Jonathan L. Snare brings the perspective of a former US Department of Labor (DOL) official to his practice, which focuses on labor-related legislative, regulatory, and administrative issues at local, state, and federal levels. Leader of the firm’s occupational safety and health practice, Jon advises on workplace safety and health issues involving enforcement, compliance, workplace investigations, and emergency response matters, including disputes before the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Chemical Safety Board, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), and OSHA state plan departments.
Jon’s experience extends to whistleblower matters under OSH Act section 11(c), the Surface Transportation Assistance Act, the Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century, and the Federal Railroad Safety Act. Jon also advises on Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) matters and Davis-Bacon Act, Service Contract Act, and other government contracting prevailing wage issues. He has experience with Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and equal employment opportunity (EEO) issues, as well as labor management and union disclosure and elections under the Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS). He represents clients in cases that involve immigration issues, and in congressional investigations and oversight matters.
Jon partners with clients through all phases of litigation, from dispositive motions, pretrial discovery, and depositions, to mediations and negotiated settlements.
He served several roles for the DOL before joining Morgan Lewis. As deputy solicitor of labor, he counseled the secretary of labor, oversaw one of the US government’s largest legal departments, and directed the agency’s response to congressional inquiries and investigations. As acting solicitor of labor, Jon enforced more than 180 laws under the DOL’s jurisdiction, and provided comprehensive legal services to the secretary of labor and other senior officials. He also served the acting assistant secretary of labor for OSHA, where he was responsible for leading OSHA’s approximately 2,200 safety and health professionals and support personnel in all aspects of the agency’s mission including enforcement, regulatory agenda, cooperative programs and compliance assistance, and education/training. He also served as deputy assistant secretary for OSHA and senior adviser to DOL’s solicitor of labor.
In private practice in Texas, Jon focused on environmental, labor and employment, product liability litigation, and administrative law. He also previously served as general counsel for the Republican Party of Texas.
Jon has testified before congressional committees on occupational safety and health issues, mine safety and health issues, and agency budgets. He has also conducted briefings and negotiations with members of Congress and congressional staff on a range of DOL topics. In addition to testifying and speaking, he writes regularly on OSHA, labor law, and other topics.
Listed, Best Lawyers in America, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Washington, DC (2025)
Band 1, Occupational Safety and Health, Nationwide, Chambers USA (2022–2024)
Fellow, College of Labor and Employment Lawyers
Member, Practice Group of the Year, Employment, Law360 (2017, 2019)
Winner, The National Law Journal’s Litigation Department of the Year – Labor and Employment (2014)
Recommended, Labor and Employment - Workplace and Employment Counseling, The Legal 500 US (2014, 2016, 2017)