Ervin Cohen & Jessup Partners Ellia Thompson and Pooja Nair Selected as Los Angeles’ Top Women Attorneys
Ervin Cohen & Jessup Partners Ellia Thompson and Pooja Nair are again honorees in the Los Angeles Business Journal’s annual special supplement honoring the city’s most influential women attorneys. Los Angeles Business Journal Publisher and CEO Josh Schimmels writes, “during this challenging time battling the coronavirus, we are relying on our trusted advisers more than ever. In times of uncertainty, lawyers . . . are particularly needed to help our businesses respond and react to issues at hand.”
Ervin Cohen & Jessup Co-Managing Partner Randy Leff said, “this recognition is illustrative of the value that Pooja and Ellia consistently deliver to our clients, even in the most strenuous of circumstances. Both women combine business savvy and legal strategies to attain superior results for our clients.”
The Publisher explains in the feature, “Los Angeles is truly a national leader when it comes to influential women – and the field of law is no exception.” The honorees have been recognized for “exceptional legal skill and achievement across the full spectrum of responsibility, exemplary leadership as evidenced by the highest professional and ethical standards, and for contributions to the Los Angeles community at large.”
Thompson, recognized for the third year in a row, serves as the Chair of the Land Use and Environmental Department and is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. “Unlike many other land use lawyers in Los Angeles, she does not represent anyone or any group who opposes development or other people’s property rights,” says the special supplement, published today. “Her ability to see realities and opportunities that other people in real estate have missed has significantly helped grow her Land Use practice.”
The report states that Thompson, a UCLA alum who obtained her J.D. from George Washington University Law School, is “dedicated to representing developers, business owners, and property owners in overcoming the regulatory, environmental, and political obstacles to property use and development.”
Nair, also honored by the publication in 2019, and named a Top Minority Attorney in 2020, is able to understand business needs to help develop strategic solutions that are practical, creative, and adaptable. She founded the Food and Beverage practice group at her prior firm, and works with food and beverage clients on a variety of issues including trade secrets, contract disputes, employment law, and intellectual property.
Nair, a Harvard Law School alum, is on the board of directors for the Harvard Club of Southern California and the Los Angeles Music and Arts School. She publishes a bi-monthly legal column for Modern Restaurant Management, and has published extensively, including in Law360, The Daily Journal, Bloomberg, and Eater.