backSAN FRANCISCO, March 11, 2025 - King & Spalding announced today that Benjamin Softness has joined the firm’s Business Litigation practice group as a partner in its San Francisco office.
Softness was formerly Regulatory and Litigation Counsel at Google, where he was responsible for AI regulatory response and litigation, including leading cross-functional teams responding to inquiries from regulators worldwide concerning generative AI. He also designed and implemented strategic compliance enhancements and provided crisis management legal counsel. He has achieved resolutions with a wide range of plaintiffs and global regulators, from putative class representatives to state attorneys general, federal regulators in the U.S., and data privacy regulators around the world. These matters involved issues including privacy, consumer protection, securities, civil procedure and discovery, and satellite communication regulations.
“Ben is a phenomenal fit for King & Spalding, especially as we continue to grow our investigations and litigation offerings in California,” said Jessica Corley, co-leader of the firm’s Business Litigation practice group. “Ben has broad litigation experience – including antitrust, appellate and privacy-related work – as well as strong investigations skills and the ability to translate complex and highly technological issues for judges, appellate panels and regulators. His cutting-edge AI regulatory experience is perfectly matched to this moment in law and technology, and his first-hand knowledge of how tech companies operate and the challenges they face will also be an invaluable resource to our clients.”
Prior to joining Google, Softness was a partner at trial and appellate litigation boutique Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick in Washington, D.C. He previously served as a law clerk on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He received his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, summa cum laude, and his undergraduate degree from Amherst College.
“King & Spalding offers a unique combination of world-class expertise and constructive collaboration, and it’s the ideal firm for me to return to private practice,” said Softness. “I’ve been fortunate to work alongside King & Spalding lawyers throughout my career, so it’s a privilege to join the firm and contribute to its growing California practice.”
About King & Spalding
King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with 1,300 lawyers in 24 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm has handled matters in over 160 countries on six continents and is consistently recognized for the results it obtains, uncompromising commitment to quality, and dedication to understanding the business and culture of its clients. More information is available at www.kslaw.com.
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