Matthew C. Luzadder

Matthew Luzadder is managing partner of the firm's Chicago office. Matt focuses his practice on white-collar crime and internal investigations, commercial litigation and labor and employment law matters. In each of these areas, he brings knowledge of the laws and regulations, combined with the perspective of how companies can best structure their business practices to mitigate risk and achieve favorable results.

Matt’s clients include national and global corporations, a myriad of institutional organizations, privately-owned businesses, and start-up and fast-growth companies. Matt advises the leading financial services organizations, as well as companies operating in blockchain technology and other emerging markets. He also represents the country’s foremost general and specialty contractors, as well as some of the largest developers, generators and distributors in the traditional and renewable energy sectors. He practices in both Illinois and Florida, and is a non-practicing solicitor in England and Wales.

Matt represents companies on a variety of government investigations, such as investigations conducted by the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Department of Treasury, including FinCEN and OFAC, as well as foreign law enforcement entities. He is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist® (CAMS) by the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists, and recognized by BTI Consulting as a Client Service All-Star in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2019 and MVP Labor and Employment specialist in 2015.

His experience includes investigating claims that range from harassment to kickbacks and embezzlement. Matt first seeks to resolve potential disputes before they can evolve into litigation through negotiation and alternative dispute resolution. Matt is committed to understanding his clients’ specific needs and opposing party’s point of view, in order to achieve favorable results. Notably, Matt co-authored a chapter on the topic of negotiation for Reuter’s Business and Commercial Litigation in Federal Court published in 2016 and updated annually.

Matt is also a capable litigator. Where settlement has not been possible, he has ended cases with dispositive motions and obtained court orders granting injunctions, motions to dismiss and summary judgment. He has successfully litigated breach of contract, tortious interference, false advertising, trade secrets, trademark infringement, and various other related commercial claims, as well as product liability and toxic substance cases. Matt defends businesses in employment actions in federal court and before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, as well as before various state agencies and in response to charges of discrimination, retaliation and Equal Pay Act and Fair Labor Standards Act violations.

Matt counsels both Fortune 500 and Inc. 500 companies, restaurant ventures, private equity firms and financial institutions as they overcome legal and regulatory challenges. These challenges include data privacy and security, anti-money laundering, fraud prevention, and other consumer protection issues. Matt has drafted and assisted clients in implementing best practices guides, risk assessments, internal policies, procedures and controls, and conducted compliance reviews for clients, including large, multi-national organizations. This includes comprehensive site reviews of clients’ domestic and off-shore compliance and operations centers.

Matt is fluent in issues ranging from SEC reporting and compliance, to negotiating service contracts and software licensing agreements. Matt also has particular knowledge of the complexities of payment systems and the financial system. A prolific speaker and writer, Matt is a member of the faculty at Nacha’s Payments Institute, where he teaches classes on risk management, compliance and contractual negotiations.

Valued by both his clients and colleagues for creativity and resourcefulness, Matt is a pragmatic and effective negotiator and advisor. A dedicated listener who is responsive and diplomatic, Matt has resolved matters that range from several million to over $100 million. His clients appreciate that he consistently thinks broadly, but is also dedicated to all of the “moving parts” and micro issues to achieve his client’s goals.