Matthew Kirtland joined the Washington, D.C., office of Fulbright & Jaworski in 1997.  As a partner, he focuses his practice on white collar civil and criminal defense, international and domestic arbitration and complex civil litigation.  

Matt has represented corporate and individual clients, including officers and directors, from a diverse range of industries and backgrounds in civil, criminal, arbitration and administrative proceedings including: 

• White Collar
  • Securities fraud
  • Health care fraud
  • Defense contracting fraud investigations
  • Civil and criminal RICO actions
• Litigation and enforcement actions
• False Claims Act investigations and litigation
• Labor and employment actions
• Defamation actions
• Trademark and trade dress infringement actions
• Federal regulatory actions

He has first and second-chair experience in federal and state court, international and domestic arbitration, and has argued before the United States Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia and the Sixth Circuit.

Representative, significant cases include:

• Representation of international satellite television distributor in a commercial dispute.  Obtained favorable decision in international arbitration.
• Representation of nationwide pharmaceutical company in qui tam health care fraud litigation and parallel criminal investigation for alleged violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute.  Successfully persuaded United States to decline to intervene.
• Representation of international energy company named as defendant in multi-billion dollar litigation.  Obtained voluntary dismissal of all claims.
• Representation of chief financial officer of publicly traded corporation in civil securities fraud litigation.  Obtained favorable settlement.
• Representation of defense contractor in qui tam litigation.  Persuaded United States to decline to intervene.  Obtained dismissal of claims with prejudice and affirmance of dismissal on appeal. 
• Representation of nationwide pharmacy chain in qui tam health care fraud litigation and parallel criminal investigation. Negotiated favorable plea bargain and civil settlement.
• Representation of corporate officer of independent gas producer implicated in an energy price manipulation investigation by federal and state authorities.
• Representation of nationwide utilities company in commercial dispute.   Obtained favorable settlement directly before trial.
• Representation of private university in wrongful discharge suit brought by former employee.  Obtained favorable decision in domestic arbitration. 

• United States Council for International Business (USCIB)
  • Arbitration Committee
  • Young Arbitrators Forum
• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
  •  Joint Task Force on Arbitration and Criminal Law
• American Bar Association
• District of Columbia Bar Association
• Maryland Bar Association

Matt has co-authored the following publications:

• "Criminal Enforcement of the Federal Securities Act," The Federal Securities Act of 1933, 2004
• "Private RICO Litigation," The Federal Securities Act of 1933, 2004
• "Proximate Cause:  Must a Plaintiff Rely on the Defendants' Mispresentation?" CIVIL Rico Actions, May 2004
• "Extraterritorial Application of U.S. Antitrust Law: What is a 'Direct Substantial, and Reasonably Foreseeable Effect' under the Foreign Trade Antitrust Improvement Act?," Laws of International Trade, August 2003
• "Oiling the Wheels: Addressing Bribery Overseas in U.K. and U.S. Litigation," Power Economics, April 30, 2002.  Reprinted in Water Power Dam Construction, June 2002
• "When the G-Man Knocks," Legal Times, June 3, 2002
• "Project Bad Bundle: Government Misuse of the False Claims Act," Health Care Fraud & Abuse Newsletter, 1998

1997 - J.D., Duke University School of Law
1994 - B.A., summa cum laude, History and Communications, Macalester College

Matt is licensed to practice in Maryland and the District of Columbia.  He also is admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for Maryland and the District of Columbia and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the Sixth Circuit and the District of Columbia.

In his free time, Matt enjoys studying literature, film and European history.