Philip R. Matthews

Of Counsel

  • Philip R. Matthews
  • Phone: +1 415 957 3174

    Philip R. Matthews - LinkedIn Import to Address Book

  • Duane Morris LLP
    Spear Tower
    One Market Plaza, Suite 2200
    San Francisco, CA 94105-1127
    USA

Philip R. Matthews practices in the area of general civil litigation and insurance counseling and litigation with an emphasis on complex cases. He has been involved in some of the largest trials and appeals in California, including the trial and appeal of Shell Oil Co. vs. Accident and Casualty Co. of Winterthur (Rocky Mountain Arsenal case) and In Re Coordinated Asbestos Litigation (Manville, Fibreboard, Armstrong and GAF Coverage cases.) He also has been liaison and trial counsel in numerous complex cases such as Flintkote v. American Mutual, Four Star Oil & Gas Co. vs. Allianz (Texaco Environmental Coverage Litigation), Texaco Refining & Marketing, Inc. vs. Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. (Texaco Toxic Tort), Exxon vs. Insurance Company of North America (Exxon Environmental Coverage Litigation), and Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corporation v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, London. He also has experience in bankruptcy law, asbestos and mass tort bankruptcies, state receiverships involving asbestos claims and corporate transactions.

In addition to extensive litigation experience, Mr. Matthews has been involved in resolving complex insurance coverage disputes through alternative dispute resolution procedures including mediation and acting as specialist settlement counsel. Mr. Matthews has a successful record in achieving resolution of matters without protracted litigation. One example is working out a procedure to resolve, for a major group of insurers, one Fortune 50 corporations more than 1,000 coverage claims for pollution sites and thousands of toxic tort claimants before the filing of litigation. A decade later, other insurers were still litigating with the Fortune 50 Company over these claims.

Mr. Matthews also has counseled insurers and reinsurers concerning complex toxic torts and mass tort litigation, Medicare issues, underlying legal issues and coordinating amicus briefs and other initiatives to develop the law in resolving such claims. His counseling involves a number of different types of claims such as environmental, asbestos, silica, various hazardous materials, tobacco and sexual abuse claims.

Mr. Matthews has spoken at a number of forums on a variety of topics relating to complex litigation, including ACI Advanced Forum on Litigating & Managing Asbestos Claims – Navigating Your Way Through New Developments in Medicare/Medicaid, Mealey's Conference on Settling Complex Insurance Coverage Cases, Mealey's Conference on Tobacco Litigation, the American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Section on Allocation Issues in California and Mealey's Allocation Conference, and Mealey's California Insurance Law Conference. 

Mr. Matthews is active in nonprofit and religious organizations, including having been on the board of organizations such as Episcopal Impact Fund (formerly Episcopal Charities) of the Episcopal Diocese of California, Board of Trustees, University of California College of Law, San Francisco (formerly Hastings College of the Law) and Global Communities (formerly Project Concern International.)

Mr. Matthews is listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers and has been nationally ranked as one of top insurance lawyers in the country. He has been named as to the Hall of Fame by Legal 500 in insurance law and also as one of Northern California's Super Lawyers for a number of years.

Mr. Matthews also has been active in pro bono representation for immigrants and refugees, and in representing non-profits.

Mr. Matthews is a 1977 graduate of the University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly Hastings College of the Law) and a 1974 graduate of George Washington University.

Accolades

"Philip Matthews is a highly esteemed insurance litigator. He is known as 'somebody who pursues a client's case thoroughly and is incredibly professional in doing it.' He has recently dealt with the Thorpe Insulation bankruptcy arising out of asbestos cases... [He] is known as a 'terrific lawyer' who 'commands lots of respect.' His practice encompasses high-value pollution matters, including asbestos coverage cases and complex class action suits." - Chambers USA 2013

"Leading California partner Philip Matthews is known as 'a very strong lawyer who has been involved for many years.' Clients afford him particular praise for his ability to deal with highly specialized and complex insurance coverage matters... Peers and clients alike offer ringing endorsements of leading practitioner Philip Matthews, who focuses his practice on complex insurance and civil litigation. According to interviewees, 'he is the consummate peacemaker, who always talks reason and sense.'" - Chambers USA 2012

Opposing counsel call Matthews "smart, thorough, focused on his client’s interests, forthright and open-minded. He doesn't play games and doesn't abuse the litigation process. He’s always emerged as a leader among the numerous players on his side of cases.” - Law360 2013

Honors and Awards

  • Named a Best Lawyers "Lawyer of the Year" in Insurance Law, San Francisco, 2022

  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, 2006-2024

  • Listed in The Legal 500, Hall of Fame, Insurance – Advice to Insurers, 2021
  • Member, American College of Coverage and Extracontractual Counsel (ACCEC)

  • Listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers, 2003-2024 editions and ranked in the highest tier of insurance lawyers in U.S. and California

  • Listed in Legal 500 U.S.- Leading Lawyers for Insurance: Advice to Insurers, 2014-2019

  • Who's Who Legal for Insurance and Reinsurance, 2003-2015
  • AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®

Representative Matters

  • J&J coverage litigation involving complex talc liability coverage claims and related LTL bankruptcies

  • Con Agra lead paint coverage litigation

  • Sexual abuse coverage litigation
  • Kaiser Cement coverage litigation and bankruptcy proceeding

  • Plant asbestos insurance coverage case, including associated chapter 11 proceeding

  • Thorpe asbestos insurance coverage cases, including associated chapter 11 proceeding

  • Chicago Fire Brick bankruptcy proceeding

  • Kaiser Aluminum v Certain Underwriters at Lloyds, including associated chapter 11 proceeding (asbestos, volatile coal tar, noised induced hearing loss and silica)

  • A.P. Green coverage litigation, including associated chapter 11 case (asbestos and silica)

  • ARCO lead paint coverage litigation

  • State tobacco litigation in Louisiana, naming insurers

  • Exxon environmental insurance coverage case (5,000 site environmental case)

  • Texaco toxic tort coverage case (asbestos, butadiene, benzene and other toxic torts)

  • Texaco environmental insurance coverage case (2,000 site environmental case)

  • Shell Oil v. Accident & Casualty of Winterthur (Rocky Mountain Arsenal)
  • Flintkote v. American Mutual
  • In Re Coordinated Asbestos Litigation, insurance coverage cases
  • Johns-Manville v. Travelers, including associated chapter 11 proceeding

Professional Activities

  • American Bar Association
  • Bar Association of San Francisco

Admissions

  • California
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • Supreme Court of the United States

Education

  • University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, J.D., 1977
  • The George Washington University, B.A., 1974

Experience

  • Duane Morris LLP
    - Of counsel, 2023-
    - Partner, 2006-2023
  • Hancock Rothert & Bunshoft LLP
    - Partner, 1985-2005
    -- Chairperson, 2004-2005
    -- Management Committee, 1989-1994, 1997-1999 and 2004-2005
    -- San Francisco Managing Partner, 1991-1992 and 1998-1999
    - Associate, 1980-1984
  • Dinkelspiel, Plevin, Steefel & Levit
    - Associate 1978-1980

Board Memberships

  • Vestry Member & Senior Warden, Episcopal Church of the Resurrection (past)
  • Project Concern International, Emeritus Council

Selected Publications

Selected Speaking Engagements

  • Speaker, "Then and Now: A Historical Analysis of the Evolution of the Last 40 Years of Insurance Coverage in the United States and Where We Might Go," American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Seminar, Tucson, Arizona, March 3, 2016
  • Co-Moderator, "A View from the Bench," The Asbestos Claims & Litigation Conference, American Conference Institute, January 15, 2016
  • Co-Moderator, "A View from the Bench," The Asbestos Claims & Litigation Conference, American Conference Institute, January 16, 2015
  • Panelist, "Trigger, Allocation, Non-Products, Deductibles, Number of Occurrences, Asbestos Reserves, and Beyond: Key Insurance Issues Impacting Asbestos Coverage," ACI's 14th Annual Advanced Forum on Asbestos Claims and Litigation, Chicago, June 27, 2013
  • Panelist, "Navigating Your Way Through the New Developments in Medicare: The Impact of Medicare Reporting Rules on Asbestos Litigation," ACI's 12th Annual Advanced Forum on Asbestos Claims and Litigation, Philadelphia, January 26, 2012
  • ACI Advanced Forum on Litigating & Managing Asbestos Claims – Navigating Your Way Through New Developments in Medicare/Medicaid, Philadelphia, May 18-19, 2010
  • Panelist, "Borrower's Agenda," Commercial Real Estate 2012: Getting Back to Business Conference, San Francisco, February 14, 2012
  • Panelist, "Emerging Coverage and Product Developments in Asbestos Insurance," Mealey's National Asbestos Litigation SuperConference, Scottsdale, Arizona, September 22, 2008
  • Mr. Matthews has spoken at a number of forums on a variety of topics relating to complex litigation, including Mealey's Conference Re Settling Complex Insurance Coverage Cases, Mealey's Conference on Tobacco Litigation, the American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Section on Allocation Issues in California and Mealey's Allocation Conference. In 2001, he co-chaired Mealey's California Insurance Law Conference.