Kelly, Sinema Celebrate Arizonan Sharad Desai’s Confirmation as U.S. District Judge

Kelly and Sinema worked directly with the White House to nominate Sharad Desai to serve as a U.S. District Court Judge in Arizona

Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema celebrated Arizonan Sharad Desai’s bipartisan U.S. Senate confirmation as a U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Arizona. Kelly and Sinema recommended Mr. Desai and worked directly with the White House on his nomination.  

“Sharad Desai is a respected member of Arizona’s legal community, and I’m proud of his bipartisan confirmation to Arizona’s federal bench,” said Kelly. “I congratulate him and expect that he will protect our Constitution and the rule of law with fairness and integrity.”    

“Arizona is proud of Sharad Desai’s confirmation to be a U.S. District Judge for the District of Arizona. I’m proud to have recommended him to the White House and I’m proud to personally secure his strong, bipartisan confirmation by the U.S. Senate with a vote of 82-12,” said Sinema.

Mr. Desai is a native Arizonan and will be Arizona’s first South Asian federal district judge. 

Mr. Desai currently serves as Vice President and General Counsel for Honeywell’s Integrated Supply Chain and Information Technology groups, where he manages legal risk, ensures compliance with laws and regulations across the globe, resolves disputes prior to litigation, and more. 

At Honeywell, Mr. Desai has served in numerous roles, including as Litigation Counsel for Honeywell’s Aerospace division and Chief Litigation Counsel for the Safety and Productivity Solutions division. In these roles, Mr. Desai managed a docket of federal and state court matters and arbitrations – including commercial, qui tam, product liability, and toxic tort matters. Mr. Desai also selected outside counsel, developed the litigation strategy, and coordinated discovery efforts. He was also responsible for handling government subpoenas and civil investigatory demands, as well as subpoenas received in connection with civil and criminal matters. 

Mr. Desai also worked for almost a decade at the Arizona law firm Osborn Maledon, becoming a partner in the litigation group where he represented clients – including individuals, small businesses, and Fortune 100 companies – in commercial litigation and appellate matters. In this role, Mr. Desai regularly appeared in both federal and state courts, mental health court proceedings, and lawyer ethics matters. 

After graduating from New York University Law School in 2006, Mr. Desai clerked for Arizona Supreme Court then-Vice Chief Justice Rebecca White Berch. Mr. Desai earned a Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology, magna cum laude, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Arizona in 2003, where he was a Flinn Scholar.