People

Matthew Sheridan
Matthew G. Sheridan
Partner

Overview

Matt Sheridan guides clients through disputes. He has represented plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of high-stakes, complex commercial matters in both state and federal courts and in arbitration within the energy, chemical, healthcare, and power industries.

Matt has extensive experience defending claims for benefits and breach of fiduciary duty under ERISA, including class actions. He also represents companies in a broad range of commercial litigation, including securities litigation, consumer claims, personal injury, and business litigation involving fraud, trade secret, and contract claims. He routinely advises clients in all stages of litigation, guiding them through pre-litigation claim assessment and analysis, strategically navigating pre-trial discovery and motion practice, and advocating for his clients at trial and on appeal.

Before joining Baker Botts, Matt served as a law clerk to the Honorable Lynn N. Hughes of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

Admissions & Affiliations

  • State Bar of Texas
  • United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Tenth Circuits
  • United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas
  • United States District Court for the District of Colorado
  • United States District Court for the District of North Dakota

Education

  • J.D., Baylor Law School 2013
    magna cum laude
    Senior Executive Editor, Baylor Law Review
  • B.A., Baylor University 2010
    magna cum laude

Experience

Commercial Litigation

  • Representation of various power generation companies in multi-district litigation related to Winter Storm Uri.
  • Obtained permanent injunction for international pipe manufacturer in breach of contract and theft of trade secrets dispute.
  • Obtained summary judgment for commercial insurer based on policy exclusions for experimental and investigative treatment.
  • Obtained favorable settlement for claims administrator based on claim for unfunded benefits under services agreement.
  • Representation of petrochemical company in dispute concerning licensing agreement.
  • Representation of health insurance company in antitrust and RICO action.
  • Representation of privately held corporation in fraud and securities case.

ERISA Litigation

  • Obtained dismissal of putative ERISA class action involving over 10,000 participants (Quigley v. ConocoPhillips Company, et al., Case No. 4:24-cv-00508, Southern District of Texas).
  • Defeated class certification in putative ERISA class action involving over 4,000 participants (Myers v. Administrative Committee of Seventy Seven Energy, Inc. Retirement & Savings Plan, Civ-17-200-D, Western District of Oklahoma).
  • Schlumberger Limited – National counsel in variety of ERISA benefits and breach of fiduciary duty litigation.
  • National counsel to large health insurance company in variety of commercial, class action, and ERISA litigation and arbitration matters.
  • ConocoPhillips – ERISA benefits litigation.
  • Obtained dismissal in favor of oilfield services company in ERISA benefits case (Hofland v. Schlumberger Technology Corporation, 2018 WL 2011916 (D.N.D. April 30, 2018)).
  • Obtained dismissal of amended class allegations in suit involving class action claims for benefits, breach of fiduciary duty, and other equitable relief.

Appeals

  • Affirmance of dismissal for lack of standing of takings, ultra vires, and several other claims against river authority arising from operation of hydroelectric dams (Williams v. Guadalupe Blanco River Authority, No. 04-20-00445-CV, 2021 WL 2814902 (Tex. App.—San Antonio July 7 2021, pet. denied) (mem. op.)).
  • Briefed successful appeal resulting in the reversal of a multi-million-dollar jury award and the rendition of a take nothing judgment in benzene exposure case. (Dahlin v. Lyondell Chemical Company, et al., 881 F.3d 599 (8th Cir. 2018)).