Matthew J. Jacobs is a decorated former federal prosecutor who is Chair of the firm’s litigation practice in California. Matt is an experienced trial lawyer who, in addition to handling complex civil litigation, represents public company boards, audit committees, companies and executives in anti-corruption, fraud and related internal and government investigations. Matt also advises on due diligence and compliance matters and helps his clients navigate around and through issues that threaten their reputations and their business.

Matt has been consistently ranked by Chambers (2015-2024) and has been regularly recognized by The Legal 500 (2015-2024) for antitrust, dispute resolution, corporate defense and white collar criminal defense in the U.S. and Latin America; is ranked top 100 by the National Trial Lawyers (2020); has been listed by the Global Investigative Review (2020) was one of Lawdragon's top 500 lawyers in America (2021); and has been listed by San Francisco Magazine as a leading lawyer for 20 years.

Matt has experience defending companies in the sectors of technology, financial services, health care, energy and heavy industry, and has achieved notable victories for clients as they navigate through complex regulatory environments.

As a federal prosecutor in the Justice Department, Matt successfully co-led the prosecutions of Enron's energy traders for their roles in the manipulation of California energy markets. He won an FBI Director's Award for that work, and another Director's Award for a first-of-its kind prosecution of a medical device manufacturer for deaths caused in the malfunction of a heart stent.

Matt was based in the Northern District of California and served in the white collar and securities enforcement sections. As a prosecutor, he tried over a dozen cases to verdict.
For the last 20 years, Matt has been on the defense side.  Matt is particularly known for giving practical and strategic advice, and for his doggedness in fighting for his clients' interests. Matt is skilled in handling antitrust (cartel) matters before U.S. and foreign antitrust authorities, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations, financial fraud and whistleblower allegations.

Matt is particularly effective in dealing with high profile and politically sensitive cases. Before he was a lawyer, Matt was an award winning journalist for a daily newspaper in Shreveport, Louisiana. While serving in the Justice Department, he was appointed by Robert S. Mueller III, who was then serving as US Attorney for the Northern District of California, as spokesman for the Department in Northern California and handled all media and press inquiries regarding federal criminal matters for six years.

Matt also has an active pro bono docket and has in the past served on the Criminal Justice Act Panel based on an appointment from the judges of the Northern District of California, representing indigent criminal defendants in federal cases, as well as handling appeals before the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

He graduated Order of the Coif from Stanford Law School and served as an editor on the Law Review, and also holds a Master's degree in Journalism with honors from the Medill School at Northwestern University. He served as a law clerk to the Honorable Walter J. Cummings on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals based in Chicago.