Matthew K. Mitchell

Matthew K. Mitchell is a partner and Chair of the General Liability Practice Group in New Jersey and member of the firm’s Board of Directors.  He is also Co-Chair of the firm's Transportation Law Practice Group and Insurance Coverage/Bad Faith Practice Group.  He focuses his practice on high exposure property/casualty litigation, personal and commercial motor vehicle negligence matters including Rideshare/Transportation Network Company (TNC) coverage and defense, trucking, claims and litigation management, personal and commercial lines insurance coverage disputes, bad faith and fraud/SIU matters.

Matthew K. Mitchell is a partner and Chair of the General Liability Practice Group in New Jersey and member of the firm’s Board of Directors.  He is also Co-Chair of the firm's Transportation Law Practice Group and Insurance Coverage/Bad Faith Practice Group.  He focuses his practice on high exposure property/casualty litigation, personal and commercial motor vehicle negligence matters including Rideshare/Transportation Network Company (TNC) coverage and defense, trucking, claims and litigation management, personal and commercial lines insurance coverage disputes, bad faith and fraud/SIU matters.

Mr. Mitchell graduated from Lafayette College in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Law.  During college, he was a legislative intern in Washington, D.C. for Congressman Jim Florio while attending American University’s Justice Program.  He received his J.D., with honors, in 1993 from the University of Miami School of Law, where he was an active member of the regional and national mock trial team competitions and the law school’s Litigation Skills Program.  As a law student, he was certified by the Florida Supreme Court to prosecute and try cases for the Office of the State Attorney, Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida as a legal intern.

After successfully passing the New Jersey and Florida bar exams in 1993, Mr. Mitchell entered private practice as an associate with an AV-rated law firm in downtown Miami where he concentrated on insurance defense litigation on behalf of national insurance carriers, third-party administrators and self-insured entities.  In 1995, he returned to his native southern New Jersey and practiced as an associate, partner and then equity shareholder with a respected AV-rated insurance defense litigation firm for 16 years before joining Cipriani & Werner in 2011 as managing partner of the general liability practice group in the firm’s Mt. Laurel office.

Mr. Mitchell has successfully tried numerous cases throughout New Jersey, consistently achieves summary judgment for his clients and has argued several appellate matters before New Jersey’s Appellate Division.  In addition to his jury trial and appellate accomplishments, he has also consistently achieved favorable results for his clients through binding and non-binding alternative dispute resolution.

Mr. Mitchell has achieved and maintained the highest AV® Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell.

Mr. Mitchell co-authored "New Jersey Trial and Evidence" for the New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education.  He also co-authored “Verbal Threshold Update” for the New Jersey Defense Association Magazine.  He frequently provides legal update presentations and accredited seminars to insurance industry professionals and other attorneys throughout New Jersey and abroad.

Mr. Mitchell is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, as well as the Transportation Lawyers Association (TLA), CLM Alliance, CLM Transportation Committee, DRI and New Jersey Defense Association.

He is admitted to practice in Florida (exempt) and New Jersey, as well as the U.S. District Courts for the State of New Jersey and for the Southern District of Florida, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Eleventh and Third Circuits, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Recognitions & Seals

Represented client in wheel separation case.  Plaintiff alleged permanent injuries to her spine superimposed over prior conditions.  She required Radiofrequency Ablation and implantation of a spinal cord stimulator.  We thoroughly investigated plaintiff's prior medical history and pharmacy records.  We had her examined by a highly qualified orthopedic surgeon.  After sharing the defense exam report and the records obtained by way of subpoena, the case was ultimately settled for $22,500.00.

Represented client whose rig collided with plaintiff's host vehicle operated by a co-defendant.  That vehicle then lost control and struck an illegally parked tractor trailer, causing serious injuries to the two minor plaintiffs.  One plaintiff sustained a serious traumatic brain injury and incurred over $450,000.00 in medical expenses.  Because of strong liability defenses, plaintiff agreed to accept a $29,000.00 settlement offer, with court approval.

Represented owner-operator whose tractor trailer struck plaintiff's trash truck at about 70 mph.  Although client had a red light, we were able to establish through deposition testimony of eyewitnesses that the plaintiff proceeded on a green light without making the proper precautions before entering the intersection.  Plaintiff alleged lumbar disc injuries resulting in failed injection therapy.  There was a boardable workers' compensation lien.  Thorough investigation, exhaustive depositions and use of qualified orthopedic and neurologic defense experts resulted in plaintiff's reduced settlement demand.  The case ultimately settled for half of plaintiff's initial demand.

Lafayette College (B.A., 1990)

University of Miami School of Law (J.D., 1993)