Melissa Holyoak

Melissa Holyoak was appointed as the Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah on November 17, 2025, by United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi. Holyoak is the chief law enforcement officer over 29 counties in the large district. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is headquartered in Salt Lake City and has a branch office in Southern Utah. 

Holyoak brings extensive experience to the United States Attorney’s Office as a litigator and leader. Most recently, she served as a Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), protecting American consumers. 
Prior to her role as an FTC Commissioner, Holyoak served as Solicitor General with the Utah Attorney General’s Office, where she oversaw civil appeals, criminal appeals, constitutional defense and special litigation, and antitrust and data privacy divisions. She also managed multistate matters including those involving consumer protection and antitrust claims. 

Holyoak also served as president and general counsel of Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based public interest firm and in other public interest attorney positions with the Competitive Enterprise Institute and the Center for Class Action Fairness. Holyoak represented class members challenging unfair class actions and consumers fighting regulatory abuse in federal district courts and appellate courts across the country. 

Holyoak has argued appeals in the Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and D.C. Circuits. She is a former prosecutor and attorney with O’Melveny & Myers LLP. She graduated from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law in 2003 as a member of the Order of the Coif and Law Review. Holyoak is a member of the Utah, D.C., and Missouri (inactive) bars. Holyoak is married and has four children.