Recognized as a 2024 “Dealmaker of the Year” by The American Lawyer, the 2023 “Attorney of the Year” by The Recorder and as a Band 1 practitioner by Chambers USA, Nader is widely considered one of the top technology deal lawyers in the world and one of the leading advisors in the field of artificial intelligence.
For more than 25 years, Nader has served as a strategic advisor to clients at the forefront of major breakthroughs in technology and human health. Recently, Nader led the representation of OpenAI in its groundbreaking partnership with Microsoft, as well as OpenAI’s strategic partnerships with Apple, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and CoreWeave. He has advised clients on major AI compute transactions with Amazon/AWS, Google/GCP, Microsoft/Azure and Oracle/OCI, and advises clients across a wide range of industries on the adoption, implementation and governance of AI. He advised the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on the formation of the Broad Institute, and UCLA on the formation of the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy (CIII).
As Co-Head of Sullivan & Cromwell’s Intellectual Property and Technology Group and the Firm’s Artificial Intelligence Practice, Nader brings extensive experience guiding industry leaders, innovators and investors on transformative transactions driven by technology and intellectual property, including collaborations, joint ventures, acquisitions, divestitures, licenses, strategic supply and settlements.
He has been a Lecturer in Law at Stanford Law School since 2016, where he teaches a popular course on the Business and Law of Technology and Patent Licensing. Nader serves on the Advisory Council of the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI), the world’s leading institute for the advancement of AI research, education, policy and practice. He also serves on the Board of Visitors for Stanford Law School, and is a recipient of the Governors’ Award for outstanding service to Stanford University. Earlier in his career, he served as the general counsel of a fast-growth company through its acquisition. During his undergraduate studies at UCLA, Nader studied abroad at the University of Bologna for a full academic year.
Selected Client Quotes
“He has tremendous attention to detail, great judgment and is very creative.” (Chambers USA, 2024)
“He is a brilliant mind who is understated and able to make his points without ruffling the feathers.” (Chambers USA, 2023)
“Nader Mousavi is extremely intelligent and very pragmatic. Nothing gets by him.” (Chambers USA, 2023)
“Nader Mousavi stands out as a creative problem solver who never falters under pressure. He is hands on, honest, transparent, and able to assess risks and opportunities in their entirety to get client-driven deals done.” (IAM Patent 1000, 2023)
“Nader takes ownership of the toughest problems and challenges; he quickly perceives core issues and deal roadblocks and drives toward solutions that are advantageous and proportionate.” (Chambers USA, 2022)
“Nader Mousavi is the complete package … he is technically fluent, substantively knowledgeable, strategically creative, commercially focused and calm under pressure. He is in his element handling enormous deals that alter industry landscapes – something he does daily.” (IAM Global Leaders, 2020)
