John Snyder

Merger Clearance

• Represented LHC Group, Inc. in its $5.4 billion sale to United Health Group; transaction was cleared without conditions after a second request investigation.
• Advising the nation’s largest supplier of building products to the professional market in government antitrust reviews of numerous strategic acquisitions. 
• Represented Inmar Inc. in its $565 million acquisition of a digital marketing platform from The Kroger Co., which was cleared without conditions after a regulatory review.
• Representing a leading broadline food distributor in obtaining federal and state antitrust clearance of multiple acquisitions.
• Represented Boral Limited, a leading global building materials supplier, in obtaining unconditional Hart–Scott–Rodino clearance for its $2.6 billion acquisition of Headwaters Inc. 
• Obtained regulatory approval for LHC Group Inc.’s $1.8 billion merger of equals with Almost Family Inc., creating the leading in-home health care provider in the U.S. with more than 780 locations in 36 states.
• Represented Columbus Regional Healthcare System, in obtaining antitrust approval for Columbus Regional Healthcare System’s membership substitution transaction with Piedmont Healthcare Inc., pursuant to which Piedmont assumed control of the largest local health organization in Columbus, GA.
• Obtained antitrust clearance for Savannah, GA-based Memorial Health Inc.’s sale of substantially all its assets to HCA Management in a deal valued at more than $450 million.
• Represented American Proteins Inc. in its $800 million sale of substantially all its assets to Tyson Foods Inc., obtaining unconditional clearance for the transaction that combined the two largest poultry rendering companies in the U.S.
• Obtained regulatory clearance, without conditions, for First Cash Inc.’s $2.4 billion merger with Cash America Inc., which created the largest operator of retail pawn stores in the U.S.
• Obtained clearance for the $200+ million sale of a leading building supply manufacturer’s operating unit to a competitor, with no divestitures.
• Represented TSYS Inc., a leading global payments solutions provider, in obtaining clearance for its acquisition of Cayan Inc., a payment technology company, in a transaction valued at $1.05 billion.
• Represented a leading European specialty aluminum company in securing antitrust clearance for a $330 million asset acquisition from a major U.S. aluminum manufacturer.

Government Investigations

• Represented an industrial company in a Department of Justice inquiry investigating potential “no-poach” agreements between employers. 
• Represented a leading health-services company in a multistate antitrust and consumer protection investigation relating to pharmaceutical pricing. 
• Represented a former telecommunications executive and potential target in a Department of Justice investigation into alleged Sherman Act violations.

John Snyder is co-leader of Alston & Bird’s Antitrust Team. He provides comprehensive antitrust services, including merger clearance, litigation, and counseling. He regularly represents industry-leading clients before the U.S. Justice Department Antitrust Division, the Federal Trade Commission, and state attorneys general, including clients seeking antitrust clearance for strategic mergers and acquisitions.

Over two decades in private practice and government service, John has developed particular depth and experience in the health care, financial services, transportation, telecommunications, and building materials sectors. John is recognized as a top antitrust lawyer in the District of Columbia by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.

Before joining the firm, John served as counsel to the assistant attorney general in charge of the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he was an integral part of the leadership team that set U.S. competition policy and supervised the federal government’s civil and criminal enforcement activities. John also served for more than a decade as a senior trial attorney in the Antitrust Division, leading many of the government’s most significant merger and conduct investigations and litigations during that period.

Bar Admissions

• District of Columbia
• California
• Maryland (Inactive)

Education

• University of Virginia (J.D., 1997)
• Stanford University (B.A., 1993)

Memberships