Matt Alsip is an associate in the Commercial Litigation Group. Mr. Alsip's practice has included the defense of clients in shareholder derivative litigation, class action litigation involving federal securities law and consumer claims, lender liability actions, land use litigation, and other commercial litigation matters.

Mr. Alsip practices and appears regularly in the state and federal courts of Maryland, and has also appeared on behalf of clients in jurisdictions such as New York, Florida, and Mississippi. He has also successfully represented clients in arbitration proceedings before the American Arbitration Association, and in numerous mediations. He is committed to providing clients with efficient and aggressive representation in all matters.

Significant Matters

· Mr. Alsip helped secure the termination of a $34 million shareholder derivative lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

· Mr. Alsip worked to secure summary judgment for a local government involved in a multi-million dollar land use dispute, and then assisted in successfully representing the client before the Maryland Court of Special Appeals.

· Mr. Alsip assisted in the successful defense of a major commercial real estate brokerage firm against a multi-million dollar counterclaim brought by a landowner who alleged breach of contract, fraud, and other causes of action. He helped secure summary judgment in the trial court, and then successfully defended the brokerage firm in the Maryland Court of Special Appeals, which affirmed the trial court judgment, and the Maryland Court of Appeals, which denied the landowner's petition for certiorari.

· Mr. Alsip successfully appealed a trial court order staying a commercial foreclosure action brought by a Maryland-based bank. In a reported opinion, Maryland's Court of Special Appeals vacated the stay and held that the trial court had abused its discretion, thus permitting the bank to proceed with the foreclosure. Mr. Alsip was instrumental in drafting the appellate briefing for his client and argued the matter before the appellate court. Bechamps v. 1190 Augustine Herman, 202 Md. App. 455 (2011).

· Mr. Alsip assisted in the successful defense of a national retailer in two federal lawsuits alleging securities fraud against the company and its senior management, one a purported shareholder derivative action and the other a purported shareholder class action. Among other things, Mr. Alsip was instrumental in researching and drafting the principal pleadings and motions necessary in the defense of the lawsuits, including extensive briefing on the impropriety of class certification under Fourth Circuit law.

· Mr. Alsip helped win an early dismissal of a multi-million dollar claim in a Florida federal court brought by a food service company against a national food producer, which alleged the misappropriation of recipe information and fraud. The plaintiff dismissed the suit voluntarily, with prejudice, after just one deposition.

· Mr. Alsip successfully represented a national bank in defense of a counterclaim seeking millions in damages for an alleged violation of the Equal Opportunity Credit Act, and breach of contract, related to the bank's attempts to collect a substantial commercial line of credit that had fallen into default status.

· Mr. Alsip has represented multiple lending institutions, in both state and federal courts, in defense of claims by consumers alleging fraudulent practices in the extension of credit, wrongful handling of deposits or assessment of fees, and violation of the Maryland Consumer Protection Act.

Memberships

Maryland Defense Counsel, Board of Directors

Publications

March 28, 2012, Failure to Make Pre-Suit Demand for Litigation in an Executive Compensation Case Leads to Dismissal of Shareholder Derivative Action against Maryland Corporation
Matthew R. Alsip, James A. Dunbar, Geoffrey R. Garinther, Daniel P. Moylan