ND Galli Law
Firm overview:
Certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise, ND Galli Law is called upon by businesses to handle complex IP and technical cases involving patents or trade secrets. Since its inception in 2015 by managing member Nicole Galli, the firm has grown from one lawyer to six with additional paraprofessional support staff, and has represented clients from individual inventors to Fortune 500 companies.
It also advises numerous emerging growth businesses, particularly those owned by women or diverse founders and/or those with a focus on social impact.
Despite its small size, the firm represents an exceptional depth of knowledge on trade secrets matters, and has been involved with significant matters in recent years including several that raised novel questions of law under the Defend Trade Secrets Act.
To build on its work in the area, the firm is launching an AI Practice, which will focus on issues such as the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and trade secrets governance and broaden the team’s offering to include AI transactional work.
Team overview:
Recognised as one of the fastest-growing privately held entrepreneurial companies in the Greater Philadelphia region, ND Galli has mentored more than ten law student interns through Drexel Law School’s co-op programme, two of whom are current associates in the firm.
The firm’s trade secrets team is based at its Philadelphia and New York offices.
Nicole Galli leads the firm’s trade secrets practice. An outspoken proponent of developing best practices for trade secrets management for more than a decade, Galli has worked extensively with the Sedona Conference Working Group (12) on Trade Secrets and is recognised as a thought leader in the area. “If one of my clients needed brilliant, thoughtful, properly aggressive representation, I would recommend they retain her, without hesitation,” says a peer, who comments that Galli “routinely litigates against many of the institutional firms and she is very comfortable in that arena”. Another senior actor in the field says that they have “referred cases to her … because of her expertise in this area”.
In addition to her legal practice, Galli promotes and leads initiatives pursuing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the legal community, including founding a non-profit that focuses on fostering gender equity in the law.
Other notable litigators at the firm include Deanne Cevasco, who joined the firm in 2023 bringing a wealth of trade secrets experience and knowledge of molecular biology. Cevasco has over 15 years’ experience in IP litigation and counselling, covering matters related to patents, trade secrets, trademark and copyright along with other commercial disputes.
In September 2025, the firm welcomed Nancy Saltzman, who joined as AI Practice lead, head of operations, and of counsel, and provides transactional and outside general counsel services for ND Galli’s clients. Saltzman brings significant technical expertise to the firm, having served as a senior executive of three global technology companies.
