Stephen Myers was at a Texas Rangers game in 2017 with a friend when the friend grabbed his cellphone and scrolled through his Tinder dating app looking for possible matches.
“My friend swiped right [on someone],” said Myers, who was a lawyer in the Southwest Airlines legal department at the time. “Match has always had a special place in my heart because [it led to a long-term relationship] and all the good times we shared. It’s very cool to represent a company that significantly changed my personal life for the better.”
Dallas-based Match hired Myers in 2020, and he has scored major litigation victories for the technology giant in the five years since, including several disputes this year in which hundreds of millions of dollars were at risk.
Last December, Myers and Match convinced a federal judge to rule that a class action lawsuit accusing Match’s Tinder app of being intentionally addictive and seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages needed to be handled by arbitration rather than a jury trial. None of the plaintiffs, however, pursued the dispute in arbitration.
In February, Match promoted Myers to associate general counsel for global litigation and intellectual property. He now manages a team of eight who handle litigation matters affecting the company’s 30 brands, including Match.com, Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid and Plenty of Fish.
Myers responded with a handful of extraordinary successes in 2025, including obtaining a highly favorable settlement in a deceptive advertising practices case brought by the Federal Trade Commission and convincing a federal judge in Delaware to grant Match’s summary judgment motion in a long-running patent infringement case.
“Stephen has played a pivotal part in evolving the company’s approach to litigation from a reactive model to a forward-looking, strategic function aligned with Match Group’s business goals,” said Angela Zambrano, who co-leads the Dallas office of Sidley Austin. “He has done so while overseeing a global docket of litigation matters involving Match Group’s global portfolio of brands.”
The Association of Corporate Counsel’s DFW Chapter and The Texas Lawbook have named Myers a finalist for the 2025 DFW Corporate Counsel Award for Senior Counsel of the Year for a Large Legal Department (21 attorneys or more).
ACC-DFW and The Lawbook will honor the finalists and announce the award recipients at a ceremony Jan. 29.
Myers was part of the Match legal team that won the 2023 DFW Business Litigation of the Year Award for its successful battle against Google.
“The biggest challenge has been stepping into the role as leader of the litigation and IP team and guiding the group through a year of significant transition,” Myers told The Lawbook. “That has included leaning more into the IP space — both day-to-day counseling and managing IP litigation — which has been a major learning opportunity for me. At the same time, I’ve worked to reorient our broader litigation approach to ensure we are aligned with the company’s business goals, especially around thoughtful budgeting and cost discipline.”
“Balancing those shifts while supporting and developing the team — and doing so while managing a demanding litigation and IP docket — has definitely pushed me in important and rewarding ways,” he said. “It’s a broad and dynamic workload that reflects the scale and complexity of Match Group’s global operations.”
Zambrano, who nominated Myers for the award, said 2025 has been “one of significant transition for Match Group” and Myers.
“Stephen has guided his team through change while deftly handling an active, global docket of critical litigation matters,” she said. “Through his leadership in high-stakes litigation, his balanced approach to risk and cost, and his dedication to building a resilient internal legal team, he has positioned Match Group as both a responsible corporate citizen and a formidable advocate.”
Match Group Chief Legal Officer Sean Edgett said Myers is a “world-class litigator with the rare combination of deep legal expertise, strategic clarity and calm confidence under pressure.”
“Stephen has been central to shaping and executing the strategy behind some of our most significant matters,” Edgett told The Lawbook. “He was the driving force of the strategy that scored us a big win-settlement on FTC v. Match, a complete victory in a patent litigation brought by BT Corp, resolution of a decade old California class action and a securities class action. Stephen has also been a key advocate for greater fairness and transparency in the mobile app ecosystem.”
“He has led our regulatory and litigation efforts urging Google and Apple to reform their app store practices, reduce unnecessary restrictions and lower the fees imposed on developers and consumers,” he said. “Stephen has strengthened our overall litigation posture, building processes and frameworks that leave the company meaningfully better positioned for the long term. He has built a team that exemplifies both legal acumen and the ability to drive successful outcomes in highly complex, high-stakes litigation.”
Lawyers who work with Myers repeatedly point to his diligence and his commitment to Match.
“Because Stephen immerses himself so thoroughly in the matters he handles, he becomes a true strategic partner,” said Norton Rose Fulbright partner Robert Greeson. “He understands Match Group’s business deeply, and that understanding allows him to offer legal and business insight that meaningfully informs our litigation strategy. I have seen this time and again, and I consider it one of his greatest strengths. He thinks strategically, seeing both the big picture and the smaller details that, over time, can accumulate into leverage during litigation.
“Stephen is extraordinarily diligent and hardworking,” Greeson said. “I have had calls with him early in the morning, late at night, on weekends and across multiple time zones. He never seems to take time off. That kind of dedication speaks to how much he cares about his work and his client.”
Myers grew up in Texas City, where his mother was the independent school district’s deputy superintendent. His father worked for four decades in the energy sector, serving as the superintendent and emergency response manager for a major oil company.
A childhood fascination with TV lawyers such as Ben Matlock, Perry Mason and Jake Brigance — played by Matthew McConaughey in A Time to Kill — sparked his passion for becoming a trial lawyer.
“As a kid, I orchestrated mock court sessions, subjecting my siblings and cousin to intense cross-examinations,” he said. “While it was all make-believe, I definitely took it too seriously. I think I made my poor cousin cry during an imaginary shoe theft trial.”
In middle school, a family friend who was an attorney allowed Myers to “shadow him for a day.” He still remembers the lawyer taking him to his court appearance.
“It was my first time in a courtroom, and I knew after that day that I wanted to be a lawyer,” he said. “Other moments in my life confirmed that decision, such as when I interned at the White House during my junior year at UT Austin and realized that laws are at the center of everything we do as a society. If I wanted to help bring about societal change, I needed to be able to read, interpret and apply the law and advocate for my position.”
Myers earned his bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Texas in 2008 and his law degree from UT in 2011.
Norton Rose Fulbright hired Myers for its litigation practice, where he stayed for five years before joining the legal department at Southwest Airlines in 2016.
“I wanted to go in-house so I could become an expert in a particular industry and help a company with its litigation needs from beginning to end, as opposed to getting involved only after a lawsuit had been filed, which is what usually happens in private practice,” Myers told The Lawbook in a 2024 interview.
Southwest, he said, “provided me everything I was looking for — great people, great company culture and values, and a complex and interesting litigation docket.
Match made Myers an offer in 2020 that he said he “couldn’t pass up.”
Myers said that “a standout moment” during his five years at Match came in 2023 when the technology company reached a landmark settlement against Google, its largest business partner. Match sued Google on allegations of market manipulation, broken promises and abuse of power. On Oct. 31, just days before jury selection was scheduled to start in federal court in California, Match scored an agreement with Google that brought an estimated $300 million in benefits to Dallas-based Match, according to a Texas Lawbook report.
“It was meaningful to contribute to a case that helped trailblaze change and push for greater fairness and reform in the mobile app ecosystem,” Myers said. “Being part of a company willing to take on that kind of challenge — and to do it with integrity — was both energizing and inspiring.”
Premium Subscriber Q&A: Stephen Myers discusses the traits he seeks in outside counsel, what outside counsel need to know when working with him and more.
Immediately after being promoted to AGC of litigation in February, Myers tackled the impending FTC trial, which focused on Match Group’s online cancellation processes. The potential damages were in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
“With mere months to prepare for trial, Stephen learned every detail of the case, assisted with witness prep, finalized the trial strategy and helped lead complex negotiations with the FTC,” Zambrano said. “Stephen did all of this and ultimately obtained a favorable settlement for Match Group in less than four months. The business teams viewed the settlement as hugely positive for the company — approximately 5 percent of the FTCs trial demand — as it avoided a lengthy, costly and unpredictable trial.”
“The FTC matter also demonstrated Stephen’s ability to deliver rapid, pragmatic results while protecting the company’s long-term interests,” she said. “Beyond courtroom results, Stephen strives to reorient Match Group’s litigation philosophy around fiscal accountability and strategic efficiency. He and his team continuously work to streamline outside counsel management, expand in-house capabilities and achieve meaningful reductions in external legal spend — all while maintaining great outcomes for the company. Stephen’s approach ensures that every litigation decision reflects both legal merit and business discipline.”
Myers also oversaw the successful resolution of a decade long multibillion-dollar litigation filed in California called Candelore v. Tinder. Allan Candelore accused Tinder of illegal discrimination by discounting student subscriptions only. The dating app charged $9.99 for younger members and $19.99 for older subscribers.
In 2025, Match settled the litigation, agreeing to pay $17.3 million — a minor fraction of the plaintiff’s demands.
“Two of the most meaningful successes have been helping bring resolution to several long-running legacy litigation matters, including the FTC lawsuit and the Candelore class action against Tinder,” Myers told The Lawbook. “Closing out matters of that scale has a real impact on the business and allows us to redirect energy toward forward-looking priorities.”
“A third — and equally important — success has been building and strengthening the team itself,” he said. “None of these outcomes are ‘mine.’ They’re the product of an exceptionally talented litigation group that consistently shows up with expertise, creativity and resilience. I care deeply about this team and their development, and I’m incredibly proud of the strong, capable and genuinely fun group we’ve built — one that supports each other and the business every day.”
Myers and Match won another major court victory in August when a federal judge in Delaware ruled in Match’s favor on a motion for summary judgment.
British Telecommunications sued Match in 2018, claiming the DFW company had infringed on six of its patents. Lawyers for Match had defeated five of the claims over the past six years, but one claim remained and was heading for trial. But the federal judge in Delaware on Aug. 5 ruled that BT’s claimed patent was too abstract to be patented.
“Stripped to its essentials, claim 10 describes a process that could easily be performed in the human mind,” the judge ruled.
“Stephen was instrumental in formulating our motion for summary judgment on invalidity under 35 U.S.C. § 101,” said Norton Rose Fulbright’s Greeson, who was outside counsel for Match. We filed and briefed the motion, and then argued it before Judge William Bryson, a Federal Circuit judge who was sitting by designation in the District of Delaware. “British Telecommunications’ damages model was in the nine-figure range, so this victory relieved tremendous business pressure on Match Group. Stephen’s strategic insight and deep engagement with the case were critical to that outcome.”
Dawn Estes, a founding partner at Estes Thorne Ewing & Payne, worked with Myers on one of those successful litigation matters.
“We watched Stephen diplomatically juggle client representatives and former employees with ease and grace,” Estes said. “Equally important has been his success in strengthening the litigation and IP function itself. He has helped build a cohesive, high-performing team that consistently delivers strong results while maintaining a positive, supportive culture. One of Stephen’s superpowers is leaving things better than he found them.”
Haynes Boone partner Ernest Martin said Myers “relishes collaboration, which is a welcomed breath of fresh air for outside counsel. In all my dealings with him, he has always had a listening ear and shown good judgment in all his decisions.”
“When the head of litigation [for Match] was recruited to another company, it was no surprise that Stephen was promoted to the head of litigation,” Martin said. “In my view, Stephen has the rare combination of a strong intellect and an abundance of emotional intelligence — skills and talents which foster a team approach, excellent results and a winning team. I truly believe that Stephen’s award is well deserved.”
Fun Facts: Stephen Myers
- Favorite book: To Kill A Mockingbird, which I read as a kid, is one of my favorites because Atticus Finch was one of the first (fictional) attorneys I had ever met. I recall being moved by how he used his position as an attorney and the law to fight for someone in need, despite the challenges and prejudices he and his client had to overcome.
- Favorite movie: Tie between The Sandlot and October Sky. The Sandlot is a classic that takes me back to my days of playing outside late into the night with the other neighborhood kids. I try to watch it every Fourth of July, mainly because of the block party scene featuring Ray Charles’ rendition of “America the Beautiful.” October Sky is a truly inspirational film with an all-star cast and phenomenal score. While I don’t share Homer Hickam’s desire to go to space, the way he persevered against all odds to achieve his dream really resonated with me as a young high school student and still does today.
- Favorite drink: Extra dirty martini with two blue cheese olives.
- Favorite restaurant: You can’t go wrong with a bone-in ribeye from Bob’s Steak & Chop House or Pappas Bros. Steakhouse.
- Favorite musician or group: This is a tough one, but I’m firmly in my Chris Stapleton era — his songwriting and voice are hard to beat, and his music has a way of fitting just about any mood.
- Favorite vacation: A trip to Cabo this past August tops my vacation list — great weather, beautiful beaches, and just enough downtime to actually unplug. I’m already plotting a return.
- Hero in life: My mom and dad. They always showed up and provided for my two brothers and me, no matter the personal or professional sacrifices they had to make (and I know there were many). I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.