D. Matthew Allen

Overview

Matt Allen has particular emphasis in class action and antitrust litigation, having litigated dozens of class actions last year alone. More broadly, his area of practice is complex litigation, including antitrust law, deceptive trade practice law, insurance litigation, employment law (including collective actions), appellate law, and general business disputes.

Matt is the chair of the firm's National Class Actions Practice and co-director of the firm’s annual Carlton Fields Class Action Survey.

Experience

Class Action Litigation

• Obtained order affirming dismissal of business interruption class action challenging denial of coverage based on government-imposed COVID-19 restrictions. Royal Palm Optical Inc. v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., No. 21-11335, 2022 WL 1666967 (11th Cir. May 25, 2022).
• Obtained final summary judgment against plaintiffs in a 900,000-plus certified class action in federal court. Nolen v. Fairshare Vacation Owners Ass'n, No. 6:20-cv-00330 (M.D. Fla. Mar. 10, 2022).
• Represented major homebuilder in defense of class action alleging defective stucco installation.
• Represented largest automobile insurance carrier in Florida in defeating class certification in multiple putative class action lawsuits filed by medical providers. All Family Clinic of Daytona Beach Inc. v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Co., 280 F.R.D. 688 (S.D. Fla. 2012) Read PDF; DWFII Corp. v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 271 F.R.D. 676 (S.D. Fla. 2010). aff'd, 469 F. App'x 762 (11th Cir. 2012) Read PDF; Coastal Neurology Inc. v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 271 F.R.D. 538 (S.D. Fla. 2010), aff'd, 458 F. App'x 793 (11th Cir. 2012). Read PDF.
• Represented largest automobile insurance carrier in Medicare Secondary Payer Act class action litigation. See, e.g., MSPA Claims 1, LLC v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., No. 1:18-cv-23165, 2019 WL 1055552 (S.D. Fla. Mar. 5, 2019) (dismissing case); MAO-MSO Recovery II, LLC v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 935 F.3d 573 (7th Cir. 2019) (affirming dismissal without leave to amend); MAO-MSO Recovery II, LLC v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., No. 1:17-cv-01537, 2019 WL 4452833 (C.D. Ill. Sept. 17, 2019) (in parallel case, denying motion to stay summary judgment).
• Represented largest automobile insurance carrier in Florida in policy construction class action. See Ayers v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 316 F. Supp. 3d 1324 (M.D. Fla. 2018) (summary judgment order).
• Represented large timeshare company in multiple putative class actions. Perret v. Wyndham Vacation Resorts, Inc., 889 F. Supp. 2d 1333 (S.D. Fla. 2012) (order granting motion to dismiss and closing case); Perret v. Wyndham Vacation Resorts, Inc., 846 F. Supp. 2d 132 (S.D. Fla. 2012); Perret v. Wyndham Vacation Resorts, Inc., No. 0:11-cv-61904, 2012 WL 592171 (S.D. Fla. Feb. 22, 2012); Embree v. Wyndham Worldwide Corp., No. 18-13924, 2019 WL 3183632 (11th Cir. July 16 2019) (affirming dismissal with prejudice).
• Represented retail supermarket chain in consumer class action removed to federal court under the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 and defeated remand to state court. Heretick v. Publix Super Markets, Inc., 841 F. Supp. 2d 1247 (M.D. Fla. 2012) Read PDF.
• Represented one of the nation's largest court reporting services in defense of a FDUTPA consumer class action. In re Motions to Certify Classes Against Court Reporting Firms for Charges Relating to Word Indices, 715 F. Supp. 2d 1265 (S.D. Fla. 2010), aff'd, 439 F. App'x 849 (11th Cir. 2011).
• Represented an automobile financing company in defense of a FDUTPA consumer class action. Baldwin v. Miami Auto. Retail Inc., No. 06-19334 (Fla. Cir. Ct. 2006).
• Represented a major automobile manufacturer in defense of a series of national and state product liability class actions involving the manufacturer’s F-250 and F-350 trucks. Brisson v. Ford Motor Co., 602 F. Supp. 2d 1227 (M.D. Fla. 2009), aff’d in part, rev’d in part, 349 F. App'x 433 (11th Cir. 2009); Lewis v. Ford Motor Co., 263 F.R.D. 252 (W.D. Pa. 2009).
• Represented the largest automobile insurance carrier in Florida in defense of various class action lawsuits filed by providers of MRI services. Altamonte Springs Imaging, L.C. v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 12 So. 3d 850 (Fla. 3d DCA 2009); Coastal Neurology, Inc. v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 271 F.R.D. 538 (S.D. Fla. 2010); MRI Assocs. of St. Pete, Inc. v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 755 F. Supp. 2d 1205 (M.D. Fla. 2010); DWFII v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 271 F.R.D. 676 (S.D. Fla. 2010).
• Represented a title insurer in defense of a series of class actions alleging overcharge of premiums on policies issued to mortgage lenders. Hoving v. Lawyer’s Title Ins. Co., 256 F.R.D. 555 (E.D. Mich. 2009).
• Represented manufacturer of dental implants in defense of product liability class action alleging that the implants were defective. Cohen v. Implant Innovations, Inc., 259 F.R.D. 617 (S.D. Fla. 2008).
• Represented timeshare company in defense of class action by timeshare purchasers. Grimes v. Fairfield Resorts, Inc., 331 F. App'x 630 (11th Cir. 2007).
• Represented an airplane engine manufacturer in defense of a product liability class action alleging the engine was defective. Montgomery v. New Piper Aircraft, Inc., 209 F.R.D. 221 (S.D. Fla. 2002).
• Represented a major automobile insurance carrier in class action filed by agents alleging breach of contract. Jim Moore Ins. Agency, Inc. v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., No. 9:02-cv-80381, 2003 WL 22097937 (S.D. Fla. Sept. 2, 2003), aff’d, 147 F. App'x 841 (11th Cir. 2005).
• Represented a major Florida homebuilder in defense of class action and separate class arbitration, both alleging home construction defects. Bouchard v. Ryland Grp., Inc., No. 2005-CA-01930, 2007 WL 2460386 (Fla. Cir. Ct. Jan. 16, 2007); Addleman v. Ryland Grp., Inc., No. 11 181 01524 05 (AAA arbitration).
• Represented chemical company in defense of former employees’ medical monitoring class action alleging exposure to toxic chemicals. Hoyte v. Stauffer Chem. Co., No. 98-3024, 2002 WL 31892830 (Fla. Cir. Ct. Nov. 6, 2002).

Data Privacy and Cybersecurity

• Represented a red-light camera vendor in a series of class actions in Florida federal court challenging the validity of traffic ticket violations based on a theory of improper delegation of police power.
• Represented a Tampa, Florida, hospital in a data breach privacy class action filed by a former patient who alleges that the hospital was negligent, violated the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, and received an unjust enrichment when a rogue employee improperly accessed the personal health information of patients at the hospital. See Doe v. Fla. Health Sciences Ctr. Inc., No. 14-CA-012657 (Fla. Cir. Ct. Dec. 29, 2014).
• Represented a retail catalog sale company in a data privacy breach class action filed in 2012 in the Southern District of Florida in which the plaintiff alleged that the defendant failed to safeguard the personal identifying information of employees of one of its clients against improper computer “hacking” by a rogue employee and brought claims under the Federal Stored Communications Act, the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, and the tort of invasion of privacy. See Burrows v. Purchasing Power, LLC, No. 1:12-cv-22800, 2012 WL 9391827 (S.D. Fla. Oct. 18, 2012) (order on motion to dismiss); 2013 WL 10167232 (S.D. Fla. Oct. 7, 2013) (final judgment approving settlement).

Multidistrict Litigation

• Represented manufacturer of schizophrenia drug in multidistrict product liability litigation alleging the drug was defective. In re Seroquel Prods. Liab. Litig., 598 F. Supp. 2d 1271 (M.D. Fla. 2009); No. 6:06-md-01769, 2009 WL 618240 (M.D. Fla. Mar. 12, 2009).
• Represented homebuilders in defense of multidistrict product liability class actions alleging drywall installed in homes was defective. In re Chinese-Manufactured Drywall Prods. Liab. Litig., 626 F. Supp. 2d 1346 (J.P.M.L. 2009).

Antitrust Litigation

• Represented major automobile insurer in nationwide antitrust class action alleging conspiracy to limit coverage for auto repairs. Gilchrist v. State Farm Mut. Auto Ins. Co., 390 F.3d 1327 (11th Cir. 2004).
• Represented national horse show association in standard setting monopolization and conspiracy action. JES Props., Inc. v. USA Equestrian, Inc., 253 F. Supp. 2d 1273 (M.D. Fla. 2003).
• Represented seller of ultra-high-speed printers in antitrust class action alleging violations of state antitrust and FDUTPA laws. Oce Printing Sys. USA, Inc. v. Mailers Data Servs., Inc., 760 So. 2d 1037 (Fla. 2d DCA 2000).
• Represented manufacturer of thermal fax paper in defense of antitrust price fixing conspiracy class action. Excu-Tech Bus. Sys., Inc. v. Appleton Papers, Inc., 743 So. 2d 19 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999).
• Represented agricultural chemical company in defense of vertical price-fixing class action. In re Agric. Chems. Antitrust Litig., No. 4:94-cv-40216, 1995 WL 787538 (N.D. Fla. 1995).

Employment

• Represents a Florida state agency in a disparate impact class action alleging discrimination against black and Hispanic teachers. See Fla. Educ. Ass'n v. State of Fla. Dep't of Educ., No. 4:17-cv-00414 (N.D. Fla.).
• Represents a chain of dental offices in a Fair Labor Standards Act collective action and related arbitration and putative class arbitration proceedings. See McGuire v. Intelident Sols., LLC, 385 F. Supp. 3d 1261 (M.D. Fla. 2019).

Election Litigation

Represented the state of Florida in cases involving the 2016 elections:

• Fla. Democratic Party v. Detzner, No. 4:16-cv-00607, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.
• Young v. White, No. 3D17-107, Florida Third District Court of Appeal.
• Fla. Democratic Party v. Scott, No. 4:16-cv-00626, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.
• Olivares v. Trump, No. 2016 CA 002646, Second Judicial Circuit in and for Leon County, Florida.

Recognition

• Top Author, Class Actions, JD Supra Readers' Choice Awards (2020)
• Board Certified in Antitrust and Trade Regulation Law by The Florida Bar (August 1, 2008–July 31, 2023)
• The Best Lawyers in America, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Defendants (2023–2024)
• Florida Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers Magazine (2009–2014, 2017–2021)

• Chambers USA  (2017–2018)

Professional & Community Involvement

• American Bar Association
  • Antitrust Law Section
  • Appellate Practice Committee, Section of Litigation
    • Subcommittee to Study Circuit Size (1993)
• The Florida Bar
  • Editor, Trial Law Column of The Florida Bar Journal (2005–present) 
  • Antitrust and Trade Regulation Law Certification Committee (2010–2013)
• Hillsborough County Bar Association
• The Federalist Society, Tampa Bay Lawyers Chapter
  • Former President
• A Woman’s Place Ministries
  • Former Director and Chairman of Board
• Paideia School of Tampa Bay
  • Director (2006-present)

Speaking Engagements

• "2023 Carlton Fields Class Action Survey Review - Class Action Trends and Best Practices," Carlton Fields (April 11, 2023)
• "2022 Carlton Fields Class Action Survey Results: Class Action Trends and Best Practices," Carlton Fields (March 15, 2022)
• "COVID-19 Insurance Coverage Class Actions," Carlton Fields (April 27, 2020)
• "Making a Big Impact in Consumer Protection: Analyzing Consumer Impact Cases," 2015 Florida Bar Annual Convention, Boca Raton, FL (June 27, 2015)
• "Major Supreme Court Decisions Impacting Class Actions," Carlton Fields Class Action Symposium, New York, NY (June 2013)
• "Class Action Removal Standards in Flux," Strafford Publications Inc. (July 16, 2009)

Credentials

Areas of Focus