Nimesh Patel

Board Member
Akin Gump
Nimesh Patel

Nimesh M. Patel is the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Akin Gump where he ensures that the firm's core principles of inclusiveness and diversity are reflected across its internal and external policies, work and practices. Having worked in both the private sector and the federal government, Nimesh has nearly 25 years of experience advancing diversity and inclusion issues.

Before joining Akin Gump, his previous leadership position was at WilmerHale where he worked with the firm's management and diversity committees to develop and execute their diversity and inclusion strategy.

In the federal government, Nimesh served as the Executive Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, with 230,000 employees worldwide. 

Prior to returning to public service, Nimesh was a member of the labor and employment practice group of an AmLaw 100 law firm where he also had a specialty in corporate diversity and risk management. His experience included conducting diversity/risk assessments and designing diversity plans for Fortune 200 companies and government agencies. Nimesh began his career as an Honor's Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice. His tenure at DOJ included serving as a senior trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division, Special Litigation Section, where he investigated state and local law enforcement for excessive use of force and abuse of authority.  

Nimesh's community and professional leadership includes serving as Past President of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), Appointee to the American Bar Association’s Center for Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession, Member of the Board of Directors for the Asian American Justice Center, and Former Vice Chair of the District of Columbia Commission on Human Rights.  Nimesh also was selected as one of NAPABA's Best Lawyer's Under 40.  Nimesh received his BS from Michigan State University, his JD from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, and his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.