Former U.S. District Judge George Hazel to Join Gibson Dunn in Washington, D.C.

Firm News  |  March 1, 2023

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that George Hazel will join the firm’s Washington, D.C. office as a partner. Hazel, formerly a U.S. District Judge for the District of Maryland, will serve as a member of the firm’s Litigation and White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Groups.

“We are thrilled to welcome Judge Hazel to Gibson Dunn,” said Helgi C. Walker, Co-Chair of the firm’s global Litigation Practice Group. “His exceptional reputation precedes him, and he brings remarkable experience from his time on the bench and as a former prosecutor that will be invaluable to our clients.”

“Judge Hazel is a wonderful addition to the firm,” said Stephanie Brooker, Co-Chair of the firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group. “He is a stellar legal talent, and we are delighted that our teams, including the next generation of Gibson Dunn lawyers and leaders, will benefit from working alongside him.”

“I am excited to begin the next chapter of my career at Gibson Dunn,” said Hazel. “The firm is known for fostering a collaborative culture, attracting the best teams, and getting results for its clients, and I look forward to growing my practice on the firm’s excellent litigation platform.”

Recently, the firm’s renowned litigation platform has attracted high caliber talent from the judiciary, including the additions of Gregg Costa (former Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals judge) in Texas and Robert Spano (former President of the European Court of Human Rights) in London. Further, the firm is building on its talent magnet effect, as demonstrated by the recent additions from the senior in-house counsel ranks in key areas, including Ron Hauben (formerly Americas Vice Chair and General Counsel at Ernst & Young), Jane Horvath (formerly Apple’s Chief Privacy Officer), Kira Idoko (formerly Senior Vice President, Private Funds at Brookfield Asset Management), and David Woodcock (formerly Assistant General Counsel – Corporate at ExxonMobil Corporation).

About George Hazel

Hazel will be based in Gibson Dunn’s Washington, D.C. office, and he will be a member of the firm’s Litigation and White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Groups. Hazel has a broad range of trial experience, having previously presided over approximately 50 jury trials in federal court and handled 20 jury trials and 30 bench trials as an attorney in federal and state court.

Hazel just concluded an 18-year public service career, most recently serving as a U.S. District Judge for the District of Maryland. Previously, he served as the Chief Deputy State’s Attorney for the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, Maryland; as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland; and an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. He began his legal career at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.

Hazel graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1999, where he served on the Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy. He graduated cum laude from Morehouse College in 1996.