Speaker
Matthew Adams
Partner
Fox Rothschild, LLP
Matthew is Co-Chair of the firm's White-Collar Criminal Defense & Regulatory Compliance Practice Group and an experienced criminal and civil trial attorney. He has a diverse national practice focusing on criminal defense, regulatory compliance and complex commercial litigation.
Known for his courtroom advocacy skills and meticulous attention to detail, he is an indispensable ally to clients ranging from individuals and small businesses to multinational corporations, who turn to him for practical, thorough guidance through treacherous legal minefields. Whether they have been indicted, named targets of a grand jury investigation or are embroiled in a "bet the company" commercial dispute, clients count on Matthew as their "go to" lawyer when it matters the most.
Matthew is particularly knowledgeable in e-discovery, digital forensics, data privacy, social networking and cybersecurity. His clients routinely rely upon him to advance their interests through the use of high-tech, digital evidence such as e-mails, text messages, internet IP address and intrusion analysis, metadata and cellular tower triangulation - just a few of the novel forms of evidence with which Matthew has demonstrated mastery over the course of the last decade.
Outside the courtroom, Matthew is vice president of the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey (Officer) and a trustee with the Essex County, New Jersey Bar Association, spearheading the group's recent illegal firearm buyback program with the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. He is also an advocate for veterans' rights, especially those suffering from mental health and dependency issues resulting from their combat service.
Find more detail on each of the focus areas of Matthew's practice is by following the links below.
White-Collar Criminal & Regulatory Defense
Meticulous, zealous and ethical, Matthew defends individuals and entities that face state or federal criminal charges, regulatory or enforcement actions or are the target of an investigation by enforcement agencies or regulatory bodies at all levels of government.
He co-founded and leads the firm's COVID-19 Compassionate Release Task Force, which assists nonviolent offenders in jails and prisons across the U.S. who are at increased risk from the disease, with requests for compassionate release, bail, early parole and medical furloughs.
Commercial Litigation
Matthew represents individuals and businesses in the prosecution and defense of complex civil actions. Entrepreneurs, startups, closely held businesses and Fortune 100 companies rely on Matthew's pragmatic business sense and effective litigation skills to prevail in their commercial disputes.
Cybersecurity & Technology
Technology is a two-edged sword. Matthew keeps at the cutting edge, helping companies investigate and respond effectively to cyberattacks in compliance with local, state, federal and international data breach notification regulations, and defending clients who have been accused of hacking, data theft or cybercrimes. In the same vein, he protects individuals' privacy rights against technology-fueled prosecutorial overreach while strategically employing innovations in the realm of digital forensics and other emerging methods to build and defend cases, often breaking new legal ground.
Internal Investigations & Corporate Compliance
Matthew conducts comprehensive internal investigations for companies of all sizes that face existential crises involving potential internal wrongdoing, or intense regulatory scrutiny of their operations. He employs sharp investigative skills developed in his white-collar defense practice — working closely with professionals such as accountants and digital forensics experts — to identify the facts, present them clearly and provide actionable advice that helps clients minimize liability, preserve their reputations and meet their legal and regulatory obligations.
Crisis Management
Matthew provides sophisticated crisis management services to companies and individuals facing investigations and civil or criminal liability. Drawing on his extensive white-collar defense and regulatory compliance experience, he helps clients design crisis response plans and oversees their implementation to ensure they are carried out strategically to advance his clients' interests.
Community Involvement Matthew prioritizes public service, dedicating his time outside the office to causes that improve lives and make a difference in the overall qualify of life in his community.
Veterans Advocacy
Service to those who have sacrificed for our freedoms as Americans is something Matthew has always taken great pride in. Whether through pro bono engagements at Fox Rothschild's free Lyons, New Jersey Veterans Administration facility legal assistance clinic, or advocacy for legislation diverting veterans out of our criminal justice system and into the health care system, Matthew has made it a priority to give to the men and women who have sacrificed so much in the name of liberty.
Illegal Gun Buyback Initiative
Matthew spearheaded a 2019 gun buyback program - a joint effort of the Essex County Bar Association and Essex County Prosecutor's Office - that paid out more than $41,000 in privately raised funds to take more than 330 guns off the streets of New Jersey's third-most populous county. It was no small task, but an endeavor that he took great pride in pursuing.
Honors & Awards
Known for his courtroom advocacy skills and meticulous attention to detail, he is an indispensable ally to clients ranging from individuals and small businesses to multinational corporations, who turn to him for practical, thorough guidance through treacherous legal minefields. Whether they have been indicted, named targets of a grand jury investigation or are embroiled in a "bet the company" commercial dispute, clients count on Matthew as their "go to" lawyer when it matters the most.
Matthew is particularly knowledgeable in e-discovery, digital forensics, data privacy, social networking and cybersecurity. His clients routinely rely upon him to advance their interests through the use of high-tech, digital evidence such as e-mails, text messages, internet IP address and intrusion analysis, metadata and cellular tower triangulation - just a few of the novel forms of evidence with which Matthew has demonstrated mastery over the course of the last decade.
Outside the courtroom, Matthew is vice president of the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey (Officer) and a trustee with the Essex County, New Jersey Bar Association, spearheading the group's recent illegal firearm buyback program with the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. He is also an advocate for veterans' rights, especially those suffering from mental health and dependency issues resulting from their combat service.
Find more detail on each of the focus areas of Matthew's practice is by following the links below.
White-Collar Criminal & Regulatory Defense
Meticulous, zealous and ethical, Matthew defends individuals and entities that face state or federal criminal charges, regulatory or enforcement actions or are the target of an investigation by enforcement agencies or regulatory bodies at all levels of government.
He co-founded and leads the firm's COVID-19 Compassionate Release Task Force, which assists nonviolent offenders in jails and prisons across the U.S. who are at increased risk from the disease, with requests for compassionate release, bail, early parole and medical furloughs.
Commercial Litigation
Matthew represents individuals and businesses in the prosecution and defense of complex civil actions. Entrepreneurs, startups, closely held businesses and Fortune 100 companies rely on Matthew's pragmatic business sense and effective litigation skills to prevail in their commercial disputes.
Cybersecurity & Technology
Technology is a two-edged sword. Matthew keeps at the cutting edge, helping companies investigate and respond effectively to cyberattacks in compliance with local, state, federal and international data breach notification regulations, and defending clients who have been accused of hacking, data theft or cybercrimes. In the same vein, he protects individuals' privacy rights against technology-fueled prosecutorial overreach while strategically employing innovations in the realm of digital forensics and other emerging methods to build and defend cases, often breaking new legal ground.
Internal Investigations & Corporate Compliance
Matthew conducts comprehensive internal investigations for companies of all sizes that face existential crises involving potential internal wrongdoing, or intense regulatory scrutiny of their operations. He employs sharp investigative skills developed in his white-collar defense practice — working closely with professionals such as accountants and digital forensics experts — to identify the facts, present them clearly and provide actionable advice that helps clients minimize liability, preserve their reputations and meet their legal and regulatory obligations.
Crisis Management
Matthew provides sophisticated crisis management services to companies and individuals facing investigations and civil or criminal liability. Drawing on his extensive white-collar defense and regulatory compliance experience, he helps clients design crisis response plans and oversees their implementation to ensure they are carried out strategically to advance his clients' interests.
Community Involvement Matthew prioritizes public service, dedicating his time outside the office to causes that improve lives and make a difference in the overall qualify of life in his community.
Veterans Advocacy
Service to those who have sacrificed for our freedoms as Americans is something Matthew has always taken great pride in. Whether through pro bono engagements at Fox Rothschild's free Lyons, New Jersey Veterans Administration facility legal assistance clinic, or advocacy for legislation diverting veterans out of our criminal justice system and into the health care system, Matthew has made it a priority to give to the men and women who have sacrificed so much in the name of liberty.
Illegal Gun Buyback Initiative
Matthew spearheaded a 2019 gun buyback program - a joint effort of the Essex County Bar Association and Essex County Prosecutor's Office - that paid out more than $41,000 in privately raised funds to take more than 330 guns off the streets of New Jersey's third-most populous county. It was no small task, but an endeavor that he took great pride in pursuing.
Honors & Awards
- Named a New Jersey Trailblazer by the New Jersey Law Journal (2020)*
- Named to a list of "New Leaders of the Bar" by The New Jersey Law Journal (2016)*
- Selected to the "Super Lawyers - Rising Star" list for Criminal Defense: White Collar in New Jersey (2013-2020)*
- Named to a list "Top 10 Under 40" by the National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys (2016)