Daily Journal Honors Nisha Patel Among California’s Top Women Lawyers

Dechert’s intellectual property partner Nisha Patel has been named to the Daily Journal’s “Top Women Lawyers in California” list for 2026, which recognizes women lawyers who have demonstrated outstanding achievement, leadership, and impact across the California legal community.

Ms. Patel, a trial lawyer and litigator, has built a reputation as one of a handful of fast-rising IP and commercial litigators trusted by some of the world's leading technology and pharmaceutical companies. Based in Los Angeles, her practice spans all areas of intellectual property with a focus on patent, trade secret and licensing disputes.

Most recently, Ms. Patel was part of the Dechert trial team that secured a victory for Microsoft in Musk v. Altman, one of the most closely watched cases in recent memory. The matter attracted national attention and required rigorous legal analysis and sound judgment under significant public scrutiny. The trial result reflects the depth of preparation and advocacy that Ms. Patel and her colleagues bring to high-stakes disputes on behalf of the firm's clients.

Ms. Patel has also been recognized by The Legal 500 U.S. for “Intellectual Property: Patents: Litigation," named a 2025 "Patent Star" by Managing Intellectual Property, "Highly Commended" as "Rising Star of the Year" by the Life Sciences Patent Network's LSPN 2025 Awards and most recently as a “Top IP Lawyer” by The Daily Journal. She was selected for the 2024 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellows Program.

About Dechert

Dechert is the law firm that helps business leaders lead.

For more than 150 years, we have advised clients on critical issues — from high-stakes litigation to first-in-market transaction structures and complex regulatory matters. Our lawyers in commercial centers worldwide are immersed in the key sectors we serve — financial services, private capital, real estate, life sciences and technology.

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