James Hays

James Hays is a Partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP since November 2022, with prior experience as a Partner and Counsel at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP from July 2017 to October 2022, specializing in Private Funds. Previously, James served as Vice President of Real Estate at The Blackstone Group from May 2015 to July 2017 and as an Associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP from September 2011 to May 2015, focusing on Private Funds, Private Equity, Derivatives, and Capital Markets. James began a legal career as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Edward R. Korman at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York from September 2010 to September 2011. Educational qualifications include a Juris Doctor, Summa Cum Laude from Brooklyn Law School (2010), a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Liberal Arts, Economics, and International Studies from Southern Methodist University (2003), and a Junior Year Abroad in Economics and Latin American Studies at UCL (2002). James completed secondary education at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (1999).