Matthew is a shareholder in the Casualty Department and has been practicing civil defense litigation for the past twelve years. He has litigated hundreds of cases in state and federal courts in Pennsylvania. His primarily focus in recent years has been in the area of complex product liability defense. A major responsibility for Matthew is the defense of all product liability litigation brought against a top-three United States automobile manufacturer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He has developed extensive experience in all facets of automotive defect cases. Matthew also provides product liability defense for leading manufacturers of appliances, bicycles and personal protective equipment and has experience in handling cases involving medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals.
Prior to joining the Product Liability Practice Group, Matthew was a member of the firm's Health Care Liability Practice Group and in that capacity provided representation to individual physicians and handled all malpractice claims brought against a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, hospital. His medical malpractice experience provides a unique perspective to the damages element of product liability actions.
During law school, Matthew served a two-year internship with the Delaware County District Attorney's Office where he was certified by the Commonwealth to handle criminal preliminary hearings. Upon graduation he worked at two area civil litigation firms primarily in the area of workers' compensation defense. He subsequently began his career at Marshall Dennehey in the firm's Workers' Compensation Department.
Matthew attended law school at Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Delaware, where he was a member of the school's law review, the Delaware Journal of Corporate Law. He received his undergraduate degree from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Matthew also serves as a certified arbitrator for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.
Significant Representative Matters
· Represented mental health facility in an action brought on behalf of plaintiff's estate alleging that a failure to involuntarily commit plaintiff for psychiatric treatment led to plaintiff murdering his wife and committing suicide. The matter was the subject of multiple appellate reviews and proceeded to two trials, the end result of which was an un-appealed complete defense verdict.
· Represented hospital in a claim for failure to diagnose appendicitis which resulted in a burst appendix and permanent injury. Hospital was found not liable in that they exercised the appropriate standard of care.
Published Works
· "What Makes An Expert?" Pennsylvania Law Weekly, 11/29/04
Associations & Memberships
· Pennsylvania Bar Association
· Philadelphia Bar Association
Honors & Awards
· BV® Distinguished™ by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell