Skip to content
DWT logo
People Services Insights
About Offices Careers
Search
People
Services
Insights
About
Offices
Careers
Search
Desktop Image: Sundaresan, Thaila
Mobile Image: Sundaresan, Thaila

Thaila Sundaresan

Partner

Co-chair, Women Attorneys Affinity Group

T 415.276.6521 San Francisco
I bring calm, clarity, and action to your toughest legal and regulatory challenges.
  •  

Download vCard Download bio Print this page
Share

Thaila Sundaresan is a seasoned litigator and regulatory attorney who helps clients resolve complex disputes and navigate high-stakes regulatory challenges. She represents businesses across industries in trial courts, arbitrations, and appeals, and advises on regulatory, policy, and compliance matters before state and federal agencies.

Thaila's litigation practice spans trial work and appellate advocacy. She handles trials and arbitrations for a wide range of clients, managing every phase from strategy through verdict. On appeal, she has briefed and argued numerous cases in federal and state courts, spanning issues from First Amendment and employment law to energy and communications. Before joining the firm, Thaila spent six years at the Federal Communications Commission, where she led major appellate cases involving spectrum policy, broadband deployment, and emergency communications systems.

As a regulatory lawyer, Thaila regularly appears before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and other state commissions, advising clients on rulemakings, transfers of control, licensing requirements, and compliance strategies. Her ability to combine legal precision with practical solutions helps clients overcome regulatory hurdles to achieve their business objectives.

Thaila also maintains an active pro bono practice, representing clients before the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal courts in cases involving significant constitutional issues. Her commitment to public service underscores her dedication to advancing justice and shaping important legal issues.

With deep experience in litigation, appeals, and regulatory advocacy, Thaila delivers clarity and results where law, policy, and business intersect.

Practice Highlights

CPUC regulatory advocacy

Represent telecommunications clients in numerous proceedings before the state regulatory agency including service quality standards for VoIP, wireless, and broadband service providers, broadband subsidies, surcharge reform, supplier diversity, and others; file comments and briefs, participate in administrative hearings and workshops, and more.

Appellate and regulatory litigation

Brief and argue appeals in numerous federal courts of appeals and state appellate courts, most frequently in the DC Circuit and California state courts, on a wide range of issues.

Supreme Court litigation

Filed petitions for writ of certiorari and amicus briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court regarding important constitutional rights cases. See, e.g., Porter v. Martinez (filed October 2023); New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen (Second Amendment) (October Term 2021); Kennedy v. Bremerton School District (First Amendment) (October Term 2021).
*Denotes an attorney's experience prior to joining Davis Wright Tremaine
Searching...

Admitted to Practice

  • California, 2009
  • District of Columbia, 2010
  • Massachusetts, 2012
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court, District of Maryland

Education

  • J.D., University of Maryland School of Law, 2008, magna cum laude
    • Order of the Coif
    • Order of the Barristers
    • Henry Zoller Leadership Scholar
    • National Moot Court Team
  • B.A., International Relations, Stanford University, 2000, with honors
    • Chappel Lougee Scholar

Memberships & Affiliations

    • Board of Visitors, University of Maryland Carey School of Law, 2024-present
    • Chapter Representative, Executive Committee, 2024-2025; Co-chair, Northern California Chapter, 2020-2025 – Federal Communications Bar Association
    • Board Member, South Asian Bar Association of Northern California, 2022–present
    • Co-Chair, South Asian Bar Association of Northern California Judicial Endorsements Committee, 2022–present
    • Board President, LEAP (Legal Education Access Pipeline), Inc., 2022-present
    • Foundation Board Member, South Asian Bar Association of Northern California, 2021-2022
    • Barrister, Edward Coke Appellate Inn of Court, 2018-present
    • Board Member, University of Maryland School of Law Alumni Association, 2014-2019
    • Board Member, South Asian Bar Association of Greater Boston, 2012-2014

Professional Recognition

    • Recipient, Unity Award, California Minority Bar Coalition, 2023
    • Fellow, South Asian Bar Association Leadership Institute, 2022-2023
    • Honoree, "Wonderful Women," Lawyers of Color, 2023
    • Leadership Advancement Program Fellow, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, 2020-2021

Background

    • Appellate Counsel, Office of General Counsel, Federal Communications Commission, Washington, D.C., and San Mateo, Calif., 2015-2021
    • Senior Associate, Appellate & Trial Litigation, WilmerHale, Boston, 2011-2015
    • Judicial Law Clerk, Hon. Theodore A. McKee, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, Philadelphia, 2010-2011
    • Appellate Associate, Sidley Austin LLP, Washington, D.C., 2009-2010
    • Judicial Law Clerk, Hon. Deborah K. Chasanow, U.S. District Court, District of Maryland, Greenbelt, M.D., 2008-2009
Clear Filter
Searching...
Your search returned no results. Please try another search or remove search criteria.
DWT logo
©1996-2026 Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Attorney Advertising. Not intended as legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Media Kit Affiliations Legal notices
Privacy policy Employees DWT Collaborate EEO
SUBSCRIBE
©1996-2026 Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Attorney Advertising. Not intended as legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Close
Close

CAUTION - Before you proceed, please note: By clicking "accept" you agree that our review of the information contained in your e-mail and any attachments will not create an attorney-client relationship, and will not prevent any lawyer in our firm from representing a party in any matter where that information is relevant, even if you submitted the information in good faith to retain us.