Gibson Dunn is a leading global law firm, advising clients on significant transactions and disputes. Our exceptional teams craft and deploy creative legal strategies that are meticulously tailored to every matter, however complex or high-stakes. The firm’s work is distinguished by a unique combination of precision and vision.

Based in any U.S. office (New York preferred), the Knowledge Attorney – Mergers & Acquisitions / Private Equity will have primary responsibility for the Firm’s M&A and Private Equity forms and related drafting resources. The Knowledge Attorney will keep those materials current with legal and regulatory developments, market practice, and Firm precedent, and will develop new forms and guidance where needed.

The role requires an experienced M&A / Private Equity lawyer with strong drafting judgment who can independently assess proposed changes, work with partners and specialists where appropriate, and maintain consistency across a substantial collection of interrelated documents.

The Knowledge Attorney will use AI and other technology as part of the review and update process, including to compare Firm forms against internal precedent and public filings, identify potential inconsistencies or outdated provisions, and track developments in drafting and market practice. The Knowledge Attorney will work closely with the Legal Technology & AI Attorney – Mergers & Acquisitions / Private Equity on technical aspects of these efforts. Substantive judgment and responsibility for the forms will remain with the Knowledge Attorney.

The role also includes related M&A / Private Equity knowledge work that supports the forms and drafting resources, including precedent curation, analysis of deal terms and drafting trends, and development of related guidance materials.

This role reports to the Sr. Director & Counsel of Knowledge & AI.

Responsibilities include

Forms & Drafting Resources

Serve as the primary substantive owner of the Firm’s M&A and Private Equity forms, with responsibility for their continuing accuracy, quality, consistency, and practical usefulness.
Conduct a systematic review of the existing collection to identify the forms that should be maintained as current Firm resources, retire or archive duplicative and outdated materials, and prioritize the balance by use and substantive importance.
Review maintained forms against current law, legal and regulatory developments, and applicable Firm drafting standards, including for consistency with related Firm forms.
Develop new forms and related drafting resources in response to recurring practice needs, drawing on Firm precedent, public filings, and other appropriate sources.
Coordinate focused review with M&A and Private Equity lawyers and with specialist practices, including Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance, tax, benefits, executive compensation, and antitrust, as the document requires.
Manage the review cycle for maintained resources, including scheduled review dates and interim review prompted by significant legal, regulatory, or market developments.
Coordinate outside Delaware counsel review of core organizational documents on a regular cycle.
Maintain documentation of substantive review, significant drafting decisions, and the status of each item in the collection.

Legal, Regulatory & Market Currency

Keep current on developments affecting M&A and Private Equity practice, including case law, statutory and regulatory change, transaction structures, market terms, and drafting trends.
Determine whether those developments require changes to the Firm’s forms or related resources.
Review Firm transactions, publicly filed transaction agreements, market studies, and other sources on a regular basis to stay current on transaction structures, deal terms, and drafting trends.
Build working relationships across the practice so that drafting issues and developments arising in live matters are reflected in the collection.

AI-Enabled Forms & Precedent Management

Benchmark Firm forms and drafting resources on an ongoing basis against relevant internal precedent, public filings, and evolving market practice, using AI-assisted tools and structured review methods to identify where Firm drafting should be updated, harmonized, or reconsidered.