Sunu Pillai

Sunu Pillai

Associate

Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP

Sunu Pillai counsels construction and energy industry clients on issues throughout the project life-cycle, from contract formation through dispute resolution. Having worked in the construction industry as an engineer, project manager and claims consultant prior to his legal career, Sunu has a deep understanding of issues related to construction disputes. He assists owners, contractors, sureties, subcontractors and engineering firms on issues including differing site conditions, schedule delays, Miller Act claims, loss of productivity, and design issues. He has represented clients in various state and federal courts, and in arbitrations under American Arbitration Association (AAA), International Center for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) and International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) rules.

In addition to being an advocate on behalf of his clients, Sunu is an arbitrator with AAA for construction- related cases. He is certified as a Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb), and is an approved mediator with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Sunu is a member of the editorial board for the Dispute Resolution Magazine, the publication of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Section of Dispute Resolution. He is the vice-chair of the ADR Committee at the Allegheny County Bar Association, and is a recipient of AAA’s Higginbotham Fellowship.

Sunu has represented clients in numerous commercial litigations involving issues ranging from non- compete clauses, title insurance issues and alleged breach of contract, in various state and federal courts. He also assists clients in complying with privacy and cybersecurity regulations and in responding to potential data breaches. He holds the Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP / US) certification from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).

His prior engineering and project management experience on domestic and international energy, infrastructure and construction projects makes Sunu attuned to the business needs and priorities of his clients. In his consulting career, he worked on projects including power plants, offshore oil and gas, shipbuilding,rail construction, industrial plants, road projects and buildings. On these domestic and international projects, Sunu analyzed issues including schedule delays, disruption, acceleration and inefficiencies. He also has broad experience in change management, including quantifying delays and providing advice on dispute avoidance. His engineering experience involved working as a naval architect in the shipbuilding industry, in both design and field engineering. Sunu holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in naval architecture and multiple industry certifications including Certified Professional Contract Manager (CPCM) and Project Management Professional (PMP).

Sunu has presented at multiple conferences including the Construction Super Conference and the AGC Conference on Construction Risk Management. He has spoken at various CLE events on construction law related topics. Sunu has written multiple articles for the ABA Section of Litigation’s ADR Committee Newsletter, and in Bloomberg Law. He also contributes regularly to his firm’s blogs. He is a member of the Executive Committee at the Hay-Sell American Inns of Court, the Board of Directors at Allegheny County Bar Foundation (ACBF), and the Advocacy Committee at the Leadership Council for Legal Diversity (LCLD). Sunu is also active in the ABA Forum on Construction Law, including its Diversity and Technology Committees.

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