Sherylย represents businesses in complex litigation.ย He has tried securities, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, RICO, breach of contract and accounting malpractice cases, and has litigated several significant antitrust,ย trademark, and tortious interference cases for a variety of businesses.
Sherylย is also “the state’s premier appellate lawyer” according to Chambers USAยฎ.ย He has made the appellate oral argument inย more than 50 reported decisions, including the Oklahoma City bombing civil litigation. He has argued in the Third, Fourth, Sixth, Seventh, Tenth and Eleventh Circuits.ย He is aย Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyersย and a Life Member of the Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference. Sherylย is co-author (with 2 FBT colleagues) of the treatiseย Appellate Practice, Vol. 19 Kentucky Practice (Thomson/West).
Sherylย has also representedย sevenย Governors of Kentucky, of both political parties, in significant constitutional litigation involving the separation of governmental powers and campaign finance.
He has served on the firm’s Executive Committee, and as Chair of the litigation department and appellate practice group. Prior to joining Frost Brown Todd in 1994, he was Executive Vice President and General Counsel of ICH Corporation, an insurance holding company.
Sherylย is a Past President of both the Kentucky and Louisville Bar Associations. He served as Editor-in-Chief of the Kentucky Law Journal (1970-71) and law clerk to Honorable M. C. Matthes, Chief Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (1971-73).
Sheryl serves on the board of directors of the Louisville Zoo and has served on the boards of directors of numerous community organizations including, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Metro United Way, the Louisville Orchestra and Leadership Kentucky.
Sherylย has litigated several complex business disputes during his over forty years of experience, including significant antitrust, securities fraud, RICO, trademark,ย copyright, unfair competition and tortious interference cases.
Hisย experience as lead trial counsel includes a 6-week trial inย Yung v. Grant Thornton LLPย (Ky. state court), a 4-week trial inย TBK Partners v. ICH Corporationย (W.D. Ky.) (Rule 10b-5), a 3-week juryย trial inย Goodman v. Fullerย (E.D. Ky.) (fiduciary duty), a 3-week trial inย USACO Co. v. Carbomin Energy, Inc.ย (W.D. Ky.) (RICO), and a 1-week trial in Tennessee state court (secondary offering of securities), as well as local counsel inย a 3-week jury trial in Ventas, Inc. v. HCP, Inc.ย (tortious interference).
He has represented utilities in regulatory and contract matters in the trial and appellate courts. He argued the post-Kodakย market definition antitrust issues to the Third Circuit for a class of franchisees against Dominoโs Pizza, Inc.ย He brought trademark infringement claims for Churchill Downs Incorporated.ย He successfully defended Bank One against lender liability claims.
Sherylย is listed in the first tier of Kentucky commercial litigators inย Chambersยฎย Clients Guide. He has beenย listed inย The Best Lawyers in Americaยฎย in business litigation since its inaugural edition in 1984 and is currently listed in both business litigation and appellate.ย He is aย Fellow of both the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and Litigation Counsel of America.
He is a co-author of ABA Antitrust Section, Monograph No. 19, The Noerr-Pennington Doctrine (1993) and is co-author (with 2 FBT partners) ofย Appellate Practice, Vol. 19 Kentucky Practice (Thomson/West 2007).
Sheryl has made the appellate oral argument in 50 reported decisions, including the Oklahoma City bombing civil litigation. He has argued in the Third, Fourth, Sixth, Seventh, Tenth and Eleventh Circuits, the Supreme Courts of Kentucky,ย Tennessee and Georgia and the Courts of Appeals of Kentucky,ย Tennessee and Missouri.
He is co-author (with 2 FBT colleagues) of the treatise Appellate Practice, Vol. 19 Kentucky Practice (Thomson/West 2007). He authoredย A Comment on the Litigation Strategy, Judicial Politics and Political Context Which Produced Grudder and Gratz,ย 92 Ky. L.J. 241 (2003), andย The Separation of Governmental Powers Under the Constitution of Kentucky: A Legal and Historical Analysis of LRC v. Brown, 73 Ky. L.J. 165 (1984).
Chambers USA,ยฎย Americaโs Leading Business Lawyersโ listsย Sheryl in its top tier of business litigators in Kentucky. Quoting clients and peers describing him, Chambers profilesย Sheryl from previous years as follows:
โAccording to one impressed source, he has also โshown a great ability to grasp the facts of our critical case and understand our business very quickly.’โ (2012)
โโConstitutional scholarโ Sheryl Snyder is โexperienced in complex strategy and handling political developments,โ and widely agreed to be โthe stateโs premier appellate lawyer.โโ (2006)
โCommentators regard Sheryl Snyder as one of the most respected attorneys in the state at appellate and trial level.โ (2008)
โOne of the best-known litigators in the state, Sheryl Snyder is โan exceptional oral advocate. . .ย .โโ (2007)
โโ[S]killed and combativeโ Sheryl Snyder has a high profile . . . . Peers admired his โincredible ability to get his mind around the issues.โโ (2003)
โInterviewees endorsed veteran Sheryl Snyder for โexcellent judgment and a results-oriented approachโ that drives his reputation in high-profile government and constitutional cases . . . .โ
โRenowned as an experienced appellate lawyer and a โgreat strategic analyst . . . .โโ (2004)
โSheryl Snyder . . . gathered a good volume of client approval this year underscoring his reputation as a โtalented constitutional and high-stakes business lawyer . . . .โโ (2005)
University of Kentucky College of Law, J.D., 1971
University of Kentucky, B.A., 1968
Kentucky, 1971
Tennessee, 1989
Texas, 1994
Missouri, 1994
U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Kentucky
Supreme Court of Missouri
Supreme Court of Tennessee
Supreme Court of Texas
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Third Circuit
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Hall of Fame, University of Kentucky College of Law, Member, 2018
Selected for inclusion inย Kentucky Super Lawyersยฎ, 2007-2024; โTop 50 in Kentucky,โ 2016, 2024
The Best Lawyers in Americaยฎ, 2003-2019; โLawyer of the Year,โ Appellate Practice 2018
Chambers USA,ย Litigation: General Commercial, 2012-2022; Senior Statesperson 2023
American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, Fellow
Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow
AVยฎ Rated,ย Martindale-Hubbellยฎ
Kentucky Bar Association, former President
Louisville Bar Association, former President
Bars of the Supreme Courts of the United States, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas, and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Third, Fourth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Tenth and Eleventh Circuits
June 17, 2011 | Experience
Client:ย Louisville Gas & Electric Company, et al. Close date:ย August 2010 Case citation:ย 332 ...
June 17, 2011 | Experience
Client:ย Duke Energy Kentucky, Inc. Close date:ย August 2011 Case citation:ย 324 S.W.3d 373 (Ky. 201...
April 1, 2011 | Experience
Client:ย Kentucky Utilities Co. Close date:ย April 2011 Client role:ย Defendant On May 21, 20...
May 4, 2006 | Experience
Client:ย LG & E Open date:ย May 2006 Close date:ย April 2011 On May 21, 2006, three indiv...