Richard Brooks

Wim De Vlieger is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Mr. De Vlieger is Co-Head of Private Equity in Europe and a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions and Capital Markets practice groups. Mr. De Vlieger advises private equity investors and their portfolio companies on a wide range of corporate transactions, including growth equity and control investments and co-investments, structured transactions, buy-out transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and exits. He also...

Franz Schwarz focuses on complex multi-jurisdictional disputes. He has extensive experience with arbitral practice, procedure and advocacy both in civil and common law systems. Mr. Schwarz has been involved in more than 250 arbitrations as counsel and arbitrator, both ad-hoc and before all major arbitral institutions (including ICC, LCIA, Vienna and Stockholm), at multiple seats and governed by a broad variety of substantive and procedural laws. He has a particular focus on joint venture, M&a...

Al Gourley is a Partner at the firm’s London office. He is a globally-recognised resource lawyer, having led many UK and Canadian initial public offerings, secondary and alternative finance transactions, as well as mergers and acquisitions, in the resource sector, particularly cross-border transactions involving Europe, Africa, Australia and Canada. Al is also the Chairman of the World Initiative of Mining Lawyers based in Europe. Al is known for his knowledge of “pure” mini...

Robert Spano is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Human Rights Law and Public International Law. Robert, who practices law in London, United Kingdom, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Robert is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Deborah Ruff leads Pillsbury’s Arbitration - U.S. & International practice. She has extensive experience in multi-jurisdiction disputes, with a focus on high-value and complex international arbitration in the energy, infrastructure and construction, telecommunications and financial sectors. Deborah conducts international arbitration disputes often over JOAs, the construction of and off-take from refineries and petrochemical plants, as well as rig, energy trading and transport, and c...

Richard Obank is a partner and the practice group leader of the Firm's Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring Practice Group in the U.K. Richard practices in the area of corporate restructuring with particular experience acting for boards of directors in financially distressed situations. He advises regularly on distressed M&A transactions, debt and capital restructuring and work out situations, often involving significant cross-border issues, where the objective is to ensure the best o...

Elisabeth I. Baltay is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insolvency and Restructuring Law. Elisabeth I., who practices law in London, United Kingdom, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Elisabeth I. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Naomi Feinstein has more than 30 years of experience dealing with all aspects of employment law, both contentious and noncontentious, including transactional work. She has particular experience advising on employment issues arising from mergers and acquisitions (including coordinating employment advice on cross-border sales and acquisitions) and on the employment aspects of business restructurings and reorganisations. Naomi provides day-to-day employment advice to clients across a wide-range ...

Helen Croke joined Ropes & Gray as a partner in its private equity transactions group in October 2016. She specialises in UK and international private equity and M&A, including acting for institutional investors, corporates and founders. Helen is recommended by Chambers UK and The Legal 500 as a leading individual in private equity who clients say is “fantastic” with a “unique ability to articulate complicated aspects in layman’s terms.” Helen was recogni...

Nicholas (Nick) Holland focuses his practice on international contentious trusts and estates and acts primarily for wealthy families, individuals, institutional trustees, protectors and enforcers in disputes involving offshore trusts. Nick is also often involved in non-contentious international private wealth matters where he brings his extensive knowledge of offshore trusts and jurisdictions as well as potentially litigious outcomes to bear on the difficulties faced by international wealthy ...