Kassra Powell Nassiri

Kassra Nassiri is a trial lawyer who maintains a complex litigation practice focusing on matters involving corporate governance and fiduciary duties. He has successfully represented clients in shareholder representative litigation, partnership disputes and dissolutions, founder disputes, derivative litigation, and shareholder class actions.

In addition to corporate governance and shareholder matters, Kass handles breach of contract, employment, trade secret and other intellectual property cases for his corporate clients. He has settled and won cases both at the pleading stage and through jury verdicts in California, Delaware and federal courts, and has extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution.

Educational Background:

Kass earned his law degree from Harvard Law School. While in law school, he was a Teaching Fellow in the economics department at Harvard College.
Kass earned his master’s degree in economics from Stanford University, where he was awarded the Stanford Graduate Fellowship.
Kass earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Peer Review and Awards:

Selected for inclusion in the list of Super Lawyers every year between 2012 and 2022 by Super Lawyers® magazine.
Selected for inclusion in the list of Rising Stars from 2009 to 2011 by Super Lawyers® magazine.

Community Service:

Former Chair, Business Law Section, Marin County Bar Association
Member of Community Financial Advisory Committee, Mill Valley School District
Kiddo! 2015 Auction Co-Chair

Prior Representations: Kass has successfully represented individual clients and large corporations in complex litigation matters. Results include:

Shareholder Representative Litigation:

[Shareholder Representative v. Publicly-Traded Biosciences Company], Delaware Chancery Court: in an earn-out dispute, defeated defendant’s motion for judgment on the pleadings and obtained eight-figure settlement representing over two-thirds of maximum possible earn-out.
[Shareholder Representative v. National Records Management Company], American Arbitration Association: in an earn-out dispute, defeated $2 million counterclaim and obtained seven-figure award after eight days of hearing, representing over 98% of maximum possible earn-out, plus recovery of attorneys’ fees.
[Shareholder Representative v. International R&D Services Company], pre-litigation: in earn-out dispute, obtained seven-figure settlement representing over two-thirds of maximum possible earn-out.

Partnership Disputes, Dissolutions, Securities Fraud and Fiduciary Duty:

[Founding CEO v. Financial Services Company], San Francisco Superior Court: achieved remarkable settlement after years of contentious litigation.
[Shareholder v. Technology Company], obtained return of 100% of shareholder investment after issuing books and records demand.
[Former CFO v. Technology Company], achieved 8-figure settlement after one year of contentious litigation.
[Limited Partners v. Trustee], Santa Clara County Superior Court: achieved $4.85 million settlement on fifth day of two-week trial for breach of fiduciary duty.
[Former CEO and former CFO v. Technology Company], achieved $800,000 pre-litigation settlement.
[Founding Member vs. Technology Company], Delaware Chancery Court: achieved favorable seven-figure settlement after bench trial for control of limited liability company.
[Founding Partner v. Engineering Management Company], San Francisco County Superior Court: in freeze-out and involuntary dissolution proceedings involving a highly contentious court-ordered appraisal, obtained favorable seven-figure settlement.
[Employee-Shareholder v. Publicly-Traded Solar Company], San Mateo Superior Court: after defeating motion to dismiss and engaging in discovery, obtained favorable individual settlement.
[Shareholder v. Financial Management Company], San Francisco Superior Court: dismissal of complaint for involuntary dissolution in exchange for small settlement.
[Founding Shareholder v. Commercial Building Manufacturer], pre-litigation: obtained favorable settlement in dispute with departing partner.
[F.D.I.C. v. Former Bank Officer], Northern District of California: dismissal of fraud claims in exchange for small individual settlement.

While at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati:

Hewlett-Packard: Defended company in securities fraud class action.
LeapFrog: Obtained dismissal of derivative complaint and securities fraud class action.
IntraBiotics: Obtained dismissal of securities fraud class action.
EMC/Legato Systems: Defended merger challenge.
Read-Rite: Obtained dismissal of securities fraud class action.

Patent, Trade Secrets, Intellectual Property:

[Patent Holder v. Licensee], San Francisco Superior Court: in a patent license dispute concerning video-on-demand technologies, defeated Licensee's attempt to obtain declaratory relief of patent non-infringement (ongoing).
[Financial Services Company v. Former Director], San Francisco Superior Court: in a trade secrets case against former director turned competitor, obtained settlement providing for ongoing injunctive relief, rights of inspection, and liquidated damages.
[Property Developer v. Architecture and Design Firm], San Francisco Superior Court: in a trade secrets case involving an eight-figure real estate development project, obtained favorable settlement for monetary and injunctive relief on behalf of developer.

Wage & Hour:

[Wage Class v. Security Company], Los Angeles County Superior Court: dismissal of putative wage & hour class action for small individual settlement.
[Wage Class v. Commercial Contractor]; Los Angeles County Superior Court: class settlement of putative wage & hour class action for fraction of claims.

Unfair Competition and Consumer:

In re Google Referrer Header Litigation, Northern District of California: Co-lead counsel in privacy class action, obtained approval of $8.5 million settlement and prevailed in subsequent Ninth Circuit appeal; (currently on remand from the United States Supreme Court).
In re Facebook Privacy Litigation, Northern District of California: Co-lead counsel in privacy class action, obtained Ninth Circuit reversal of trial court dismissal.
New Century Int’l Corp. v. Valueclick, Inc., Central District of California: co-lead counsel in class action, obtained seven-figure class settlement plus injunctive relief.
[Consumer v. National Credit Card Payment Processor], Santa Clara Superior Court: dismissal of unfair competition and consumer claims in exchange for small individual settlement.

Prior to co-founding Nassiri & Jung LLP, Kass was general counsel of a multi-million dollar financial services company. Prior to that, he practiced litigation at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the leading securities class-action defense firm in the country, and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe.

In a former life, Kass was a professional composer and musician in Los Angeles. Kass is fluent in Persian.