Snell & Wilmer Attorneys Bardia Moayedi and Alex Kat Recognized as Finalists for San Diego Business Journal’s 40 Next Top Business Leaders Under 40

SAN DIEGO – Snell & Wilmer is pleased to share that attorneys Bardia Moayedi and Alex Kat have been recognized as finalists for the San Diego Business Journal’s “40 Next Top Business Leaders Under 40 2026”. This award recognizes professionals who are making a significant impact in the San Diego business community.

Managing Partner of the firm’s San Diego office, Moayedi is a corporate and securities attorney and co-chair of the firm’s Life Sciences Industry Group. He advises life sciences, healthcare, and technology companies from formation through IPOs, mergers, and acquisitions, as well as venture capital and growth equity investors across all stages of investment. His experience includes leading significant financings and strategic transactions, including venture and growth equity investments, public offerings, and complex mergers in the life sciences and technology sectors. His clients range from clinical-stage biotechnology and medical device companies to enterprise software platforms and the investors that support their growth. Moayedi is deeply involved in the innovation ecosystem, serving on the board of EvoNexus and advising startup incubators at UC San Diego, UC Irvine, and San Diego State University. He also serves as an affiliate professor at UC San Diego, where he co-teaches life sciences entrepreneurship and advises students on business development and corporate strategy.

Kat is an associate in Snell & Wilmer’s Labor and Employment Practice Group, where he advises employers on navigating California’s evolving labor and employment laws. His practice includes representing clients in state and federal court in matters involving discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, harassment, and wage and hour disputes. Drawing on prior experience managing both large franchise and family-owned restaurant chains, he provides practical, business-oriented counsel to employers across industries. Active in the San Diego community, Kat has served as an At-Large Director of the San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association and mentors law students through the University of San Diego School of Law and San Diego State University’s Aztec Mentor Program. In 2025, Kat was selected as an Academy Fellow to the National Employment Law Council. He also recently received the Professional Student Impact Award for his mentorship efforts with the Employment and Labor Law Society at the University of San Diego School of Law.