Ishan Bhabha

Regarded as one of the nation’s preeminent lawyers for institutions of higher education and large corporations and organizations facing challenges with significant financial, operational, or reputational risk, Ishan is a go-to lawyer for organizations facing their most difficult and high-stakes challenges. A dedicated leader within the firm, Ishan serves as the firm’s Co-Managing Partner, as a Co-Chair of the firm’s Education and Technology Practices, and as a member of the firm’s Management Committee.

Ishan specializes in commercial, constitutional, and regulatory disputes and has successfully litigated cases in numerous state and federal courts, as well arguing in the US Supreme Court. He has substantial arbitration experience and also represents his clients before administrative agencies and in government investigations. Ishan frequently advises public company boards on critical issues of strategic, ethical and regulatory risk.

Ishan’s clients include leading educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, and late-stage venture-backed technology companies. Ishan has counseled numerous colleges and universities on issues including discrimination and free speech, race-conscious admissions, athletics, Title IX, and research funding. He has represented various institutions in large-scale antitrust and COVID-related class actions with multibillion-dollar potential liability, and is also a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA). Likewise, Ishan has advised and defended technology companies on free speech issues, commercial litigation, and government investigations. He regularly consults on how disruptive technologies will be assessed under existing regulatory structures.

In his TED Talk, viewed more than 1.4 million times, he discusses how organizations can foster productive and responsible debate while protecting free speech. His work has been featured in numerous publications including the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Fortune.

Ishan was elected in 2024 as a member of the American Law Institute. He was recognized by both Bloomberg Law and the National Law Journal as one of the 40 best lawyers under 40 in the United States. Prior to joining Jenner & Block, Ishan worked at the US Department of Justice and the Boston Consulting Group.