Practice Areas
Joint venture and partnership disputes
Real estate litigation
Complex business litigation
Intellectual property litigation

Nabil Abu-Assal is seasoned in many areas of civil litigation, having spent more than 30 years helping real estate, technology, entertainment, and other business clients efficiently and successfully resolve complex business problems. He has conducted highly complex real estate, banking, partnership, and probate trials. He has extensive experience handling construction defect matters for both commercial and residential property. Clients seek his general counsel and advice as a legal and business troubleshooter. He represents publicly traded companies, including Kilroy Realty Corporation and Camden Properties, Inc., private corporations in numerous industries, including venture capital firms, homeowners’ associations, and high net worth individuals.

Nabil believes that in high-stakes litigation, a rational, analytical approach, by itself, does not always succeed. “Opposing lawyers are often equal on the facts and analytical aspects,” says Nabil. “I work to move the judge or jury psychologically, to elicit a visceral response that makes them see things our way and ‘re-envision’ what’s being battled over.”

Nabil also loves the intellectual challenges presented by highly convoluted and legally challenging conflicts. His favorite cases involve what many lawyers might consider unbelievably difficult factual and technical issues. “It often requires an attorney to put on a ‘new brain’ to grasp the intricacies and nuances of a specific case,” he says. He aspires to be a relentless advocate who can surgically get to the heart of a case. He wants to understand all stakeholders in a case, including the opposing parties and attorneys, so that he can maneuver his way to the best result for his clients.

His clients appreciate the rich and diverse trial background he brings to the table. He has started and run businesses. He knows how to efficiently resolve cases by always standing in the shoes of his clients.

Nabil cites his Egyptian background (he came to the U.S. at age seven) as a “huge advantage” in his trial approach, enabling him to see issues from two different cultural traditions.

Noteworthy:

• Successfully resolved several joint venture real estate disputes for Kilroy Realty Corporation, one of which concerned a $440 million worth of commercial buildings.
• Successfully prosecuted and defended several disputes for publicly traded REITS, including Camden Properties, Inc.
• Litigated and arbitrated an entertainment partnership dispute concerning distribution of films.
• Successfully handled a plaintiff’s patent lawsuit for a server designer and manufacturer against several server manufacturers.
• Prosecuted and tried a patent-infringement lawsuit against AT&T and Cingular Wireless.
• Successfully defended the Hong Kong company Stone-Sapphire in a copyright infringement case, where over $10 million was in dispute.
• Led an investigation by Amp’d Mobile into misappropriation of its trade secrets.
• Handled lawsuits against video game companies Namco Bandai and Midway for distribution and copyright infringement issues.
• Served as outside intellectual property counsel for Fidelity National Title, handling copyright and patent cases, and trademarks and copyrights for Mammoth Mountain, Inc.
• Represented creative talent such as Joe Eszterhas and Matt Groening in cases involving copyrights.