Keker, Van Nest & Peters is proud to announce that partner Ajay S. Krishnan has been selected by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California to serve as a U.S. Magistrate Judge, effective January 2026, following the retirement of Chief Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu.
“Ajay represents the very best of our firm—an exceptional lawyer with impeccable judgment, intellectual rigor, and a deep commitment to justice,” said Laurie Carr Mims, Managing Partner of Keker, Van Nest & Peters. “While we will miss him as our colleague and friend, we are immensely proud to see him join the bench and are confident he will serve the court and its litigants with distinction.”
Ajay has built a 20-year litigation career at Keker, including 15 years as a partner, and has played a central role in the firm’s trial practice. He has tried more than a dozen cases and has represented clients across a wide range of complex commercial, intellectual property, and civil rights disputes. His practice has spanned patent, copyright, trademark, and trade secret litigation, as well as contract disputes, business torts, securities cases, and class actions, in federal and state courts, administrative agencies, and arbitrations.
Ajay is widely recognized for both his courtroom excellence and his commitment to public service. He has maintained a robust pro bono practice throughout his career, representing individuals and organizations in significant civil rights and impact litigation. Before joining Keker, he served as a staff attorney at the ACLU of Northern California and volunteered with the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.
Ajay earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School and his B.A., magna cum laude, in electrical engineering from Rice University. He served as a law clerk for the Honorable Marsha Berzon on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
The firm congratulates Ajay on this well-deserved appointment and thanks him for his extraordinary contributions to our firm, our clients, and our community.
