Riki Snyder is a partner with the Oklahoma City law firm Snyder Law Group. Ms. Snyder's primary emphasis is in the area of insurance and corporate defense litigation including labor, employment law and workers' compensation. Defense litigation encompasses all business matters; includes the areas of EEOC, FLSA, OSHA, Qui Tam (Federal False Claims Act), EPA/Department of Environmental Quality before state and federal courts, including the U.S. Solicitor General and administrative agencies, including workers' compensation.
Ms. Snyder received her B.S. degree, magna cum laude, from Phillips University and her J.D. degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. Ms. Snyder is past dean of the Oklahoma City Chapter of the Iota Tau Tau International Legal Sorority. Ms. Snyder is listed in the National Registry of Who's Who. Ms. Snyder is admitted to practice before the Oklahoma Supreme Court, The United States District Courts of Eastern, Northern and Western Oklahoma. In addition, Ms. Snyder is admitted to practice before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.
Ms. Snyder addresses national and regional groups in the areas of labor and employment, including training for continuing legal/insurance education for adjusters, agents and attorneys. Her published articles include: State of the Art Legal Defenses in Workers' Compensation and the Americans with Disabilities Act (Aug. 1993); Impact of the ADA on Light Duty/Return to Work (Jan. 1996); The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (Sept. 1997); The Interaction Among the ADA, FMLA and Workers' Compensation (Aug. 2002); Hiring Avoiding Common Mistakes (Oct. 2002); Understanding the Nature of Workers' Compensation Benefits (Feb. 2003); Objectives and Workings of the Workers' Compensation System (Feb. 2003); The Interaction Among the ADA, FMLA and Workers' Compensation (July 2003), Legal Aspects of the Hiring Process (Dec. 2004); The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (June 2005); Sexual Harassment - Employer Responsibilities (March 2006); Employee Hiring and Discharge (Aug. 2008); and Hiring the Right Employees (April 2011).
Ms. Snyder began her career with an Oklahoma City trial firm specializing in complex litigation including such cases as the Star School Explosion, Delta Airlines Crash at Dallas and the National Tire Workers Litigation Project (asbestos cases). Thereafter, Ms. Snyder served as Assistant General Counsel for the Oklahoma Insurance Department. Ms. Snyder also held the position of staff attorney for Mid-Continent Casualty Company, before establishing Snyder Law Group.
Ms. Snyder is actively involved in community activities including Oklahoma City Downtown Kiwanis, the Arts Council of Oklahoma as an Arts Festival Chairperson, OU Presidents Associates Council Board Member, Westminster Presbyterian Church and The National Guard Association of Oklahoma where she has volunteered as a civilian and assisted personnel for the Air National Guard and Army Reserve by preparing and executing wills and powers of attorney for service men and women deploying overseas.
Paul F. Fernald, of Counsel to the firm, received his Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma and has specialized in the area of workers' compensation for several decades. Mr. Fernald represents employers, insured and own risk, before the Workers' Compensation Court and Appellate Courts in the State of Oklahoma. Also, an author, Mr. Fernald has written both non-fiction works on various legal subject matters and fiction works in the legal/mystery genre.
Paul, and his bride Millie, reside in Oklahoma City. Paul and Millie have grown children, who work in various areas, including the film industry.
Steven K. Snyder, of Counsel to the firm, has served as the General Counsel for the Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System since July 2005. Mr. Snyder's areas of practice include pension and finance law, administrative law, labor and employment law as well as estate planning. Previously, Mr. Snyder served in the General Counsel Division of the Office of the Attorney General of the State of Oklahoma for 15 years. He served as the in-house consultant of the Attorney General's office for the American's with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Solider's and Sailor's Civil Relief Act (SSCRA) and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act (USERRA).
Mr. Snyder, is a Lt. Col. in the Oklahoma Air National Guard, having served in Operation Desert Shield/Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History and International Relations from the University of Oklahoma in 1979 and is a 1982 graduate of the University of Oklahoma College of Law.
Mr. Snyder is a member of the American Bar Association, the Oklahoma Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the National Association of Public Pension Attorneys, the Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel and the Oklahoma District Attorney's Association. Mr. Snyder is admitted to practice before the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the United States District Court for the Northern, Eastern and Western District of Oklahoma, the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States Tax Court, the United States Court of Military Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.