Overview
Since co-founding the firm in 2016 and in his capacity as Managing Partner, Matt has established Sher Edling as a national leader in environmental litigation. Under his guidance, Sher Edling has secured more than one billion dollars in relief for clients, including settlements with some of the world’s largest corporations and the US government.
He understands the need to balance the public and policy implications involved in environmental litigation and to bring stakeholders together in and out of the courtroom to achieve lasting success. Notably, Matt’s efforts as lead counsel on behalf of California public entities resulted in $630 million in infrastructure improvements to abate transboundary water contamination. City of Imperial Beach, et al. v. International Boundary and Water Commission et al., No. 18-cv-457 (S.D. Cal.). Recently, he served as trial counsel for California’s toxics agency arising out of its largest-ever contaminated site cleanup, which was caused by airborne lead emissions.
Matt currently serves as counsel for several states, counties and cities in litigation related to corporate deception and climate damages, water and land contamination, and natural resources damages involving myriad petrochemical, agrichemical, and other man-made chemicals. In 2025, his team of litigators secured more than $400 million in relief for water utilities across the country in historic settlements with 3M and DuPont for PFAS contamination of groundwater.
Matt also has extensive experience in significant commercial matters, involving fraud, securities, insurance bad faith, consumer, financial litigation, and contract claims. He served as lead counsel for cities and counties against the accounting firm, banks and upper management arising out of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy. In re Lehman Bros. Sec. and ERISA Litig., 09-md-02017 (S.D.N.Y.). Matt’s clients recovered more than $100 million and were the only parties to recover from Lehman Brothers’ directors and officers individually. In the Lehman Bros. action, he was designated by the court as national liaison counsel for all plaintiffs in nationwide federal multidistrict litigation. Matt has been appointed to similar leadership positions in multi-party and class actions in state and federal courts, as well as primary counsel in multiparty actions throughout the country.
Matt has consistently been recognized as a top litigator in California for environmental litigation. When he is not representing his clients, he can be found on basketball courts, ski slopes, and ballfields across California with his family.
Representative Matters
- California Dep’t of Toxic Substances Control et al. v. NL Indus., Inc. et al. , No. 2:20-11293 (C.D. Cal.)
- In re AFFF Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2:18-mn-2873 (D.S.C.)
- City of Imperial Beach et al. v. International Boundary and Water Commission et al., No. 18-cv-457 (S.D. Cal.)
Education
- UC Law, San Francisco, J.D.
- California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, B.A.
Admissions
- California, New York, and District of Columbia
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Courts of Appeals for the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Eighth, Ninth, and Federal Circuits
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. District Courts for the Central, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of California, and the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York
Featured Results
Water provider clients awarded more than $400 million for PFAS treatment in historic settlements
Litigation against 3M and DuPont for PFAS contamination results in historic settlements. More than $400 million awarded to water providers represented by Sher Edling.
Read MoreLong Island water providers awarded $65 million to remove 1,4-dioxane
After decades of dead ends, two Long Island water districts turned to Sher Edling to take on Northrop Grumman and the United States Navy—and secured $65 million to remove 1,4-dioxane and other contaminants from their drinking water.
Read More