Sumi Naidoo

Sumi Naidoo helps creative industry clients develop their brands and produce engaging content while avoiding legal and regulatory risks. Her experience as a litigator and a journalist enables her to balance the unique perspectives and interests of creators, consumers and regulators, and to help prevent legal disputes before they arise.

Sumi’s strong background in legal theory and industry knowledge inform her intuitive and practical approach to problem-solving across promotions and marketing, intellectual property, digital media technology and privacy.

Often involved in the content development stage, Sumi sifts through creative material — from first pitches to finished products — to spot legal red flags. She supports legal teams in protecting that content by analyzing pertinent laws and industry developments and when drafting cease-and-desist letters, DMCA notices, negotiating licenses, and interpreting relevant agreements. For her news media clients, Sumi leverages her background in journalism to help develop and implement publishing guidelines and reporting policies.

Before joining Davis+Gilbert, Sumi practiced litigation at Kelley Drye & Warren. She also worked as a journalist, including at MSNBC with legal correspondent Ari Melber, covering the 2016 electoral season. Sumi has a strong commitment to pro bono matters and drafted an amicus brief on encryption and the Fifth Amendment with the ACLU’s Project on Speech, Privacy and Technology.