Gordon D. Todd

GORDON TODD co-leads Sidley’s Regulatory Litigation practice, which handles government-facing civil litigation, disputes relating to rulemakings, and commercial litigation in highly-regulated industries. A trial lawyer, Gordon represents plaintiffs and defendants in judicial, administrative, and arbitral trials. Gordon is named a “National Practice Area Star” (2026) for Commercial by Benchmark Litigation, is ranked for Litigation: General Commercial in District of Columbia by Chambers USA (2019; 2023–2025), has been included in Lawdragon’s list of “500 Leading Litigators in America” every year since its inception, and has appeared multiple times in the American Lawyer’s “Litigator of the Week” column. Gordon also co-leads the firm’s First Amendment focus area, including founding Sidley’s partnership with Yale Law School’s free exercise clinic.

Prior to joining Sidley, Gordon served as a Deputy Associate Attorney General at the United States Department of Justice. In that capacity, Gordon's portfolio included civil, civil rights, and tax litigation, as well as the Office of Justice Programs, and the Office on Violence Against Women. Also at the Department of Justice, Gordon served as Special Counsel for Supreme Court Nominations and as Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. Gordon was a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and to Eighth Circuit Judge C. Arlen Beam.

Gordon’s litigation experience includes:

• State of Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods (N.D. Okla.): Representing defendants in a decades-long dispute over alleged environmental pollution relating to poultry farming in Oklahoma and Arkansas, including multiple trials.
• Chevron Mining Inv. v. United States (D. NM). Lead trial counsel for plaintiff in a CERCLA allocation action. Secured allocation to the United States of a significant share of responsibility for clean-up costs relating to an open-pit Molybdenum mine in Questa, New Mexico.
• Clear Channel v. City of New Rochelle (SDNY): Representing plaintiff out-of-home advertising company in constitutional, statutory, and contractual challenge to City’s attempt to remove outdoor signage in violation of First Amendment and without payment of just compensation.
• Ninestar Corp. v. United States (CIT): Representing plaintiff in first-ever challenge to company listing and goods exclusion imposed under the UFLPA.
• United States ex rel. Silbersher v. Janssen Biotech, Inc. (DNJ): Representing pharmaceutical company defending against False Claim Act claims based on allegations of fraud on the Patent Office.
• National Association of Home Builders et al v. United States Small Business Administration (E.D. Mich.): Lead counsel representing plaintiff trade association in successful challenge to the unlawful exclusion of many homebuilders from the Paycheck Protection Program.
• Norfolk Southern Railway Co. v. Zayo Group LLC (EDVA): Represented Norfolk Southern as plaintiff and defendant in two related actions arising from a commercial dispute over the occupancy of a railroad corridor for telecommunications purposes. Summary judgment awarded to Norfolk Southern in both matters.

Gordon’s experience in counseling and investigations includes:

• Internal Investigations: Work with in-house counsel to conduct internal investigations into criminal, civil, and corporate policy compliance-related issues, and consult with client as to necessary and appropriate internal and external steps and procedures.
• Government Investigations: Represent corporate and individual clients in civil and criminal government investigations, including conducting internal investigations and negotiating with relevant investigatory or regulatory agencies. Experience includes investigations by or involving the United States Departments of Justice, Agriculture, and Housing and Urban Development, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and financial regulatory agencies including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Reserve, and the United States Postal Service.

Prior to joining Sidley, Gordon held several posts at the United States Department of Justice:

• As a Deputy Associate Attorney General, Gordon helped the Associate Attorney General oversee the operations of the Tax Division, the Civil Rights Divisions, the Office of Justice Programs, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, and the Office on Violence Against Women. Gordon also represented the Department on an inter-departmental committee to coordinate False Claims Act enforcement. 
• As Special Counsel for Supreme Court Nominations, Gordon directed a team of lawyers supporting the nomination and confirmation process for Supreme Court justices.  
• As Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Gordon served as legal and policy advisor to the Assistant Attorney General heading the Civil Rights Division. Gordon’s duties included overseeing litigation involving Fair Housing, Fair Lending, and Disability rights issues, coordinating with the division’s administrative component, and focusing on other special projects. 

Gordon has a long history of donating his time pro bono to disadvantaged and worthy causes. Gordon co-heads the firm’s First Amendment practice focus area, including the firm’s religious liberties practice. Gordon leads Sidley’s partnership with Yale Law School’s Free Exercise clinic, which files amicus curiae briefs in appropriate religious liberties cases in federal and state courts of appeal. Gordon also takes on pro bono trial matters. Representative engagements include:

• The Seventh-Day Baptist Church of Daytona Beach, Florida v. City of Daytona Beach, Florida (M.D. Fla.): Represented Plaintiff in successful challenge to zoning law prohibiting houses of worship from operating food pantries. 
• Chabad Lubavitch of the Beaches, Inc. v. Incorporated Village of Atlantic Beach (E.D.N.Y): Representing Plaintiff in challenges to unlawful eminent domain and zoning actions targeting disfavored religious minority.
• Samuel A. Fryer Yavneh Academy et al v. Gavin Newsom (D.C. Cal.): Lead counsel in lawsuit brought by several religious schools challenging constitutionality of California’s school closure order. Matter resolved through settlement allowing the resumption of in-person education with appropriate safeguards;
• Wyatt v. Owens (W.D. Va.): Lead trial counsel representing plaintiff in Section 1983 civil rights action alleging use of unconstitutionally excessive force in effecting arrest. Jury returned a plaintiff’s verdict and awarded compensatory and punitive damages.