David P. Salant

David Salant is an associate in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. His practice centers on high-stakes commercial, securities and white-collar litigation involving complex financial concepts. He has represented multinational companies defending their cross-border transactions; investment firms and professionals under regulatory scrutiny for trades in derivatives and cryptocurrencies; senior executives accused of securities, accounting and tax offenses; and public and private companies targeted by others’ fraud and demanding satisfaction.

David has significant trial advocacy, witness questioning, and motion practice experience. He has served as lead counsel in a federal jury trial, successfully argued dispositive and evidentiary motions in federal and state court, and first-chaired numerous witness examinations, jury addresses, depositions, and settlement negotiations.

Representative matters include:

Securities Litigation and Enforcement

• Represented The Nasdaq Stock Market in securing complete dismissal on summary judgment of putative securities class action concerning high-frequency trading.
• Represented Rio Tinto Group in securities enforcement action concerning multi-billion dollar investment in Mozambique.
• Represented Piedmont Lithium in obtaining complete dismissal of putative securities class action and related shareholder derivative suits concerning lithium project.
• Representing plaintiff investment firm in dispute over securities offered in connection with de-SPAC transaction.

Commercial Litigation

• Representing Amazon.com in lawsuit concerning Key for Business service.
• Represented lender group in obtaining summary judgment on contract dispute regarding bankruptcy of fitness center operator.
• Represented co-founder of international apparel and home furnishings company in successful pre-litigation settlement of founders’ dispute.
• Represented investment firm in fully recouping from startup company investment procured by fraud.

White-Collar Criminal Disputes

• Represented former CEO of publicly-traded technology company in eight-week securities and wire fraud trial.
• Represented former pharmaceutical company executive in forestalling criminal charges threatened by federal authorities.
• Represented investment bank in response to grand jury subpoenas relating to negotiation of public M&A transaction in the wireless technology space.

David has served as a member of the Firm’s Hiring Committee since 2023. From 2019 to 2023, he was a member of the Federal Courts Committee of the New York City Bar Association, where he lectures on the subject of federal courts practice. He has also trained and supervised junior attorneys at the Firm in their first stand-up, in-court roles.

David maintains an active pro bono practice that includes lawsuits to redress violations of detainees’ Constitutional rights.

He received his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Harvard Law School, and his Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from Columbia University.

Prior to law school, he worked in the Equity Derivatives Group on the equity trading floor of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.

Following law school, David served as a law clerk to the Honorable Naomi Reice Buchwald of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

He is admitted to practice in the State of New York and before the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.

Capabilities

• Litigation
• Crisis Management
• Securities Enforcement
• Securities Litigation
• Transnational Litigation
• Trials
• White Collar Defense and Investigations

Credentials

Education:

• Harvard University - 2015 Juris Doctor
• Columbia University - 2010 Bachelor of Arts

Admissions:

• New York Bar

Clerkships:

• USDC, Southern District of New York, Hon. Naomi Reice Buchwald, 2015 - 2016