Orin Snyder
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Orin Snyder
Partner
T: +1 212.351.2400
F: +1 212.351.6335

Orin Snyder is a litigation partner in Gibson Dunn’s New York office, Vice-Chair of the Crisis Management Practice and Co-Chair of the Media, Entertainment and Technology Practice.  He is also a member of the White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice and Intellectual Property Practice.

Recognized as one of the nation’s leading trial lawyers and litigators, Mr. Snyder is called upon by Fortune 500 companies and individuals to handle their most important and sensitive matters.  A former federal prosecutor, Mr. Snyder’s diverse practice includes complex civil litigation, criminal and regulatory matters, intellectual property, internal investigations and counseling. 

Mr. Snyder is ranked as one of the best lawyers in the country by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, The Best Lawyers in America®, New York Magazine's Best New York Lawyers, The Legal 500 US, Benchmark Litigation: The Guide to America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys, and IP Law & Business Best Lawyers In America.  Most recently, Chambers USA described Mr. Snyder as “absolutely the best – he’s an aggressive, highly motivated and incredibly effective litigator.”

Mr. Snyder is a seasoned trial lawyer with a breadth of knowledge in virtually all industry sectors.  With 25 years of experience, Mr. Snyder has a proven track record of success across many different practice areas. 

Mr. Snyder has handled complex contract disputes, class actions, fraud cases, and employment litigation for major companies, including Starbucks, NBC Universal, Turner Broadcasting Systems, Bertelsmann, Time Warner, Daimler/Chrysler Corp., Warner Music Group, Sony and Stonebridge Partners. 

  • Represents Cablevision Systems Corporation and Rainbow Media in an action against DISH Network seeking more than $2 billion in damages resulting from the termination of a long-term agreement to distribute Rainbow Media's suite of high definition "VOOM" channels.
  • Obtained a rare preliminary injunction victory for NBC Universal blocking the move of one of cable TV’s most popular programs, “Project Runway,” to Lifetime in a decision that the New York Times reported “stunned parties on all sides of the deal because such injunctions are so rarely granted in entertainment industry disputes.” 
  • Obtained dismissal of a $100 million breach of contract case against Warner Music Group Chairman Edgar Bronfman, Jr.  The dismissal was affirmed by the New York Court of Appeals in an important precedent affirming the application of the Statue of Frauds to oral contract claims. 
  • Won dismissal of consolidated antitrust actions against Warner Music Group in cases challenging practices in the record promotion business.
  • Won dismissal of consolidated employment discrimination cases against the popular television talk show host Montel Williams and Paramount after persuading a federal judge that the case was based upon fraudulent allegations.

Mr. Snyder also has represented companies in many significant matters involving the New York Attorney General, including Facebook, Freddy Mac, Goldman Sachs, Warner Music Group, Vantage Properties and Aetna. 

  • Represented Facebook in negotiating a groundbreaking settlement with the New York Attorney General in the area of internet safety that was hailed as a model of compliance and resulted in even more visitors to the social networking site. 
  • Represented Warner Music Group in negotiating an industry-changing settlement concerning the record promotion industry.

Mr. Snyder has tried and litigated copyright, trade secrets, trademark, patent cases, privacy and first amendment  cases for media and technology companies, including T-Mobile, Sharp, IAC/Interactive, Sony, ValueClick, Home Box Office, Time Warner and Bertelsmann. 

  • Defended IAC/InterActiveCorp in a trade secrets misappropriation action brought in the Southern District of New York that resulted in all of the trade secrets claims being dismissed on summary judgment.
  • Defended numerous technology companies, including T-Mobile, Sharp, ValueClick and Violin Memory, in trade secrets cases in courts throughout the country.
  • Won a verdict at the high-profile trial of the case brought against the Estate of Jonathan Larson challenging Mr. Larson’s authorship of the Pulitzer-Prize winning Broadway musical “Rent.” The case resulted in the leading Second Circuit precedent defining co-authorship under the Copyright Act.
  • Won summary judgment for HarperCollins and Jessica Seinfeld in a copyright infringement action involving the New York Times Number 1 Bestselling book, Deceptively Delicious.    The dismissal was affirmed by the Second Circuit.
  • Litigated and tried copyright and trademark cases for Sony, Warner Music, Home Box Office, Bertelsmann and other clients that resulted in important legal precedents, including Tisi v. Patrick,  Jorgensen v. Sony, Firma Melodiya v. BMG, Dimmie v. Carey, and Willis v. Home Box Office.
  • Won an important First Amendment case that reaffirmed in libel proof doctrine for Sony Pictures involving the film Donnie Brasco.  

Mr. Snyder also represents well-known individuals in significant matters, including Bob Dylan, Julie Andrews, Jennifer Lopez, Jerry Seinfeld, Jessica Seinfeld, Mariah Carey, The Rolling Stones, LeBron James, Anderson Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Kid Rock, Cindy Crawford, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Marc Anthony and Montel Williams. 

In addition to his very public litigation work, Mr. Snyder regularly counsels clients — both corporations and senior executives — in confidential matters, including criminal and other government investigations that require expert handling of public relations.  These matters include whistleblower cases, fraud investigations, FCPA and money laundering, obstruction of justice, insider trading, tax fraud and allegations of personal misconduct.

Mr. Snyder also has handled numerous internal investigations involving alleged insider trading, bank fraud, mail and wire fraud, tax evasion and alleged sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace. 

Before joining Gibson Dunn, Mr. Snyder was a name partner at Parcher, Hayes & Snyder, a prominent litigation boutique firm.  He also served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted organized crime and white collar crime cases and served as Chief of the Narcotics Unit.  As a federal prosecutor, Mr. Snyder handled one of the largest pension fund fraud prosecutions ever brought by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Mr. Snyder earned his J.D. at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, cum laude, in 1986, and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated with high honors in 1983.

PRACTICES
EDUCATION
  • University of Pennsylvania, 1986
  • Juris Doctor
  • Wesleyan University, 1983
  • Bachelor of Arts
ADMISSIONS
  • New York Bar