Overview
 

Matthew Slaughter is a commercial litigator and trusted outside counsel who embeds himself in his clients’ operations. He works alongside executives and ownership groups to spot risk, tighten contracts, and resolve problems before they escalate—and when
they do, he tries them. Licensed in both Louisiana and Alabama, Matt represents a growing portfolio of regional and national companies, startups, and high-net-worth individuals, serving as the first call for legal issues ranging from contract interpretation and employment matters to intellectual property, data privacy, and regulatory compliance.

 

Matt’s litigation practice spans complex commercial disputes, including trade-secret and trademark claims, breach-of-fiduciary-duty actions, shareholder and partnership disputes, construction litigation, and insurance-coverage matters. He regularly obtains and defends against emergency injunctive relief and handles third-party subpoena disputes. As both trial counsel and outside general counsel, Matt understands the business decisions driving the legal questions, not just the other way around.
 
Before private practice, Matt served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert G. James and Karen L. Hayes of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. He maintains an active pro bono practice, including representing petitioners in federal court under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, and serves as a board member and executive committee member of the Pro Bono Project.

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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.

• ​Lead trial counsel securing complete victory in business-divorce dispute between partners, obtaining six-figure judgment with attorneys’ fees and costs in breach of contract action in Louisiana District Court.

• Secured seven-figure federal court settlement on trade-secret, breach-of-contract, and unfair-trade-practices claims arising from a $1.19 billion government project.

• Successfully represented national franchisor in dismissal of former CEO’s quo warranto petition challenging his termination and removal from board, securing ruling that validated corporate governance actions in high-stakes leadership dispute. 

• 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.

• Successfully obtained and defeated injunctive relief in both state and federal courts, including matters involving trade secrets, non-compete agreements, commercial contracts and property rights.

 

Professional Affiliations

 

• Pro Bono Project – Board of Directors (2020-present); Secretary and Executive Committee member (2024-present); and Justice for All Ball Co-Chair 2023 and committee member (2020-present)

• New Orleans Bar Association – Young Lawyers Section Executive Council Member (2021-present); YLS Public Service Co-Chair (2022-present); and YLS Bench Bar Committee Chair (2024-present)

• New Orleans Bar Foundation – Board of Directors (2025-2026)

• Federal Bar Association – Justice Camp Instructor 

 

Honors & Recognition

 

• Louisiana State Bar Association Young Lawyer Division’s Top 40 Award (2023)

• Leadership in Law, New Orleans CityBusiness (2023)

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

• Commercial Litigation (2021-2025), Litigation - Construction (2021-2025), The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch 

• Louisiana Super Lawyers Rising Stars list, Super Lawyers (2023-2026)

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Admissions

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• Louisiana (2017)

• Alabama (2015)

• U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals (2018)

• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana (2018)

• U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana (2018)

• U.S. District Court, Middle District of Louisiana (2018)

• U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals (2017)

• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama (2017)

• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Alabama (2017)

• U.S. District Court, Middle District of Alabama (2017)

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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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Speaking Engagements

 

• Louisiana State Bar Association, “Drones Over the Delta: Legal Considerations for Unmanned Aircraft in Louisiana” (2024)

• Louisiana State Bar Association, “Staying Compliant in a Changing Landscape: What You Need to Know About the Corporate Transparency Act and Louisiana’s Statutory Employer Law” (2024)

• New Orleans Bar Association, “Direct Examinations: Getting in Critical Evidence” (2023)

• New Orleans Bar Association, “Ethical Considerations in Navigating New Technology and Social Media” (2021 and 2022)

• Lorman Educational Services, “How to Stop and Remove Online Counterfeiting and Infringements” (2021)

• New Orleans Bar Association, “The Dos and Don’ts of Summer Clerkships” (2020)