Nicky Jatana

Nicky Jatana is the office managing principal of the Los Angeles, California, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. An unwavering advocate for her clients, Nicky’s service ethic for clients is guided by her understanding from experience working in-house and practicality from her years of experience as outside counsel. Nicky understands how to effectively guide clients’ cases through to trial or arbitration with minimal business impact.

Nicky has spent the majority of her career focusing on complex, multi-plaintiff and class action litigation in the areas of wage and hour, Fair Credit Reporting Act violations, and general employment claims. Nicky’s value to clients is in acting as a trusted advisor, whether providing advice on strategies to avoid protracted litigation or litigating matters and leading them to settlement, arbitration, or trial. She has tried cases on wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, breach of contract, wage and hour, and other labor and employment-related issues.

She practices in both state and federal courts and also before such tribunals as the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the California Civil Rights Department and the California Department of Industrial Relations - Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. She has represented employers in the retail, real estate, media and entertainment, restaurant, manufacturing, life sciences, transportation and banking industries, among others.

Nicky finds balance through listening to live music, travel, and playing tennis. Nicky believes that tennis – like the practice of law – requires continual dedication and a growth mindset.

Honors and Recognitions

• The Best Lawyers in America©, “Litigation – Labor and Employment” (2025)
• California Super Lawyers®, "Rising Stars" (2007) and "Super Lawyers" (2010, 2012-2019)
• Los Angeles Business Journal, “Leaders in Law Finalist, Labor and Employment” (2021, 2022)
• Los Angeles Business Journal, “Top 100 Lawyers” (2022)
• Los Angeles Times, “Legal Visionary” (2021)
• Los Angeles Business Journal, “Most Influential Minority Attorneys in Los Angeles” (2019)
• Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), "Rising Star" (2015)
• InsideCounsel Magazine, "Transformational Leadership Awards Western Conference, Sharing the Power Award" (2012)

Published Works

• “How I Made Office Managing Partner,” ALM: Law.com (June 15, 2022) (Featured)
• “The Impact of Employees Left to Their Own Devices: Top Ten BYOD Considerations,” Association of Corporate Counsel online Legal Resources (July 14, 2014) [Co-Author]
• "Advising Employers on the Use of Social Media in the Workplace," Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine (February 2012) [Co-Author]
• “The Attorney-Client Privilege May Not Protect Emails to Your Attorney From the Company Computer,” Association of California Defense Counsel’s Verdict Magazine (2011)

Speeches

• “Leading Through Uncertainty: Prioritizing DEI Through Times of Transition,” Centerforce Driving Diversity in Law & Leadership Conference (Los Angeles, November 2022) (presenter)  
• “Surveillance, Perception of Surveillance and the Challenges of Work in the Age of Scanners, Electronic Communication and Social Media,” American Bar Association Labor and Employment Section 13th Annual Meeting (New Orleans, LA, November 2019) (presenter)
• “Key Employment Issues Part II: When Trouble Arises,” Association of Corporate Counsel - Corporate Counsel University,  (Minneapolis, MN, June 2019) (presenter)