Gibson Dunn Grows its Powerhouse Litigation Practice with Acclaimed Trial Lawyer Barry Berke & Elite Team
Firm News | October 30, 2024
Gibson Dunn today announced that Barry Berke, one of the country’s leading trial lawyers and white-collar criminal defense attorneys, has joined Gibson Dunn, where he will serve as Co-Chair of the firm’s global Litigation Practice Group. Barry joins Gibson Dunn’s New York office with an elite team of first-chair trial partners, all of whom are former federal prosecutors: Dani James, Michael Martinez, Darren LaVerne, and Jordan Estes.
Barbara Becker, Chair and Managing Partner of Gibson Dunn, said: “Our firm’s preeminent litigation platform is an important part of our identity, and we are proud to welcome Barry and the team as we continue to build on this legacy. With their extensive experience across a wide range of litigation and investigative matters, this stellar group is a natural fit for Gibson Dunn. We are thrilled to begin our work together in service of clients around the globe.”
Described as “America’s greatest trial lawyer,” Berke represents individuals and corporations in sensitive and high-profile trials, investigations, complex litigation, and internal investigations. He also handles financial litigation and complex commercial disputes. For decades, Berke and the team have handled many of the most sensitive and high-profile criminal and civil matters in the country.
Berke commented: “We are honored to join forces with Gibson Dunn and their world-class litigation group. We are excited for our next chapter and to serve our clients from this extraordinary platform.”
The team joins from Kramer Levin, where Berke chaired the Litigation practice. Berke noted: “Kramer Levin was a wonderful home for us for many, many years. We have deep respect for the firm and our former colleagues, and we look forward to working with them in the future.”
The elite litigators joining Gibson Dunn with Barry — all former federal prosecutors with experience handling both civil and criminal cases — are:
- Dani James – A former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, James served as Co-Chair of Kramer Levin’s White Collar Defense and Investigations practice. She represents executives and companies in sensitive, complicated and high-profile criminal and regulatory matters conducted by federal and state agencies, including the DOJ, the SEC, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, among other agencies.
- Michael Martinez – An accomplished trial lawyer and leading national health care fraud practitioner, Martinez is a former federal prosecutor for the District of New Jersey, where he served for three years as the Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney, in charge of all criminal and civil health care fraud cases.
- Darren LaVerne – A former federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York, LaVerne counsels and advocates for individuals and companies in sensitive, complicated, and high-stakes matters involving criminal and regulatory trials, hearings, investigations, and related civil proceedings. He has litigated cases in courts around the country, as well as in arbitral forums in the United States and abroad.
- Jordan Estes – A former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, Estes has been lead or co-lead counsel on 14 federal trials over the past eight years. Estes spent more than eight years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, where she served as co-chief of the General Crimes Unit and tried some of the Office’s most high-profile cases as a senior member of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force.