vCard Matthew J. Tharney is a founding partner of Sattiraju & Tharney, LLP. Matt is an experienced first-chair trial lawyer with a practice focused on commercial disputes and high-stakes personal injury matters.
Areas of Expertise
For more than 20 years, Matt has handled high-stakes personal injury suits involving alleged catastrophic, life-altering injuries. He successfully has handled matters involving brain trauma, severe burns, wrongful death and survivor claims, serious orthopedic injuries, and severe psychological and emotional trauma. Throughout his career handling complex commercial matters, Matt has served select corporate and individual clients involved in substantial commercial disputes across varied industries, including class action litigation. Matt’s product liability experience includes serving as lead counsel in matters involving claims arising from consumer products and commercial equipment. He serves as regional and national coordinating counsel on behalf of several clients for certain claims. On behalf of construction industry clients, Matt has prosecuted and defended significant claims involving alleged construction defect, on-site accidents and contractual disputes.Awards and Affiliations
Since 2010, Matt has been Certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a Civil Trial Attorney, a designation granted only to those attorneys demonstrating superior experience, education, knowledge and skill in civil trial practice. Successful applicants must pass a rigorous written examination and be recommended by judges and peers as possessing the requisite expertise in civil trial practice. Matt currently serves as Chair and Immediate Past President of the Trial Attorneys of New Jersey, a state-wide organization comprised of hundreds of members dedicated to preserving the interests of the public, bench and bar in the trial practice. Matt also was selected to serve a ten-year term as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a global honorary society of attorneys, judges, law faculty and legal scholars whose public and private careers have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the highest principles of the legal profession and to the welfare of their communities. He is a member of the National Trial Lawyers Top 100, an invitation-only professional organization composed of the premier trial lawyers from each region who meet precise qualifications as civil plaintiff and/or criminal defense trial lawyers.* He previously served for years on the National Lawyers’ Committee for the National Center for State Courts, an organization formed to protect and preserve the viability and independence of state judiciaries across the nation. Among other honors, Matt repeatedly has been recognized by the New Jersey Law Journal as a member of the “Litigation Department of the Year.” He also was selected by the New Jersey Law Journal for its “40 Under 40” list, which includes attorneys who stand out as having established themselves “by proven expertise in practice areas, by acceptance of important management roles at their firms, by rain-making ability and by strong community involvement and volunteerism – all of which make up the stuff of future leaders of the profession.”Speaking Engagements
Matt has lectured on topics including trial advocacy, evidence, civil procedure, ethics and HIPAA compliance.Education
He received his B.A., with Highest Honors, from Rutgers College, and his J.D. from University of Pennsylvania Law School. Matt is admitted to practice law in state and federal courts in New Jersey and New York, as well as the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.*No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the New Jersey Supreme Court. Selection process and methodology information can be found at The National Trial Lawyers Top 100.