Jim Griffin
Partner
Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP
Dallas, TX

Jim Griffin is a partner in Weil’s Mergers & Acquisitions practice and is based in Dallas. Jim represents both private and publicly held companies from a broad range of industries in mergers and acquisitions and related transactions, including public and private company mergers, stock acquisitions, asset acquisitions, tender offers, divestitures, auction transactions, defensive strategies and going-private transactions. He also advises boards and special committees on fiduciary duties in the M&A context. 

Jim has been recognized for many years for his work by leading national and regional business publications, including by Chambers USA, IFLR1000, Legal 500, D CEO Magazine, and Who’s Who Legal. He is a frequent speaker on merger and acquisition topics, and has appeared at a number of national level programs, including the International Bar Association’s Mergers and Acquisitions Conference, the University of Texas Mergers and Acquisitions Institute, and numerous programs sponsored by the Mergers and Acquisitions Committee of the ABA. Jim has also participated in M&A-related presentations at Pepperdine University School of Law, as well as the Stanford and University of Pennsylvania Law Schools. 

Jim is a past Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s Mergers and Acquisitions Committee, which comprises more than 4,000 M&A professionals from all over the world. He previously served as Chair of the Committee’s Subcommittee on Public Company Acquisitions and M&A Market Trends Subcommittee. 

Jim received his J.D., cum laude, from Pepperdine School of Law. He received his B.S., magna cum laude, from Azusa Pacific University. 

Claudia Lai
Senior Associate
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Dallas, TX

Claudia Lai is a senior associate in Weil’s Mergers & Acquisitions practice and is based in Dallas. Claudia participates in the representation of public and private companies, private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies with respect to mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. 

Claudia received her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School and her B.S., cum laude, from Duke University. 

Paul Genender
Partner
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Dallas, TX

Paul Genender is a partner in the Firm’s Complex Commercial Litigation practice group and leads Weil’s Texas Commercial Litigation practice. Paul is a seasoned trial lawyer with an established track record of courtroom success representing plaintiffs, defendants, debtors and creditors. Paul represents clients in connection with a wide range of business disputes, including antitrust, breach of contract, business fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, unfair and deceptive trade practices, unfair competition, securities fraud, non-competes and restrictive covenants, and misappropriation and theft of trade secrets matters. He also counsels clients on antitrust compliance, board governance, fiduciary duty and other business law issues, and pre-lawsuit dispute resolution options. 

Paul has experience representing companies across industry sectors, including financial services, chemicals, real estate, retail, business services, energy, and telecommunications, as well as non-profits, family trusts, and professional associations. Recently, Paul has also been lead counsel in several key engagements in the retail space and the oil and gas industry, including bankruptcy proceedings and pricing/reserve valuation disputes. He has also handled significant healthcare litigation in complex payer cases between providers and insurers. 

Paul has been recognized for many years for his work by leading national and regional business publications, including by Chambers USA, Legal 500, Best Lawyers in America, D Magazine, and Texas Super Lawyers.  

Paul also is actively engaged as a leader in a number of professional, civic, and educational organizations. Since 2013, he has served on the Board of Visitors of Duke University School of Law. From 2012-2021, he served on the Alumni Board of St. Mark’s School of Texas, including as President from 2019-2021. Since 2019, he has served on the Board of Trustees of St. Mark’s School of Texas, and on its Executive Committee since 2021. In 2019, he received the President’s Award from Paul Quinn College, a historically black college in Dallas, Texas, for his “outstanding contribution and support” of the school’s mission. In 2020, Paul was appointed General Counsel of the Texas General Counsel’s Forum. In 2020, he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Dallas Women Lawyers Association (DWLA) Foundation, and was honored by the DWLA as the recipient of its James E. Coleman, Jr. “Her Champion Award,” in recognition of his support and dedication to advancing women in the legal profession. 

Paul received his J.D. from Duke University School of Law, where he served as Notes Editor of the Duke Journal of Comparative and International Law. He received his A.B., magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Duke University. 

Erin Choi
Senior Associate
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Dallas, TX

Erin Marie Choi is a senior associate in Weil’s Litigation Department, where she has substantial experience in a broad range of complex commercial litigation disputes, including at the trial and appellate levels. Erin has handled all aspects of complex litigation proceedings, including fact and expert discovery, depositions, motion practice, hearings, trials, and appeals. 

Erin has been selected as a Texas Rising Star by Super Lawyers from 2017-2021, and she was honored in the 2021 and 2022 editions of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for commercial litigation. 

Erin received her J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law, where she served as Articles Editor of the Wake Forest Business & Intellectual Property Law Journal and as the Associate Chief Justice of the Wake Forest Moot Court Board. During law school, Erin served as a Summer Law Clerk to the Honorable Reed O’Connor, United States District Court, Northern District of Texas. She received her B.S. from Wake Forest University.