Matthew Segal, Former Assistant U.S. Attorney & Antitrust Division Trial Attorney, Joins Stoel Rives as Partner in Litigation Practice

Brings over 20 years of white-collar, complex litigation & antitrust prosecution experience

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Stoel Rives LLP, an Am Law 200 law firm, announced today that Matthew Segal, most recently Chief of the Special Prosecutions Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, has joined the firm as a partner in the Litigation practice group. He is based in the firm’s Sacramento office, and his practice will focus on internal investigations, white-collar crime, and criminal antitrust matters.

“Matt brings experience in complex commercial litigation that will be instrumental as we continue to expand our litigation practice in California,” said Maren Norton, Chair of Stoel Rives’ Litigation group. “His insider’s understanding of how the government approaches investigations and prosecutions will be an incredible asset to all of our clients.”

Segal has more than two decades of experience as a prosecutor, including 17 years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA), Segal litigated and supervised matters related to complex financial fraud, corporate racketeering, tax evasion, computer hacking, intellectual property, federal program fraud, health care, environmental law, forced labor, public corruption, and employee disloyalty. He is also highly experienced and successful in litigating matters related to attorneys’ ethical duties.

Segal’s corporate criminal work includes prosecuting United States v. Frederick Scott Salyer, a racketeering and antitrust case against Scott Salyer, the CEO and owner of SK Foods, a grower, processor, and international seller of tomato paste and other processed agricultural products. Salyer was charged with the sale of mislabeled and adulterated food, commercial bribery, and conspiracy in restraint of trade. Salyer was sentenced to six years imprisonment and forfeited $3.45 million.

Segal’s successful prosecutions include several high-profile cases in California. Among the most noteworthy cases are: United States v. Michael Bolden and Christopher Jackson, a Ponzi scheme in which the defendants defrauded more than 200 individual investors out of about $37 million; and United States v. Bayer AG, an international cartel case in which the company pleaded guilty to fixing the price of nitrile butadiene rubber. As an AUSA, Segal litigated some of his office’s most complex and interesting cases: he led the prosecution team in United States v. Silas “Duane” Boston, in which a California man was charged with murdering two British tourists in 1978 off the coast of Guatemala. He also joined the Civil Division team that successfully defended the $122 million cash-and-land settlement in United States v. Sierra Pacific Industries, known as the “Moonlight Fire” case. Segal was also lead attorney in three criminal tax trials that resulted in guilty verdicts and substantial terms of imprisonment.

“After 24 years as a federal prosecutor, I look forward to entering private practice at Stoel Rives,” said Segal. “Stoel’s Litigation practice is made up of seasoned and skilled practitioners, including former U.S. Attorneys, former AUSAs, and other lawyers with extensive experience in government. I am eager to work alongside Stoel’s litigators advising clients in corporate criminal investigations and providing best practices and compliance counsel to keep our clients out of the government’s crosshairs.”

Prior to being appointed an AUSA, Segal was a trial attorney in the United States Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division (1997–2004), where he was honored with the Assistant Attorney General’s Award of Distinction for his work on United States v. Shelton, a bid-rigging, program fraud, and public corruption case that led to what at the time was the longest sentence of imprisonment in the history of the Antitrust Division. During this time, he also served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California, working on a narcotics and firearms trial.

Segal received his J.D. from Harvard Law School (cum laude) in 1996. From 1996–1997, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Martin L.C. Feldman, U.S. District Judge, Eastern District of Louisiana.

“Matt is highly regarded in California’s legal community for his extensive white-collar and antitrust litigation experience — including 14 jury trials and eight Ninth Circuit arguments. Matt’s pedigree deepens our Litigation practice in California and across the country,” said Brian Nese, Managing Partner of the firm’s California offices.