Thaila Sundaresan

Thaila Sundaresan leverages her years of practice in government and the private sector to solve problems for broadband, communications, and tech clients who find themselves involved in matters before state and federal regulators and the courts.

Thaila's work includes representing communications clients before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and other state public utility commissions. She is part of a highly experienced team of California telecom lawyers who work cooperatively with other CPUC practitioners and in-house counsel. Thaila helps clients overcome regulatory hurdles through administrative advocacy and policy-based solutions, and advises clients on a broad range of regulatory and legal matters within communications.

Thaila is also a seasoned appellate litigator, and has personally briefed and argued numerous cases in the federal courts of appeals. She loves being in the courtroom and is known for her unflappable demeanor and highly effective advocacy at oral argument. While at the Federal Communications Commission, Thaila handled a number of complex appeals across a wide variety of matters, including challenges to opening the 6 GHz band to unlicensed users, the Lifeline Program, spectrum auctions, the national Emergency Alert System, and intercarrier compensation issues, to name a few. The extensive first-chair litigation experience she gained at the Commission gives her particular insight into the regulatory process, the rules themselves, the industries affected, and the technologies at issue before regulators and the courts.

Coupled with her litigation experience in the private sector, Thaila is uniquely situated to understand both the mindset of regulators and the needs of her clients who are at the dynamic intersection of telecommunications and technology.