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Chirali Patel stands at the intersection of law and advocacy with a profound motivation to reshape the cannabis industry. Early in her career, she devoted herself to public service, working for the County of Passaic, the City of Hoboken, and the County of Bergen, addressing multifaceted issues surrounding criminal and civil cases, and the intricacies of local government and public contracts. Her prior litigation experience involves being front and center in a myriad of complex commercial litigation against Fortune 500 companies, complex class actions, and multi-district litigation on the plaintiff’s side against pharmaceutical and automobile companies, among others. Some of the more notable cases include being part of the counsel team for one of the largest lawsuits in the history of the U.S. such as In re National Prescription Opiate case. Chirali was also appointed in a leadership position in In re Elmiron as a member of one of the most arguably diverse plaintiff’s steering committees. In re: Takata Airbag Products Liability Litigation and In re: Mercedes-Benz Emissions Litigation are other examples of prolific cases Chirali had the opportunity to work on.
With a rich legal background, Chirali began exploring the cannabis industry through self-education and organic networking in already legal states across the country as early as 2016. As her interest peaked, she began to publish articles on cannabis and speak on CLEs for attorneys and community members. She developed the cannabis practice area in law firms she worked at as an associate attorney to create more windows of opportunity and make her initial breakthrough in the industry. Recognized for her monumental impact, Chirali was lauded in the InsiderNJ 2021 “Insider 100: Cannabis Power List” as an influential voice in cannabis. Soon after, her name was featured on the prestigious “22 to Watch in ‘22” list by NJ Cannabis Insider. Earlier in 2023, Chirali was awarded the esteemed “Community Game Changer” award by NJ.com for her outstanding community engagement.
As the current Managing Partner of Blaze Law Firm LLC, Chirali is continuing to expand on her illustrious career by advocating for social equity. Her dedication shines through her pro bono work and working with legacy market clients. Blaze Law Firm is proud to represent individuals on a pro bono status from business inception to license award. Chirali is the driving force behind Blaze Responsibly™️, an organization she founded that educates and empowers the community about safe and responsible cannabis culture by hosting free expungement clinics and resource fairs throughout the State. As an Adjunct Professor at Rutgers University Law School, she molds the future of the cannabis world educating leaders through the Cannabis Law and Business Certificate program she was part of developing. Chirali Patel stands as an industry leader, blending legal expertise, advocacy, and business experience to reshape the New Jersey cannabis landscape and beyond.
