Ami J. Patel

Ami J. Patel is an employment lawyer and the practice leader of Zashin & Rich’s Non-Compete/Trade Secret Practice in Cleveland. She works extensively on trade secret and non-compete disputes and advises public and private employers and managers on employment and labor matters. Her practice places particular emphasis on employee departures and transitions to new employers, where restrictive covenants, confidential information, workplace policies, compensation issues, and litigation risk can create urgent legal and business concerns.

Ami earned a J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and a B.A. in Sociology, magna cum laude, from Ohio University. Her undergraduate honors included Dean’s List and Phi Beta Kappa. This academic background supports a practice built around careful legal analysis, persuasive writing, and practical problem solving. She applies that training to disputes involving workplace rights, employer obligations, contractual restrictions, and the movement of employees between competing organizations.

Ami previously served as an Assistant Law Director for the City of Cleveland, defending management in arbitrations, civil service hearings, administrative proceedings, and state and federal courts. Her current work includes matters involving unions, due process, immunity, First Amendment claims, Section 1983, FMLA, FLSA, USERRA, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, non-compete agreements, trade secrets, and wage and hour disputes. She also advises on handbooks, policies, agreements, and disciplinary processes.

Ami J. Patel has been recognized by Super Lawyers and was named among Crain’s Notable Women in Law. She is admitted in Ohio and before several federal courts, including the Sixth Circuit. Her combination of government service, employment litigation, labor experience, and restrictive covenant work allows her to help employers respond to sensitive workforce disputes, protect business information, update policies, and manage employee transitions with a practical understanding of both litigation exposure and day-to-day operations.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney, Zashin & Rich
• Member, Ohio State Bar Association
• Member, Ohio State Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section
• Member, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section
• Member, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Women in Law Section

Licensed State

• Ohio

Education

• Case Western Reserve University School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Ohio University
  Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Sociology (Magna Cum Laude)

Awards & Badges