Eagles_Thad

Thad Eagles

Eagles_Thad

Thad Eagles

Counsel

Washington DC + 1 202 663 6013

Thad Eagles represents clients at all stages of litigation in state and federal courts, focusing on appellate advocacy, dispositive motions, and trial strategy. Mr. Eagles has substantive experience in a wide range of practice areas, including complex commercial litigation, antitrust and mass tort class action defense, government enforcement actions, and constitutional litigation. He has also represented clients in a wide variety of fields, including financial institutions, research universities and other educational organizations, technology developers, and healthcare providers. He focuses on high-stakes cases that raise novel and complex questions of law.

Mr. Eagles maintains an active pro bono practice, with a particular focus on the constitutional rights of criminal defendants. He recently led the WilmerHale briefing effort before the en banc Second Circuit in Farhane v. United States, No. 20-1666 (2d Cir. Oct. 31, 2024), where the Second Circuit by an 8-5 vote reversed the panel decision and held that naturalized United States citizen has a Sixth Amendment right to be advised by counsel that he may be denaturalized and deported as a result of a guilty plea. Notably one member of the panel majority reversed his position and adopted the argument Mr. Eagles put forward in the petitioner’s brief. He also recently successfully argued a motion for a preliminary injunction on behalf of a transgender middle schooler, resulting in an order from the bench requiring the school district defendant to allow the student to try out for the tennis team that accords with her gender identity.

Mr. Eagles has previously clerked for the Honorable Justice Sonia Sotomayor of the United States Supreme Court, the Honorable Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the United States Supreme Court, the Honorable Chief Judge Robert A. Katzmann of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Honorable Judge Jed S. Rakoff of the Southern District of New York.

Experience

    • Presented oral argument and drafted merits briefs as appointed counsel before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, on questions of appellate jurisdiction and state sovereign immunity
    • Briefed successful appeal to the New York Appellate Division on behalf of a research university reversing dismissal of suit challenging the constitutionality of a zoning restriction 
    • Drafted successful petition for review from the New York Court of Appeals on behalf of financial institution client on the question whether assignees of interests in condominiums are in privity with their assignors for purposes of preclusion
    • Led successful briefing effort on behalf of large joint defense group in dismissing on the pleadings a antitrust challenge to the internal rules of a university sports conference 
    • Led team representing individuals accused of parole and probation violations who were detained without a hearing, ultimately resulting in entirely new and timely hearing program
    • Represented an individual in state habeas proceedings challenging murder conviction, from beginning of case through a weeklong hearing, including examining two expert witnesses
    • Coordinated briefing efforts on behalf of large group of private nonprofit plaintiffs in successfully challenging Texas voter identification law before district court, Fifth Circuit, and in opposing certiorari

Recognition

Insights & News

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Credentials

  • Education

    • JD, New York University School of Law, 2015

      summa cum laude

      University Graduation Prize; Robert B. McKay Prize – Excellence in Constitutional Law; Weinfeld Prize – Distinguished Scholarship in Procedure and Courts; Howard Greenberger Award – Outstanding Achievement in Comparative Law; Staff Editor, New York University Law Review; Articles Editor, Order of the Coif

    • BA, History, Haverford College, 2010

  • Admissions

    • District of Columbia

    • New York

  • Clerkships

    • The Hon. Sonia Sotomayor, US Supreme Court, 2020 - 2021

    • The Hon. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, US Supreme Court, 2020

    • The Hon. Robert A. Katzmann, US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 2018 - 2019

    • The Hon. Jed S. Rakoff, US District Court for the Southern District of New York, 2017 - 2018

Credentials

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