Cary M. Snyder

Cary helps clients litigate and resolve complex disputes by crafting clear, persuasive legal briefs and exercising sound judgment. His practice is focused on representing clients in the higher education, news media, and health care industries.

For more than 20 years, dating to his time as a newspaper reporter, Cary has investigated facts and legal authorities and translated them into arguments and narratives that courts and the public alike can understand.

Cary has defended colleges and universities in matters involving claims of Title IX gender discrimination, defamation, breach of contract, and negligent hiring and retention. He also represents media companies in defending their right to access public records and court proceedings.

Cary has also been a shareholder at a regional law firm based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that has a national reputation in environmental and energy law. During this time, he further honed his ability to explain complicated legal matters involving oil and natural gas royalty disputes, the Clean Air Act, and CERCLA, among other claims, in simple terms to secure to positive outcomes for clients.

• Secured dismissal of Title IX and Section 1983 claims against a college and its employees related to the alleged sexual assault of a student. Doe 1 v. Cuyahoga Cnty. Comm. College, 655 F. Supp. 3d 669 (N.D. Ohio 2023).
• Drafted appellate briefs that secured the dismissal of due process and Title IX claims against a college as to its investigation of sexual misconduct allegations against a student. Doe v. Oberlin College, 60 F.4th 345 (6th Cir. 2023).
• Secured a favorable settlement on behalf of a municipality in an eminent domain action that helped protect the long-term capacity and viability of its public water system.
• Obtained dismissal of breach of contract and related claims against an oil and natural gas producer as to whether royalties were properly calculated under the lease with property owner. Coastal Forest Res. Co. v. Chevron U.S.A., Inc., No. 2:20-cv-1119, 2021 WL 1894596 (W.D. Pa. May 11, 2021).
• Secured dismissal of claims under Wisconsin common law against a paint manufacturer based on alleged contamination of historic industrial property. Barclay Lofts v. PPG Indus, Inc., et al., No. 20-CV-1694-JPS, 2021 WL 3422217 (E.D. Wis. Aug. 5, 2021).
• Drafted appellate briefs on behalf of homeowners to secure the affirmation of summary judgment in their favor on allegations that the use of residences for short-term vacation rentals did not violate restrictive covenants in the deeds. Kinzel v. Ebner, 2020-Ohio-4165, 157 N.E.3d 898 (6th Dist.).