Matt Moffett is an experienced, civil defense trial lawyer with an established track record of defense verdicts in numerous serious injury and death cases. One notable defense verdict occurred in a wrongful death case where the plaintiff attorney asked the jury to award $20 million, and another occurred in a serious injury case where the plaintiff attorney asked for an award of $9.7 million.
Matt is listed among the top 100 lawyers in Georgia and among the Legal Elite in Georgia, in various news publications. He is the past president of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association, and currently an instructor at the annual GDLA Trial Academy.
Over the last 10 years, Matt has presented as the keynote speaker during the annual meetings of many legal organizations. From Florida to New York, from Washington through Utah and back to Georgia, Matt has presented on effective and professional trial practice to defense lawyers and risk professionals. In 2023, the Defense Research Institute awarded Matt the DRI Fred H. Sievert Award for outstanding bar leadership.
Matt is a Charter Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a member of The Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC), Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (ADTA) and member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He is a Fellow of the Atlanta Bar Foundation, which supports public service projects that assist youth, provides pro bono legal services, and promotes higher education through scholarships.
Married to his high school sweetheart for over 30 years, Matt and Diane have two daughters, one attending UGA in Athens and the other serving as a high school counselor in Chattanooga, TN. The family are longtime members of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, where Matt has chaired the Administrative Board and now teaches in the adult education program while serving in the One Lamb Initiative founded by his wife Diane.
When not lawyering, you likely will find Matt water skiing on a Georgia mountain lake or snow skiing out west. He also is a certified SCUBA diver and has dived both wrecks and reefs all over the Caribbean.
The Litigation Psychology Podcast - Ep. 21
Matt Moffett & Dr. Lorie Sicafuse on the importance of research in litigation
American Bar Association, panel presentation - 2016. (front row l-r) Miles Mediation’s Susan Forsling, BAY Mediation’s Scott Young, and GDLA President Matt Moffett; (back row l-r) GTLA President Pope Langdale, GDLA Vice President Jeff Ward, GDLA Trial & Mediation Academy Vice-chair Carrie Christie, GTLA Immediate Past President Darren Penn, and GDLA Secretary Hall McKinley
Presentation for the Michigan Defense Lawyers Association at their annual meeting (pictured with Judge Shalina Kumar, 6th Circuit Court, Oakland County, Judge James Jamo, 30th Circuit Court, Ingham County Judge Mark S. Switalski, 16th Circuit Court, Macomb County, Judge Edward Ewell, Jr., 3rd Circuit Court, Wayne County, Mark Gilchrist, President of MDTC). Photo by John Meiu, courtesy of Detroit Legal News Publishing LLC.
Trial Presentation for the Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Defense Lawyers Association (pictured with president and president elect)
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.
Trucking Co. Wins Suit in Chatham With Rare Secondary Insuror
The Daily Report - August 2023Lawyers Find Virtual Voir Dire Worth Keeping for Reasons Beyond Concerns about COVID-19
The Daily Report - July 2022Justices Ponder Latin and Math for ‘Complicated and Import Case’
The Daily Report - June 2020Facing ‘The Reptile’ In The Courtroom
Law360 - February 2018And The Defense Wins
DRI, The Voice - December 2017Defense Wins in $20M Wrongful Death Suit for Pedestrian’s Life
The Daily Report - November 2017Professional Excellence – Distinguished Leaders
The Daily Report - June 2017Moffett Receives Daily Report’s Distinguished Leader Award
The Daily Report - May 2017Justices Rule 5-2 That Worker’s Comp Doesn’t Prevent Apportionment
The Daily Report - November 2015Georgia Justices’ Apportionment Ruling Gets Immediate Test
The Daily Report - July 2015New Defense Bar President
The Daily Report - June 2015GDLA Election Results
Georgia Bar Journal - August 2014Mr. Matthew Moffett to Speak at the 2014 CLM Construction & Environmental Conference
Press Release - 2014Student Sues Over Facebook Photos
The Daily Report - June 2013DRI: Defense-Favorable Resolution in Shooting Injury Case
DRI, The Voice - April 2013Judges Weigh Mistaken Charges
The Daily Report - March 2013Jury Agrees With Defense Valuation of Case
The Daily Report - March 2013Trial & Mediation Academy Chair, Faculty Spotlight
GDLA - January 2013Surprise Deal Ends Theater Trial
The Daily Report - December 2012Earns Certified Litigation Management Professional Certification
CLM Press Release - December 2012Victory in ‘Bullying’ Case
DRI, The Voice - August 2012Trial Academy: Training Tomorrow’s Leading Litigators
Georgia Defense Lawyer - July 2012Judge Throws Out Bully Case
The Daily Report - May 2012Role of Bullying in Teen Suicide Disputed
The Daily Report - April 2012Assigning Fault Heard on Appeal
The Daily Report - April 2012Featured Speaker – Litigation Counsel of America
Press Release - December 2011Switch Pays Off for Defense Lawyer
The Daily Report - June 2011Case Highlights Debate Over Apportionment
The Daily Report - June 2010Kia Defends Against Wrongful Death Suit
The Daily Report - June 2010Vassilieva v. Crowe
The Daily Report - April 2010Defense Uses ‘Reptile’ Strategy Against Keenan
The Daily Report - March 2010Technology at Trial – Annual Meeting of the South Dakota Defense Lawyers Association
Effective Trial Strategy for the Defense – Defense Association of New York
Preparing For and Countering The Reptile – Defense Association of New York
Professionalism after the Statewide Judicial Emergency Order
Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism
Trial of the Defense Case – South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys’ Association
Georgia Verdicts and Jury Pools – CPCU I-Day
Strategic Trial Defense – New Jersey Defense Lawyers Association
Anti Reptile For the Defense – USLI
Apportionment: Now Bad for Georgia Business?” – Georgia Defense Lawyers Association
Nuclear Verdicts – Why is this happening? – CPCU Society – Atlanta
Avoiding the ‘Reptile’ in Written Discovery and Depositions – 2019 Annual Meeting of the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys
The Team Approach to the Most Efficient and Best Defense – Defense Research Institute – Retail and Hospitality – Annual Seminar
Orlando, FL
Prosecuting Your Defense at Trial – Defense Research Institute – Younger Lawyers Section – Annual Meeting
Nashville, TN
Effective Defense of the High Risk Case – Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association – Annual Meeting – Jackson, MS
Proving the Defense Case at Trail – Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys – Annual Meeting – Columbus, Ohio
“Reptile” for the Defense – New Jersey Defense Association – Annual Meeting – Lake Placid, NY
Exposing “Reptile” tactics and protecting against jury manipulation – Arkansas Association of Defense Counsel – Annual Meeting – Fort Smith, AR
Effective Trial Strategy for the Defense – DRI Trucking Seminar, Chicago, IL
Countering the “Reptile” strategy – Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association – Annual Meeting, Jackson, MS
Opening Statement and Closing Argument – Georgia Defense Lawyers Association – Trial & Mediation Academy, Pine Mountain, GA
Countering the “Reptile” Strategy
Washington Defense Trial Lawyers – Annual Convention
Victoria, B.C.
Pretrial Strategy for the Defense
Georgia Defense Lawyers Association – Annual Meeting
Palm Beach, FL
FDCC Litigation Management College – Faculty Instructor, Emory University — Download Brochure
DRI 2017 Trucking Law Seminar – Chicago, IL
Atlanta Bar Family Law Trial Skills Seminar – State Bar of Georgia, Atlanta, GA
Georgia Defense Lawyers Association Trial Academy, Pine Mountain, GA
Caging Reptile Lawyers – Montana Defense Trial Lawyers Annual Meeting, Missoula, MT
Effective Trial Strategy for the Defense – Kentucky Defense Counsel Annual Meeting, Lexington, KY
Apportionment of Fault to a Non Party in a Negligent Security Case: Defense Perspective, Premises Liability Seminar – State Bar of Georgia, Atlanta, GA
Georgia Defense Lawyers Association – Annual Meeting, Amelia Island, FL
Litigation Management College – Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Defendants can provoke The Reptile! – Canadian Defence Lawyers Annual General Meeting & Conference, Toronto, Canada
Caging Reptile Lawyers – Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel Webinar
Bridging the Divide: Plaintiff and Defense Counsel, Ethics, Civility, and Mediation Summit (Ethics CLE) – ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section, 2016 ABA TIPS Section Conference, Atlanta, GA — Download Brochure
Effective Jury Selection, Defense Research Institute (DRI) – Trial Tactics Seminar, Phoenix, AZ
GDLA Trial & Mediation Academy – Pine Mountain, GA
Practical Professionalism 2.0, Zurich – Chicago, IL
Oregon Association of Defense Counsel – 2015 Annual Meeting, Sunriver, OR
Georgia Defense Lawyers Association – Annual Meeting, Palm Coast, FL
Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association – 2015 Annual Meeting, Boston, MA
Utah Defense Lawyers Association – 2015 Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT
Catching and Caging Reptile Lawyers, Association of Defense Trial Attorneys – 2015 Annual Meeting, Ponte Vedra, FL
Technology for Lawyers, ICLE, Steamboat Springs, CO – Download Agenda
GDLA Trial & Mediation Academy, Pine Mountain, GA – Download Brochure
Preparing for Battle – Litigation Strategies and Tools, Michigan Defense Trial Counsel, Troy, MI – Download Brochure
Third Party Criminal Act Liability – Premises Liability Seminar, State Bar of Georgia, ICLE, Atlanta, GA
Practical Professionalism — Catholic Mutual Group, Omaha, NE
Controlling “Independent” Counsel Toward Resolution – CLM Regional Seminar, Boston, MA
Caging Reptile Lawyers — Connecticut Defense Lawyers Association
Claims & Litigation Management Alliance – Live Standards Training: Case Assessment and Evaluation, East Edmeston, NY
DRI Trial Tactics Seminar (Faculty)
Opening Statements at Mediation and Trial: Advancing Your Legal Position With Technology — State Bar of Georgia, Live Statewide Satellite Broadcast
Voir Dire/Jury Selection Strategy; Opening Statement – Faculty Demo & Discussion — Trial Academy of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association
Diffusing the “Reptilian Brain” Tactic, Webcast presented by DRI’s Trial Tactics Committee
The Reptile Revolution: Appeal to Juror’s Primitive Instincts – 21st Annual Industry Seminar, Trucking Industry Defense Association (TIDA), Orlando, Florida
Caging the Reptile: Defending against the latest trial tactic of the plaintiff’s bar – Kansas Healthcare Stabilization Fund
Defense of a Personal Injury Case: Effective Use of Technology at Trial – State Bar of Georgia
Convincing a Jury to Apportion Fault – State Bar of Georgia
Apportionment in a Post Tort Reform World – Georgia Defense Lawyers Association
Defense of a Personal Injury Case – State Bar of Georgia
Instructor – Trial Academy of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association
Trying the Un-winnable Case – Effective Use of Technology in the Courtroom, Renaissance Symposium IV of the Litigation Counsel of America
Technology Killed the Dinosaur: How to Defeat the Plaintiffs’ Bars’ Latest Reptile Strategy, DRI Annual Meeting
Defending a Negligent Security Case – Preparing for Trial
Closing Argument: What We Can Learn From Our Younger Days of Show and Tell
Turning the Strategy of the Plaintiff to Your Advantage
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Emerging Technology – What You, Your Faculty & Staff Must Know to Keep Students Safe
Medicare’s New Mandatory Reporting
Yes We Can! Tendering Defense and Indemnity
Excluding Experts Under Daubert
Understanding the Implications of Thurman v. State Farm on Available UM/UIM Coverage Calculations in GA
Deal or No Deal: Defending the Bad Faith Case
How to Try and Lose Your Case in the Media
Mediation: Tips and Tools
Federal Removal Strategies
Third Party Indemnification
Premises Liability Seminar
Conducting an Effective Cross Examination in Georgia
Adjunct Professor of Law, Emory University School of Law
Creation and Existence of Agency Relationship (Georgia Jurisprudence: Employment and Labor), Co-Author, Lawyer’s Cooperative Publishing
Moot Court Success, Sum and Substance, West
Business & Commercial Litigation
Commercial Motor Vehicle
Insurance Coverage
Insurance Defense
Premises Liability
Product Liability
Public Sector Litigation
Matt Moffett is an experienced, civil defense trial lawyer with an established track record of defense verdicts in numerous serious injury and death cases. One notable defense verdict occurred in a wrongful death case where the plaintiff attorney asked the jury to award $20 million, and another occurred in a serious injury case where the plaintiff attorney asked for an award of $9.7 million.
Matt is listed among the top 100 lawyers in Georgia and among the Legal Elite in Georgia, in various news publications. He is the past president of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association, and currently an instructor at the annual GDLA Trial Academy.
Over the last 10 years, Matt has presented as the keynote speaker during the annual meetings of many legal organizations. From Florida to New York, from Washington through Utah and back to Georgia, Matt has presented on effective and professional trial practice to defense lawyers and risk professionals. In 2023, the Defense Research Institute awarded Matt the DRI Fred H. Sievert Award for outstanding bar leadership.
Matt is a Charter Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a member of The Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC), Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (ADTA) and member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He is a Fellow of the Atlanta Bar Foundation, which supports public service projects that assist youth, provides pro bono legal services, and promotes higher education through scholarships.
Married to his high school sweetheart for over 30 years, Matt and Diane have two daughters, one attending UGA in Athens and the other serving as a high school counselor in Chattanooga, TN. The family are longtime members of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, where Matt has chaired the Administrative Board and now teaches in the adult education program while serving in the One Lamb Initiative founded by his wife Diane.
When not lawyering, you likely will find Matt water skiing on a Georgia mountain lake or snow skiing out west. He also is a certified SCUBA diver and has dived both wrecks and reefs all over the Caribbean.
Emory University School of Law
Atlanta, Georgia
1990 J.D.
Honors: Order of the Barristers
Honors: Emory Moot Court Society
1988-1990, Outstanding Member, 1990
Honors: Best Oralist
Georgia Intrastate Moot Court Competition, 1989
Honors: Best Oralist
Regional Rounds, 40th Annual National Moot Court Comp., 1989
Honors: Winner and Best Advocate
40th Annual National Moot Court Competition, 1990
Honors: Recipient
International Academy of Trial Lawyers Litigation Award
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
1987 A.B.J.
Honors: Cum Laude
Honors: Phi Beta Kappa
Bar Admissions
1990 | Georgia
1991 | U.S. District Court Middle District of Georgia
1990 | U.S. District Court Northern District of Georgia
1990 | Georgia Court of Appeals
1990 | U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit
1990 | Supreme Court of Georgia
2013 | United States Supreme Court
2018 |U.S. District Court Southern District of Georgia
