Matthew P. Smith

Office Information
Practice Areas
Matt is a member of Butler Snow’s litigation department and practices within the Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare Group.
Biography – View PDF Bio
- Associations
- Bar Admissions
- Distinctions
- Education & Honors
- Experience
- In the News
- Papers, Presentations, & Publications
Bar Admissions
- California, 2006
- Tennessee, 2019
- U.S. District Courts
- California: Central, Eastern, Northern, Southern
- U.S. Court of Appeals
- 9th Circuit
Distinctions
- Super Lawyers®
- California, Personal Injury: Products, Rising Stars, 2013-2018
Education & Honors
- University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, J.D., 2006
- University of California, Berkeley, B.A., 2003
Experience
- Matthew P. Smith concentrates his practice on complex products liability cases, primarily involving pharmaceutical products and medical devices.
- Matt has substantial experience in complex pharmaceutical actions in both state and federal courts nationwide. He defends manufacturers in cases involving over-the-counter medications, prescription drugs, medical devices, and other products, and has significant involvement with all stages and aspects of cases, including discovery, expert witnesses, trial preparation, and trial.
- Representative matters:
- Representation of pharmaceutical company in state and federal litigation involving claims of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and/or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis from an over-the-counter medication, including serving on the trial team for more than 10 jury trials.
- Representation of pharmaceutical company in thousands of suits in a state coordinated litigation involving claims of gynecomastia and other alleged injuries from a prescription medication.
- Representation of medical device company in state and federal litigation involving claims of injury from use of sutures.
- Representation of company and laboratory in suits alleging HIV and hepatitis exposure from reuse of needles during phlebotomy procedures.
- Representation of company in litigation involving claims of chemical burns from tagless labels in baby clothing.
Papers, Presentations, & Publications
- Co-Author, “FDA Streamlines 510(k) Process, As Courts Reconsider It,” Law 360, November 2018.
- Author, “Tragic, but Is It a Wrongful Death? Tips for Defending a Suicide Case,” The Brief (American Bar Association), Spring 2015.