Matthew Slater

Bar / Professional Activity

• Massachusetts
• Supreme Court of the United States
• United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
• Admitted to the Bar of the District of Columbia, 2005
• Admitted to the Florida Bar, 2003

Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)

• Mr. Slater obtained a complete acquittal and defense verdict for a client charged criminally by the Commonwealth with negligent motor vehicle homicide and failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, 2008
• Matthew Slater, Esq. obtained a Court Order dismissing a federal civil rights lawsuit against municipal inspectors working for the Town of Norfolk, Massachusetts. Plaintiff, Alan Quaglieri, a land developer in Norfolk, Massachusetts sued the Town and its municipal inspectors for retaliatory plumbing code enforcement that Defendants took in response to Quaglieri’s complaints about their conduct and decisions on Plaintiff’s development projects. Plaintiff asserted claims under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1983, the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act, interference with contractual and economic relations, and civil conspiracy. Plaintiff alleged that the Town plumbing inspector, Paul Steeves, made threats of retaliatory action for making complaints, and then followed through with adverse code enforcement decisions and actions. The Court exonerated the Defendants. The federal court (Casper, U.S.D.J.) granted Defendants’ respective motions for summary judgment as to the federal civil rights claims and exercised its supplemental jurisdiction to dismiss the related Massachusetts state tort claims.
• Matthew Slater obtained a complete defense verdict for a global shipping company in an action brought by a former welder. The welder alleged approximately $300,000.00 in damages after a motor vehicle collision with a 70+ lb. driveshaft that dislodged from a tractor-trailer in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. The welder alleged that he needed multiple surgeries as a result of the incident. The welder alleged that the company negligently maintained the vehicle and that the driver missed warning signs of the impending mechanical failure. The jury returned a complete defense verdict for the global shipping company and its driver.
• Matthew Slater obtained dismissal of a former plumbing instructor’s $2.2 Million defamation and wrongful termination claim against the superintendent of the Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School. The Plaintiff, a former plumbing instructor at the school, filed 15-page, multi-count lawsuit alleging that he was wrongfully terminated due to his filing a grievance relating to misconduct on the part of school, faculty members, and administrators. The Plaintiff also alleged that he was unable to obtain employment at three other technical schools due to defamatory statements and negative employment references by the superintendent. The Court decision is cited at Arthur Levine v. Richard Gross and Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School, 2011 Mass. Super. LEXIS 264 (2011)., 2011
• Matthew Slater obtained summary judgment for an insurer defending against a hospital's breach of contract and 93A action in Superior Court. The hospital sought payment of a substantial medical bill that was denied by the insurer for lack of coverage. The Court rejected the hospital's legal arguments and entered summary judgment.
• Fast Track Commercial Eviction Action Approved by Court. Matthew Slater obtained approval from the Boston Municipal Court to proceed with a fast track eviction action against a commercial tenant despite a related multi-million dollar Superior Court action between the landlord and tenant. The District Court Judge agreed that there was no reason to delay a trial for possession of commercial property where a tenant withholds rent payments. See Bostonian Hotel Limited Partnership v. Redbrook Restaurant Group, LLC, Boston Municipal Court, Civil Action No. 2012-01CE34, 2012
• Serving as a Special Assistant Attorney Generals for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Matthew Slater, Esq. obtained a complete dismissal of an inmate’s civil rights claims against the Plymouth County Sheriff and the Plymouth County Correctional Facility. The inmate filed a multi-count complaint alleging that he was physically disabled and sustained serious injuries as a result of excessive force, improper handcuffing, and defective seating conditions in a vehicle while being transported from a county correctional facility to court appearances. The Court agreed with D’Ambrosio Brown LLP’s arguments and dismissed all claims without any depositions or discovery being completed. The Court decision is published at Thomas Stefanik v. Joseph D. McDonald, 2010 Super. LEXIS 343 (2010).

Representative Clients

• Business shareholders, multinational corporations, municipalities, information technology (IT) firms, financial institutions, global shipping companies, restaurants, insurance companies, religious organizations, and global retailers.

Pro bono / Community Service

• Participated on the YIB Legal Committee.

Honors

• Selected for inclusion in Boston Magazine and Massachusetts Super Lawyers – Rising Stars
• Phi Alpha Delta Fraternity
• The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys Award was based on outstanding oral advocacy, Florida Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys Award, 2002

Educational Background

• Skidmore College

Scholarly Lectures / Writings

• The Anatomy of High-Tech Investigation
• Editorial Board of the University of Miami International & Comparative Law Review
• Medical Inquiries in the Hiring Process
• Maximizing Subrogation Lien Recoveries
• Accident Investigation – Root Causes
• Recognizing Subrogation Potential and Third-Party Liability
• The Art of the Settlement
• University of Miami International & Comparative Law Review, Author, Trumpeting Justice: The Implications of U.S. Law and Policy for the International Rendition of Terrorists from Failed or Uncooperative States, 2004

• Cable
• IT
• Retail
• Staffing Agencies
• Transportation