David Anderson, formerly of Sidley Austin. (Photo: Jason Doiy/Courtesy photo.)

President Donald Trump today nominated Sidley Austin partner David Anderson to be the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California.

Anderson, who previously served as the office's second-in-command under Joseph Russoniello, had been considered a front-runner for getting the nod. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, however, he'll be the face of federal law enforcement in a region where the president's signature immigration policies are politically unpopular.

In an emailed statement, Anderson said Thursday that he was “honored and grateful to have received this recognition.”

“If officially nominated and confirmed, I would love to re-enter government service and lead the team of professionals in the U.S. Attorney's Office,” he said.

Former U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, who is now a partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, called Anderson a “great choice.”

“He's smart. He's accomplished. He's got great judgment,” she said, adding Anderson's biggest challenge would be “navigating the divide” between the priorities of the Trump administration, the DOJ under U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and the “local community.”

In private practice at Sidley, Anderson led the firm in navigating Wells Fargo & Co.'s sham accounts scandal. Also as of late, he defended AT&T Mobility from claims brought by the Federal Trade Commission related to its practice of slowing service speeds for unlimited data customers who pass certain usage thresholds. He represented former U.S. Attorney Billy Hunter for the Northern District of California in his defamation and breach of contract lawsuit against his former employer, the National Basketball Players Association.  

During his stint as first assistant U.S. attorney under Russoniello, Anderson was co-lead counsel for the government in the retrial of Gregory Reyes, the former head of Brocade Communications. Reyes was the only Silicon Valley CEO to be successfully prosecuted in the wake of the stock options backdating scandal, when stock option grants at many tech firms were conspicuously timed to low points in stock price to make the options more valuable.

Anderson has also previously practiced at Shearman & Sterling and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, where he served as San Francisco office managing partner. A graduate of Stanford Law School, Anderson clerked for Ninth Circuit Judge J. Clifford Wallace and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Sharon Flanagan, managing partner of Sidley's San Francisco Office and a member of its executive committee, called Anderson “a talented big-case trial attorney” in an emailed statement.

“He is a highly respected, valued partner and friend,” she said. “If officially nominated and confirmed, I know that the U.S. Attorney's Office will thrive under his leadership.”