Matt Jacobs is a partner in DLA Piper's Litigation practice, based in Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area. He focuses his practice on civil and white-collar criminal litigation, corporate internal investigations, False Claims Act and RICO cases, trials and arbitrations and crisis management.

His clients include elected officials, multinational defense contractors, national health care systems, vehicle manufacturers, developers and home builders, the California Legislature and other state and local agencies. When necessary, Mr. Jacobs brings a multi-disciplinary approach to his engagements by complementing litigation and legal strategies with government, media relations and other strategies.

Mr. Jacobs began his legal career as an Honors Graduate Trial Attorney in the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice in Washington, DC. After three years of private practice at a large San Francisco law firm, he joined the White Collar Crime Unit of the United States Attorney's Office in Sacramento and was later appointed Chief of the Special Prosecutions Unit. He served as First Assistant United States Attorney and chief of the Criminal Division from 1997 through 2000, prosecuting and supervising significant cases in health care fraud, tax fraud, corruption, investment fraud and environmental crime. Mr. Jacobs returned to private practice in 2000. He has repeatedly been recognized as a California Super Lawyer. The National Law Journal recognized his $30.4 million jury verdict after a two-month trial as one of the top 100 verdicts in 2011.

A frequent lecturer and author on litigation and enforcement defense issues, Mr. Jacobs is a member of US Senator Barbara Boxer's Judicial Nomination Committee for the Eastern District of California, a mediator for the Eastern District's Voluntary Dispute Resolution Program, a past president of the Federal Bar Association – Sacramento Chapter, and a former co-chair of the Eastern District’s Lawyer Representatives Committee to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference. From 1997 through 2002, he served on the Sacramento City Planning Commission and in 2001, served as its Chair.

He currently serves on the board of WEAVE, an agency that serves victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and is also a Commissioner on the Independent Civil Rights Commission, chaired by former California Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso.

Representative Matters

• Representing Sharp Image Gaming, Inc. in breach of contract case against Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians and its Red Hawk Casino; obtained $30.4 million verdict after two-month trial
• Representing UC Davis Health System in a US$100+ million lawsuit against Sacramento County for health care services provided to the county's indigent
• Represented the Mayor of Sacramento in federal investigations of alleged improprieties at his former nonprofit agency
• Defended CHW in a federal jury trial in Denver in a case alleging breach of a consulting contract for cardiovascular services. The case settled favorably during trial
• Defended Navistar, Inc. (International Truck and Engine Corp.) in the trial of a complaint alleging bad faith termination of truck dealership. Obtained a defense verdict
• Defended Station Casinos, Inc. in a class action alleging wage and hour and employment discrimination causes of action
• Represented the Cities of Santa Clara and Morgan Hill against the California Legislature in challenging 2001 decennial reapportionment
• Represented charities, disabled individuals and gaming machine manufacturer VGT in action enjoining the California Attorney General from enforcing legislation banning electronic bingo machines
• Defended APL, Ltd. in federal False Claims Act case alleging false billing in provision of transportation and logistics services to US Military in Iraq and Afghanistan
• Defending Rite Aid Corp. in an enforcement action by the California Attorney General alleging sale of hair care products containing excessive levels of organic volatile compounds
• Representing individuals in defense of mortgage and investment fraud investigations and prosecutions
• Representing health care providers in defense of federal and state fraud investigations; obtained declination of prosecution on one of the biggest and most publicized health care fraud investigations in FBI history
• Defended individuals and corporations in federal and state antitrust enforcement actions
• Representing national home building companies in environmental enforcement investigations and lawsuits, and in real estate litigation
• Defending a land developer in a federal RICO action
• Represented the California Secretary of State in federal and California legislative investigations of alleged malfeasance in office. Prosecution declined
• Represented and representing individuals in federal (FBI, SEC, IRS, HHS), state (DOJ, DHS, DOI, DOC) and legislative health care fraud, securities fraud, insurance fraud, tax fraud, and corruption investigations and prosecutions
• Represented the California Legislature in an investigation of then-California Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush
• Defended the City of Hercules in two major lawsuits challenging land use decisions as takings. Obtained dismissals on the pleadings
• Defended a prominent environmental law firm in a lawsuit alleging ethical violations
• Defended the Sacramento Public School District in a challenge under the Charter School Act and against charges of contempt of court, and in separate federal audit alleging misuse of Title I funds