Matthew A. Richards
Associate

Practice Areas

Experience

Matt Richards is a member of Nixon Peabody LLP’s Business Litigation group. His practice focuses on antitrust; construction; creditors’ remedies, insolvency, and restructuring; and insurance matters. He has represented clients in complex business disputes in federal and state courts and arbitral proceedings, and has significant dispositive motion, trial, and appellate experience. He also has extensive practical and theoretical e-discovery experience, including managing electronic productions in complex litigation, preparing and presenting programs on changes to the Federal Rules, and serving on his prior firm’s e-discovery task force.

Matt also has significant experience representing asylum clients in administrative and adversarial proceedings before the San Francisco Asylum Office, Immigration Court, Board of Immigration Appeals, and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He has successfully represented asylum clients from Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mexico, Pakistan, Palestine, Somalia, and Zimbabwe.

Representative Cases

• Defended insurance company against former agent’s $25 million wrongful claim, included alleged fraud and interference. Obtained summary judgment with respect to all of former agent’s claims. Prevailed in Eastern District of California jury trial on all counterclaims, and awarded all damages sought.
• Defended client in real estate dispute against buyer’s allegations of fraud and failure to disclose material information. Obtained summary judgment on all claims in Northern District of California.
• Defended Fortune 500 energy company against allegations of conspiracy, price fixing, and unfair competition in multibillion dollar class action. Obtained early, favorable result for client.
• Represented major forest products company in series of antitrust (alleged monopolization) litigation, including jury trial, in federal district court.
• Represented client seeking political asylum in proceedings before the Ninth Circuit, including drafting briefs and conducting oral argument.

Admissions

Matt is admitted to practice in California, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. District Courts of California.

Education

University of California, Hastings College of the Law, J.D., cum laude (Order of the Coif; Thurston Society; Editor-in-Chief, Hastings International & Comparative Law Review)
University of California, Berkeley, B.A.

Affiliations

American Bar Association, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section’s Law & Technology Committee
U.C. Hastings Alumni Association