Hiren P. Patel is a litigator and business counselor with more than 20 years of experience advising individuals and business entities. His practice bridges sophisticated courtroom advocacy with practical, business-focused legal counsel. Licensed in both California and Texas, Hiren recently joined Parker Milliken in Los Angeles, CA after spending almost two decades practicing in Houston, TX. He has been recognized by Texas Super Lawyers, earning consecutive selections to the Rising Stars list from 2014 through 2019 and a selection to the Texas Super Lawyers list in 2025.
Hiren represents clients in complex business and commercial disputes, including partnership and shareholder conflicts, cross-jurisdictional litigation, and regulatory-driven matters. As lead counsel, he has tried several cases (jury, bench, and arbitration). And he has substantial experience as appellate counsel on matters before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Texas Supreme Court, and multiple intermediate appellate courts.
In parallel with his litigation and trial practice, Hiren has served as external general counsel to startups and early-stage companies as well as established businesses operating across the United States and abroad. He advises executive leadership on corporate governance, investor relations, regulatory compliance, risk management, and complex commercial contracting. His transactional experience includes representing buyers, sellers, founders, and investors in mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt financings, and strategic growth transactions. Throughout his career, Hiren has represented and advised clients operating in several industries, including software and hardware technology, healthcare, energy, financial services, and consumer products.
Hiren’s legal practice is also shaped by his experience as an entrepreneur and executive. He co-founded and led a litigation support and discovery consulting startup business that eventually scaled to over 40 employees across three offices (Houston, Washington, D.C., and Chennai, India) before a successful acquisition exit. That background informs his pragmatic approach to legal problem-solving, cost control, and operational efficiency—and resonates with clients seeking counsel who understands the practicalities of business operations, the difficult decisions business leaders face when navigating the tension between business goals and legal risk, and the importance of crafting litigation and regulatory strategy to advance business objectives.
Earlier in his career, Hiren practiced in San Diego, CA with DLA Piper (and Gray Cary, one of DLA Piper’s predecessor firms), where he represented publicly traded and privately held clients in complex commercial litigation and securities matters.
Hiren earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2003, where he served as Managing Editor of the Virginia Tax Review and Chief Justice of the Moot Court Board and was a member of UVA Law’s 2001 U.S. Champion and an International Semifinalist team in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. Hiren received his B.A., cum laude, from Rice University, where he was a won five national championships in parliamentary debate and individual competitive speech events.
EDUCATION
• Virginia School of Law J.D.
• Rice University B.A., cum laude
PRACTICE AREAS