Malissa Patel: Alumni Spotlight

As the latest recipient of the Dallas Women Lawyers Association’s Rising Raggio Award, Malissa earned recognition for her professional accomplishments and leadership in the Dallas legal community. The DWLA is one of several organizations where Malissa works to champion inclusion in the legal sector; in her words, “We all have a duty to continue holding doors open for those looking for a seat at the table.”

Barnes & Thornburg (BT): What inspired you to get into law in the first place?

Malissa: As a child of immigrants, grad school was a certainty, but I didn’t want to be a doctor. I liked reading and history, not science and math. My sister had volunteered at the hospital as a candy striper; my father encouraged me to investigate whether there was a “candy striper” equivalent for lawyers. Spoiler alert: there isn’t.
I started working as a runner at a small real estate practice in my hometown at the age of 16. Watching the attorneys there, I learned that there’s something intimate about being someone’s lawyer. You become a therapist, an advocate and overall shoulder to lean on. That was a good fit for my personality. I’m naturally an advocate and a fixer.
That’s why I kept on with it. I was motivated to fix people’s problems and do so without tearing their deals apart.

BT: You started off learning about real estate law. Was that always what you planned to focus on?

Malissa: My dad is in the hospitality industry, so real estate has always been of interest to me. I figured if I did real estate, I could join the family business and ultimately take over for my dad. Plans changed once I became a lawyer and relocated to Dallas after marrying my husband, Kunal.

When I relocated to Dallas, I stuck with the plan of practicing commercial and hospitality law, but what changed my career entirely was meeting Will Russ. When Will hired me, he said that he knew I planned to do commercial real estate work, but that his career was leaning toward energy work. He said I was welcome to try it, and if I hated it, I could go back.

I was hesitant at first but soon realized there was a cross section of real estate and energy work that needed more attorneys to assist with. Working with Will on these types of matters for companies like Vistra changed everything. Getting to work with somebody like him, with his willingness to put you in front of clients at the table – it changed my entire career trajectory.

BT: With data centers and energy resources dominating the news right now, you’re at the center of it at Vistra. What is it like to be on the front line of energy right now?

Malissa: It’s fascinating. I have always been motivated to know the big picture of any project; I like to understand the “why” behind each component and my role within it. I asked a lot of “why” questions as an associate (sorry, Will!).

Now that I am in-house, I have a more holistic look at our work. If there’s a site to buy, it’s more straightforward to see how it fits with the overall strategy: how we will develop it, how we will interconnect it, how we might ultimately decommission it. You don’t always get that perspective in private practice.

BT: Was that part of the draw to go in-house?

Malissa: It’s the biggest part of it – that and the fact that this company was hands-down my favorite client. When I came back from maternity leave after I had my firstborn, Will put me on my first Vistra project. I never looked back. I joke that I was Will’s worst associate, because he recommended all associates work with more than one client, and I only wanted this one at all times.

That relationship made the transition even better – and it’s wonderful to be able to still work with Will and Jason Myers and be able to continue learning from both of them. It was a nice transition over, and it wouldn’t have existed without Barnes & Thornburg.

BT: Outside of your day-to-day job, you dedicate a lot of time to the Dallas Women Lawyers Association, The Podium and other legal networks. What inspires you to share your knowledge with others in the profession?

Malissa: I want to make the path easier for those who come behind me. As a first generation, there weren’t a lot of attorneys who looked like me in the practice. At times, that can feel isolating, especially when you're ambitious and trying to figure out your place in the profession. I was fortunate to have mentors and advocates – both men and women – who invested in me, opened doors and helped me navigate opportunities along the way. That said, it took a lot of heavy lifting to find those few who were willing to pour into me and my development.

I’m a strong believer that empowered women empower women. I’m happy to help anyone, but I am particularly passionate about supporting women in the legal industry because there are still too few of us in many leadership and decision-making roles. If I can help make a connection, share an opportunity, or encourage someone to pursue a path they might not otherwise consider, I’m always happy to do so. I want to become that person for other women pursuing the legal profession.

Will was my sponsor. He put me in front of people and floated my name in any conversation he could. He gave me opportunities that I don’t think many attorneys in his position would have done. He, Thomas Haskins, Victor Vital – they gave me the space to join the Dallas Asian American Bar Association, the Dallas Women Lawyers Association and most importantly, The Podium, a roundtable of Asian female attorneys in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The firm supported all of that. They let me thrive in those organizations, they sponsored events on my behalf, and they continue to support me and these organizations.

These networks made me a better lawyer. I could support young associates because of it. I could work with the Prelaw Scholars program because of it. I could work on recruitment because of it. I did all those things at Barnes & Thornburg because they gave me opportunities to do things outside the firm, too.

BT: At the moment, what is a fun fact that people may not know about you?

Malissa: I make excellent charcuterie boards and think of myself as a pretty good amateur wine connoisseur.

BT: Assuming you don’t leave the legal profession for Napa Valley, what takeaways from your time at Barnes & Thornburg will you carry throughout your career?

Malissa: How you treat people matters. I am so grateful Barnes & Thornburg gave me an opportunity at a point in my career when I never imagined I would practice in Big Law.

To have someone like Will not only invest in me professionally, but also encourage me to be myself, made a lasting impact on me.

The firm created an environment where I was able to thrive, and that experience shaped how I think about leadership, mentorship and professional relationships. Now that I sit on the client side and work with many different law firms, I have an even greater appreciation for what makes Barnes & Thornburg special. The quality of the work is exceptional, but what stands out most is the people. The attorneys are talented, responsive and genuinely kind – a combination that is rarer than it should be in our profession.