EDUCATION

The University of Texas School of Law
J.D., 2005

The University of Texas at Austin
B.A., English and History, with honors, 2000

JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP

Law Clerk for the Hon. Thad Heartfield
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (2007-2009)

ADMISSIONS

Texas

New York

U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Circuits

U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas

U.S. District Courts of the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York

U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Michael D. “Matt” Matthews, Jr.

Rated by Super Lawyers

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Matt Matthews handles high-stakes commercial trials, arbitrations, and appeals across the country.

He represents plaintiffs and defendants in cases involving energy, tech, construction, manufacturing, property and mineral rights, trade secrets, employment, products liability, and other business and consumer issues. Matt is a first-chair trial lawyer who has won state and federal cases in many jurisdictions, commercial arbitrations under various rules, and arguments before numerous appellate courts. Matt has also served on MH’s management committee and has been the firm’s hiring partner.

Matt is particularly experienced in energy litigation and class actions. He represents some of the country’s leading energy companies in cases across the energy chain—disputes involving retail electricity and natural gas sales, solar services, wholesale trading, power generation, refining, midstream pipeline operations, and oil and gas production. Matt has also been lead counsel in dozens of class actions, winning many on dispositive motions.

Before Matt joined MH as one of the firm’s earliest hires, he worked on lawsuits in two other roles: as a federal law clerk in the Eastern District of Texas and as in-house counsel for a publicly traded global manufacturer. These jobs showed him a judge’s perspective and how in-house lawyers at big companies approach cases. He uses that formative background to help his clients get the results they want.

Outside the office, Matt enjoys spending time with his wife, whom he met in third grade, and his three sons. He enjoys running, traveling, reading, playing guitar, and going to sporting events and concerts.

EDUCATION

The University of Texas School of Law
J.D., 2005

The University of Texas at Austin
B.A., English and History, with honors, 2000

JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP

Law Clerk for the Hon. Thad Heartfield
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (2007-2009)

ADMISSIONS

Texas

New York

U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Circuits

U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas

U.S. District Courts of the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York

U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Michael D. “Matt” Matthews, Jr.

Rated by Super Lawyers

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CLASS ACTION
  • Won the first and second summary judgments ever granted under a New York statute related to consumer energy contract disclosures and then argued the bellwether appeal, which was summarily affirmed by the Second Circuit in 2023, ending six years of class action litigation.
  • Won summary judgment in a class action filed in Connecticut related to electricity pricing and then argued the appeal, which was affirmed by the Second Circuit in Richards v. Direct Energy Servs., LLC, 915 F.3d 88 (2d Cir. 2019).
  • Won dismissal of an electricity class action filed in Illinois and then argued the appeal, which was affirmed by the Seventh Circuit in Sevugan v. Direct Energy Servs., LLC, 931 F.3d 610 (7th Cir. 2019).
  • Won dismissal of five other variable-rate electricity and natural gas class actions filed in New York, New Jersey, and Illinois federal courts (and argued one that is currently on appeal to the Seventh Circuit).
  • Defeated a class certification motion that asked a Texas federal court to certify a class in which the alleged Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) violations could have resulted in statutory damages of up to $5 billion.
  • Won dismissal of a class action in Texas that accused an energy provider of over collecting sales tax for the state comptroller.
  • Won dismissal of an Ohio federal court class action related to an energy company’s marketing practices.
  • Lead counsel for three energy companies in seven putative class actions in New York, Massachusetts, and Illinois related to price-setting practices or renewable-energy marketing.
ENERGY LITIGATION
  • Successfully argued the bellwether motion to dismiss filed by all retail electric providers in the Texas Winter Storm Uri MDL, one of the only industry motions that was fully granted.
  • Won a seven-day jury trial in Houston for an energy company and one of its employees, who were sued by a former contractor for nearly $10,000,000. The jury returned a no-liability verdict on all five of the plaintiff’s causes of action.
  • Lead trial counsel for an energy company in a multimillion-dollar commission dispute with an energy broker, which settled on favorable terms after two days of trial in New Jersey.
  • Won summary judgment in a New York case filed by an energy broker and then argued the appeal, which was affirmed by the Second Judicial Department.
  • Represented a major pipeline company in a complex fraud action involving shell companies created by former employees and vendors, resulting in $2.8 million judgment against the defendants.
  • Obtained dismissal of client in a product defect and breach of warranty action involving refinery product which allegedly caused millions in damage to a customer’s refinery.
  • Won dismissal of a New Jersey lawsuit over the installation and performance of a large solar energy system.
  • Represents an energy company pursuing multimillion dollar contract and fraud claims against a midstream oil and gas company.
  • Represented a leading oil and gas company in a dispute related to frac sand transloading services.
  • Represented a British engineering company in an international trade dispute related to heat-transfer technology.
BUSINESS & COMMERCIAL DISPUTES
  • In a Texas bench trial, won on liability and recovered attorney’s fees from an insurer for a client whose airplane was stolen and crashed by a Mexican cartel.
  • Won summary judgment on vicarious liability in a Maryland federal court case about business marketing and then won the Fourth Circuit appeal.
  • Regularly represents a software company in commercial disputes across the country.
  • Represented Major League Pickleball and DUPR, pickleball’s global rating system, in disputes with a competitor.
  • Represented an industrial parts distributor in a case against a contractor that negligently modified certain equipment.
  • Represented a global defense, security, and aerospace company in several complex commercial disputes in Texas.
  • Represented a leading pipeline company in a multimillion-dollar case filed against a valve manufacturer and supplier based on valve leaks.
  • Represented a large energy company in a multimillion-dollar dispute with a logistics company, which settled favorably just days before trial.
  • Represented a construction company and its individual owners in a dispute alleging theft of trade secrets, breach of fiduciary duties, and tortious interference.
  • Represented certain guarantors in a dispute related to the alleged breach of oilfield service equipment leases.
ARBITRATION
  • Won a multi-day arbitration about construction and production issues related to several large solar energy systems, then confirmed the award, then won the appeal of that confirmation before Texas’ Fourteenth Court of Appeals.
  • Won summary judgment against a solar energy system installer and was awarded 100% of the client’s damages, attorney’s fees and costs.
  • Won a complete victory for a leading solar energy company following an arbitration hearing concerning dozens of solar energy systems installed in four states.
  • Won arbitral award as lead counsel for a Mexican chemical company following a hearing on the merits in an international dispute based on a manufacturing agreement, then collected the award.
  • Represented a petrochemical company in an international arbitration related to hydrocracker reactors purchased in Italy for installation in refineries in Texas and Louisiana.
  • Represented international trading company through the final arbitration hearing in a dispute over a multi-million-dollar contract related to polymer sales in India.
  • Represented a leading home warranty company through the final arbitration hearing in a contract dispute that resulted in a take-nothing judgment for the plaintiff and an award of attorney’s fees for the client.
CONSTRUCTION, PROPERTY, AND REAL ESTATE
  • Represented a country music legend in a property rights dispute with an electricity cooperative.
  • Won summary judgment for a real estate investment company and then won the appeal to Texas’ Fourteenth Court of Appeals.
  • Represented a concrete and materials supply company in a case involving alleged construction defects. Filed motion to dismiss within a week after being retained that resulted in the plaintiff dropping all claims.
  • Represented a City of Houston agency in a multi-million-dollar eminent domain dispute that settled the day before jury selection.
  • Represented a real estate investment company in numerous property and real estate related disputes, including one in which the client obtained a substantial judgment for fraud in a real estate transaction against an investor.
  • Represents a home services company in construction-defect disputes in Texas.
  • Represented a private landowner in a mineral rights dispute in East Texas.
  • Represents private landowners in eminent domain disputes with utilities and transportation authorities.
PERSONAL INJURY/PRODUCTS LIABILITY
  • Represented a power generation company in a personal injury case, successfully argued the summary judgment motion, and then won the appeal to Texas’ Fourteenth Court of Appeals.
  • Represented a commodity trading company in a products liability action involving refinery feedstock that allegedly caused millions in damage to a refinery.
  • Represented an energy infrastructure company in a personal injury case related to a pipeline explosion in Mississippi.
  • Represented a global chemical distributor in personal injury cases in Texas and Louisiana federal courts.
  • Represents an international oilfield parts distribution company in personal injury cases in Texas and Oklahoma.
  • Represented a home services company in personal injury cases in Texas and Nevada.
  • Legal 500 – US Elite – Energy Litigation (2025)
  • Texas Super Lawyers (Business Litigation), Thomson Reuters, 2017-2025
  • Texas Rising Stars (Business Litigation), Thomson Reuters, 2015
  • Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
  • Certificate, The Hague Academy of International Law, 2007
  • “Rookie of the Year” Finalist, Dallas Business Journal Best Corporate Counsel Awards, 2006
  • Phi Beta Kappa