Mr Thomas Saunders > WilmerHale > Washington DC, United States > Lawyer Profile

WilmerHale
2100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington DC 20036
United States

Position

Partner

Career

Tom Saunders’ practice focuses on appellate and government and public policy litigation with a particular emphasis on intellectual property. He has extensive experience representing clients in patent and complex civil cases and has built a reputation as a leading advocate in high-stakes appellate litigation. He has argued and won two cases in the US Supreme Court, one involving patents and the other involving government contracts. He has also argued and won cases in multiple courts of appeals, including numerous victories in the Federal Circuit. He has worked on more than 50 Federal Circuit cases and led the merits briefing in 6 Supreme Court cases. Law360 recognized Mr. Saunders as an Appellate MVP of the Year in 2015 and an Appellate Rising Star in 2016 and 2017.

Mr. Saunders also has significant experience in civil litigation involving the government and quasi-governmental entities. He advises clients on constitutional matters, questions of public policy and strategy, and administrative law.

Education

  • JD, Yale Law School, 2004
  • AB, Harvard University, 2000

Lawyer Rankings

United States > Dispute resolution > Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)

Ranking among the market leaders for high-stakes appellate work, WilmerHale is widely hailed for the depth of its bench and the reputation of its senior partners. Indeed, for some, the ‘experience and expertise of the appellate team at WilmerHale is unmatched’. The national group routinely appears before state and federal courts across the US, right up to Supreme Court level, and is a particularly dominant performer in the Federal Circuit. High-profile department head Seth Waxman is a former US Solicitor General, who has delivered over 80 oral arguments in the US Supreme Court alone. Waxman recently paired up with Daniel Volchok to successfully represent the justices of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, and the members and executive director of the Oklahoma Bar Association Board of Governors, before the Tenth Circuit in a case concerning the association’s mandatory-dues requirement. The team also leans on experienced practice vice chairs Catherine Carroll, who has argued four cases before SCOTUS, and Boston-based Mark Fleming, who has argued before SCOTUS seven times. Other key contacts include IP specialist Thomas Saunders and New York-based Alan Schoenfeld. Named attorneys are based in Washington DC unless stated otherwise. Danielle Spinelli recently retired.