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Desktop Image: Sundaresan, Thaila
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Thaila Sundaresan

Partner

T 415.276.6521 San Francisco
I'm a highly personable litigator—I strongly believe in zealously representing my clients while remaining collegial with all sides.
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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.

Practice Highlights

Former government service

Over the course of six years, Thaila successfully defended the FCC in numerous appeals involving challenges to agency decisions. She also advised the Commission on legal issues arising from pending and threatened litigation, and consulted with the Office of the Solicitor General on related matters before the U.S. Supreme Court.
*Denotes experience prior to joining Davis Wright Tremaine
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Admitted to Practice

  • California, 2009
  • District of Columbia, 2010
  • Massachusetts, 2012
  • 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

    • Co-Chair, Northern California Chapter, Federal Communications Bar Association, 2020-present
    • 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 Member, LEAP (Legal Education Access Pipeline), Inc., 2022-present
    • Foundation Board Member, South Asian Bar Association of Northern California, 2021-2022
    • Barrister, Edward J. McFetridge American Inn of Court, 2021-present
    • Barrister, Edward Coke Appellate Inn of Court, 2018-present
    • Board Member, University of Maryland School of Law Alumni Association, 2014-201
    • Board Member, South Asian Bar Association of Greater Boston, 2012-2014

Professional Recognition

    • 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
    • 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
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