Matthew R. Raley

Experience

Products Liability, Personal Injury Defense and Mass Torts

• Trial counsel for a hydraulic hose manufacturer in a burn fatality case in which the plaintiffs sought $20 million. The case involved a catastrophic explosion at a steel mill, with allegations of design and manufacturing defects as well as negligent manufacturing and breach of warranty. A take-nothing judgment was entered against the plaintiffs after a two-week jury trial.
• Trial counsel for a major international chemical manufacturer in a bellwether trial in a large plant explosion case. Two plaintiffs sought more than $10 million. After a three-week trial, the jury found for the company against one plaintiff and awarded the other plaintiff less than $50,000. No punitive damages were awarded. The defense verdict in the bellwether trial paved the way for resolution of claims of remaining 57 plaintiffs.
• Defending a Fortune 100 healthcare distributor in the Texas opioid MDL in which approximately 50 cases filed by Texas counties have been consolidated.
• Represented an oilfield pressure control equipment manufacturer in a number of products liability cases involving personal injuries. Routinely addressed indemnity and insurance issues related to the defense of those matters.
• Successfully defended an oil field service contractor in an oil and gas well blowout lawsuit involving multiple fatalities.
• Represented one of the largest onshore oil and gas well drilling companies in a wrongful death lawsuit involving a motor vehicle accident fatality.
• Lead counsel for major onshore oil and gas well drilling company in an OSHA investigation following a rig fatality. OSHA did not issue a citation against the client.
• Successfully defended a UK-based drillship company in an offshore personal injury lawsuit involving claims of negligence and lack of seaworthiness.

Complex Business Disputes and Construction Litigation

• Represented a Fortune 500 oilfield service company in a complex commercial and intellectual property lawsuit against former employees. The former employees asserted claims of breach of stock purchase agreement and the client asserted claims of misappropriation of confidential information and trade secrets including theft of proprietary source code. The matter was successfully resolved, and the trade secret information was safely returned to the client.
• Represented an energy company in disputes related to contractual indemnity and the Texas Oilfield Anti-Indemnity Act. Successfully resolved numerous insurance issues related to contractual indemnity obligations.
• Defended an international vacation resort and timeshare operator in a False Claims Act qui tam matter.
• Obtained a $6 million recovery for a project owner client in the prosecution of a complex construction defect lawsuit involving contract and tort claims against the design/build general contractor and subcontractors, based on the negligent design and nonconforming construction of a large distribution center.
• Represented a project owner before an arbitration panel in litigation against a general contractor and various subcontractors on claims arising out of the construction of a large oil and gas tubular goods plant in South Texas.
• Member of the BakerHostetler team serving as Counsel to the Securities Investor Protection Act (SIPA) Trustee for the liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, including the investigation and prosecution of claw back action against the owners of a professional baseball team.
• First-chair trial counsel in more than 10 pipeline easement condemnation cases on behalf of the pipeline division of a major integrated oil company.
• Represented a leading wireless tower operator in eminent domain litigation and other real estate related disputes.

Memberships

• American Bar Association
• State Bar of Texas
• Harris County Bar Association
• Texas Bar Foundation: Life Fellow
• Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program