Barbara L. Becker

Barbara L. Becker is the Chair and Managing Partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, a globally respected law firm. A distinguished mergers and acquisitions attorney, Barbara brings over three decades of legal experience to her leadership role. Before becoming Chair, she served as Co-Chair of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group for more than ten years. She also founded and led Gibson Dunn’s firmwide Diversity Committee, showing her commitment to inclusion within the legal field.

Barbara earned her J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1988. She received her B.S. from Wesleyan University in 1985, where she was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.

Barbara’s practice includes advising companies on domestic and international M&A transactions, spin-offs, joint ventures, and other corporate matters. She is also a trusted advisor to boards of directors and special committees. Her work extends to clients based both in the United States and abroad.

Barbara’s legal skills have earned her top recognition from major industry publications, including Chambers USA, Chambers Global, The Best Lawyers in America®, The Legal 500 US, and Lawdragon. In 2023, she was named “Managing Partner of the Year” at the American Lawyer Industry Awards and received the AJC Judge Learned Hand Award in 2022.

Barbara L. Becker is actively involved in legal education and diversity leadership. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees at NYU School of Law and is an advisory board member at the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center. She also participates in the Welcome.US CEO Council and the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. Barbara is a former Chair of the New York City Bar’s M&A and Corporate Control Contests Committee.

Barbara continues to lead by example, shaping the future of corporate law while supporting excellence, inclusion, and growth across the legal profession.

Law Office Affiliations

• Chair & Managing Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
• Member, Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center

Licensed State

• New York

Education

• New York University
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Wesleyan University
  Bachelor of Science (BS)

Awards & Badges