Daniel Snare – Root Inc.

Daniel Snare admits that he was never great at math and science, but he loved writing, which led to him developing an interest in law from an early age. That interest was piqued even more during his 8th-grade civics class when his teacher assigned him to be the judge during a mock trial.

Daniel Snare | Root Inc. | Senior Deputy General Counsel

“It was my first experience with the law, listening to arguments, dealing with witnesses and following courtroom procedures,” Snare tells Vanguard during an interview in early September. He was hooked ever since.

Recently, Snare was promoted to senior deputy general counsel at Root Inc., the Columbus, Ohio-based car insurance company. While often adding senior to a title merely means some perks and a few extra letters on a digital business card, this move is a meaningful transition away from pure litigation. It has Snare operating as more of a traditional corporate lawyer.

When Snare joined Root in 2019, it was a startup company amid a venture capital funding round. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the employees were sent home, and the company went public in 2020.

“I was new to the company, so I had a limited role during the IPO, but I got to observe, and it was a great opportunity to assist during the process,” Snare notes. ”I was hired because Root needed a lawyer with an insurance background and heavy litigation experience.”

Generally specific

Snare joined Root as a claims attorney, was named deputy general counsel in June 2020 and later moved to the General Counsel’s office. In that role, he focused mainly on litigation, which he did for several years in private practice before joining Root. In that role, Snare continues working on corporate litigation and cases from the claims department.

Snare enjoys being a part of the legal department’s team environment. In addition to attorneys, the group consists of regulatory analysts, paralegals and legal assistants. He reports to the general counsel, Jodi Baker.

“My new role has a heavy litigation component, but I’m operating more as a corporate generalist,” Snare says. “No matter what, litigation will always be my home.”

Now, Snare’s purview encompasses a broad range of subject matters, including cybersecurity, employment law, intellectual property, risk management, and strategic transactional work, among others. This shift not only broadens his horizons but also embeds Snare deeper within the overarching fabric of the organization. He’ll still have a litigation docket, but the new role has allowed him to impact change on the front end, working closely with various departments, whether providing legal guidance on contracts or mitigating litigation risks.

Changing an archaic industry

One of Root’s flagship goals is to disrupt the auto insurance industry—a vision that drew Snare to the company in the first place. The company prides itself on being truly customer-focused, leveraging mobile technology and data science to build what Root executives hope will be the largest personal lines carrier in the U.S. Machine learning is in Root’s DNA, enabling the company to develop pricing models by swiftly analyzing vast amounts of data on insured individuals. This forward-focused ethos resonates with Snare, who enjoys providing legal support for a strategically positioned company to change an industry ripe for innovation.

“We’re trying to make people actually like their insurance company,” Snare said.

Snare’s shift from a litigator to a generalist has brought new challenges and rewards. He thrives in the dynamic environment of Root’s legal team, which has fostered a culture of openness and collaboration. The flat organizational structure allows for an accessible flow of communication, which aligns with Snare’s values of transparency and honesty.

“The company is my client,” he says. “I respect the client relationship, and I am committed to ensuring Root’s leadership can come to me with any issue and have confidence in the legal guidance they’ll receive.”

Putting down roots

Looking back on his career, Snare admits that he never chased specific opportunities but was always open to making moves when they felt right to get experience early in his career, sometimes sacrificing stability and security. Working for Root, or going in-house, wasn’t in his original plan. Still, the company’s vision, commitment to disrupting an industry long overdue for change, and its embrace of modern technology captivated him.

Snare’s path to law was somewhat inevitable because of his early school years. He always gravitated toward subjects that demanded critical thinking and writing ability—he says he has always enjoyed defending his position on things.

Born and raised in Colorado, Snare earned an undergraduate degree in management and a minor in legal studies from the University of Denver, Daniels College of Business. Before attending law school, Snare lived and worked in Vail, Colorado, the famous ski resort town, and took full advantage of his surroundings.

“In the winter, I skied every day I could. I hiked, went camping, biked and kayaked in the summers,” Snare recalls. “It was a special time in my life, and it was hard to leave to go to law school.”

After earning a JD from the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, Snare spent several years clerking in appellate courts and in private practice, learning his craft, working long hours and managing the high-stress world of litigation. The rewards of doing an excellent job for the client are one of the things that has kept Snare motivated since he became a lawyer, and especially since he arrived at Root.

“I love working with such talented and smart people,” he says. “It is such a treat, and I feel fortunate.”