Matt Sweeney

• Business and Complex Litigation

• Served as trial and appellate counsel for a national disaster restoration franchisor in a series of major franchise cases throughout the United States.

• Served as trial and appellate counsel for a regional hospitality franchisor in a series of major franchise cases throughout the southeastern United States.

• Served as trial and appellate counsel for a local government in a series of pension and employee benefits cases. Also served as lead defense counsel in a change of control benefits case following a corporate merger.

• Represented the defendant directors in a state derivative action arising from the merger of a Canadian public company.
• Served as defense counsel in a shareholder derivative action arising from the merger of a Tennessee public company.
• Represented the underwriter defendants in a federal securities class action.
• Defended the directors of an insurance company in federal securities class and state/federal derivative actions arising from the company's adverse stock performance.
• Defended an equity fund investor in federal securities class and related state derivative actions related to an acquisition.
• Represented the acquiring company defendant in a state shareholder class action breach of fiduciary duty case.
• Served as counsel in a minority shareholder oppression case.
• Served as defense counsel in a complex corporate veil piercing and fraud case.
• Acted as counsel in a case to remove a local elected official from office.

• Served as defense trial counsel in an inmate civil rights action against correctional officers.

• Served as criminal trial defense counsel in a bombing conspiracy case.

• Served as defense counsel in a post-conviction death penalty case.

• Mediation

• Multi-party complex business disputes and business divorces; securities/investment litigation; business tort and consumer protection cases; franchise and distribution disputes, including future royalties, trademark/trade dress, hospitality and alcoholic beverage issues; intellectual property disputes involving copyright, trademark and trade dress; music copyright cases; wide variety of contract disputes, including health care reimbursement matters, commercial property and equipment leases, employment, non-compete, change of control and compensation agreements; employment discrimination cases (age, race and sex); business torts, including tortious interference; trust and estate matters; insurance coverage claims; eminent domain; civil rights; and personal injury cases, including an aviation accident. Perhaps one-third of all mediations involved multi-party disputes.

• Arbitration

• Complex business disputes; wide variety of contract disputes, including commercial property and equipment leases, health care reimbursement matters, employment, non-compete, change of control and compensation agreements; partner and member disputes; business torts, including tortious interference and defamation; franchise and distribution disputes, including future royalties, trademark/trade dress issues; intellectual property disputes involving trademark and trade dress; age, race and sex discrimination cases; promotion eligibility dispute; trust and trustee matters; 401(k), profit sharing and ERISA matters; government agency disputes; sports law matters, including U. S. Olympic athlete eligibility disputes and Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration eligibility dispute.

• Former Circuit Court Judge and Presiding Judge, Nashville, Tennessee
• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2005 in the areas of Bet-the-Company, Commercial and Securities Litigation, Arbitration, Mediation, Administrative/Regulatory Law, Franchise Law 
• Named the Best Lawyers' 2020, 2018 and 2015 Nashville Franchise Law "Lawyer of the Year"
• Named the Best Lawyers' 2017 Nashville Arbitration "Lawyer of the Year"
• Listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers since 2010 
• Listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers (2005, 2006)
• Listed in "The Best of the Bar," Nashville Business Journal (2008) 
• Member – Nashville Bar Association (Board of Directors, 1993 – 1995) 
• Member – Tennessee Bar Association, Professional Standards Study Committee; Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility (Vice Chair); Committee on the Judiciary (Chair) 
• Member – American Bar Association - Litigation; Judicial Division; Standing Committee on the American Judicial System (former); Dispute Resolution; Forum Committee on Franchising
• Member – Metro Nashville Community Oversight Board
• Member – American Inns of Court Foundation Board of Directors (2016 — ) 
• Member – The National Judicial College Board of Trustees (2011— ; Co-chair, Finance Committee, 2014— ; Board Chair, 2015 – 2016; Chair, Academic Committee, 2016— ) 
• Member – Hearing Committee, Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility, Disciplinary District V (2013— )
• Chair – Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Group, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Tennessee (1995 – 1997)  
• Chair – Merit Selection Panel for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee (2007)
• Recipient – Baker Donelson Nashville Pro Bono Attorney of the Year (2007, 2009); The Howard H. Baker Award, in recognition of significant contribution to the legal profession (2012); Baker Donelson Mentor of the Year Award (2014)
• Vanderbilt University Law School
  • Former Faculty Member - Corporate and Securities Law Institute (ADR)
  • Former Coach - National Trial Competition Team
  • Former Adjunct Faculty Member - Trial Practice
• Nashville School of Law 
  • Former Lecturer, Civil Procedure
• Fellow – Nashville Bar Foundation, former Trustee
• Fellow – Tennessee Bar Foundation
• Master Bencher, Executive Committee Member – Harry Phillips American Inns of Court
• Member – ADR Panel for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
• Member – Arbitration panel for U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
• Approved Mediator – Tennessee Commission on Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Member – American Arbitration Association, Mediation, Judicial Settlement Conference, and Arbitration (Commercial, Employment, Sports Law) Panels
• Member – Tennessee Academy of Mediators & Arbitrators
• Member – National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals
• Member – Board of Directors, Nashville Conflict Resolution Center (2013 – 2014)

AAA, Chairing an Arbitration Panel: Managing Procedures, Process and Dynamics, 2014; ABA, 11th Annual Advanced Mediation and Advocacy Skills Training, 2013; AAA, Best Practices in Franchise Arbitration, 2013; AAA, Chairing an Arbitration Panel, 2009; Institute for Conflict Management, Lipscomb University, Emerging Issues in Mediation and the Ethical Dilemmas They Pose, 2007; NBA, All About Arbitration for Business Lawyers and Litigators, 2007; TBA, Art of Arbitration, A-Z, 2007; ABA, Advanced Mediation and Advocacy Skills Training, 2006; AAA, Dealing with Delay Tactics in Arbitration, 2007; AAA, Arbitration Awards: Safeguarding, Deciding and Writing Awards, 2005; Tennessee Supreme Court ADR Commission, Advanced Issues in Mediation Practice, 2004; AAA, Arbitrator II Workshop: Advanced Case management Issues, 2002; AAA, Arbitrator Update, 2001; NASD Arbitrator Training, 2000; AAA, Commercial Arbitrator Training, 1999; Tennessee ADR Mediation Training, 1998.

• "Amendment 2: Behold a Trojan Horse," Nashville Bar Journal (October 2014)

• Baker Donelson Top-Listed in the Nation in Six Practice Areas in The Best Lawyers in America^® 2021 Listing (August 20, 2020)
• 77 Baker Donelson Attorneys Named to 2019 Mid-South Super Lawyers; 45 Named to Mid-South Rising Stars (November 6, 2019)
• 86 Baker Donelson Attorneys Named to 2018 Mid-South Super Lawyers; 43 Named to Mid-South Rising Stars (November 8, 2018)
• 277 Baker Donelson Attorneys Included in The Best Lawyers in America^® 2019 Listing (August 15, 2018)
• 94 Baker Donelson Attorneys Named to 2017 Mid-South Super Lawyers; 53 Named to Mid-South Rising Stars (November 7, 2017)
• 290 Baker Donelson Attorneys Included in The Best Lawyers in America^® 2018 Listing (August 15, 2017)
• 98 Baker Donelson Attorneys Named to 2016 Mid-South Super Lawyers; 57 Named to Mid-South Rising Stars (November 14, 2016)
• 262 Baker Donelson Attorneys Included in The Best Lawyers in America^® 2017 Listing (August 15, 2016)