Matthew J. Kalas

Matt is a litigator with a range of experience handling commercial, product liability and trade secret litigation as well as both direct defense and insurance coverage matters for domestic insurers and the London Market in matters pending across multiple jurisdictions in the United States and abroad. He has handled, participated in and overseen cases in trial and appellate courts up through the U.S. Supreme Court and the Cour de Cassation (French Supreme Court). Matt also advises clients on privacy and cybersecurity issues, risk mitigation and related issues. Prior to entering the legal profession, Matt served as an engineering consultant on both government and privately funded ventures.

Matt advises U.S. and London Market insurers on:

• Aviation
• Privacy and cybersecurity issues and assists commercial participants in the Unmanned Aerial Systems (drones) market on regulatory compliance
• Risk mitigation and related issues

Matthew has been actively involved in the defense of claims arising out of a number of commercial aviation disasters, most recently including:

• Adam Air Flight 292
• Adam Air Flight 574
• Airblue Flight 202
• Flash Airlines Flight 604
• Garuda Flight 200
• Sudan Airways Flight 109
• Yemenia Airways Flight 626

Matt also assisted in the defense of the security company that conducted pre-board passenger screening for American Airlines Flight 11 concerning claims arising out of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

Matt's experience includes:

• Defended OEM manufacturer and lessor of railroad tanker cars &against cross-border product defect claims
• Defended design and manufacturing defects
• Defended OEM supplier of engine component parts against wrongful death litigation arising from alleged design and manufacturing defects
• Defended owner and operator of OTR trucking company in personal injury litigation arising from crash of tractor trailer
• Represented insurers of satellite manufacturer in declaratory judgment actions concerning coverage for on-orbit failures of commercial satellites
• Defended Canadian owner and operator of float plane in personal injury action arising from crash in Canadian wilderness
• Defended owner and operator of aircraft refueling station in property damage and business interruption action arising from alleged supplying of wrong fuel type
• Defended supplier of aircraft and runway deicing compound in property damage action arising from alleged foreign object damage to commercial aircraft turbofan