Matt Gatewood is a member of Sutherland's Litigation Practice Group and focuses primarily on resolving conflicts encountered by the firm's energy and transportation clients. Matt is a member of the firm's Crisis Management and Complex Litigation Team, and has spent the last two years representing an international drilling contractor in response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill that has included multiple government investigations and a multi-district litigation proceeding.
In addition to traditional litigation in federal and state courts, Matt has advised clients facing investigations from Congress, Presidential-appointed task forces, and state agencies. He also has experience in employment and tax-related litigation.
Matt serves on the firm's Hiring Committee.
Before joining the firm, Matt served as a law clerk for the Honorable Joseph R. Goodwin of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Representative Experience
Matt's recent representative experience includes:
· Representing an international drilling contractor in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill litigation, including representation of the client in multi-district litigation, and Congressional, and regulatory (USCG, BSSE, CSB, and Presidential Commission investigation) proceedings.
· Representing an international oil company in connection with a $100 million claim involving a counterparty's repudiation of a long-term supply agreement based on a declaration of force majeure.
· Representing an oil trading company in federal court litigation involving the disputed pricing terms of a crude oil contract and related parent company guaranty.
· Advising and representing clients in matters concerning the proper classification of workers for federal and state tax purposes.
· Representing clients in natural gas royalties disputes in state and federal courts.
· Co-chairing a disputed asylum trial resulting in a grant of asylum for an elderly pro bono client.
Professional And Community Involvement
· Board Member, Young Lawyers Section of the Bar Association of the District of Columbia
· Member, West Virginia State Bar
Recent Publications
· Co-author, "Attorney-Client Privilege in the ERISA Context: The 'Fiduciary Exception,'" Health and Welfare Benefit Plans: Responding to Change Panel (October 15-16, 2007; October 27-28, 2008; and October 19, 2009)
· Author, "The New Map: The Supreme Court's Guide to Curing Thirty Years of Confusion in ERISA Savings Clause Analysis" (Spring 2005)
Miscellaneous
· Avid West Virginia Mountaineer fan and movie buff, Matt has seen every movie nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture since 1944.
News
Sutherland Launches WorkerClassification.com
Web Site Addressing the Classification of Today's Workforce
April 28, 2009
Legal Alerts
Legal Alert: New Worker Classification Procedures Affect IRS/DOL Compliance and Enforcement Efforts
September 26, 2011
Publications
The New Map: The Supreme Court's Guide to Curing Thirty Years of Confusion in ERISA Savings Clause Analysis
Spring 2005