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Philip A.
Gelston

Retired Partner, Corporate

pgelston@cravath.com
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  • Credentials

Philip A. Gelston retired from Cravath’s Corporate Department in December 2017. During his time as an active partner, Mr. Gelston’s practice focused on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, governance and risk management and general corporate counseling. Mr. Gelston’s practice also encompassed complicated negotiated transactions, hostile transactions (both offense and defense), cross‑border transactions, activist defense, and advising boards and senior executives, particularly on corporate governance or managing crisis situations.

Mr. Gelston was born in New York, New York. He received an A.B. cum laude from Harvard College in 1974, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1977, where he was the Supreme Court Note Editor of the Law Review and awarded the Sears Prize. Before joining Cravath, Mr. Gelston served as a law clerk to Hon. John M. Wisdom of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Mr. Gelston joined Cravath in 1978 and became a partner in 1984.

Mr. Gelston was born in New York, New York. He received an A.B. cum laude from Harvard College in 1974, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1977, where he was the Supreme Court Note Editor of the Law Review and awarded the Sears Prize. Before joining Cravath, Mr. Gelston served as a law clerk to Hon. John M. Wisdom of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Mr. Gelston joined Cravath in 1978 and became a partner in 1984.

Education

  • J.D., 1977, Harvard Law School
    Sears Prize, magna cum laude
  • A.B., 1974, Harvard College
    Phi Beta Kappa, cum laude

Clerkships

  • Hon. John Minor Wisdom, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Philip A. Gelston retired from Cravath’s Corporate Department in December 2017. During his time as an active partner, Mr. Gelston’s practice focused on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, governance and risk management and general corporate counseling. Mr. Gelston’s practice also encompassed complicated negotiated transactions, hostile transactions (both offense and defense), cross‑border transactions, activist defense, and advising boards and senior executives, particularly on corporate governance or managing crisis situations.

Mr. Gelston was born in New York, New York. He received an A.B. cum laude from Harvard College in 1974, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1977, where he was the Supreme Court Note Editor of the Law Review and awarded the Sears Prize. Before joining Cravath, Mr. Gelston served as a law clerk to Hon. John M. Wisdom of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Mr. Gelston joined Cravath in 1978 and became a partner in 1984.

Mr. Gelston was born in New York, New York. He received an A.B. cum laude from Harvard College in 1974, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1977, where he was the Supreme Court Note Editor of the Law Review and awarded the Sears Prize. Before joining Cravath, Mr. Gelston served as a law clerk to Hon. John M. Wisdom of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Mr. Gelston joined Cravath in 1978 and became a partner in 1984.

Education

  • J.D., 1977, Harvard Law School
    Sears Prize, magna cum laude
  • A.B., 1974, Harvard College
    Phi Beta Kappa, cum laude

Clerkships

  • Hon. John Minor Wisdom, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

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