The hidden life of Google’s secret weapon

livemint.com:

Joshua Wright, the tech industry’s indispensable fixer, was summoned to his boss’s office in late 2019 and asked a question that set the course for his fall. Was he having an affair with a young associate? The answer had consequences for more than just Wright. The law firm of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, based in Silicon Valley, had long defended Google, Qualcomm and other corporate giants from unwanted regulation.

Wright was the firm’s secret weapon. He was a law professor who became one of the most influential yet little-known figures of the tech era, leveraging positions in academia and government to shield deep-pocket clients. For more than a decade, Wright kept antitrust regulators at bay while America’s top technology companies amassed economic power not seen since Standard Oil, AT&T and other behemoths dominated their industries in the 20th century.

Along the way, Wright spent two years as a regulator himself, serving on the Federal Trade Commission. Google, Facebook and Qualcomm benefited from his work at the FTC and through his consulting firm. The companies made hefty donations to fund his academic perch at George Mason University, money that kept flowing while he was in and out of government.

The question about Wright’s office romance put it all in jeopardy. Wright denied the affair. An investigator for the law firm questioned the Wilson Sonsini associate, Lindsey Edwards, who acknowledged a yearslong sexual relationship with Wright.