Bradley A Matta

BRADLEY A. MATTA is an associate in the Product Liability and Cyber Liability & Technology Practice Groups and is based in the firm’s Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania office.

Mr. Matta focuses his practice on product liability and mass-tort litigation, specifically concentrating on pharmaceutical drugs and devices, tires, automotive, consumer goods and recreational vehicular products. He has experience in practicing before the Judicial Panel on multidistrict litigation, and currently assists in the representation of a pharmaceutical drug manufacturer in multidistrict litigation.  To that end, he has participated in the pre-trial proceedings, briefed 12(b) (6) and 12(c) motions, hurdled jurisdictional and venue challenges, and successfully received numerous dismissals in this litigation.   

Within the Commonwealth, Mr. Matta has placed a particular emphasis on, as Justice Saylor coined, “[the] continuing state of disrepair in Pennsylvania strict-liability design defect law” and has assisted in counseling his clients through the dichotomy of Pennsylvania’s product liability laws based on the divergent standards that may be applied.  In doing so, Mr. Matta has counseled national manufacturers in both state and federal courts in Pennsylvania over the seminal differences in the application of Pennsylvania products liability law.  To that end, Mr. Matta had the recent opportunity in arguing before the Court of Common Pleas in illustrating what evidence was, and was not, admissible in a strict-liability design defect case.  

Mr. Matta has served on several trial teams, which consisted of participating in all pre-trail conferences, preparing in limine motions, jury charges, voir dire instructions, and demonstrative exhibits - which he finds invaluable.  Mr. Matta has provided insight to lead trial counsel including conducting extensive expert research which was successfully used in Daubert/Frye motion practice.  Mr. Matta has also appeared before the state courts in Pennsylvania, presenting various motions and successfully litigated before the Allegheny County Civil Arbitration Division. Mr. Matta’s experience includes:

• Initial case assessment and discovery, including coordinating scene and vehicle inspections
• Removals based on diversity jurisdiction
• Day to day management of multidistrict litigation
• Taking and defending fact witness depositions
• Coordinating fact discovery
• Extensive expert development/research
• Briefing of demurrers, discovery, summary judgment, and pre-trial motions
• Preparing for pre-trial conferences and coordinating jury views throughout the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania
• Briefing of post-judgment and argument preparation
• Assisted in case negotiations in receiving favorable settlements
• Prepared comprehensive confidential release and settlement agreements

Prior to joining Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, Mr. Matta worked in the natural gas industry as a frack-flowback technician in western Colorado and northeastern Utah. Having been given the term of a “green-hat” – and similar to the realities in life experiences – Mr. Matta valued gaining on-sight experience along the way to managing natural gas pads before returning back to Pennsylvania and becoming licensed to practice law.    

Mr. Matta is a member of the Defense Research Institute, American Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association and Allegheny County Bar Association. Mr. Matta serves as a state liaison member to the DRI’s Young Lawyer Division. In this capacity, Mr. Matta tracks legislation of interest within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and reports to the DRI’s substantive law committees for monthly publications.

In his spare time, Mr. Matta has an active role in certain civic charities where he grew up including the JMD Foundation affiliated with UPMC McKeesport Hospital, and still enjoys participating in competitive sports, particularly basketball. On a personal note, he previously attended Carnegie Mellon University, and was a four-year letterman of the men’s basketball team and Captain his senior year. Go Tartans!