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Melissa Holyoak
American lawyer and politician From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Melissa Ann Holyoak (born October 6, 1976)[1] is an American lawyer serving since 2024 as a commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission.[2] She previously served as the solicitor general of Utah from 2020 to 2024.
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Education
Holyoak was born Melissa Ann Watkins on October 6, 1976, in Boise, Idaho.[1] She graduated from the University of Utah in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts in French. She then attended the S.J. Quinney College of Law, where she was an editor of the Utah Law Review. She graduated in 2003 with a Juris Doctor degree with Order of the Coif membership.[3]
Career
From 2003 to 2008, Holyoak was an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of the law firm O'Melveny & Myers while her husband attended medical school in Baltimore.[4] After spending several years as a homemaker raising her and her husband's young children, Holyoak became a part-time public interest attorney with the Center for Class Action Fairness in 2012.[4] She served as president and general counsel of Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based public interest firm representing consumers challenging unfair class actions and regulatory overreach.[3] Holyoak was one of the successful petitioners in the 2019 Supreme Court case Frank v. Gaos.[5][6]
In September 2020,[7] Holyoak became the Utah Solicitor General with the Utah Attorney General’s Office, where she manages the civil appeals, criminal appeals, constitutional defense and special litigation, and antitrust and data privacy divisions.[3] In that capacity, she oversees merger reviews, data privacy and antitrust enforcement actions, and provides leadership in consumer protection matters.[3]
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Federal Trade Commission
Appointment
A Republican, Holyoak was nominated by U.S. president Joe Biden in July 2023 to serve as a member of the Federal Trade Commission.[8] Her nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 7, 2024.[9]
Commissioner
In May 2024, Holyoak dissented when the Commission conditioned approval of the $64.5 billion acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources by ExxonMobil upon the prohibition of founder Scott D. Sheffield from the company's board.[10][11]
In May 2024, Holyoak dissented when the Commission decided to proceed to trial in its challenge to the $24.6 billion proposed acquisition of Albertsons by Kroger.[12][13]
In June 2024, Holyoak, dissented when the Commission issued a final rule banning non-compete clauses in most employment contracts.[14][15] In August 2024, U.S. District Judge Ada Brown issued a nationwide injunction prohibiting enforcement of the rule.[16]
In September 2024, Holyoak dissented when the Commission conditioned approval of the $53 billion acquisition of Hess Corporation by Chevron Corporation upon the prohibition of John B. Hess from the company's board.[17][18]
Personal life
Holyoak's husband, Joshua Holyoak, is a urologist. They have four children and live in Utah.[3]
References
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