Matt Donohue
Partner
Matt Donohue
+1.503.517.2913
Overview
Matt Donohue is a nationally recognized trial lawyer and trusted advisor to businesses facing their most complex, high‑stakes disputes. With nearly 30 years of experience, Mr. Donohue serves as practice group leader of Holland & Knight's West Coast Litigation Practice Group, overseeing more than 50 litigators across California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado. His leadership experience extends beyond the West Coast, including prior service as co‑leader of the firm's Class Action Litigation and Arbitration Team.
Clients describe Mr. Donohue to Chambers USA as "the go-to attorney for large, complex litigation" and "a total package trial lawyer: strong at strategy, great at execution and particularly excellent on his feet with openings, closings and witnesses." He brings a combination of commercial sophistication and comfort in the courtroom, and clients value his ability to distill complex issues into clear, actionable strategies for senior leadership.
Mr. Donohue's work focuses on complex commercial and bet‑the‑company litigation, class actions, antitrust matters, securities litigation and intellectual property disputes. He represents clients in federal and state courts across a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, government, technology and real estate. He also advises companies on multijurisdictional disputes and parallel proceedings involving significant operational or financial exposure.
In addition to his litigation practice, Mr. Donohue plays a central role in shaping Holland & Knight's West Coast litigation platform. He focuses on talent development, strategic growth and cross‑office collaboration, with an emphasis on strengthening client service and expanding the firm's capabilities across key markets. Through this work, he helps build integrated teams that bring deep subject matter knowledge and consistent execution to complex, high-stakes matters.
Mr. Donohue began his career as a judicial law clerk to the late Honorable Neal P. McCurn of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, as well as in the New York State Court of Appeals.
Representative Experience
- Lead trial counsel representing a regulated utility in large scale, high-profile litigation arising from catastrophic wildfire events, involving coordinated proceedings, complex damages issues and significant financial exposure
- Co-lead trial counsel defending a company in public nuisance, negligence and related claims brought by a governmental entity, asserting unprecedented theories of climate-related liability and seeking extraordinary damages
- Lead trial counsel defending a multinational manufacturing company in a nationwide product liability and regulatory compliance dispute involving environmental standards, complex statutory frameworks and cross-border considerations
- Lead trial counsel representing a commercial real estate investor in claims for breach of fiduciary duty and negligent misrepresentation arising from the acquisition of a high-value property involving governmental tenants
- Lead trial counsel representing a public healthcare entity in high-stakes litigation involving statutory authority, governance and operational control, including claims seeking injunctive relief that would have shut down essential healthcare services
- Lead trial counsel representing a state regulatory body in constitutional litigation challenging mandatory professional licensing requirements, including successfully defending summary judgment and appellate proceedings
- Co-lead trial counsel representing manufacturing company in an $80 million dispute with supplier, resulting in claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, unjust enrichment and trade secret misappropriation in arbitration
- Co-lead trial counsel representing financial services company in claims for $50 million by receiver for investment pools alleging breach of fiduciary duty, negligence and aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty arising from an alleged Ponzi scheme in Washington state court
- Lead trial counsel defending national boutique coffee chain in claims for breach and intentional interference with contract in Washington state court and arbitration
- Co-lead trial counsel defeating $600 million trade secret claims under the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) at summary judgment on behalf of energy company in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and defeating alternative claims in motions in limine
- Lead trial counsel obtaining a seven-figure jury verdict on claims for breach of an oral distribution contract, breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing, and intentional interference with economic relations in Oregon federal court on behalf of a Canadian distribution company
- Co-lead trial counsel obtaining a judgment dismissing fraud and breach of contract counterclaims for $65 million in a two-week trial in Nevada state court on behalf of a multinational athletic apparel company
- Lead trial counsel defending a multinational dental equipment manufacturer and family shareholders in preliminary injunction and related bet-the-company litigation filed by a dissident shareholder seeking control of company in Oregon state court, resulting in a favorable settlement
- Lead trial counsel representing franchisor in a $15 million trade secret dispute in arbitration, including dismissing franchisees' fraud claims and obtaining order compelling arbitration
- Represented a state in $1 billion breach of contract, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and related claims in Oregon state and federal court arising from failed implementation of healthcare software
- Lead counsel representing a physician group in a state antitrust investigation by Oregon Department of Justice
- Lead trial counsel representing a company in a $30 million breach of contract and fraud claims arising from a failed acquisition in Delaware federal court
- Lead trial counsel representing an Israeli company against breach of contract and fraud claims asserting $18 million in damages and prosecuting breach of contract counterclaims for $5 million in damages in arbitration in New York
- Lead trial counsel representing a client against fraud and negligence claims asserting $14 million in damages in Florida federal court
- Lead trial counsel representing a technology client against claims for breach of a patent licensing agreement in an expedited arbitration in Washington
- Co-lead trial counsel representing a Nevada oilfield services provider in prosecuting minority shareholder oppression claims seeking $25 million in damages in both Oregon state and federal court, Nevada state court and in an international arbitration
- Represented a court-appointed fiduciary in asserting fraudulent transfer, intentional interference and related tort claims, resulting in more than $3 million recovery on behalf of the estate in Washington state court
- Lead trial counsel defending a national retailer in a putative nationwide class action alleging violations of federal and state privacy, wiretapping and consumer protection statutes arising from the use of website analytics and tracking technologies
- Lead trial counsel representing a healthcare services provider in a first-of-its-kind privacy class action challenging the application of state wiretapping statutes to online consumer communications
- Lead trial counsel defending a national insurer in a putative class action alleging violations of state consumer protection statutes and challenging core claims-handling practices, with alleged exposure in the hundreds of millions of dollars
- Lead trial counsel representing a professional services and workforce solutions provider in a putative class action arising from the administration of federal pandemic-era tax credit programs, raising novel regulatory and contractual issues
- Co-lead trial counsel defending financial services company in securities fraud class action brought by real estate investors alleging violation of the Oregon Securities Law in Oregon state court and the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, arising from an alleged Ponzi scheme
- Lead trial counsel representing a drug manufacturer in multidistrict litigation (MDL) captioned In re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation against claims alleging the fraudulent promotion of opioids, among other things, in Ohio federal court
- Lead trial counsel representing a food and beverage company in a class action alleging violation of the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act (CLRA), unfair competition, breach of warranty and unjust enrichment in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and parallel state regulatory enforcement action arising from wine labeling practices
- Lead trial counsel defeating a national class action at summary judgment on claims for breach of contract, civil conspiracy, unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duty and consumer fraud in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona arising from benefits provided under an auto insurer's medical payments coverage; defended victory on appeal at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- Represented a government contractor in related class actions in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington challenging fundamental business practices
- Lead trial counsel defending an insurer in numerous state courts and state MDLs alleging the fraudulent promotion of opioids
- Lead trial counsel defeating class action claims against a company for alleged deceptive practices and unjust enrichment related to insurance subrogation claims in Washington state and federal court
- Co-lead trial counsel defending class action claims for breach of contract and unjust enrichment related to personal injury protection payments to medical providers in Washington state court
- Lead trial counsel obtaining summary judgment dismissal of class action claims for breach of contract related to statutory insurance disclosures in Nevada federal court
- Co-lead trial counsel obtaining orders striking plaintiff's expert and granting summary judgment dismissal of class action claims for breach of contract related to payment of "diminished value" damages in Washington federal court
Credentials
Education
- City University of New York, J.D.
- University of Oklahoma, B.A.
Bar Admissions/Licenses
- New York
- Oregon
- Washington
Court Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon
- All Trial Courts in Washington
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
Memberships
- Hacienda CDC, Board of Directors, 2025-Present
- Multnomah Bar Foundation, Immediate Past President, 2019; President, 2018; Vice Chair, 2017; Member, 2015-2018
- Oregon State Bar, Chair, Antitrust Section Executive Committee, 2017
- Federal Bar Association
- U.S. Supreme Court Historical Society
- Leadership Portland, Class of 2010
Honors & Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America guide, Commercial Litigation, 2015-2026
- Chambers USA – America's Leading Business Lawyers guide, Litigation: General Commercial, 2019-2026
- Oregon Super Lawyers magazine, 2013-2025
- Top 50, Oregon Super Lawyers magazine, 2015-2024