Sunita Paknikar Recognized as Rising Star Corporate Winner at Law.com's D.C. Legal Awards
Foley & Lardner LLP senior counsel Sunita Paknikar is featured in Law.com as the Rising Star Corporate winner at the 2026 DC Legal Awards.
In a Q&A profile, Sunita reflected on her proudest accomplishments, including “leading a $2 billion tax equity financing — one of the largest renewable energy tax equity transactions in the market — supporting a massive solar and battery energy storage project in California.”
Discussing the most valuable lesson from her first year in practice, Sunita said she learned to “own every transaction from day one, with a future partner’s mindset.” Sunita explained that taking ownership helps build trust and strengthen relationships that may evolve into a future book of business.
She also credited former Foley partner Tom Hoffmann as the mentor who had the greatest impact on her professional development noting that Hoffmann “invested in me early, elevated my profile internally and with clients, and relentlessly advocated for me.”
On a key to long-term success, Sunita advised, “Treat every client contact, especially the most junior, like your most important client.” She further noted, “genuine responsiveness and engagement build trust, foster repeat work, and create relationships that can lead to future opportunities.”
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