About

Nyssa is an international tech and privacy lawyer; writer; mentor; world traveler; global citizen; hotel aficionado; design lover; founder of the award-winning travel website, The Cultureur; founder of the global mentorship nonprofit for law students and lawyers, Mentor in Law; and writer of the upcoming Indian cookbook, Sapphire & Spice.

Currently, she is an international tech and privacy lawyer at Perkins Coie LLP based in Seattle and a World Affairs Council Fellow. Additionally, she is the recipient of the American Bar Association’s 2022 On the Rise Top 40 Lawyers award and on the 2023 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch list.

Previously, she worked at Microsoft as an IP lawyer and was part of the Pro Bono Steering Committee. She was also a Washington Leadership Institute Fellow at the Washington State Bar Association, and an Aspen NextGen Fellow as part of the NextGen Network of the Transatlantic Initiative at the Aspen Institute.

As the daughter of immigrants, Nyssa is a vocal champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (particularly amplifying the voices of women and minorities) and a fierce advocate of both giving back to the community through pro bono work and paying it forward through mentorship.

Originally from Southern California, Nyssa has lived, studied, and worked around the world—Paris, Los Angeles, Orange County, New Delhi, London, San Diego, Seattle, Berlin, with briefer stints in Marburg, Mussoorie, and Reykjavik—and traveled to 50+ countries.

Prior to law school, she worked at U.S. Embassies in New Delhi, Paris, and London through the Department of State; freelanced as a travel writer for international publications; volunteered at several global NGOs related to education and women’s empowerment; and co-founded a health and wellness company.

Additionally, she was a Fulbright Scholar in Germany and received a B.A. from the University of California, San Diego, an MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law.

  • Bachelor of Arts (BA), University of California San Diego (UCSD)
  • Master of Science (MSc), London School of Economics (LSE)
  • Doctor of Law (JD), University of Washington School of Law
  • Fulbright Scholar, U.S. Department of State, Journalism, Germany
  • FLAS Fellow, U.S. Department of Education, French
  • Aspen NextGen Fellow, NextGen Network, Transatlantic Initiative, Aspen Institute
  • Washington Leadership Institute Fellow, Washington State Bar Association
  • On the Rise Top 40 Lawyers, American Bar Association
  • Fellow, World Affairs Council Seattle
  • 2023 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, Best Lawyers
  • Digital Media Marketing, New York University
  • Holistic Nutrition, Cornell University
  • The Marketing Seminar, Seth Godin

  • Spoken on several panels: IP/trademark law, legal education, future of the law, technology and diplomacy, pro bono, mentoring, networking, diversity and inclusion in the law, women in the law, AAPIs in the law, wellness in the law
  • Organizer and Host – Fireside Chat with Karuna Nundy at Microsoft (July 10, 2020) on protecting human rights in the digital age and the importance of pro bono work
  • Creator and Host – Mentor in Law Webinars
  • Judge – Law, Tech, and Access to Justice Class, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School (April 21, 2021)
  • Interview for the LEARN Series for Pre-Law Students at the University of California, Irvine (May 5, 2021)
  • Panelist, Surviving Law School and the Job Market: Tips and Experiences from AAPI Practitioners, University of Washington School of Law (May 20, 2021)
  • Panelist, Benefits of Mentorship, Triton Talks Series at UC San Diego (September 14, 2021)
  • Panelist, Benefits of Mentorship, Fordham University School of Law (October 1, 2021)
  • Panelist, Personal Branding with Intention, Perkins Coie LLP (October 7, 2021)
  • Panelist, First-Gen Experiences in the Law, Campbell University Law School (December 16, 2021)
  • Presenter, Legal Considerations for Startups, University of Washington School of Law (July 19, 2022)
  • Panelist, Thriving in the Law, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School (July 20, 2022)
  • Microsoft Agile Mentoring Program, LCLD Mentoring Program, The Legal Forecast Connect Australia, Project W at DWT, SABA, Minds Matter Seattle, Triton Connect, UW Alumni Mentors, among others (Mentor)
  • Women for Afghan Women (Volunteer Attorney)
  • HIAS (Volunteer Attorney)
  • Legal Services Corporation (Emerging Council Member)
  • Access to Justice Legal Tech Fictional Writing Competition by the ATJ Tech Fellowship and the ABA (2021; 2022) (Judge)
  • Seattle Clemency Project (Volunteer Attorney)
  • UW Law x Microsoft Networking Event, April 2019 (Creator/Organizer)
  • Washington Lawyers for the Arts (Board Member 2019-2020)
  • NGO Manzil, Delhi (English Teacher)
  • NGO Asha Niwas, Delhi (Volunteer/Organizer of 3-day music festival fundraiser)
  • Hospitality and Travel Law Symposium and Hospitality Law Class at UW Law (Creator/Organizer)
  • The Cultureur — travel and culture website for the modern global citizen
  • Mentor in Law — global mentorship nonprofit (mentorship, newsletter, events, etc.) for law students and early-career lawyers