Edward H. Batts

A Palo Alto, California-based corporate law attorney with more than two decades of experience, Ed Batts is partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, which is regularly ranked among the top firms in the United States. He has been a partner at the firm since 2020 and spent the prior four years as global chair of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and private equity at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP. An award-winning lawyer, Ed Batts specializes in complex M&A, including cross-border transactions, and corporate governance. 

Throughout his career, Ed Batts has facilitated multi-billion dollar acquisitions, acquire-hires, and tuck-ins for serial acquirers. He primarily works with technology companies and has advised on cross-border transactions in the United Kingdom, China, and Europe, which involved securing competition/antitrust approval as well as national security/FDI approval on sensitive technology areas. Ed Batts also works with energy and auto clients as well as those in the semiconductor supply chain.  

Mr. Batts spent over 16 years at DLA Piper where, in addition to gaining valuable experience in M&A and venture capital, he facilitated a dozen IPOs. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers for his corporate law services and is a multi-time BTI Client Service All Star and Acritas/Thomson Reuters Star. A member of the American Nuclear Society (ANS), he has published articles for the ANS on legal matters related to civilian waste disposal, security, and technology. 

Mr. Batts is also a former U.S. federal special agent. He served with both the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Air Force Office of Special Investigations and was deployed to Iraq and Yemen. He earned his juris doctor from Stanford Law School and bachelor of arts in political science from UCLA, where he graduated summa cum laude and was the commencement speaker for his class. A San Francisco Bay Area native, he grew up in the East Bay Area.