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Matthew H. Haverstick

For 25 years, Matt Haverstick has represented government officials, private entities and individuals in high-profile, media intensive litigation and appeals, ranging from major grand jury investigations to Pennsylvania Supreme Court arguments over the constitutionality of state laws. Referred to in media reports as “counsel of choice for state Republicans in a number of recent policy fights” for his work on matters that garner national press attention, Matt has a strong understanding of local, state and federal governments, their stakeholders and the media.

Matt also specializes in defending religious organizations in criminal, grand jury and civil investigations of sexual abuse. He is well known for his ability to defend important government public policy decisions in front of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, having argued there 7 times in the past few years. Matt also frequently represents both private and public entities in white collar criminal matters, regulatory investigations and high stakes civil litigation.

Matt understands the critical importance of serving as a trusted advisor and counselor to his clients and not just as their litigation counsel.  He is adept at handling media inquiries often acting as a spokesman on behalf of his clients in high profile matters and has been interviewed and featured in articles in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, NPR, Time, the BBC and other national and international print and television outlets. He has handled various high profile matters with success, including his litigation against the NCAA which overturned all sanctions against Penn State and caused the NCAA’s ceding of control of a $60 million trust, resulting in the funds being solely spent in Pennsylvania to combat child abuse.

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Matthew H. Haverstick

Managing Partner
Litigation Department
215.496.7225
[email protected]

Education

Fordham University Law School (J.D., 1996)
Editor, Fordham Law Review
Moot Court Board Member
Mulligan Moot Court Competition Finalist
Rendigs National Moot Court Competition

Bucknell University (B.A., 1992)

Practice Areas

Admissions

Pennsylvania
Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Middle District of Pennsylvania
Southern District of New York
Eastern District of New York
United States Supreme Court

Professional Highlights

Memberships
Co-Chair, American Bar Association, Criminal Justice Section, White Collar Crime Committee, Public Corruption and Extortion Sub Committee

Board Member, Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency

Philadelphia Bar Association

Recognition and Accomplishments

Matt is listed in Chambers USA: The Client’s Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the area of Commercial Litigation (2015 – present), is recognized as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, and has been named in the 2020 and 2021 editions of The Best Lawyers in America in the area of Criminal Defense: White-Collar.

Speaking and Publications
Quoted, Despite Abuse Horrors, Attys Feel Duty To Defend The Church, Law360, August 17, 2018

Presentation before the United States Representatives regarding the NCAA Accountability Act and the recommended restructuring necessary to ensure that the NCAA can truly follow its original by-laws; hosted by U.S. Representatives Charlie Dent, Bobby Rush, John Katko, and Joyce Beatty, October 2015.

The Future of Robinson Township in the Courts, Philadelphia Bar Institute Seventh Annual Oil and Gas Law Colloquium, September 2015

Prior Experience
Prior to joining Kleinbard, Matt was a partner at Conrad O’Brien PC.  He has also practiced at Barley Snyder, Arkin Kaplan & Cohen and Proskauer Rose.

Representative Matters

  • Defeated quo warranto challenge to sitting District Attorney’s right to hold office in matter involving interpretation of the County Code.
  • Represents two Roman Catholic Dioceses in grand jury and civil investigations of child sexual abuse and related matters
  • In Election Code challenge, sought and received court order removing lieutenant governor candidate from the ballot because of his ineligibility for office under the Pennsylvania Constitution
  • Represented two State Senators in quo warranto action against county sheriff, resulting in sheriff’s resignation after injunction hearing.
  • Successfully sought order from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in its King’s Bench jurisdiction granting relief to the Pennsylvania Senate from a Court-ordered deadline.
  • Represents Pennsylvania in litigation against Delaware pending in the United States Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction over multi-million dollar unclaimed property liability.
  • Successfully represented Pennsylvania Senate Republican Caucus in amending constitutional ballot question.
  • Successfully argued in Pennsylvania Supreme Court to reverse Gov. Tom Wolf’s firing of Office of Open Records Executive Director Erik Arneson.
  • Represented Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman in successfully suing the NCAA to revoke the NCAA’s “Consent Decree” and all accompanying punishments on Penn State University, and in defending the constitutionality of a state law directing the NCAA’s unprecedented $60 million fine of Penn State fund child abuse programs in Pennsylvania.
  • Represented, as outside litigation counsel, the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, the state agency that oversees the finances of the City of Pittsburgh.
  • Represents multiple beer trade industry groups in litigation and regulatory matters, including before the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
  • Conducted internal investigation of the Coatesville Area School District and uncovered rampant theft, mismanagement and lack of effective governance at senior administrative and board level, which resulted in a several hundred page investigative report (publicly released) detailing the fraud and lack of internal controls and recommended sweeping overhaul of internal district policies.
  • Represented Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in state grand jury investigation and argued on behalf of the Turnpike Commission in Supreme Court on availability of state agencies to invoke attorney client privilege in grand jury investigations
  • Headed a team of lawyers in representing the State Senate Republican Caucus and approximately 60 individuals in State House Democratic Caucus in connection with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Bonusgate investigation.
  • Represented the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission in defending the constitutionality of the State’s Marcellus Shale law, arguing as lead counsel before the Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court.
  • Represented a prominent Philadelphia law firm in legal malpractice action involving a multi-million dollar construction project with a Commonwealth entity.
  • Argued before Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court on behalf of a charter school seeking relief from an imposed student enrollment cap.
  • Argued before Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court on behalf of the State Senate on the Senate’s ability to invoke attorney-client privilege in response to a right-to-know law request.
  • Represented the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in federal and state redistricting litigation.
  • Ongoing representation of the Senate Republican Caucus in a wide variety of matters.
  • Represented multiple charter schools involved in federal criminal investigations.
  • Represented gaming company in grand jury investigation.
  • Represented executive branch agency’s chief counsel in grand jury investigation.
  • Represented state legislators in multiple criminal and civil rights matters.

Matthew H. Haverstick

Managing Partner
Litigation Department
215.496.7225
[email protected]

For 25 years, Matt Haverstick has represented government officials, private entities and individuals in high-profile, media intensive litigation and appeals, ranging from major grand jury investigations to Pennsylvania Supreme Court arguments over the constitutionality of state laws. Referred to in media reports as “counsel of choice for state Republicans in a number of recent policy fights” for his work on matters that garner national press attention, Matt has a strong understanding of local, state and federal governments, their stakeholders and the media.

Matt also specializes in defending religious organizations in criminal, grand jury and civil investigations of sexual abuse. He is well known for his ability to defend important government public policy decisions in front of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, having argued there 7 times in the past few years. Matt also frequently represents both private and public entities in white collar criminal matters, regulatory investigations and high stakes civil litigation.

Matt understands the critical importance of serving as a trusted advisor and counselor to his clients and not just as their litigation counsel.  He is adept at handling media inquiries often acting as a spokesman on behalf of his clients in high profile matters and has been interviewed and featured in articles in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, NPR, Time, the BBC and other national and international print and television outlets. He has handled various high profile matters with success, including his litigation against the NCAA which overturned all sanctions against Penn State and caused the NCAA’s ceding of control of a $60 million trust, resulting in the funds being solely spent in Pennsylvania to combat child abuse.

Representative Matters

  • Defeated quo warranto challenge to sitting District Attorney’s right to hold office in matter involving interpretation of the County Code.
  • Represents two Roman Catholic Dioceses in grand jury and civil investigations of child sexual abuse and related matters
  • In Election Code challenge, sought and received court order removing lieutenant governor candidate from the ballot because of his ineligibility for office under the Pennsylvania Constitution
  • Represented two State Senators in quo warranto action against county sheriff, resulting in sheriff’s resignation after injunction hearing.
  • Successfully sought order from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in its King’s Bench jurisdiction granting relief to the Pennsylvania Senate from a Court-ordered deadline.
  • Represents Pennsylvania in litigation against Delaware pending in the United States Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction over multi-million dollar unclaimed property liability.
  • Successfully represented Pennsylvania Senate Republican Caucus in amending constitutional ballot question.
  • Successfully argued in Pennsylvania Supreme Court to reverse Gov. Tom Wolf’s firing of Office of Open Records Executive Director Erik Arneson.
  • Represented Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman in successfully suing the NCAA to revoke the NCAA’s “Consent Decree” and all accompanying punishments on Penn State University, and in defending the constitutionality of a state law directing the NCAA’s unprecedented $60 million fine of Penn State fund child abuse programs in Pennsylvania.
  • Represented, as outside litigation counsel, the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, the state agency that oversees the finances of the City of Pittsburgh.
  • Represents multiple beer trade industry groups in litigation and regulatory matters, including before the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
  • Conducted internal investigation of the Coatesville Area School District and uncovered rampant theft, mismanagement and lack of effective governance at senior administrative and board level, which resulted in a several hundred page investigative report (publicly released) detailing the fraud and lack of internal controls and recommended sweeping overhaul of internal district policies.
  • Represented Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in state grand jury investigation and argued on behalf of the Turnpike Commission in Supreme Court on availability of state agencies to invoke attorney client privilege in grand jury investigations
  • Headed a team of lawyers in representing the State Senate Republican Caucus and approximately 60 individuals in State House Democratic Caucus in connection with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Bonusgate investigation.
  • Represented the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission in defending the constitutionality of the State’s Marcellus Shale law, arguing as lead counsel before the Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court.
  • Represented a prominent Philadelphia law firm in legal malpractice action involving a multi-million dollar construction project with a Commonwealth entity.
  • Argued before Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court on behalf of a charter school seeking relief from an imposed student enrollment cap.
  • Argued before Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court on behalf of the State Senate on the Senate’s ability to invoke attorney-client privilege in response to a right-to-know law request.
  • Represented the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in federal and state redistricting litigation.
  • Ongoing representation of the Senate Republican Caucus in a wide variety of matters.
  • Represented multiple charter schools involved in federal criminal investigations.
  • Represented gaming company in grand jury investigation.
  • Represented executive branch agency’s chief counsel in grand jury investigation.
  • Represented state legislators in multiple criminal and civil rights matters.

Education

Fordham University Law School (J.D., 1996)
Editor, Fordham Law Review
Moot Court Board Member
Mulligan Moot Court Competition Finalist
Rendigs National Moot Court Competition

Bucknell University (B.A., 1992)

Admissions

Pennsylvania
Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Middle District of Pennsylvania
Southern District of New York
Eastern District of New York
United States Supreme Court

Professional Highlights

Memberships
Co-Chair, American Bar Association, Criminal Justice Section, White Collar Crime Committee, Public Corruption and Extortion Sub Committee

Board Member, Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency

Philadelphia Bar Association

Recognition and Accomplishments

Matt is listed in Chambers USA: The Client’s Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the area of Commercial Litigation (2015 – present), is recognized as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, and has been named in the 2020 and 2021 editions of The Best Lawyers in America in the area of Criminal Defense: White-Collar.

Speaking and Publications
Quoted, Despite Abuse Horrors, Attys Feel Duty To Defend The Church, Law360, August 17, 2018

Presentation before the United States Representatives regarding the NCAA Accountability Act and the recommended restructuring necessary to ensure that the NCAA can truly follow its original by-laws; hosted by U.S. Representatives Charlie Dent, Bobby Rush, John Katko, and Joyce Beatty, October 2015.

The Future of Robinson Township in the Courts, Philadelphia Bar Institute Seventh Annual Oil and Gas Law Colloquium, September 2015

Prior Experience
Prior to joining Kleinbard, Matt was a partner at Conrad O’Brien PC.  He has also practiced at Barley Snyder, Arkin Kaplan & Cohen and Proskauer Rose.