Engagement #1: Jeana Patel

Jeana Patel is a Director of Legal Recruitment at Special Counsel. Originally from California, Jeana is licensed in both California and Texas and practiced primarily family law and business litigation in both Southern California and Austin before joining Special Counsel as a legal recruiter. She recruits and places candidates to fill temporary, temporary to hire, and direct hire attorneys, paralegals, and other legal professional positions for a variety of law firms and corporate clients in the Greater Austin area.  Jeana also frequently works with law firms and corporations to ensure their staffing, recruiting, and employment needs are met.
Jeana obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego and her JD from California Western School of Law. Jeana is also a member of the Austin Young Lawyers Association and the Austin Bar Association, and served as a member of the AYLA 2017 Leadership Academy Class. In addition to serving on the Travis County Women Lawyer’s Association Board of Directors, Jeana also serves on the South Asian Bar Association Board of Directors. In her free time Jeana enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants, and running around after her 2 young boys.


Fun fact: Jeana has dual citizenship with the US and the UK. Her parents were born in England!​

Engagement #2: Aartika Maniktala 

Aartika Maniktala represents early- and late-stage technology companies and investors in incorporation, preferred stock financings, and Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) financings. In this role, she negotiates terms, manages the due diligence process, drafts schedules, performs the legal opinion backup process, and conducts closings. In addition, she advises clients on corporate governance issues.
Aartika devotes significant time to pro bono work. Her recent cases have included assisting a nonprofit with its application for tax-exempt status and drafting motions alleging violations of the California Racial Justice Act.
While attending the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, Aartika was a legal intern for Gusto and completed a legal externship for the California Department of Justice. She was also a staff member for the Berkeley Technology Law Journal.
Fun Fact: ​I recently moved to Austin from the Bay Area where I’d spent most of my life. 

Engagement #3: Rosann Mariappuram​

Rosann Mariappuram (she/her) is the Executive Director of Jane’s Due Process, an organization that fights for teens’ reproductive rights in Texas and helps young people confidentially access reproductive healthcare, including abortion and birth control. She has been working in reproductive health, rights and justice for the last 10 years on the national and state level. Rosann is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, City College of New York and New York University. She is originally from Ohio and is the proud daughter of immigrant parents.

Fun Fact: Before deciding to go to law school I lived in NYC and used to work at an off-broadway theater!​

Engagement #4: Nicole Simmons

Nicole Clark Simmons earned her B.B.A from Texas A&M University and her J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law, where she participated in various student organizations, including the Thurgood Marshall Legal Society, Street Law, and the Student Recruitment and Orientation Committee. Following law school, Nicole practiced banking and finance law in Houston before jumping at the opportunity to return to the law school to work with students. Prior to joining the Admissions Office, Nicole worked in the Career Services Office for almost 13 years. She served as a Career Counselor, the Director of Public Service Programs, and the Director of Professional Development. Nicole has a long-standing commitment to service and access to higher education. She is active in her community and has served in leadership roles with the National Association of Law Placement, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas, the
Austin Black Lawyers Foundation, and the Austin Black Lawyer’s Association.

Fun Fact: She is both a Longhorn and Aggie!

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Engagement #5: ​María Amelia Calaf

María Amelia Calaf is an accomplished litigator with first-chair experience trying cases and representing clients before federal and state district and appellate courts throughout the country. She has represented Fortune 100 companies, the State of Texas, private corporations and individuals in high-stakes, complex commercial litigation matters and arbitrations, as well as internal investigations and inquiries by the U.S. Department of Justice, the SEC, FINRA, and various State Attorney General’s offices.

Prior to joining Wittliff | Cutter, María Amelia was the Manager for Complex Litigation in the General Litigation Division of the Office of the Attorney General of Texas, where she led teams representing the state in high-profile lawsuits defending challenges to state laws and matters involving statewide institutional reforms. She also has extensive experience in private practice counseling individual and corporate clients resolving business disputes and navigating regulatory inquiries. She has advocated for clients in a wide range of industries, including biotechnology, pharmaceutical companies, electronics manufacturers, software developers, investment banks, hedge funds, start-ups and educational institutions.

María Amelia began her legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable Jon P. McCalla, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. After that, she practiced complex commercial litigation and white collar criminal defense in the New York City offices of the national law firms of Boies Schiller Flexner and Goodwin Procter. Over the years, she has been an advocate for survivors of domestic violence and women of color.

Fun Fact: ​I’ve visited over 28 countries— many by myself with just a backpack. 

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Engagement #6: Rouzhna Nayeri

Rouzhna currently works at Indeed.com as their Lead Counsel for partnerships, investments and M&A, and has been there for about 2 years. Before Indeed, she worked at a large law firm in New York City. Rouzhna attended SMU Dedman Law for law school and UT Austin for her undergraduates. She loves all things food-related, including cooking, hosting, trying new restaurants, and learning about new types of food.
Fun/Interesting fact: Rouzhna is a proud mom of a 3 year old pug named Spud. Spud is a huge fan of butt scratches and treats.