Matthew focuses his practice on the trial and appeal of complex cases, including the defense of class actions. He represents clients across a number of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, energy, and construction. This broad background helps Matthew find strategic solutions to his clients’ most difficult problems and present their cases in a manner that is clear and compelling.
Matthew has argued cases concerning matters of first impression before the North Carolina Supreme Court and North Carolina Court of Appeals, and he has tried cases to verdict in both federal and state courts. His experience covers a wide array of subject matter, including large-scale commercial contracts, regulatory matters, antitrust litigation, government investigations, and constitutional law. He also regularly represents clients in noncompetition, trade secret, and other employment matters, and he keeps an active practice enforcing clients' rights in their trademarks, copyrights, and other intellectual property.
In addition to commercial litigation, Matthew devotes a substantial portion of his practice to advising education providers, including charter school operators, education management organizations, and alternative education institutions, in the development and successful operation of their programs as well as compliance with state and federal education laws.
Prior to practicing law, Matthew worked in government affairs for the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation’s largest public utility, serving as a liaison to Congress and the executive branch regarding matters of budget oversight, energy regulation, and Senate confirmation of presidential nominees to the authority’s board of directors.
Presentations and Publications
- Co-presenter, Moving On is Easy; Letting Go is Hard: Developments in Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation, and Non-Disclosure Agreements, North Carolina Bar Association, Antitrust and Complex Business Disputes Section, Annual Meeting, February 2019
- Author, Protecting Trade Secrets Against Increasing Threats, Both Home and Abroad, May 2013
- Author and Presenter, Social Media and Your Employees, November 2011 and February 2012
- Author, Talent Agency Licensure Laws – Traps for Unwary, North Carolina Bar Association, Sports & Entertainment Law Section, June 2011
- Presenter, Sports, Trademarks, and Rights of Publicity, North Carolina Bar Association, Intellectual Property Section, Annual Conference, March 2012
Civic and Professional Activities
- Children’s Scholarship Fund Charlotte, Board of Directors, 2016-present; Vice Chairman, 2018-present.
- North Carolina Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Board of Directors, 2014-2018
- Mecklenburg County Bar, Law & Society Committee, 2019-present
- Mecklenburg County Bar Leadership Institute, Class of 2015
- Charlotte Secondary School, Board of Directors, 2010-2015; Chairman, 2014-2015; Vice Chairman, 2013-2014
- American Bar Association
- North Carolina Bar Association
- Eagle Scout Award, 2001
Honors and Awards
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings), Litigation - Health Care, 2023 - Present
- Selected to the North Carolina Rising Stars list by Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) in Business Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation, Appellate, 2014 – 2019
Experience
Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.
Healthcare
- Defense of public hospital system in antitrust investigation and civil enforcement actions by U.S. Department of Justice and North Carolina Attorney General as well as follow-on class actions by private plaintiffs involving one of the largest putative class actions filed in North Carolina.
- Representation of hospital system in disputes with managed care organizations over breach of network agreements and refusal to provide coverage for system’s transplant services.
- Representation of healthcare systems and physician practices in termination of providers and enforcement of non-competition, non-solicit, and confidentiality agreements.
Manufacturing
- Representation of multi-national industrial equipment manufacturer in case against former executives for embezzlement and waste of corporate assets, including defense of counterclaims against Chinese parent company and its officers alleging fraud, violation of fiduciary duties, and breach of contract.
- Defense of national pipe manufacturer in multi-district antitrust class action seeking more than $150 million for alleged price fixing, resulting in favorable settlement of all claims.
- Defense of business equipment distributor in multi-party case consolidated in the Eastern District of New York alleging breach of volume discount program, fraud, and unfair trade practices, including serving as lead attorney in development and prosecution of counterclaims for price discrimination under the Robinson-Patman Act.
Financial Services and Consumer Regulation
- Representation of nation-wide apartment developer in defense of class action alleging breach of fair debt collection practices act in collection of eviction-related costs, resulting in favorable resolution.
- Defense of putative class action against life insurance company alleging fraud and unfair trade practices in connection with enforcement of terms of universal life insurance policies.
- Defense of bank and corporate fiduciary in multi-party litigation involving claims for fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and unfair trade practices, securing favorable settlement on eve of trial.
Construction
- Representation of developer of 250-unit apartment project in arbitration, resolving lien claims by more than 20 subcontractors in order to free development for sale and prosecuting multi-million dollar claims against general contractor, resulting in recovery of all amounts owed.
- Defense of general contractor against construction defect claims by developer and owners of high-rise condominium complex alleging more than $35 million in damages, including prosecution of indemnity claims against more than 15 subcontractors.
Intellectual Property
- Obtained favorable decisions for members of world-recognized racing family from Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and Federal Circuit in dispute over family members’ use of last name for product sponsorships.
- Representation of well-recognized home security company in defense of brand and enforcement of its trademark, obtaining swift judgments and settlements against infringers.
- Obtained dismissal of repeated patent claims against German corporations and their principal owners.
Constitutional and Governmental Law
- Argued and secured decision from N.C. Supreme Court upholding summary judgment for apartment complex and solid waste collection company challenging city’s rate discrimination in its provision of landfill services.
- Representation of amicus curiae in landmark decision upholding state’s Opportunity Scholarship voucher program.
- Representation of North Carolina Association of County Commissioners before the N.C. Supreme Court in case of first impression regarding counties’ obligations to provide sound, basic education.
- Secured jury verdict for municipal employer in sex discrimination case brought by a transgender former employee under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Education
- Successfully represented over 30 charter schools in cases concerning per-pupil funding allocations, including serving as lead trial counsel and arguing numerous appeals before the NC Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.
- Serves as outside general counsel to the North Carolina Coalition for Charter Schools, a non-profit trade group, overseeing the development of the organization’s policy agenda.
