Overview
 

Matthew Slaughter handles complex commercial litigation for a diverse group of regional and national businesses in corporate and shareholder disputes, breach-of-contract matters, construction disputes, employment disputes, data privacy breaches, intellectual property disputes and catastrophic personal injury matters. He also frequently represents clients opposing and responding to third-party subpoenas, manages complex electronic discovery efforts, secures and defends against time-sensitive injunctive proceedings, and offers general counsel to tech startup and UAS (drone) companies.
 

Matt previously served as a law clerk for the Hon. Robert G. James and Karen L. Hayes of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. He also maintains a robust pro bono practice that includes handling matters in federal court under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

 

Professional Experience

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• Trial counsel in a highly publicized multi-day jury trial in federal court, obtaining favorable settlement mid-trial for a nonprofit association over trademark infringement and misappropriation of trade secrets claims.

• Defeated ad valorem tax assessments in excess of $3 million issued against a publicly traded parking services company by securing judgment in client’s favor.

• Obtained court ruling to enforce all provisions of commercial license agreement used in Louisiana and in multiple other states, including early injunctive relief to stop future license violations.

• Lead trial counsel in securing federal court victory for pro bono client under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

• Successfully appealed to Alabama Supreme Court, reversing trial court summary judgment ruling, and negotiated favorable settlement for client following the appellate win.

• Successfully defended and obtained favorable settlement for tech startup against claims of misappropriation of trade secrets and conversion in federal court.

 

Professional Affiliations

 

• Pro Bono Project - Board of Directors (2020 – present), Justice For All Ball Co-Chair (2023) and Committee Member (2020-2023)

• New Orleans Bar Association - Procrastinators’ Program CLE Instructor (2021-2023), Young Lawyers Section Treasurer (2024), YLS Executive Council Member (2021-2024), Bar & Grill Chair (2023), Public Service Co-Chair (2022-2023), Pro-Bowl-O Chair (2022), Summer Associates Do’s and Don’ts Chair (2020), and Big Easy Bootcamp Co-Chair (2019)

• Louisiana State Bar Association – Suit Up for the Future Diversity Program Instructor

• Federal Bar Association

 

Honors & Recognition

 

• Commercial Litigation (2021-2024), Litigation - Construction (2021-2024), The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch 

• Louisiana Super Lawyers Rising Stars list, Super Lawyers (2023-2024)

• Leadership in Law, New Orleans CityBusiness (2023)

• Pro Bono Publico Award, Louisiana State Bar Association (2020) 

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Admissions

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• Louisiana

• Alabama

• U. S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals 

• U. S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals

• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama

• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama

• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana

• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana

• U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana

• Judicial Law Clerk for Hon. Robert G. James, U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana

• Judicial Law Clerk for Hon. Karen L. Haynes, U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana

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Publications

• Using Electronic Contracts and Signatures While Social Distancing, American Bar Association Practice Pointers (Sept. 29, 2020).

• Erratic Approaches to Substantive Changes on Errata Sheets, BIRMINGHAM BAR BULLETIN (Spring 2018).

• Supreme Court’s Treatment of Drug Detection Dogs Doesn’t Pass the Sniff Test, 19 NEW CRIM. L. REV. 279 (2016).

• First Amendment Right to Record Police: When Clearly Established is Not Clear Enough, 49 J. MARSHALL L. REV. 101 (2016).

• The Barriers of Facebook’s Terms of Service Agreement: Hardships Placed On Fiduciaries Access to Digital Assets, 24 INFO. & COMM. TECH. L. (2015).

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