James W. Matthews is a partner and litigation lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP. He focuses his practice on trying complex business disputes for a variety of businesses, including manufacturers of pharmaceutical products and medical devices. Mr. Matthews has experience as lead counsel to one of the world’s largest generic drug manufacturers in the nationwide Average Wholesale Price litigation. He coordinated the defense of more than 50 separate lawsuits pending in state and federal courts around the country, including a qui tam action under the Federal False Claims Act and numerous civil enforcement actions brought by state attorneys general alleging violations of a variety of state statutes, including state false claims acts.
Mr. Matthews has frequently represented life sciences and technology companies in commercial disputes pending in courts and before arbitrators throughout the country. In the past ten years, his practice has included the representation of major generic pharmaceutical companies in ANDA litigation, antitrust actions, contract disputes, and civil enforcement actions. Mr. Matthews has also represented medical device companies and internet service providers in arbitrations and in patent actions in federal court.
Prior to joining Foley, Mr. Matthews was a partner with K&L Gates. He also was appointed Special Assistant District Attorney for Middlesex County for an interim period. For two years after law school, he clerked for the Hon. John E. Conway, U.S. District Judge for the District of New Mexico.
Mr. Matthews has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in the field of Commercial Litigation (2023), and was also peer Review Rated as AV® Preeminent™, the highest performance rating in Martindale-Hubbell's peer review rating system. In 2016, The Legal 500 recognized Mr. Matthews for his work in healthcare – life sciences. He was also selected for inclusion in the Massachusetts Super Lawyers® list (2006, 2008 – 2013). He was elected to membership in the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC ), This invitation-only membership is comprised of the world’s leading corporate and insurance lawyers and insurance executives.
Mr. Matthews is a frequent speaker on topics covering enterprise risk management; litigation prevention, assessment and management; arbitration of complex business disputes; and depositions.
Mr. Matthews earned his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School (J.D., cum laude, 1990). He received his bachelor’s degree from Bennington College (1983).
Mr. Matthews is admitted to practice in Massachusetts. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association, and the American and Boston Bar Associations’ Health Care Law, Litigation, and Business Law Sections. Mr. Matthews is also a member of the Defense Research Institute and its Drug and Medical Devices, Medical and Health Care Law, Construction Law, and ADR Sections.