Helgi Walker is a partner in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Washington, D.C. office. She is co-chair of the firm’s global Litigation Practice Group and recently served as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. She is also co-chair of the Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Group and a member of the Appellate and Constitutional Law Group. Chambers USA describes her as “dynamite in the courtroom and a forceful oral advocate,” “a brilliant legal mind,” and counsel with “excellent judgment” and “a reputation for excellence.” In its 2020 competition, The American Lawyer named Gibson Dunn the winner of the Litigation Department of the Year contest and a finalist in the White Collar/Regulatory category that includes her practice areas.
Helgi’s work focuses on appellate, regulatory and complex litigation matters. She has extensive experience in appellate challenges to agency rulemakings and in other high-stakes commercial litigation.
Helgi was elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, which is limited to 500 lawyers nationwide. She also is a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Administrative Law & Government Litigation Advisory Committee. By appointment of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Helgi served as the Chair of the Court’s Advisory Committee on Procedures from 2017-2024. From 2015 to 2021, she served on the Board of Directors for the Historical Society of the D.C. Circuit. From 2010 to 2015, she was a Public Member of the Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States, which is composed of leading authorities on administrative law.
Helgi worked in the White House Counsel’s Office as Associate Counsel to President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003.
Helgi clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas from 1995 to 1996 and Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit from 1994 to 1995.
Helgi is listed as a leading lawyer in Appellate Law and Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite, and Commercial Litigation by Chambers USA. In 2011, The American Lawyer selected her as one of the “45 Under 45,” “best of the best among young women lawyers” in the United States. The National Law Journal named her one of “Washington’s Most Influential Women Lawyers” in 2011, and Washingtonian magazine has recognized her as one of the D.C.’s “Top Lawyers” in its biennial rankings, including in its 2022 list of "Top Lawyers: Supreme Court." In 2014 and 2015, she was included in Washington Life magazine’s “The Power 100” list of “influential players running Washington and the world.”
In addition, she was:
- Recognized by Thomson Reuters as an “Outstanding Lawyer,” a global award for one of the three most outstanding lawyers clients have worked with in the last three years (2024).
- Named one of Benchmark Litigation’s “Top 250 Women in Litigation” in the country (2021-2024).
- Named by Lawdragon as a “Lawdragon Legend” (2021), one of only 32 lawyers nationwide recognized as “the biggest stars” who have demonstrated “sustained excellence and endurance.”
- Named by Benchmark Litigation as a Litigation Star (2018-2021).
- Named by Client Choice Awards as the winner of the District of Columbia Litigation category (2018).
- Named one of D.C.’s “Top 50 Women Super Lawyers” (2013-2014), “Super Lawyers” (2009-2020) and “Rising Star” (2017) for Appellate by Super Lawyers.
- Named by Law360 as an Appellate MVP (2015), describing her as a “go-to counsel for high-stakes appellate challenges of federal agency actions” and “leading cutting-edge litigation for a range of industries.”
- Named by Law360 as a Telecommunications MVP (2016), observing that her work “has spanned the industry” including a “big win” for broadcasters in “a major ownership case.”
- Named The American Lawyer’s “Litigator of the Week” for her win on behalf of Ford Motor Company before the en banc Sixth Circuit in a case involving telecommuting as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (April 2015).
- Named The American Lawyer’s “Litigator of the Week” for her win on behalf of Verizon in the “major appeals court ruling” overturning the FCC’s “net neutrality” regulation of Internet service providers (January 2014).
- Named The American Lawyer’s “Litigator of the Week” for obtaining a “blockbuster appellate decision” for Comcast in a challenge to the FCC’s first “net neutrality” decision (April 2010).
- Included in The Best Lawyers in America directory for Appellate Law (2014-2025).
- Recognized by Who’s Who Legal in the area of Technology, Media & Telecommunications (2016).
- Named by Lawdragon as one of the "500 Leading Global Litigators" (2023).
- Named by Lawdragon as one of “500 Leading Litigators in America” (2023-2025).
- Named by Lawdragon as one of “500 Leading Lawyers in America” (2010-2017).
- Named by The Legal 500 US as a “recommended lawyer” in Telecom Litigation and Regulatory, described as “first rate,” possessing “an ability to untangle the regulatory problems but still retain an eye on the commercial current,” and “an absolutely fantastic appellate lawyer who is hard to beat” (2007-2013).
- Rated AV Peer Review, Martindale-Hubbell’s highest ranking by peers for ethical standards and legal ability.
Representative Matters:
- Representing Wisconsin Bell in U.S. Supreme Court in False Claims Act case regarding requests for reimbursement under the Universal Service program.
- Representing the Dewberry Group in U.S. Supreme Court in appeal regarding trademark remedies.
- Represented the National Association of Broadcasters and other media and newspaper industry parties as lead counsel in the U.S. Supreme Court in defense of the FCC’s repeal or modification of restrictive and outdated local media ownership rules, winning 9-0. Now representing the National Association of Broadcasters in the latest challenge to the media ownership rules in U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
- Represented the National Association of Private Fund Managers, and other private funds trade associations, in winning Fifth Circuit challenge to SEC rule asserting proscriptive authority over private funds.
- Representing the National Association of Private Fund Managers, and other private funds trade associations, in challenge to SEC’s “dealer” rule.
- Representing T-Mobile in FCC enforcement action imposing $80 million penalty regarding location data.
- Representing Amrock, a sister company of Quicken Loans, in Texas Supreme Court appeal of $706 million jury verdict for alleged trade secret misappropriation and related appeals regarding the sealing of trial exhibits, after successfully obtaining reversal of the entire verdict and trial court’s sealing orders in state court of appeals—including a win in the Texas Supreme Court in the sealing appeal.
- Representing Bank of America in defending against FDIC lawsuit seeking alleged underpayment to the Federal Deposit Insurance Fund of more than $1 billion in D.C. district court and asserting counterclaim under the Administrative Procedure Act seeking to invalidate the underlying FDIC regulations.
- Represented CTIA-The Wireless Association in the D.C. Circuit in successfully upholding the FCC’s “Restoring Internet Freedom Order” repealing the “net neutrality” regime. Now representing CTIA in the FCC’s new rulemaking seeking to reinstate those rules.
- Represented Verizon in successful D.C. Circuit appeal of the FCC’s order formally adopting “net neutrality” rules, obtaining vacatur of the rules.
- Represented Comcast in successful D.C. Circuit appeal of the FCC’s first “net neutrality” decision, securing vacatur of that decision.*
- Represented PHH Corporation in D.C. Circuit appeal of the CFPB’s actions against the company under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974—the first appellate challenge to a CFPB enforcement proceeding—and successfully obtained a stay of the agency order pending appeal and victory on the merits in a historic separation of powers ruling at the panel level, ultimately prevailing before the en banc court on administrative law grounds and securing vacatur of $109 million penalty.
- Represented CTIA-The Wireless Association in Ninth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court in First Amendment and preemption challenge to City of Berkeley’s Ordinance requiring cellphone retailers to provide certain notices regarding radio frequency emissions, prevailing in invalidation of Ordinance.
- Represented Citizens Bank in defending against CFPB civil enforcement action regarding Regulation Z credit card issues in Rhode Island district court, including the bank’s constitutional separation of powers claim against the CFPB, and obtained a highly favorable settlement.
- Represented pro bono client Get Glam Beauty LLC in constitutional challenge to burdensome Mississippi cosmetology licensing law, prompting Mississippi to enact legislation exempting makeup artists.
- Appointed by the U.S. Supreme Court to brief and argue the case in defense of the judgment below in Welch v. United States, involving the retroactivity of new rules on habeas review.
* Matter handled prior to joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.
Helgi graduated in 1994 from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif and Raven Society and served as Executive Editor of the Virginia Law Review. She also received the Robert E. Goldsten Award and John M. Olin Prize in Law and Economics.
Helgi is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.
Capabilities
Credentials
Education:
- University of Virginia - 1994 Juris Doctor
- University of Virginia - 1988 Bachelor of Arts
Admissions:
- District of Columbia Bar
Clerkships:
- US Supreme Court, Hon. Clarence Thomas, 1995 - 1996
- US Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit, Hon. J. Harvie Wilkinson III, 1994 - 1995