Top 25 US firm Paul Hastings has hired the former assistant to the solicitor general of the US to bolster its litigation team in Washington DC.

Benjamin Snyder joins from the Department of Justice as a partner and will co-chair the firm’s appellate practice. He brings extensive experience arguing cases before the US Supreme Court and filing briefs at the merits and certiorari stages, as well as advising the solicitor general on whether to authorise government appeals. Those cases have included matters involving the First Amendment, the False Claims Act and the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.

Frank Lopez, chair of Paul Hastings, said: “Our strategy is to serve clients at the top of the market with intellectual capital. Ben adds an exceptional pedigree and critical dimension to clients in bringing and defending cases at all levels, including the Supreme Court. We believe his arrival and our further focus on bringing in elite litigation talent is a competitive advantage in handling our clients’ most sensitive and important matters from the trial court through all phases of appellate review.”

Synder returns to private practice after five years at the DoJ, having previously been an associate at Latham & Watkins. Prior to that he clerked for Chief Justice John Roberts in the Supreme Court, as well as spending a year in the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

He said: “I’m excited to expand an already-impressive appellate practice that not only handles traditional appeals and Supreme Court matters but also brings affirmative challenges to federal and state regulations on behalf of our clients. Paul Hastings is building a go-to practice for appellate and Supreme Court matters, and we’ll be continuing to recruit top-tier appellate clerks as we add to our bench in DC.”

His arrival at Paul Hastings follows a number of other senior litigation hires this year at the firm, including Chicago-based former Federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti who joined as a partner in its global investigations and white collar practice back in July. It also hired a six-partner team of IP litigation experts in Silicon Valley from Allen & Overy in March.