Matthew David Ridings

Practices

• Antitrust, Competition & Distribution
• Business Litigation

Professional Experience

Matt is an associate in the firm's Competition, Antitrust & White-Collar Crime practice group. Matt's practice covers the landscape of competition related matters, but focuses on antitrust counseling, investigations, and related civil and criminal litigation; white collar crime and internal investigations, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; product sales and distribution counseling and litigation; trade secrets and unfair competition; intellectual property litigation and licensing; and commercial litigation. Matt is an experienced litigator that has won jury verdicts in civil and criminal court and has represented both domestic and foreign defendants in criminal investigations and prosecutions.

In addition to litigation, Matt proactively counsels clients on antitrust compliance and, product distribution law, including intellectual property licensing and its antitrust effects. Matt has drafted and negotiated distributor and franchise agreements, licensing agreements, sales representative agreements, and other general commercial contracts.

Education

• Washington and Lee University School of Law, J.D., 2005, cum laude
• Indiana University, B.S., 2002

• White Collar Crime
• Won jury verdict acquitting construction executive of all charges in federal corruption prosecution (only defendant to win acquittal in 55+ charged).
• Represented foreign executive in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
  investigation.
• Investigated allegations of insider trading surrounding a private equity buyout.
• Investigated bribery allegations in connection with construction of public works project
• Investigated allegations of fraudulent statements made in connection with the sale of securities.
• Investigation of purported kickback scheme in connection with the sale of securities to public entities.
  
  
• Antitrust, Distributorship and Intellectual Property Counseling
• Compliance with antitrust laws in business, including application of Sherman and Robinson-Patman Acts, pricing and vertical relationships.
• Proper structuring of distributorship and franchise arrangements.
• Termination of franchises, distributors, and sales representatives.
• Creation and maintenance of a compliant supply chain, specifically including structuring of pricing programs in compliance with antitrust laws, lawfulness of loyalty discounts and rebates, and appropriate use of vertical distribution arrangements, including resale price maintenance, minimum advertised pricing programs, territorial and customer limitations, and other similar marketing plans.
• Protection and licensing of intellectual property.
• Preparation of distributor, franchise and related licensing agreements; and
• Preparation of and lawful use of covenants not to compete.
  
  
• Antitrust, Competition and Intellectual Property Litigation
• Won jury verdict and monetary damages for media licensing company in copyright infringement litigation involving Internet infringement.
• Won dismissal of multi-million Dollar antitrust claim against corporate scrap metal executive.
• Secured injunctive relief enforcing non-disclosure and non-competition covenants against several employees in the polymers industry.
• Won dismissal of trademark infringement claims in multi-million dollar intellectual property litigation.
• Obtained restraining order preventing Food & Drug Administration from blocking the importation of electronic cigarettes, ruling upheld on appeal.
• Successfully defended manufacturer against price discrimination antitrust claim.
• Secured judgment and permanent injunctive relief enforcing manufacturer's trade dress rights in its products.
• Represented auto glass manufacturer in patent litigation against infringing foreign manufacturer.
• Representation of a manufacturer in an action by a distributor alleging violation of the New Jersey Franchise Practices Act.

• "Seeking a Downward Depature for Small Business Impact" · For The Defense, July 2011
• Author/Editor, Antitrust Law Development (Sixth) · 2010 Annual Review, American Bar Association, 2011
• Co-Author, Antitrust Conspiracies in Franchise Systems After American Needle, Franchise Law Journal, 2011
• Contributing Author, Business Torts: A Fifty State Guide, Aspen Publishing, 2007-2011
• Contributor, Antitrust Handbook for Franchise and Distribution Practitioners, American Bar Association, 2008
• Contributor, Antitrust Law and Economics of Product Distribution, American Bar Association, 2006