Sunny J. Thompson, Partner at our Washington, D.C., and Dallas law offices
Sunny J. Thompson vcard
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Sunny J. Thompson

Partner
Biography

Sunny Thompson is a skilled litigator who helps businesses solve problems. She routinely advises clients on strategic business transactions, risk management, internal investigations, and resolving disputes through litigation or alternative dispute resolution.  Sunny also has extensive labor and employment experience advising companies on policies, best practices, wage and hour compliance, OSHA matters, and defending against claims. Prior to joining Snell & Wilmer, Sunny was the vice president and associate general counsel for a multinational senior living company, where she provided legal and strategic business advice. She managed a large docket of litigation matters, including civil actions, regulatory investigations, EEOC proceedings, and class actions. Sunny also worked extensively with REITs on operating agreements for senior housing properties, real estate development, and helping assisted living operators with regulatory compliance.

Sunny has defended class action matters involving consumer claims for fraud and misrepresentation and wage and hour claims.  She regularly advises clients on high stakes corporate contract negotiations as well as with commercial disputes, including for breach of contract claims, insurance and indemnity demands, and enforcement of trademark and intellectual property rights.

Sunny previously worked for a large international law firm, where her practice focused on commercial, banking, securities, and structured finance litigation. She was particularly involved in cases involving complex financial transactions, trusts and derivatives, as well as bankruptcy- and insolvency-related matters including adversary proceedings, plan confirmation and other contested matters. Sunny also counseled companies on compliance and internal investigations, including for matters involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and similar anti-corruption laws in foreign countries.

Credentials

Bar Admissions

  • District of Columbia
  • Texas


Court Admissions

  • All State Courts in Texas
  • District of Columbia Court of Appeals
  • District of Coumbia
  • Federal Court of Claims
  • Supreme Court of Texas
  • United States District Court, District of Columbia
  • United States District Court, Northern District of Texas


Education

  • Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude,)
    • Order of the Coif
    • SMU Law Review Association, Associate Managing Editor
  • Vanderbilt University (B.A., Political Science and Spanish, magna cum laude)
Experience

Awards & Recognition

  • Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll (2023)
  • DC Super Lawyers®, Rising Stars Edition, Business Litigation (2013-2015)
  • Outstanding Young Associate, Human Rights Initiative (2010)

Representative Experience

  • Represented multinational automobile manufacture in supply chain, risk management, and corporate giving work.
  • Drafted template letters and internal process guides for multinational automobile manufacturing client for ordering processes to support its supply chain management.
  • Overhauled a joint defense program between a multinational manufacturer and its suppliers for risk allocation and litigation defense of products liability claims.
  • Prepared legal framework for large corporate giving program including preparing and negotiating grant agreements with grantees, and drafted corporate documents for the client’s advisory group and internal governance.
  • Conducted internal investigation for mid-stage AI technology company, which identified extensive corporate malfeasance including breaches of fiduciary duty and conflicts of interest by current and former executives, board members, and investors. Helped the new management team obtain settlements and releases of claims from all bad actors in exchange for their returning their equity shares back to the company. Helped the company overhaul its capital table to make it appealing for growth and new investment by being able to recoup equity from the bad actors.
  • After being engaged 48 hours before a default judgment hearing, we obtained a complete settlement and release of claims for our client, a nonprofit patient advocacy group, who was facing a breach of contract case where the plaintiff vendor had maliciously failed to perform under the agreement, leading to the payment dispute. We removed the state-court matter to federal court and negotiated a complete resolution of the dispute within 3 months of being engaged, and avoided discovery for our client.
  • Represented owner of senior housing facilities in Oregon in drafting and negotiating the management agreement with the new operator of the facilities.
  • Represented senior housing management company in a “bet the company” class action litigation alleging violations of consumer protection and fraud laws. Through our advocacy, we helped the company reduce the plaintiff class by over 80% by forcing claims into arbitration where a written agreement to arbitrate existed.
  • Represented senior housing company in overhauling its residency agreements with independent living and assisted living residents in numerous states including Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, and Florida.
  • Represented nationwide homebuilder in asserting claims against bankrupt solar panel provider in chapter 11 proceedings in bankruptcy court in Delaware.  Obtained relief for the homebuilder from the automatic stay so that homebuilder could engage a replacement solar panel vendor for its home sites in California and mitigate its damages from the solar panel company’s extensive performance defaults.
  • Represented soft-money lender in asserting fraud claims against bankrupt restaurant debtor in chapter 11, subchapter V proceedings in Washington, D.C.
  • Represent numerous small businesses include consumer products, interior design, and non-profits in obtaining trademarks and intellectual property counseling.

Pro Bono

  • Helped client in reconnecting and establishing visitation with his minor daughter. We advised the client on his custody and child support cases and provided a playbook detailing how to zero out his child support arrears, connect to local employment resources, and support his family outside of the court’s purview. This case was referred by the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center.
  • Represented an indigent mother of 4 young children facing eviction.  We obtained a complete dismissal of the eviction case and asserted counterclaims for violations of the D.C. Health & Safety Code and for overpayment of rent. Through our advocacy, the landlord replaced all appliances, flooring, and blinds in the apartment and fixed extensive mold and rodent issues. This case was referred by the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center.

**Past results are not a guarantee that similar results can be obtained for others.

Previous Professional Experience

  • Multinational senior housing developer and operator, Vice President and Associate General Counsel (2015-2020)
  • Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, Litigation Associate (2008-2015)

Professional Memberships and Activities

  • D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, Volunteer Attorney
  • Defense Research Institute (DRI)
  • Commercial Real Estate Women Network, DC Chapter (CREW DC)

Representative Presentations and Publications

  • ‘Deaf Tester’ Lawsuits Target Senior Living Providers,” Co-Author, Seniors Housing Business (November 10, 2022)
  • “Battling Hydra, The 9-Headed Monster: Understanding Today’s Class Action and Multi-Facility Litigation Trends,” Presenter,  DRI’s Senior Housing and Long Term Care Litigation Seminar (September 8, 2022)
  • Lawsuits Likely If CMS Mandates Provider COVID-19 Vaccines,” Quoted, Inside Health Policy (August 12, 2021)
  • Labor Challenges Persist for Providers in 2021,” Author, McKnight’s Senior Living (February 1, 2021)
  • “The Dodd-Frank Act: Two Years Later,” Co-Author, The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel (October 10, 2012)
  • “CDOs: Bankruptcy Remote, Not Bankruptcy Proof,” Co-Author, ABA Corporate Counsel Committee, Vol. 26, No. 2 (June 20, 2012)
  • “Dodd-Frank, One Year Later: A Primer on the Federal Rulemaking Process,” Co-Author, The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel (August 2011)