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– Nationally and Globally Recognized Attorney Snyder Joins the San Francisco Office –
PALO ALTO, CA (March 1, 2021) – Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide, announced today that Brent Snyder has joined the firm as a partner in the San Francisco office. He will be a member of the antitrust and competition practice.
With more than 25 years of civil and criminal litigation and trial experience in both the public and private sectors, Snyder is a leading U.S. and internationally recognized antitrust and competition attorney with deep expertise in antitrust cartels.
Most recently, Snyder was CEO of the Hong Kong Competition Commission (HKCC), Hong Kong’s competition enforcement agency, from 2017 until 2020. In this role, he was responsible for all day-to-day operations, including enforcement, policy, competition advocacy, public outreach, and international cooperation. During his tenure, the HKCC set several important litigation precedents and significantly increased the volume, variety, and complexity of its enforcement work.
Previously, Snyder was the U.S. Department of Justice’s highest-ranking criminal antitrust enforcement attorney. From 2003 to 2017, he focused on antitrust cartels and related criminal violations, starting as a trial attorney in the National Criminal Enforcement Section and then the San Francisco office of the DOJ’s Antitrust Division and continuing with his work as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Criminal Enforcement (DAAG). As DAAG, he oversaw all Antitrust Division criminal investigations and prosecutions, as well as criminal policy matters. For instance, he oversaw the Automobile Parts, Foreign Exchange, Generic Drugs, Ocean Shipping, Packaged Seafood, and Real Estate Mortgage Foreclosure Auction investigations, which collectively resulted in dozens of corporate convictions, more than 100 individual convictions, and the imposition of several billion dollars in criminal fines. He also served as the Acting Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust during the transition between the Obama and Trump administrations.
“Wilson Sonsini’s global antitrust and competition practice is involved in the most complex and highest-profile antitrust matters worldwide,” said Doug Clark, managing partner at Wilson Sonsini. “Brent’s extensive public- and private-sector experience in antitrust matters and other white-collar investigations and litigation will be of tremendous value to the firm’s clients. Internationally recognized for his accomplishments, he is arguably the most highly respected criminal antitrust attorney returning to private practice from government service in many years. We are very pleased to welcome him to the firm.”
Prior to joining the DOJ in 2003, Snyder was a commercial litigation partner in Perkins Coie’s Seattle office. Previously, he was a litigation associate in Paul Hastings’ Los Angeles office. While in private practice, Snyder served as first- and second-chair trial and arbitration counsel, and represented clients in a variety of matters, including antitrust, entertainment, employment, contract, and intellectual property law. Snyder began his legal career as a clerk for the Honorable Alan C. Kay, Chief Judge for the U.S. District Court of the District of Hawaii.
Snyder received his J.D., with honors, from The University of Texas School of Law in 1992, where he was associate editor of the Texas Law Review, and he earned his B.A., magna cum laude, in political science from Seattle Pacific University in 1989.
Snyder has received significant recognition over the years. During his years of public service, he was recognized as a “California Lawyer of the Year” by California Lawyer (2013), received the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service (2012 and 2009), and was awarded the Council of Inspectors General Integrity and Efficiency Award of Excellence (2009) and the Antitrust Division Award of Distinction (2007).
“I’m excited about joining Wilson Sonsini’s antitrust team and working to build upon the firm’s already successful and global practice,” said Snyder. “This is an excellent opportunity to work with the firm’s broad range of clients, and I think my experience in U.S. and international competition matters complements the expertise on Wilson Sonsini’s team.”
About Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
For 60 years, Wilson Sonsini has offered a broad range of services and legal disciplines focused on serving the principal challenges faced by the management and boards of directors of business enterprises. The firm is nationally recognized as a leading provider to growing and established clients seeking legal counsel to complete sophisticated corporate and technology transactions; manage governance and enterprise-scale matters; assist with intellectual property development, protection, and IP-driven transactions; represent them in contested disputes; and/or advise them on antitrust or other regulatory matters. With deep roots in Silicon Valley, Wilson Sonsini has offices in Austin; Beijing; Boston; Brussels; Hong Kong; London; Los Angeles; New York; Palo Alto; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Shanghai; Washington, D.C.; and Wilmington, DE. For more information, please visit www.wsgr.com.