Insights: News Kilpatrick Names Nesli Doran-Civan Managing Partner of the San Franciso Office

SAN FRANCISCO (January 7) – Kilpatrick announced today that Nesli Doran-Civan was named the Managing Partner for the Firm's San Francisco office effective January 1, 2026.  Ms. Doran-Civan assumes the leadership of the San Francisco office from April Issacson who served as Managing Partner for over four years. Ms. Issacson retired from the Firm on December 31, 2025.
 
“It is a privilege to be the Managing Partner for the Firm’s San Francisco office,” said Ms. Doran-Civan. “I am excited to lead nearly 100 dedicated attorneys and professional staff at Kilpatrick’s oldest office. Since 1860, we have been representing some of the Bay Area’s, and the world’s, most innovative companies - cutting across numerous industries from life sciences to retail to leading-edge technology. I want to thank April for her exceptional service to the Firm and for her outstanding leadership of the office.”

Ms. Doran-Civan is a registered patent attorney who focuses her practice on patent preparation and prosecution in domestic and foreign jurisdictions for a wide variety of technologies including aeronautical and mechanical systems (e.g., unmanned or autonomous vehicles, EV, hybrid vehicles), medical devices, as well as electronics and software technologies (e.g., fintech, gaming). She started practicing before the USPTO in 2007, becoming a patent attorney in 2012. Ms. Doran-Civan holds dual M.S. degrees from MIT in Aerospace Engineering and Technology & Policy. During her graduate and undergraduate education, she worked as a research assistant at MIT and Istanbul Technical University, focusing on control theory and control systems. She earned her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School, cum laude.

Ms. Civan-Doran is active in the legal community. She has served on The Bar Association of San Francisco Board of Directors during the 2023-2025 term and was a 2025 Class of Fellows for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity.

About Kilpatrick
Kilpatrick is trusted counsel to the world’s most innovative companies. To serve our ground-breaking clients, we strive to be at the forefront of client service and on the forefront of law and technology. With recognized strength in the technology sector and a full range of service offerings, we deliver practical, business-centric solutions built upon strong and enduring connections.
 
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