Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Shankar Ninan & Co., LLP
Gigio Koshy Ninan, ESQ.
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Main Office
505 8th Avenue, Suite 1801
New York, New York 10018
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New Jersey Office
300 Carnegie Center, Suite 150
Princeton, NJ 08540
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By Appointment Only
No Immigration Appointments
No Postal Delivery
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Accomplished attorney, managing partner, and entrepreneur with a distinguished record of practice in commercial litigation, corporate advisory, and employment law across New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. As Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Shankar Ninan & Co., LLP, a commercial boutique law firm established in 2015, he represents over 250 corporate clients, ranging from regional pharmacies and healthcare practices to international staffing firms and technology providers. In addition to serving as outside General Counsel, Gigio is a Certified Mediator in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey and serves on the Supreme Court of New Jersey’s District VII Ethics Committee. He is a committed advocate for professional diversity and mentorship within the legal community, frequently presenting Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs and having served as Chancellor of the Rutgers Law School-Camden Alumni Association.
BACKGROUND & ROOTS
Born into a first-generation South Asian family, Gigio immigrated with his family from India to the United States in 1989, growing up in a multiracial community in the Bronx, New York. Watching his late father work multiple jobs and his mother establish a Bronx small business (a local nail salon) inspired his career path as a small business attorney dedicated to helping immigrants, first-generation owners, and diverse enterprises navigate complex legal systems. Gigio attended Cardinal Spellman High School and graduated cum laude from SUNY Binghamton before earning his Juris Doctor from Rutgers Law School. Outside of his legal practice, Gigio is passionate about raising awareness for infertility and surrogacy, a cause close to his family. In March 2024, he and his wife were featured on a national Good Morning America broadcast highlighting their family building journey through surrogacy.
CORE COMPETENCIES & AREAS OF PRACTICE
- Commercial Litigation & Arbitration
- Corporate & Transactional Advisory
- Employment & Labor Compliance
- Outside General Counsel Operations
- Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
- Federal Court Civil Mediation
- Commercial Leasing & Real Estate
- Administrative & DHS Audits
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
SHANKAR NINAN & CO., LLP | New York, NY; Princeton, NJ
- Co-founded and scaled commercial litigation and corporate boutique law firm from inception to a stable clientele of over 250 businesses, overseeing firm development, administrative operations, and legal strategy.
- Serve as outside General Counsel to middle-market corporations, medical practices, and emerging technology enterprises, delivering strategic counsel on corporate governance, structural formations, risk allocation, and regulatory compliance.
- Advise corporate executives and HR directors on comprehensive workplace policies, regulatory compliance, performance management, workforce reductions, and internal investigations.
- Formulate and negotiate critical business documents, including complex executive employment agreements, restrictive covenants (non-compete, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements), and corporate separation packages.
- Direct litigation strategy and serve as lead counsel in state and federal courts in New York and New Jersey, representing corporate defendants against high-exposure wage and hour claims, class actions, and contract disputes.
- Advise and represent multi-specialty healthcare networks, physician practice groups, physical therapy practices, regional pharmacies, staffing firms, software companies, SaaS providers, and hospitality brands on practice-specific operational and legal parameters.
- Advise and represent corporate clients before the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in connection with federal worksite investigations and I-9 compliance audits.
- Structure, draft, and review commercial transaction instruments, including technology master services agreements (MSAs), statements of work (SOWs), and software licensing covenants with major international pharmaceutical companies.
SELECT REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
- Business Transactions & M&A: Successfully engineered the acquisition, structuring, and divestiture of multiple physician practice groups, medical pharmacies, and IT staffing enterprises across New York and New Jersey, utilizing highly structured stock purchase agreements (SPAs) and asset purchase agreements (APAs).
- International Commercial Disputes: Litigated and favorably settled a complex, multi-jurisdictional breach of contract dispute on behalf of a European-headquartered corporation in the Supreme Court of the State of New York (New York County), successfully navigating international choice-of-law protocols, foreign sovereign issues, and exhaustive electronic discovery (e-discovery) mandates.
- Commercial Restrictive Covenants: First-chaired a highly contested four-day arbitration trial, defending a quadruple board-certified interventional cardiologist against claims of restrictive covenant violations brought by a former employer in connection with three departed physicians; secured a complete defense award, denying the former employer’s claim for nearly $1.1 million in damages.
- Contract Arbitration & Superior Court Confirmation: Represented corporate client in a three-day breach of contract arbitration trial against Janoris Jenkins, former starting cornerback for the New York Giants, achieving a full, favorable monetary award that was subsequently confirmed and entered as a final judgment by the Superior Court of New Jersey.
- Federal Web Accessibility Class Actions: Defended and favorably resolved a class action lawsuit alleging violations of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regarding digital web accessibility, brought against a corporate client in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (S.D.N.Y.).
- Commercial Real Estate & Leasing: Represented a pharmacy chain and a major construction company in negotiating complex commercial office leases in excess of 30,000 square feet, securing critical landlord-funded build-outs, substantial free rent periods, triple-net (NNN) structures, and capped yearly rent increases.
PRIOR LEGAL EXPERIENCE
GORDON REES LLP | Florham Park, New Jersey
- Practiced commercial litigation, professional liability defense, and corporate counseling at an AmLaw 100 firm with over 800 attorneys nationwide.
WILSON ELSER LLP | White Plains, New York
- Represented corporate entities, insurance carriers, and healthcare systems in complex commercial disputes, contract claims, and liability matters within an AmLaw 100 firm with over 800 lawyers.
MCALOON & FRIEDMAN, P.C. | New York, New York
- Litigated high-exposure professional liability, commercial, and healthcare defense matters at a boutique Manhattan-based law firm with over 50 attorneys.
SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY | Civil Division
- Conducted comprehensive legal research, prepared bench memoranda, and drafted judicial opinions for civil and commercial dockets; mediated small claims and landlord-tenant disputes.
Substantive Legal Internships:
- U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division – Legal Intern
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of New Jersey – Legal Intern to Chief Judge Judith H. Wizmur & Judge Gloria M. Burns
- Forman Holt Eliades & Ravin, LLC – Corporate Bankruptcy Legal Clerk
- New York State Supreme Court – Legal Intern to Acting Justice Patricia Ann Williams
COURT APPOINTMENTS & ADMISSIONS
Judicial & Court Appointments
- Certified Mediator & Neutral Panel Member, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey (Appointed 2023)
- Member, Supreme Court of New Jersey, District VII Ethics Committee (Appointed for the 2025 – 2029 Term)
Bar & Court Admissions
- New York (2012) | New Jersey (2011) | Pennsylvania (2021)
- U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
EDUCATION
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW | Camden, New Jersey
- Journal: Associate Editor, Nuremberg Project, Rutgers Journal of Law and Religion
- Service: Appointed as the sole student representative to the Rutgers Law Scholastic Standing Committee, evaluating academic appeals and probation challenges.
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK (SUNY) AT BINGHAMTON | Binghamton, New York
- Academic Service: Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, English Department and Political Science Department
- Activities: Sigma Beta Rho Fraternity (Member)
ACADEMIC & TEACHING APPOINTMENTS
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW | Camden, NJ
SETON HALL UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW | Newark, NJ
FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON UNIVERSITY | Teaneck, NJ
AWARDS & PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION*
- Super Lawyers Rising Star Award (Thomson Reuters) – 2016 – 2026
Recognized for eleven consecutive years as a top-rated attorney in New York and New Jersey Metro areas.
- Best Under 40 Award Honoree (National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA)) – 2025
Recognized for professional excellence and contributions to the Asian American legal community.
- AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating (Martindale-Hubbell) – 2025
Awarded the highest level of professional excellence based on peer reviews; also named a Client Champion Platinum.
- Rising Star Award (South Asian Bar Association of North America (SABANA)) – 2024
Recognized for professional leadership and practice achievement.
- Distinguished Recent Graduate Award (Rutgers Law School-Camden Alumni Association) – 2021
Sole recipient of the annual award honoring early-career achievement and institutional support.
- Lois B. DeFleur Distinguished Alumnus Award (SUNY Binghamton Alumni Association) – 2019
Sole annual recipient representing outstanding professional excellence and contribution.
- Rutgers Law Affinity Gala: Distinguished MAPs Lawyer Award (Rutgers Law School) – 2023
Recognized for impact and advocacy for minority and student affinity programs.
- New Leader of the Bar Award (formerly 40 Under 40) (New Jersey Law Journal) – 2017
Recognized as an outstanding young leader in the New Jersey legal community.
- Rutgers Law School Endowed Scholarship (Co-Endower) – 2022
Became one of the youngest alumni in the history of the university to co-endow a permanent student scholarship.
CLIENT REVIEWS & RATINGS
- Google Business Ratings: 4.9 / 5.0
Rating based on over 198 independent client reviews for Shankar Ninan & Co., LLP (as of July 2026).
- Avvo Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Perfect Score based on over 75 client reviews; recipient of the Avvo Client’s Choice Award (2025).
- Martindale-Hubbell / Lawyers.com: 5.0 / 5.0
Perfect Score; recipient of the Client Champion Platinum Award for outstanding professional responsiveness (2025, 2026).
LEADERSHIP & PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
- Rutgers Law School Dean's Search Committee – Appointed Member (2022 – 2023)
Served as 1 of 14 members representing all university stakeholders to screen, interview, and recommend candidates for the Dean of Rutgers Law School.
- Rutgers Law School-Camden Alumni Association – Chancellor (2021 – 2023)
Elected head of the alumni association; previously served as First Vice-Chancellor (2019-2021) and Board of Trustees Member (2017-Present).
- Rutgers University Alumni Association – Board of Directors (2019 – 2022)
Elected as 1 of 18 board members representing over 600,000 alumni worldwide; served on Philanthropy and Diversity committees.
- Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) – Treasurer / Director (2022 – 2025)
Elected Treasurer for 2025-26 term; previously elected Director (2022-24) and re-elected (2024-25).
- South Asian Bar Association of New Jersey (SABNJ) – Executive Vice-President (2023)
Served as Executive VP; previously Trustee/Regional Representative (2022) and inaugural Mentorship Director.
- South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY) – Vice President of Private Sector & In-House (2019 – 2020)
Led Private Sector Steering Committee; previously served as VP of Young Lawyers & Fellowships (2018-2019).
- South Asian Bar Association of North America (SABANA) – Section Chair, Solo/Small Firm (2021 – 2025)
Appointed National Section Chair for the 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2024-25 professional terms.
- New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) – Leadership Fellow & Committee Member (2024 – 2026)
Appointed to NJSBA Elections Committee and CLE Advisory Committee (2025-26 term); DEI Committee Member (2022-24); selected as 2024-25 Leadership Academy Fellow.
- Anderson Center for Autism International (ACI) – Board of Directors (2023 – 2025)
Member of the Board of Directors, advising on corporate planning and international advocacy projects.
- Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy (CBLA) – Selected Class Member (2024)
Selected to the prestigious leadership academy run jointly by the ABA and national affinity bar associations.
SELECT PUBLICATIONS
- "New Jersey's Proposed Move Against Restrictive Covenants", 342 N.J. LAWYER 34 (2023)
Analyzed the state legislative initiative seeking to significantly limit non-compete agreements and alternative restrictive covenants in employment contracts (also published as ‘The Blue Eraser: New Jersey’s Proposed Move against Restrictive Covenants’).
- "An Employer's Guide To Worksite Investigations And I-9 Audits", Forbes.com (Sept. 27, 2018)
Detailed compliance blueprint for corporate management responding to administrative worksite raids and DHS inspections.
- "Should You Form An LLC Or An S-Corp, And What's The Difference?", Forbes.com (May 29, 2018)
Evaluated tax structures, operational liabilities, and organizational advantages of primary start-up business formations.
- "Ready to Sign a Commercial Lease: Here are Five Things to Consider", Forbes.com (Feb. 2018)
An analysis of critical contractual lease provisions, covering build-out costs, rent-free windows, and operating expenses.
- "Why Employers May Want to Identify Candidates Now to Beat the H-1B Lottery Cap", Forbes.com (Jan. 2018)
Evaluated business planning deadlines and filing timelines for prospective international professional employment sponsors.
- "Does your Start Up Need a Lawyer Yet? Three Things to Consider", Forbes.com (Feb. 2018)
Evaluated structural milestones and legal liabilities dictating early corporate counsel alignment for new ventures.
- "Dissecting Malpractice in Pancreaticoduodenectomy", Journal of Surgical Research, Vol. 212, 48-53 (May 2017)
Co-authored medical-legal research paper evaluating surgical risk allocation, clinical outcomes, and liability standards based on nationwide lawsuit reviews.
- "Malpractice in colorectal surgery: a review of 122 medicolegal cases", Journal of Surgical Research, Vol. 199, 351-356 (December 2015)
Co-authored empirical analysis of medical malpractice claims, liability trends, and risk management protocols in surgical departments.
MEDIA CITATIONS & FEATURES
- Sermo: Discharging Sedated Patients Without an Escort (April 24, 2026) — Quoted on medical-legal liabilities.
- Conde Nast Traveler: Bailey Berg, “How the Suspension of Immigrant Visas Will – and Won’t — Impact Travel to US” (January 12, 2026) — Quoted on executive orders.
- U.S. News & World Report: Jamela Adam, “What a Ban on Noncompete Agreements Would Mean for You” (May 7, 2024) — Quoted on trade secrets and restrictive covenants.
- Medscape: Nicole Pajer, “8 Careless Errors Physicians Make With Employment Contracts” (November 6, 2024) — Quoted on physician employment negotiations.
- Good Morning America: Featured Guest on nationwide broadcast discussing surrogacy and family planning journeys (March 2024)
SELECT SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
2026
- Featured Guest, "From the Bronx to the Courtroom: Building a Brand Lawyers Can't Ignore", Lawline Lawyers Who Learn Podcast, July 2026.
- Speaker, "Motion Practice 101", New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) Annual Meeting, May 2026.
- Featured Guest, "A Winding and Worthwhile Fertility Journey", Dimensions of Diversity Podcast, April 2026.
- Panelist, "The Business of Law: A Strategic Blueprint for Building Business and Influence — How to Expand Beyond Yourself as the Biller and Beyond Your Practice Area", NJSBA, March 12, 2026.
- Lecturer, "Mediation Strategies for the Modern Attorney with Voss and Fisher", ACCESS MCLE Course 818, January 5, 2026.
2025
- Moderator, "H-1B Visas in Flux: Understanding President Trump's $100,000 Fee Proclamation", Lawline, October 2025 (rated 4.7/5.0 across 488 reviews).
- Presenter, "Supreme Court's Landmark Decision: Limiting Universal Injunctions and Its Impact on Birthright Citizenship", Lawline, August 2025 (rated 4.7/5.0 across 1,657 reviews).
- Presenter, "Keyword Conquests and the New Jersey RPCs: Navigating Ethical Advertising After In re Opinion No. 735", Lawline, August 2025 (rated 4.8/5.0 across 90 reviews).
- Keynote Speaker, United States Naturalization Ceremony, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, June 2025.
- Speaker, "Litigation 101", NJSBA Annual Meeting, 2025.
2024
- Presenter, "The January 1, 2025 Beneficial Ownership Information Deadline – What You Need to Know", NJSBA, 2024.
- Speaker, "Small Law Firm Succession Planning", 35th Annual Workers' Compensation Bench Bar Conference, 2024.
- Moderator, "Diversity in the Legal Profession Outside of Big Law Firms", Lawline, 2024 (rated 4.7/5.0 across 1,917 reviews).
- Faculty, "Business of Law and Succession Planning for Small Law Firms in New Jersey", Lawline, 2024 (rated 4.9/5.0 across 263 reviews).
2023-2022
- Commencement Speaker, Rutgers Law School in Camden Graduation Ceremonies, 2023 and 2022.
- Panelist, "How to Start a Solo/Small Firm", Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY), 2023.
- Speaker, "Your Firm Needs Succession Planning: Here's the How and Why", Professional Forum, 2023.
- Panelist, "The Role of Diversity in Law School and for New Lawyers", New Jersey Association for Justice (NJAJ) Boardwalk Seminar, 2023.
- Panelist, "How to Draft Effective Retainer Agreements", NJSBA Annual Bar Convention, 2022.
2021-2020
- Featured Guest, "Race in America: Perspectives from South Asian Communities", Dimensions of Diversity Podcast, 2021.
- Moderator, Fireside Chat with the Honorable Shahabuddeen Ally, Supervising Judge of New York County Civil Court, 2021.
- Panelist, "How to Make Strong Financial and Management Decisions to Keep your Firm Thriving", NJSBA Small Business Conference, 2021.
- Speaker, "Importance of Contract and Procedure Drafting in the IT Staffing Industry", IT Synergy Northeast Chapter, 2021.
- Panelist, "How to Network Effectively", SABANY Mentorship Program, 2021.
- Moderator, Fireside Chat with Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi on PPP Loans and Reopening America, 2020.
- Lecturer, "How to Achieve Success in Your Career", Career Connections Talk, Binghamton University, 2020.
- Moderator, Fireside Chat with Jennifer Chung, General Counsel of Accuweather Data, SABANY, 2020.
- Panelist, "The Covid Impact: Sports, Entertainment and Music", Greenberg Traurig/SABANY, 2020.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS & CERTIFICATIONS
- Certified Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE), New York City Department of Small Business Services (Valid through April 29, 2030)
- Approved Panel Member, MetLife Legal Plans
- Member, New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA)
- Member, South Asian Bar Association of North America (SABANA)
- Member, South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY)
- Member, South Asian Bar Association of New Jersey (SABNJ)
- Member, Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY)
Practice Areas
Outside General Counseling
- Negotiating and drafting contracts
- Negotiating, drafting, and reviewing leases
- Handling employment and immigration matters
- Managing Corporate Governance
- Risk Management Policies and Procedures
Litigation
- Non-compete Litigation
- Trade Secret Litigation
- Contracts & Agreement
- Restrictive Covenant Litigation
- Civil and Commercial Litigation
- Breach of Contract Disputes
- Employment Litigation and Counseling
- Class Litigation Defense
- Debt Collection
- Restaurant & Franchise Litigation
- Unfair Business Practices
- Breach of Fiduciary Duty
- Fraud & Misrepresentation
Businesses
- Business Formation
- Commercial Lease Agreements
- Operating Agreements
- Subscription Agreements
- Partnership Agreements
- Non-Disclosure Agreements
- Master Service Agreements
- Manufacturing Agreement
- E-Commerce Policies
- Physician Services Agreements
- Pharmacist Services Agreements
- Stock Sale Agreements
- Physical Therapist Services Agreements
Individuals
- Real Estate Closings
- Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning
- Physician Employment Agreements
- Employment & Severance Negotiation
Mediation
- Commercial
- Business
- Corporate
- Contracts Litigation
- Employment
- Restrictive Covenant Litigation
- Certified Mediator, Panel Member, U.S. District Court for District of New Jersey
Surrogacy
- Surrogacy contracts
- Surrogacy or Gestational Carrier Contracts or Agreements
- Legal clearance
- Fund management
- Parental rights law
- Obtain a Pre-birth Order
- Learn more
Client Testimonials**
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