J. Michael Matthews
Senior Counsel
PRACTICE AREAS
Business Litigation,
Intellectual Property Litigation, Professional Liability,
Real Estate & Construction,
Securities Litigation & Enforcement
Mike Matthews is an experienced trial lawyer specializing in partnership and corporate litigation, construction, real estate, and general civil litigation. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and has tried over thirty-five jury and court trials involving partnership disputes, commercial contracts, construction claims, employment issues, mechanics' liens, professional negligence, product liability and insurance coverage (including bad faith).
Mr. Matthews also acts as an arbitrator and mediator for regional state courts. In addition, he has taught real estate law in the M.B.A. program at Golden Gate University, has written articles regarding real estate, construction and partnership issues, and has lectured on a variety of subjects including litigation skills, insurance coverage issues, and issues that arise when a partner withdraws from a partnership and/or dissolves a partnership or closely held corporation. He regularly presents continuing legal education programs either in-house to corporate law departments or through the Bar Association of San Francisco's lunchtime CLE program.
Mr. Matthews graduated from Yale University in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He received his J.D. from Georgetown University of Law Center in 1976.
Representative Cases
- Represented parties in a partnership dissolution relating to large dairy ranches in Marin County.
- Pursued fraud/securities claims relating to investment in failed real estate developments.
- Represented a large Silicon Valley company in litigation related to non-disclosure of asbestos in a retail location.
- Prosecuted mechanics’ lien claims.
- Defended against warranty/defect claims in the construction setting.
- Represented an employer in several race discrimination class actions.
- Represented the largest single property owner in the consolidated Oakland Fire litigation.
- Represented a large chemical company in litigating a breach of a build-to-suit lease for a toxic storage facility.
- Prosecuted real estate fraud cases.
- Represented a large pipeline contractor in litigation with its dewatering subcontractor, arising out of a major municipal pipeline project.
- Represented several law firms and/or individual attorneys in litigating claims related to partner withdrawal and/or firm dissolution.
- Retained as an expert witness several times by parties/counsel involved in attorney malpractice cases.
- Represented holder of patents in defense of claim that the patents had been developed while the patent holder was employed by plaintiff.
CONTACT
phone: (415) 352-3000
fax: (415) 352-3030
mmatthews@chapop.com
Recent Publications
De-Construction, The Recorder (September 22, 2004)
Sitting on the Subcontractor's Check May Cause a Huge Pain... In the Wallet, Construction Law Newsletter (Winter 2004)
Enforcing Your Right to Payment: Payment Bond Claims Under the Miller Act. Construction Law Newsletter (Fall 2004)
Paying Your Subcontractor’s Employees: Labor Code Section 2810
Court of Appeal Limits Equitable Indemnity in Construction Disputes, The Recorder (2005)
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Boilerplate in Contracts, (Spring 2006)
Recent Presentations
Sticky Conflict Situations: How to Get Yourself Out (and Preferably Avoid Them Altogether), Marin County Bar Association Real Property Section Meeting (July 17, 2008)
© 2011 Chapman, Popik & White LLP | 650 California Street, 19th Floor, San Francisco, California 94108 | Tel: (415) 352-3000
