Matthew G. Moffett

Matthew G. Moffett

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Biography

Matt Moffett is a civil litigation defense attorney of 23 years, handling cases in both state and federal courts. His legal ability is rated “AV”, as published in Martindale-Hubbell, which is the highest rating afforded to lawyers by their peers. He is listed among the Georgia Super Lawyers in Atlanta Magazine, most recently as one of the top 100 lawyers in Georgia, and among the Legal Elite in Georgia Trend magazine.

As panel counsel for self-insured corporations, national insurers and third party administrators, Mr. Moffett is regularly called upon to evaluate and negotiate pending claims and if necessary to try cases having significant damages risk and exposure. Over the years, Matt has tried many cases to defense verdict for his clients, and since 2010 alone he has won at trial for the defense in eleven high risk, significant exposure cases. Four of these trials involved contended wrongful death (motor vehicle and premises liability) where each plaintiff’s attorney asked the jury to award between $4 million and $5 million dollars in damages. Another trial involved a serious and permanent injury from a third party criminal attack where the plaintiff’s attorney demanded $10 million, and another involved a case against a religious institution where the adverse attorney asked the jury to award $1 million.

Mr. Moffett also has appeared and argued in Georgia’s appellate courts. In 2010, he prevailed before the Georgia Supreme Court in a serious injury case involving qualified immunity of a government employee. In 2011, he prevailed before the Georgia Court of Appeals in a negligent security, wrongful death case, and this year he again argued before the Georgia Supreme Court over the issue of jury charges at trial (decision pending).

Mr. Moffett’s civil litigation defense practice involves:

• General Liability claims (defense of serious injury and wrongful death claims in premises liability, products liability, auto and motor carrier, commercial trucking cases)
• Multi-District Litigation (defense of toxic tort claims)
• Employment Practices Litigation (defense of public and private employers)
• Insurance coverage (declaratory judgment actions and defense of first party claims)
• Professional Liability (errors and omissions defense).

A representative listing of the appellate cases handled by Mr. Moffett at the state and federal level is found below under Representative Appellate Cases.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Mr. Moffett stayed in Georgia for college and law school. He attended and majored in journalism at the University of Georgia, where he graduated cum laude. He then attended Emory School of Law, where his father also had attended and graduated.

While at Emory School of Law, Mr. Moffett was selected to become a part of the Emory Moot Court Society. Representing his law school, he then competed in the Georgia Intrastate Moot Court Competition where he was selected as the Best Advocate. From there he competed for Emory regionally and nationally in the National Moot Court Competition, again being selected as the Best Advocate and helping Emory win the national championship. Emory subsequently named him the outstanding member of the Moot Court Society. Thereafter, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers recognized him with their Litigation Award, and he was selected into membership in the Order of the Barristers.

During the early years of his private law practice, Emory asked Mr. Moffett to return annually as an Adjunct Professor of Law and teach by lecture and demonstration on effective appellate advocacy. When a West Publishing affiliate learned about his teaching at Emory, they asked him to create an audiotape program on appellate advocacy, which continues in circulation under the title “Moot Court Success” (Sum & Substance).

This commitment to teaching has always been important to Mr. Moffett, who regularly presents on relevant legal issues and developments to his clients and his lawyer peers. During 2010, he was a featured speaker at the annual seminar of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association, the annual Insurance Law Institute and the annual Premises Liability Seminar of the State Bar of Georgia. During 2011, Matt presented “Persuasive Use of Technology in the Courtroom” at the annual meeting of the Defense Research Institute in Washington, D.C., and “Trying the Un-winnable Case” at the Renaissance Symposium IV of the Litigation Counsel of America in New York City. In 2012 and again in 2013, Matt chaired and instructed at the Trial Academy of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association and presented for the State Bar of Georgia on “Defense of a Personal Injury Case.” Matt spoke in May in Kansas City to to over 100 lawyers and insurance professionals on strategies to defeat the latest “Reptile” strategy of the plaintiff’s bar. He will speak again in November in Orlando at the annual seminar of the Trucking Industry Defense Association.

Mr. Moffett is vice president and a member of the board of directors of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association, and he is the current chair of the GDLA Trial Academy. He is a Charter Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, an invitation only, honorary society representing less than one half of one percent of American lawyers for effectiveness and accomplishment in litigation and trial work, along with ethical reputation. He recently attended the inaugural Trial Law Institute of the LCA.

In 2012, Mr. Moffett was accepted into the membership of The Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC), which is composed of recognized leaders in the legal community who have achieved professional distinction, and who believe in a balanced justice system and in providing representation to those in need of a defense in civil lawsuits. Matt was selected in 2006 as a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, an organization recognizing lawyers for skill, civility and integrity.

As a member of the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, Mr. Moffett is a graduate of the Litigation Management Institute, hosted by Columbia School of Law in New York City, which is the first certification program specifically designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the business of litigation management. His other memberships are with the Atlanta Claims Association, Atlanta Bar Association, State Bar of Georgia, Defense Research Institute and Lawyer’s Club of Atlanta.

Mr. Moffett is a Lifetime Fellow of the Atlanta Bar Foundation, which supports public service projects that assist youth, provide pro bono legal services, and promote higher education through scholarships. He previously served on the board of directors of Global Health Action, a non-profit organization addressing the world’s most pressing health problems, and also on the board of directors for the Silver Lake Civic Association, which manages the preservation of two lakes and a multi acre wilderness area in metro Atlanta.

Matt is married to his high school sweetheart Diane, and they have two daughters, Kate and Megan, who attend Marist School and St. Martin’s Episcopal School, respectively, with Matt serving as a trustee at St. Martin’s. The family attends Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, where Matt has chaired the Administrative Board and now teaches in the adult education program. Matt enjoys water and snow skiing and is a certified SCUBA diver.

Videos

Photography

Mr. Moffett presents to over 100 lawyers and insurance professionals in Kansas City in 2013 on exposing and countering the new “Reptile” strategy of the plaintiff’s bar.

Mr. Moffett, chairman and instructor of the 2013 Trial and Mediation Academy of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association.

Mr. Moffett speaks to the State Bar of Georgia in 2012 on successfully trying the defense of a personal injury case.

Mr. Moffett presenting to lawyers from across the country at the Litigation Counsel of America, Renaissance Symposium in New York City, 2011.