Matthew D. Rodgers

Overview

Matt Rodgers focuses his practice on all phases of commercial litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts.  He also represents class action defendants and advises energy and telecommunications firms.  Prior to joining Eckert Seamans, he clerked for Judge D. Michael Fisher on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. During law school, he interned for Judge Raymond J. Dearie on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Representative Matters

• Represented a client defending against a motion to vacate a consent decree in state court. After a 44-day evidentiary hearing involving dozens of witnesses and hundreds of exhibits, the Eckert Seamans team obtained a favorable ruling.
• Represented a client in a FOIA lawsuit against two federal agencies in federal court. The Eckert Seamans team obtained a favorable result based on its sophisticated summary judgment briefing.
• Represented a client in a commercial lease dispute in state court. The Eckert Seamans team prevailed at summary judgment on the most significant issue in the case.
• Represented a client in a contract dispute in federal court. With little lead time, the Eckert Seamans team prevented the entry of summary judgment against the client.
• Represented a client against a deceptive advertising class action complaint in federal court.
• Represented a client in a complex shareholder derivative suit involving multiple corporations and trusts. The Eckert Seamans team first obtained the dismissal of a federal court suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, which dismissal was affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The Eckert Seamans team also obtained the dismissal of a subsequent state court suit as well as an award of attorney’s fees in the Massachusetts Superior Court, an outcome upheld by the Massachusetts Appeals Court.
• Represented a special education school seeking to obtain state court approval to provide extraordinary treatment to an incapacitated client. After successfully defending against a motion to dismiss, the Eckert Seamans team also prevailed against a petition for interlocutory relief before a single justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court.
• Represented a client against an age discrimination lawsuit in state court. After a two-day trial, the Eckert Seamans team obtained a jury verdict in favor of the client on all counts.