney General.
• Róbert Ragnar Spanó, former President of the European Court of Human Rights.
• Robert D. Sack, judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
• Ken Starr, former United States Solicitor General and Independent Counsel in the Clinton investigation.
• Lawrence VanDyke, judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
• Justin R. Walker, judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
• Peter J. Wallison, former White House Counsel.
• Debra Wong Yang, former U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California.

References

References

1. [https://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/office/496085/gibson-dunn-crutcher-llp "GIBSON DUNN & CRUTCHER LLP"] The Law Society. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
2. "Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP".
3. (20 November 2023). "Gibson Dunn Climbs Energy Deal Leader Board on Texas Bet". Bloomberg Law.
4. "Gibson Dunn revenue climbs to $3.6B in 2024". ALM.
5. (3 April 2025). "Gibson Dunn Achieves $7.2M in PEP, 15.7% Revenue Rise". The American Lawyer.
6. "About the Firm". Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
7. [https://books.google.ca/books?redir_esc=y&id=qAQjAQAAMAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=Huntington ''Directory of Major U.S. Law Firms, Volume 1''] Law & Business, Incorporated/Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1984, page 73. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
8. "Our Story". Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
9. [https://legacy.vault.com/company-profiles/law/gibson-dunn-crutcher-llp "Gibson Dunn"] ''Vault''. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
10. [https://www.encyclopedia.com/books/politics-and-business-magazines/gibson-dunn-crutcher-llp "Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP"] Encyclopedia.com, Cengage. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
11. [https://thehssc.org/hsscawards/pflueger-award/ "Donald H. Pflueger Local History Award"] Historical Society of Southern California. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
12. Chen, Vivia [https://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlawdaily/2009/09/dada.html "Paradigm Shift: Power-Lawyer Mom, Stay-at-Home Dad"] ''The Am Law Daily'', October 1, 2009. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
13. Stokes, Samantha [https://www.businessinsider.com/these-9-women-lead-the-most-elite-law-firms-2021-3 "Female lawyers are gaining seats at the table. Here are 9 women in charge of elite law firms"] ''Business Insider'', March 12, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
14. (2 November 2023). "Law Firms Warn Universities About Antisemitism on Campus". The New York Times.
15. [https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/2021/05/27/big-law-leaders-pen-letter-denouncing-anti-semitic-attacks/ "Big Law Leaders Pen Letter Denouncing Anti-Semitic Attacks"] Law.com. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
16. Zieve Cohen, Sam [https://jewishinsider.com/2021/05/law-firm-leaders-call-out-silence-around-rising-antisemitism/ "Law firm leaders call out silence around rising antisemitism"] ''Jewish Insider'', May 27, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
17. Elia-Shalev, Asaf (29 October 2025). [https://www.jta.org/2025/10/29/united-states/adl-enlists-major-law-firms-to-launch-pro-bono-network-for-antisemitism-cases ADL enlists major law firms to launch pro bono network for antisemitism cases] ''Jewish Telegraphic Agency''. Retrieved on 30 October 2025
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19. [http://westlawnews.thomson.com/Securities_Litigation/News/2011/02_-_February/Chevron_accuses_Ecuadorean_plaintiffs_of_extortion/ Chevron accuses Ecuadorean plaintiffs of extortion]{{Dead link. (November 2025)
20. Lerner, Sharon. (April 7, 2021). "Law Students Denounce Chevron's Law Firm Over Steven Donziger case". The Intercept.
21. Sloan, Karen. (April 7, 2021). "Law Student Climate Change Activists Target Gibson Dunn". [[ALM (company).
22. (13 November 2018). "CNN sues President Trump and top White House aides for barring Jim Acosta". CNN.
23. (2025-08-13). "Gibson Dunn Acts as Strategic Advisor to Xerox in Financing of Lexmark Acquisition".
24. (2012-06-29). "Judge Blocks Sales of Samsung Phone That Apple Says Infringes Patents".
25. [https://thenextweb.com/mobile/2012/08/27/samsung-tipped-appeal-us-galaxy-tab-10-1-injunction-tablet-ruled-innocent/ Samsung to appeal US Galaxy Tab 10.1 injunction after tablet ruled innocent (Update: Request filed)], thenextweb.com, August 27, 2012. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
26. Diane Bartz. (Oct 11, 2012). "U.S. court clears Samsung phone, setback for Apple". Reuters.
27. (19 August 2020). "Apple enlists Gibson Dunn to fight Epic Games suit, law firm previously retained in Samsung battle".
28. Hill, Kashmir. (May 27, 2011). "Gibson Dunn Goes Medieval on Facebook Plaintiff - Above the LawAbove the Law".
29. Smith, Patrick [https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/2019/06/18/after-pummeling-by-gibson-dunn-and-ny-arrest-facebook-fugitive-finally-gets-a-win/ "After Pummeling by Gibson Dunn and NY Arrest, Facebook Fugitive Finally Gets a Win"] Law.com, June 18, 2019. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
30. "A legal powerhouse takes on homeless encampments".
31. (October 23, 2020). "Gibson Dunn's Randy Mastro says vandals 'picked the wrong guy' as NYSBA decries atty harassment".
32. (2021-03-18). "The Two Teds - Episode 2 - Bush v Gore and Election Litigation".
33. (2015-09-24). "oyez html5 player".
34. "Olson, Theodore B.".
35. (January 22, 2010). "U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Restrictions on Corporate and Union Campaign Speech". Gibson Dunn.
36. "How Does the Citizens United Decision Still Affect Us in 2022?".
37. (21 June 2008). "A.M.D. and Its War With Intel". New York Times.
38. Hill, Kashmir. (January 19, 2010). "'Bye, everybody, bye!': An End in Sight for the Conan-Leno-NBC Debacle? - Above the LawAbove the Law".
39. "Viacom Taps Ted Olson for YouTube Appeal".
40. Stempel, Jonathan. (March 18, 2014). "Google, Viacom settle landmark YouTube lawsuit". Reuters.
41. (16 January 2014). "Hiring by Christie Suggests He May Be on the Defensive". New York Times.
42. (8 August 2016). "GWB Closure Defendants Want to Put Christie Lawyers on Stand". NBC 4 NY.
43. (12 June 2022). "Deal Diary: Gibson, Wachtell Lead VMware Sale to Broadcom". The Deal.
44. (11 October 2023). "Big Deal in Big Oil: Davis Polk, Gibson Dunn Lead Exxon's $59.5B Buy of Pioneer Natural Resources". The American Lawyer.
45. (19 August 2011). "H-P Plans to Spin Off PC Business - WSJ". The Wall Street Journal.
46. "Dealmakers of the Week:Barbara Becker of Gibson Dunn and Sarah Jones of Clifford Chance".
47. "Cleary, Gibson Dunn Slake M&A Thirst With $7.6 Billion Beer Deal".
48. (2019-12-09). "Civil Rights Division {{!}} Davis v. Guam Court of Appeals Decision {{!}} United States Department of Justice".
49. (2012-05-29). "Davis v. Guam".
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51. Pihl, Kristi [https://www.tri-cityherald.com/latest-news/article32217309.html "Kennewick entrepreneur Dan Frost dies at age 93"] Tri-City Herald, February 26, 2025. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
52. "W. Steve Seltzer v. Steve Morton, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP, and Dennis A. Gladwell".
53. Paul. (March 13, 2007). "Gibson Dunn Used 'Legal Thuggery,' Say Montana Supremes". The Wall Street Journal.
54. "W. Steve Seltzer v. Steve Morton, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP, and Dennis A. Gladwell".
55. Goudsward, Andrew. (2023-02-10). "Meta, law firm Gibson Dunn sanctioned in Facebook privacy case". [[Reuters]].
56. Lerner, Sharon. (2025-01-22). "Donald Trump's No. 2 Pick for the EPA Represented Companies Accused of Pollution Harm".
57. Sanders, Emily. (2024-01-05). "The Law Firm Helping Big Oil Weaponize the First Amendment".
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59. [http://westlawnews.thomson.com/Securities_Litigation/News/2011/02_-_February/Chevron_accuses_Ecuadorean_plaintiffs_of_extortion/ "Chevron accuses Ecuadorean plaintiffs of extortion"]{{Dead link. (November 2025)
60. (21 January 2025). "Gibson Dunn Named a 2024 Firm of the Year". Law360.
61. (31 January 2025). "Practice Groups of the Year 2024: Gibson Dunn". Law360.
62. (7 February 2024). "Appellate Group of the Year: Gibson Dunn (multiple years)". Law360.
63. (January 2020). "The 2020 Litigation Department of the Year: Gibson Dunn". The American Lawyer.
64. (2 July 2025). "The 2025 A-List". The American Lawyer.
65. (6 June 2025). "Gibson Dunn Earns 130 Band-1 Rankings, 425 Total Listings in Chambers USA 2025". Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.
66. (14 November 2024). "GIR 30 2024: Gibson Dunn Tops the Rankings for Seventh Year". Global Investigations Review.
67. "2019 Vault Law 100".
68. "2020 Vault Law 100".
69. "2021 Vault Law 100".
70. (22 June 2021). "Introducing Vault's 2022 Top 100 Law Firms".
71. (20 June 2022). "Introducing the 2023 Vault 100!".
72. (21 June 2023). "Announcing the 2024 Vault 100, Practice-Area Prestige, and Regional Prestige Rankings".
73. (18 June 2024). "A Rundown of the 2025 Vault Prestige Rankings".
74. "2026 Best Law Firms in the Mountain States".
75. "2026 Best Law Firms in Southern California".
76. "2025 Best Law Firms in Texas".
77. "2026 Best Law Firms in Washington, DC".
78. "Preet Bharara - Biography".
79. "Directors, Then and Now".
80. (June 2018). "A Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election".
81. (2022-09-07). "Former Fifth Circuit Judge Gregg Costa Joins Gibson Dunn as Co‑Chair of the Global Trial Practice Group in Houston". Gibson Dunn News.
82. Chen, Vivia. (2021-11-23). "Gibson Dunn Pro Bono Case Draws Ire of Some Native Americans".
83. (17 August 2023). "Top White House lawyer to step down, no replacement named". Reuters.
84. (18 April 2021). "Labour drawn into Greensill row as it emerges key Starmer ally works for lobbying firm". The Independent.
85. "Joshua David Hawley – Biography".
86. (March 19, 2009). "Senate Confirms Kirk as Trade Representative". The Washington Post.
87. (October 30, 1990). "William French Smith, attorney general under Reagan, dies". The Washington Post.
88. "Spano, Robert".
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90. (September 13, 2022). "Ken Starr, who led Whitewater probes into Clinton, dies at 76". The Washington Post.
91. (2019-10-15). "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Lawrence VanDyke". U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
92. (2020-04-03). "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Justin Reed Walker". U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
93. "Peter J. Wallison".