Mike Raiff is a Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher partner in Texas.  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, Mr. Raiff has argued numerous cases before appellate courts, including Texas appellate courts and several United States Circuit courts.  Prior to joining Gibson Dunn in 2011, Mr. Raiff was a partner at the firm of Vinson & Elkins.

Recognized as one of The Best Lawyers in America® for commercial litigation and First Amendment law (2005-2023), Mr. Raiff has represented clients in various cases involving class actions, shareholder derivative actions, securities fraud, contract disputes, merger and acquisition litigation, antitrust claims, environmental disputes, tortious interference claims, infrastructure and public finance disputes, partnership disputes, commercial fraud, civil conspiracy, and health care disputes.

Since joining Gibson Dunn several years ago, Mr. Raiff has spent a substantial amount of his time handling arbitrations in the energy industry involving acquisition, infrastructure, construction, and other energy-related disputes.

Mr. Raiff has been recognized by Chambers USA for his work in litigation.  BTI Consulting named Mr. Raiff 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 addition, The AmLaw Litigation Daily named him as one of its “Litigators of the Week” for the week of March 24, 2023 for securing a complete appellate victory at the Third Court of Appeals in Austin on behalf of Luminant Energy Company.

Mr. Raiff 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).

Mr. Raiff was admitted to practice in Texas in 1992.  He is currently admitted in all Texas courts; U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second, Fifth, and Ninth Circuits; U.S. District Court for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas.

Representative Experience*

Merger & Acquisition Litigation, Derivative Actions, and Securities Litigation

• Defended companies, directors, and officers in securities and fiduciary duty cases relating to mergers, acquisitions, and disclosure disputes
• Represented buyers and sellers in litigation and arbitrations involving disputes surrounding acquisitions, including cases involving claims for breach of representations and warranties and claims for fraud
• Served as trial counsel for AT&T in the Department of Justice’s antitrust challenge to AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner, Inc.
• Tried several cases (jury and bench trials) involving claims for breach of fiduciary duties, securities fraud, and breach of representations and warranties, including one of the largest securities jury trials in the Northern District of Texas

Class Actions

• Represented Blockbuster for many years as its National Counsel in dozens of class actions pending across the country
• 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

Arbitrations and Energy-Related Disputes

• Represented energy companies in arbitrations involving acquisitions and infrastructure disputes
• Represented engineering, procurement, and construction firms in engineering and construction disputes in the energy industry, including successfully defended two firms in a $7 billion fraud and fiduciary duty arbitration relating to the construction of a $10 billion refinery
• Represented retail companies in consumer arbitrations and in challenging class-wide arbitrations
• Represented energy companies in contractual disputes with energy sources

Other Business Litigation

• Defended multiple healthcare companies in antitrust cases
• Represented national franchisor in litigation with its largest franchisee
• Represented several clients in case involving business torts, including tortious interference claims, breach of fiduciary duty claims, fraud claims, misappropriation claims, and conspiracy claims

Infrastructure, Development and Public Finance Litigation

• Represented wide-range of clients in litigation and arbitrations involving disputes surrounding development projects and infrastructure projects
• Obtained numerous favorable judgments representing various governmental entities in public law disputes, including representing Dallas Independent School District, City of Dallas, City of Arlington, City of Mansfield, City of Irving, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Upper Trinity Water District, and City of Grapevine
• Represented clients in real estate disputes, including representing developer in litigation involving Las Vegas hotel project and representing cities in litigation over parks

Environmental Litigation

• Represented energy companies in cases brought by the Sierra Club alleging violations of the Clean Air Act
• Represented energy companies in a federal environmental enforcement case involving the New Source Review provisions of the Clean Air Act

Media and Entertainment Litigation

• 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
• Part of trial team that defended CBS in a jury trial in El Paso concerning a 60 Minutes report
• Represented several media clients in fighting trial and grand jury subpoenas and protecting reporters’ materials and outtakes
• Represented various entertainment clients in numerous disputes involving television shows, movies, music videos, and distribution rights, including MTV Networks, Paramount, DEJ, Blockbuster, Showtime, and Walker Texas Ranger
• Represented entertainment clients in movie disputes, including movies Matador, Crash, and Monster

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