Matthew P. Whitley - Associate

Matthew P. Whitley became associated with Beck, Redden & Secrest, L.L.P. in September of 2002. His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, and he has appeared before trial and appellate courts throughout Texas and elsewhere in the United States.  Mr. Whitley has represented clients in disputes involving oil & gas matters, intellectual property rights, securities disclosures, professional liability, contract disputes, antitrust issues, employment disputes, and a variety of business torts.  In 2006, 2007 and 2008, Mr. Whitley was named a “Rising Star” in the Texas legal community by Texas Monthly magazine.

Mr. Whitley received his J.D. in 2002 from Harvard Law School, where he graduated magna cum laude and was the captain of Harvard’s national champion mock trial team.  Mr. Whitley graduated summa cum laude from the University of Texas at Austin in 1997, where he obtained a B.A. with a double major in the Plan II Honors Program and History, and was inducted into the Texas Friars.

Educational Background

• J.D., Harvard Law School, magna cum laude (2002)
• B.A. (Plan II Honors Program / History), University of Texas at Austin, summa cum laude (1997)

Professional Activities and Memberships

• State Bar of Texas
• Texas Association of Defense Counsel
• Houston Bar Association
• Houston Young Lawyers Association
• American Bar Association
• Harvard University Club of Houston

Professional Honors

• Named a “Rising Star” in business litigation by Texas Monthly magazine (2006, 2007, 2008)

Representative Cases

• Obtained summary judgment for a Canadian telecommunications company sued for $35 million in connection with the bankruptcy of its U.S. subsidiary; Mr. Whitley also made the oral argument before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which affirmed the judgment in our client’s favor.
• Represented an international automotive supplier that was accused of breaching a non-solicitation agreement; following a 1∏ week trial, the jury returned a verdict in our client’s favor.
• Obtained summary judgment for an individual sued by her former employer for allegedly misappropriating confidential information; in addition to granting summary judgment, the trial court awarded our client more than $200,000 in costs and attorney’s fees.
• Obtained summary judgment for a large Texas law firm sued for more than $200 million by several entities who claimed that the law firm’s litigation activities had tortuously interfered with their business contracts.
• Obtained dismissal of antitrust claims brought against a major software company in connection with a software piracy investigation conducted in Mexico.
• Represented a group of investors who were sued by one of their business partners for fraud; following a 2∏ week jury trial, the parties settled their dispute.
• Represented an international chemicals company in a non-binding arbitration over the scope and meaning of an intellectual property license agreement; the parties settled their dispute shortly after the arbitrator rendered a decision favorable to our client.
• Represented an international drilling company that sought to recover funds owed to it under a tax-sharing agreement; the parties settled their dispute shortly after the trial court entered a partial summary judgment favorable to our client.