Matt Donohue

Matt Donohue is an established lead trial counsel with jury and bench trial victories in courtrooms across the country. He is the practice group leader for Holland & Knight's West Coast Litigation Practice Group, which includes over 50 litigators in California, Oregon and Colorado, and a recent co-leader of the firm's Class Action Litigation and Arbitration Team.

Described by clients to Chambers as "an excellent lawyer" who is "good on his feet" and is "exceptional at handling complicated legal matters," Mr. Donohue navigates complex business and regulatory disputes across multiple areas of the law.

Mr. Donohue's practice spans a wide range of litigation in federal and state courts and arbitrations. He focuses on complex business litigation, intellectual property disputes, class actions, securities litigation, antitrust litigation, and other high-stakes commercial disputes.

Mr. Donohue represents companies across a variety of industries – including manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, government, technology, real estate and retail goods. In addition to litigating class actions, contract disputes and other complex commercial litigation claims, Mr. Donohue has particular skill resolving high-stakes disputes prior to litigation being filed.

Commercial Litigation

• Co-lead trial counsel representing manufacturing company in $80 million dispute with supplier resulting in claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, unjust enrichment and trade secret misappropriation in arbitration
• Co-lead trial counsel representing financial services company in claims for $50 million by receiver for investment pools alleging breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, and aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty arising from alleged Ponzi scheme in Washington state court
• Lead trial counsel defending national boutique coffee chain in claims for breach and intentional interference with contract in Washington state court and arbitration
• Co-lead trial counsel defending financial services company in securities fraud class action brought by real estate investors alleging violation of the Oregon Securities Law in Oregon state court and the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, arising from alleged Ponzi scheme
• Co-lead trial counsel defeating $600 million trade secret claims under the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) at summary judgment on behalf of energy company in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and then defeating alternative claims in motions in limine.
• Lead trial counsel obtaining a seven-figure jury verdict on claims for breach of an oral distribution contract, breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing, and intentional interference with economic relations in Oregon federal court on behalf of a Canadian distribution company
• Co-lead trial counsel obtaining a judgment dismissing fraud and breach of contract counterclaims for $65 million in a two-week trial in Nevada state court on behalf of multinational athletic apparel company
• Lead trial counsel defending a multinational dental equipment manufacturer and family shareholders in preliminary injunction and related bet-the-company litigation filed by dissident shareholder seeking control of company in Oregon state court, resulting in favorable settlement
• Lead trial counsel representing franchisor in $15 million trade secret dispute in arbitration, including dismissing franchisees' fraud claims and obtaining order compelling arbitration
• Represented a state in $1 billion breach of contract, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and related claims in Oregon state and federal court arising from failed implementation of healthcare software
• Lead counsel representing physician group in state antitrust investigation by Oregon Department of Justice
• Lead trial counsel representing a company in $30 million breach of contract and fraud claims arising from failed acquisition in Delaware federal court
• Lead trial counsel representing an Israeli company against breach of contract and fraud claims asserting $18 million in damages and prosecuting breach of contract counterclaims for $5 million in damages in arbitration in New York
• Lead trial counsel representing a client against fraud and negligence claims asserting $14 million in damages in Florida federal court
• Lead trial counsel representing a technology client against claims for breach of a patent licensing agreement in an expedited arbitration in Washington
• Co-lead trial counsel representing a Nevada oilfield services provider in prosecuting minority shareholder oppression claims seeking $25 million in damages in both Oregon state and federal court, Nevada state court and in an international arbitration
• Represented court-appointed fiduciary in asserting fraudulent transfer, intentional interference and related tort claims resulting in over $3 million recovery on behalf of estate in Washington state court

Class Action/Mass Action Litigation

• Lead trial counsel representing a drug manufacturer in multidistrict litigation (MDL) captioned In re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation against claims alleging the fraudulent promotion of opioids, among other things, in Ohio federal court
• Lead trial counsel representing food and beverage company in class action alleging violation of the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act (CLRA), unfair competition, breach of warranty and unjust enrichment in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and parallel state regulatory enforcement action arising from wine labeling practices
• Lead trial counsel defeating national class action at summary judgment on claims for breach of contract, civil conspiracy, unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duty and consumer fraud in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona arising from benefits provided under auto insurer's medical payments coverage; defended victory on appeal at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• Represented government contractor in related class actions in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington challenging fundamental business practices
• Lead trial counsel defending an insurer in numerous state courts and state MDLs alleging the fraudulent promotion of opioids, among other things
• Lead trial counsel defeating class action claims against a company for alleged deceptive practices and unjust enrichment related to insurance subrogation claims in Washington state and federal court
• Co-lead trial counsel defending class action claims for breach of contract and unjust enrichment related to personal injury protection payments to medical providers, among other things, in Washington state court
• Lead trial counsel obtaining summary judgment dismissal of class action claims for breach of contract, among other things, related to statutory insurance disclosures in Nevada federal court
• Co-lead trial counsel obtaining orders striking plaintiff's expert and granting summary judgment dismissal of class action claims for breach of contract related to payment of "diminished value" damages in Washington federal court

After law school, Mr. Donohue served as a judicial law clerk to the late Honorable Neal P. McCurn in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York and as a judicial law clerk to the New York State Court of Appeals.