Mike Raiff

Mike Raiff is a Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher partner in the Texas offices. He has a wide range of litigation experience and has tried numerous cases (jury trials, bench trials, and arbitrations). In addition to his trial and arbitration practice, Mike has argued numerous cases before appellate courts, including Texas appellate courts and several United States Circuit courts. He represents clients in large, complex commercial litigation, including merger and acquisition cases, energy-related cases, contract disputes, class actions, securities litigation, antitrust cases, environmental disputes, infrastructure disputes, partnership disputes, and media-related lawsuits.

Mike is recognized as one of The Best Lawyers in America® for commercial litigation and First Amendment law since 2005, and has been recognized by Chambers USA for his work in litigation. BTI Consulting named Mike to its BTI Client Service All-Stars list; the list features “those rare, exceptional attorneys standing out above all others” identified by the most influential legal decision makers as those who provide “superior client focus,” demonstrating attributes such as “putting the client’s needs and goals first, innovative thought leadership, unmatched business understanding, and outstanding results.” In 2023, The AmLaw Litigation Daily named him as one of its “Litigators of the Week”.  

Mike received his J.D. in 1992 with high honors from The University of Texas School of Law, where he served as Associate Editor of the Texas Law Review and was Grand Chancellor (Spring 1991) and Order of the Coif. He also holds a B.B.A. with highest honors from The University of Texas. Following law school, he served as a Judicial Clerk for The Honorable Thomas M. Reavley, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (1992-1993).

Representative Matters

Merger & Acquisition Litigation, Securities Litigation, and Shareholder Derivative Litigation  

• Representing buyers and sellers in litigation involving merger and acquisitions disputes, including cases involving claims for fraud and claims for breach of representations and warranties
• Representing companies, directors, and officers in securities class actions, shareholder derivative lawsuits, and breach of fiduciary duty cases
• Served as trial counsel for AT&T in the Department of Justice’s antitrust challenge to AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner, Inc.

Energy-Related Litigation

• Representing energy companies in numerous disputes and lawsuits surrounding Winter Storm Uri, including breach of contract lawsuits, tort lawsuits, the Uri MDL, pricing disputes, and other regulatory proceedings surrounding Uri
• Representing energy companies in post-acquisition disputes, including disputes over purchase price adjustments, disputes involving representations of oil & gas assets, and post-closing warranty disputes 
• Representing companies in engineering and construction disputes in the energy industry, including successfully defended two engineering, procurement, and construction firms in a $7 billion arbitration involving the construction of a $10 billion refinery and representing the power generation companies in disputes surrounding the design and construction of battery energy storage facilities  

Environmental Litigation

• Defending energy companies in lawsuits brought by non-governmental organizations alleging violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA), and Resources Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
• Representing clients in several legal challenges to EPA rulemaking relating to the disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCR)
• Defended clients in a federal environmental enforcement case involving the New Source Review provisions of the Clean Air Act  

Media and Entertainment Litigation

• Represented various entertainment clients in numerous disputes involving television shows, movies, music videos, and distribution rights, including MTV Networks, CBS, Paramount, DEJ, Blockbuster, Showtime, and Walker Texas Ranger
• Obtained numerous summary judgments, dismissal orders, and favorable appellate decisions in defamation and invasion-of-privacy lawsuits for various media clients, including CBS Broadcasting, The New York Times, KTVT-TV, KEYE-TV, The Dallas Morning News, Belo, WFAA-TV, Infinity, Viacom, radio stations, and foreign publishers
• Represented Blockbuster for many years as its National Counsel in dozens of class actions pending across the country, and served as trial counsel for CBS in a jury trial in El Paso concerning a 60 Minutes report  

Class Actions

• Defended numerous class actions alleging claims under data-privacy-and-security statutes, such as the Video Privacy Protection Act, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and the Fair and Accurate Transactions Act
• Obtained approval and coordinated nationwide class settlements

* Includes matters handled prior to joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

Capabilities

• Litigation
• Antitrust and Competition
• Class Actions
• Energy Regulation and Litigation
• Energy and Infrastructure
• Environmental Litigation and Mass Tort
• International Arbitration
• Media, Entertainment, and Technology
• Oil and Gas
• Securities Litigation

Credentials

Education:

• University of Texas - 1992 Juris Doctor
• University of Texas - 1989 B.A. Business Administration

Admissions:

• Texas Bar

Clerkships:

• US Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, Hon. Thomas M. Reavley, 1992 - 1993