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Nutter Elevates Two Attorneys to Partner
Print PDFNutter is pleased to announce the promotion of two talented attorneys to partner. Effective on January 1, 2025, Nutter has promoted Gurunathan Laxmikanthan to partner in its Intellectual Property Department and Sara J. Leichtman to partner in its Private Client Department.
“Both Guru and Sara are remarkable attorneys and valued colleagues, and both embody the Firm’s dedication to excellence in both the caliber of legal counsel we offer and the way it is delivered,” said Liam O’Connell, co-managing partner of Nutter. “Nutter is proud to have such outstanding and dedicated attorneys as key members of its future leadership.”
“Our 2025 partnership class reflects Nutter’s commitment to advancing attorneys whose top-tier contributions, collaborative approach, and client service exemplify the core principles that have defined Nutter since its founding,” added Michael Scott, co-managing partner of Nutter.
Meet Nutter’s newest partners:
Gurunathan Laxmikanthan is a partner in the Intellectual Property Department. Laxmikanthan provides expert legal counsel in patent prosecution, including drafting, filing, and managing patent applications, as well as conducting freedom-to-operate analyses to address intellectual property risks during Series A, B, and C funding rounds. He is adept at handling interference proceedings to resolve patent disputes, and devising strategic infringement enforcement plans to protect intellectual property assets. His practice spans diverse scientific disciplines, including biochemistry, immunology, molecular and structural biology, and small molecules. Additionally, he advises venture capital firms on intellectual property due diligence, offering in-depth evaluations of patent portfolios, licensing agreements, and IP strategies to support informed investment decisions. A member of the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, Laxmikanthan received the Outstanding Pre-Doctoral Fellow Research Award from the American Heart Association. He is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” and Massachusetts Super Lawyers Rising Stars. Laxmikanthan earned his J.D., cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School, his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Florida State University, his M.Sc. in chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology, and his B.Sc. in chemistry from St. Joseph’s College in India.
Sara J. Leichtman is a partner in the Private Client Department. Leichtman represents individuals, families, fiduciaries, and entrepreneurs on all aspects of estate planning, estate administration, and trust administration. She provides personalized advice to clients across generations spanning a broad range of services, from establishing foundational estate planning tools such as wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, durable powers of attorney, and health care proxies to implementing advanced wealth transfer strategies. She helps clients achieve their goals through thoughtful charitable giving and the creation of private foundations, aligning clients’ philanthropic objectives with tax-efficient strategies. Leichtman was accepted into the New England Fellows Institute of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). She was a co-chair of the Practice Fundamentals Committee of the Boston Bar Association’s Trusts and Estates Section and served on the Young Professional’s Board of the Big Sister Association of Greater Boston. Leichtman earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from New England Law | Boston and her B.A. from Clark University.
About Nutter
Nutter is a Boston-based law firm that provides legal counsel to industry-leading companies, entrepreneurs, institutions, foundations, and families, across the country and around the world. The firm’s corporate, intellectual property, litigation, real estate and land use, labor and employment, tax, and trusts and estates practices are national in scope. The firm was co-founded in 1879 by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, before his appointment to the Court. For more information, please visit www.nutter.com and follow the firm on LinkedIn.
