Matthew Schneider, who since January 2018 has served as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, will join the Detroit-based Honigman law firm in February as a partner and co-leader of its white-collar defense and investigations practice as well as a member of the government relations and regulatory practice.
The announcement, which was made Thursday, comes on the heels of the opening of Honigman’s Washington, D.C. office, as the firm looks to expand its complex-litigation practice.
“Matthew has served the U.S. Attorney’s office with integrity, distinction, and an unwavering commitment to justice, having led a range of significant prosecutions to protect the interests of our country and the state of Michigan,” says David Foltyn, chairman and CEO of Honigman. “Matthew will be an exceptional advisor to clients who want to mitigate risk, understand the direction regulators are taking, or strategically plan to address a range of issues before they become problems or harm their own individual or company’s reputation.”
As the chief federal law enforcement officer for 34 counties, Schneider supervised and directed all federal litigation within the Eastern District. During his tenure, he oversaw prosecutions involving international terrorism, violent crime, public corruption, environmental crime, financial fraud, drug trafficking, civil rights, and numerous other criminal and civil matters, including cases related to the United Autoworkers Union, major health care systems, and state contractors.
“Matthew’s solid judgment, breadth of experience, and nuanced and pragmatic approach to the law will be a tremendous asset to clients, and an invaluable addition as we continue to strengthen our litigation practice,” says Michael Huget, partner and chair of Honigman’s Litigation Department. “He is a deeply experienced trial lawyer with a substantial track record of courtroom victories and positive outcomes in complex, hard-fought cases.”
Prior to being appointed as United States Attorney, Schneider served as Michigan’s chief deputy attorney general, overseeing the office’s 40,000 ongoing criminal and civil cases. Additionally, he was the chief legal counsel for the Michigan Office of Attorney General, where he was the lead counsel representing the governor and the state of Michigan in the city of Detroit’s federal bankruptcy case.
Earlier in his career he served as the Michigan Supreme Court’s chief of staff and general counsel, providing overall direction for the administration of Michigan’s judicial branch of government, and served as chief legal counsel to the chief justice and the justices.
Previously, he was a federal prosecutor with the United States Department of Justice in Detroit where he held the U.S. Government’s highest security clearance and received numerous awards from federal law enforcement agencies including the FBI, DEA, and the ATF.
Before becoming a federal prosecutor, Schneider served on the legal staff of President George W. Bush as senior advisor and assistant general counsel in the White House Budget Office, where he helped to develop the president’s policy, budget, and legal initiatives.
Schneider holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Michigan State University in East Lansing, studied international affairs at Cambridge University in England, and graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor.
