Tony West (attorney)

Derek West
Born	Derek Anthony West (1965-08-12) August 12, 1965 San Francisco, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Lawyer, government official, corporate executive
Years active	1992–present
Known for	Associate Attorney General of the United States; General Counsel at PepsiCo and Uber
Notable work	Played key role in DOJ civil litigation settlements; led legal initiatives on DOMA and tribal provisions in VAWA

Derek Anthony West (born August 12, 1965) is an American lawyer, former government official, and currently serves as senior vice president and chief legal officer at Uber. Prior to joining Uber, West held the position of associate attorney general of the United States and was general counsel at PepsiCo. He also led the Civil Division, which stands as the largest litigation branch within the DOJ.

During his tenure at the Department of Justice, West played a pivotal role in significant policy decisions, including ceasing the defense of the DOMA after determining it to be unconstitutional. He was instrumental in initiatives that recovered $37 billion from leading financial institutions and promoted public safety measures in Native American communities, particularly through tribal provisions included in the 2013 renewal of the VAWA. On August 21, 2014, West announced a $16.65 billion agreement with Bank of America, settling federal and state claims related to its subsidiaries such as Countrywide Financial Corporation and Merrill Lynch.

West is related by marriage to former Vice President Kamala Harris, acting as an advisor for her 2024 presidential campaign.

Early life and education

Born in San Francisco, California to Margaret "Peggy" (née Reddick) and Franklin Delano West (1940–2013), West grew up in San Jose, California alongside two younger sisters. His father, originally from Georgia, was the first in his family to attend college and worked for IBM, while his mother, a teacher, hailed from Alabama. West attended Bellarmine College Preparatory, an all-male private Catholic school, where he served as freshman class president before graduating in 1983.

He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from Harvard College in 1987, during which time he was publisher of the Harvard Political Review. In 1988, West contributed to Democratic political campaigns, including serving as chief of staff for the treasurer of Boston, Massachusetts during Michael Dukakis's presidential bid. Additionally, he held the role of finance director for the Democratic Governors Association until 1989. West earned his Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School in 1992 and was president of the Stanford Law Review. While attending law school, he completed internships at Swidler Berlin Shereff Friedman (1990), Tuttle & Taylor, and Morrison & Foerster (1991).

Career

Following graduation, West engaged in Democratic political work as chief of staff to the finance chairperson of the California Democratic Party. He also practiced law as an associate at Bingham McCutchen in San Jose from 1992 to 1993. In 1993, he gained admission to the State Bar of California, allowing him to practice before both the Superior Court of California and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Between 1999 and 2001, West served as a Special Assistant Attorney General within the Office of the California Attorney General, under Bill Lockyer’s leadership. From 2001 until 2009, he was a litigation partner at San Francisco-based firm Morrison & Foerster LLP. Furthermore, he co-chaired Barack Obama’s presidential campaign efforts in California during 2008.

West also holds a position on the Board of Directors for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc..

U.S. Department of Justice

West initiated his career at the Justice Department in 1993 during the Clinton administration, initially serving as Special Assistant to Deputy Attorney General Philip Heymann until 1994. Subsequently, he took on the role of Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of California, where he handled prosecutions involving child sexual abuse, fraud, drug trafficking, interstate theft, and cybercrime.

In 2009, President Obama appointed West as Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ Civil Division. In this capacity, he directed the constitutional assessment of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), playing a key role in the decision to stop defending the statute. During his leadership, the Civil Division recovered more than $8.8 billion in taxpayer money through actions under the False Claims Act. Furthermore, West managed consumer protection litigation that led to over 115 criminal convictions and recoveries exceeding $3.5 billion over a three-year period.

Associate Attorney General

Starting March 9, 2012, West assumed the position of Acting Associate Attorney General and was later confirmed by the Senate with a 98-1 vote on July 25, 2013. By September 2014, he was regarded as a possible candidate to succeed Attorney General Eric Holder.

In his role as Associate Attorney General, West directed initiatives targeting financial institutions implicated in the Great Recession, achieving two of the largest civil settlements in U.S. history: Bank of America ($16.65 billion) and JPMorgan ($13 billion), collectively recovering nearly $37 billion. He also led the civil litigation against Standard & Poor's for investor fraud related to structured financial products, working alongside numerous state attorneys general.

West guided enforcement of constitutional policing through the Civil Rights Division and negotiated a groundbreaking agreement with Puerto Rico aimed at reforming police department policies regarding use of force, equal protection rights, and community relations.

He advocated for improvements in legal defense for indigent individuals and represented the United States at the 2014 U.N. International Conference on Access to Legal Aid. In 2013, he directed departmental involvement in Wilbur v. City of Mount Vernon, promoting workload limits and independent oversight for public defenders, which resulted in judicially mandated reforms enhancing indigent defense services.

Native American issues

While serving as Associate Attorney General, West played a pivotal role in securing tribal provisions within the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. This legislation empowered tribal courts to prosecute non-Indian offenders committing domestic violence within Indian country. West led consultations with tribal leaders to launch a Pilot Project enabling early implementation of this special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction before its official effective date in March 2015. He authorized three tribes—the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, the Tulalip Tribes of Washington, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation—to be pioneers in exercising this jurisdiction. Additionally, West supervised the Attorney General's Task Force on American Indian/Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence, which featured an Advisory Committee chaired by Senator Byron Dorgan alongside a Federal Working Group composed of senior officials.

Supreme Court cases

• National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, 132 S.Ct. 2566 (2012), 567 U.S. 519 (served as one of the attorneys representing the Respondents while Assistant Attorney General)
• Ashcroft v. Al-Kidd, 131 S.Ct. 2074 (2011), 563 U.S. 731 (acted as one of the Petitioner’s attorneys in his capacity as Assistant Attorney General)
• Free Enterprise Fund v. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, 130 S.Ct. 3138 (2010), 561 U.S. 477 (participated as one of the Respondent’s legal representatives during tenure as Assistant Attorney General)

PepsiCo

PepsiCo, Inc. announced on October 7, 2014, that West would be appointed executive vice president of government affairs, general counsel, and corporate secretary, effective November 24, 2014. He took over from Larry Thompson, who retired after a decade of service. In this role, West was responsible for managing PepsiCo’s worldwide legal and government relations departments, overseeing compliance programs, and leading the PepsiCo Foundation, reporting directly to Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi.

Uber

West departed PepsiCo in October 2017 to assume the position of General Counsel at Uber. His appointment followed an internal review led by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder concerning accusations of sexual harassment and discrimination within the company.

His remuneration at Uber corresponded with his senior executive status: approximately $12.3 million in 2020; $7.4 million in 2021; over $10.6 million in 2022—a rise of about 40%; and nearly $10.4 million in 2023.

Political campaigns

In 1998, West campaigned for a seat on the San Jose City Council, placing second in the primary with 41.2% but ultimately losing the general election with a 48% vote share. Two years later, in 2000, he contested the California State Assembly seat for the 23rd district but was defeated in the Democratic primary by Manny Diaz, securing 38% of the ballots.

During Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, West chaired the California fundraising committee.

On November 30, 2016, Senator-elect Kamala Harris named West—her brother-in-law—as co-chair of her transition team.

West has played a pivotal advisory role in the Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign, notably guiding its shift toward a more corporate-friendly narrative and moving away from critiques targeting corporate influence.

Personal life

In July 1998, West married Maya Harris, who is the sister of former Vice President Kamala Harris. He is also stepfather to her daughter Meena Harris, whom Maya raised as a single mother. Both West and Maya graduated from Stanford Law School in 1992; their friendship there evolved into a romantic relationship following graduation.

External links

• Official Biography on Department of Justice Website