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Ben is a versatile litigator and former Silicon Valley in-house counsel focused on complex litigation, appellate and critical-issue advocacy, and regulatory investigations. Ben joins King & Spalding from Google, where he helped design and execute the company’s AI regulatory strategy. He has extensive experience helping clients inside and outside the technology sector navigate issues of administrative law, antitrust, consumer protection, privacy, and securities. Ben draws on his in-house experience to drive comprehensive client solutions that address legal, business, and reputational risk.

Ben was one of Google’s first AI regulatory lawyers. There, he led cross-functional teams responding to AI inquiries from regulators around the world, and, working closely with senior executives and business leaders, he helped develop and manage the company’s overarching AI regulatory strategy. Beyond AI, Ben directed defense strategy on litigation and regulatory matters arising under Section 5 of the FTC Act 5, state unfair and deceptive acts statutes, the federal securities laws, and global privacy laws. He also managed strategic regulatory compliance enhancements, working closely with business units like marketing, human resources, and finance to deliver compliance readiness on-time and on-budget.

Before Google, Ben was a partner at a litigation boutique in Washington, D.C. There, in addition to trial court work, Ben argued numerous times in the federal courts of appeals, and was regularly tapped to draft appellate briefs, case-dispositive motions, and federal agency comments. He authored or co-authored winning briefs in the Supreme Court of the United States and in trial and appellate courts across the country.

Ben served as a law clerk for the Honorable A. Raymond Randolph of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. He has been named “Litigator of the Week” by Global Competition Review and “Legal Lion” by Law360 for his work.

Full Bio

Credentials

J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School, summa cum laude

B.A., Amherst College

District of Columbia

New York

Supreme Court of the United States

U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

Law Clerk, Hon. A Raymond Randolph, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit

Intern, Hon. Richard J. Leon, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

Bar Association of San Francisco

Litigator of the Week


Global Competition Review, 2019

Close

Recognition

Litigator of the Week


Global Competition Review, 2019

Legal Lion


Law360, 2020

News

In the News · Source: Law360, Commercial Dispute Resolution, Bloomberg Law, Global Legal Chronicle, Thomson Reuters Westlaw Today, Reuters The Daily Docket and Daily Report

March 11, 2025
Former Google Regulatory and Litigation Counsel Benjamin Softness joins the firm’s Business Litigation practice group in San Francisco

View all

Matters

Represented a large technology client in federal and state consumer products investigations arising under Section 5 of the FTC Act and state consumer protection laws

Represented a large technology client in shareholder class action under federal securities laws

Represented AT&T in a Section 5 consumer-protection case through district court litigation and appeals

See more

Close

Matters

Represented a large technology client in federal and state consumer products investigations arising under Section 5 of the FTC Act and state consumer protection laws

Represented a large technology client in shareholder class action under federal securities laws

Represented AT&T in a Section 5 consumer-protection case through district court litigation and appeals

Defended AT&T’s merger with Time Warner against DOJ antitrust challenge pre-trial, at trial, and on appeal, United States v. AT&T, 916 F.3d 1029 (D.C. Cir. 2019), aff’g 310 F. Supp. 3d 161 (D.D.C. 2018).

Assisted Fortune 50 client with third-party subpoena defense and anticipated appellate work in a copyright case

Founding member of the litigation team representing Petersen Energia Inversora, S.A.U., Petersen Energia, S.A.U., and Eton Park Capital Management in litigation in the Southern District of New York against the Argentine Republic and YPF, S.A., alleging claims for breach of contract and promissory estoppel arising from defendants’ failure to comply with their tender offer requirements in connection with Argentina's expropriation of YPF plaintiffs against Republic of Argentina in Petersen Energía Inversora S.A.U. v. Argentine Republic.

Co-authored respondent’s winning merits brief in a major antitrust case, Apple v. Pepper, 139 S. Ct. 1514 (2019), and was named a Global Competition Review “Litigator of the Week” for the win.

Co-authored winning brief in Stuart v. Global Tel*Link Corp., 956 F.3d 555 (8th Cir. 2020), affirming summary judgment on consumer protection issues and class decertification (named Law360 “Legal Lion” for victory).

Co-authored petitioners’ winning briefs challenging agency rulemaking in Global Tel*Link v. FCC, 866 F.3d 397 (D.C. Cir. 2017).

Briefed and argued Sanders v. United States, 937 F.3d 316 (4th Cir. 2019), representing pro bono client the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence as amicus curiae. The Fourth Circuit, citing Brady’s brief, reinstated dismissed claims brought by victims of the 2015 shooting at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, S.C.

News

In the News · Source: Law360, Commercial Dispute Resolution, Bloomberg Law, Global Legal Chronicle, Thomson Reuters Westlaw Today, Reuters The Daily Docket and Daily Report

March 11, 2025
Former Google Regulatory and Litigation Counsel Benjamin Softness joins the firm’s Business Litigation practice group in San Francisco

View all

Matters

Represented a large technology client in federal and state consumer products investigations arising under Section 5 of the FTC Act and state consumer protection laws

Represented a large technology client in shareholder class action under federal securities laws

Represented AT&T in a Section 5 consumer-protection case through district court litigation and appeals

See more

Close

Matters

Represented a large technology client in federal and state consumer products investigations arising under Section 5 of the FTC Act and state consumer protection laws

Represented a large technology client in shareholder class action under federal securities laws

Represented AT&T in a Section 5 consumer-protection case through district court litigation and appeals

Defended AT&T’s merger with Time Warner against DOJ antitrust challenge pre-trial, at trial, and on appeal, United States v. AT&T, 916 F.3d 1029 (D.C. Cir. 2019), aff’g 310 F. Supp. 3d 161 (D.D.C. 2018).

Assisted Fortune 50 client with third-party subpoena defense and anticipated appellate work in a copyright case

Founding member of the litigation team representing Petersen Energia Inversora, S.A.U., Petersen Energia, S.A.U., and Eton Park Capital Management in litigation in the Southern District of New York against the Argentine Republic and YPF, S.A., alleging claims for breach of contract and promissory estoppel arising from defendants’ failure to comply with their tender offer requirements in connection with Argentina's expropriation of YPF plaintiffs against Republic of Argentina in Petersen Energía Inversora S.A.U. v. Argentine Republic.

Co-authored respondent’s winning merits brief in a major antitrust case, Apple v. Pepper, 139 S. Ct. 1514 (2019), and was named a Global Competition Review “Litigator of the Week” for the win.

Co-authored winning brief in Stuart v. Global Tel*Link Corp., 956 F.3d 555 (8th Cir. 2020), affirming summary judgment on consumer protection issues and class decertification (named Law360 “Legal Lion” for victory).

Co-authored petitioners’ winning briefs challenging agency rulemaking in Global Tel*Link v. FCC, 866 F.3d 397 (D.C. Cir. 2017).

Briefed and argued Sanders v. United States, 937 F.3d 316 (4th Cir. 2019), representing pro bono client the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence as amicus curiae. The Fourth Circuit, citing Brady’s brief, reinstated dismissed claims brought by victims of the 2015 shooting at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, S.C.

News

In the News · Source: Law360, Commercial Dispute Resolution, Bloomberg Law, Global Legal Chronicle, Thomson Reuters Westlaw Today, Reuters The Daily Docket and Daily Report

March 11, 2025
Former Google Regulatory and Litigation Counsel Benjamin Softness joins the firm’s Business Litigation practice group in San Francisco

View all

Credentials

J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School, summa cum laude

B.A., Amherst College

District of Columbia

New York

Supreme Court of the United States

U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

Law Clerk, Hon. A Raymond Randolph, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit

Intern, Hon. Richard J. Leon, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

Bar Association of San Francisco

Litigator of the Week


Global Competition Review, 2019

Close

Recognition

Litigator of the Week


Global Competition Review, 2019

Legal Lion


Law360, 2020