Matthew S. Podolnick

Notable Experience

• Represented Cleveland Clinic Florida (“CCF”) and Cleveland Clinic Hospital (“CCH”) at trial in the United States District Court Southern District of Florida. The Plaintiff alleged that CCF, through its employed emergency medicine physician, and CCH, committed medical malpractice in failing to diagnose, treat, and admit the patient to the hospital for an abdominal infection thus leading to multiple surgeries and permanent scarring. The Plaintiff sought damages in excess of $2,000,000. The trial lasted six days (with deliberations briefly spilling over to a seventh day). CCH’s motion was granted for directed verdict at the close of our case in chief. The jury subsequently returned a verdict in favor of the remaining Defendant, CCF. The jury took less than three hours total to deliberate before finding the CCF’s emergency room physician met the standard of care in all regards as it related to the Plaintiff’s medical care.
• Represented individual physicians and prestigious hospitals in complex medical malpractice litigation with multi-million dollar sustainable values from pre-trial through verdict in state and federal court.
• Represented hospitals in Baker Act hearings.
• Represented hospitals and clinics in premises liability litigation.
• Obtained defense verdict in federal court as lead counsel on behalf of hospital and its employed physician in medical malpractice trial seeking over $2,000,000 in damages.
• Obtained defense verdict as second chair on behalf of hospital and its employed physicians in month-long medical malpractice trial seeking over $10,000,000 in damages.
• Drafted and successfully argued various motions, including motions for summary judgment and motions to dismiss, on behalf of defendant hospitals and physicians.
• Led pre-trial settlement negotiations, including mediation, to achieve favorable outcomes for clients.
• Created and presented CLE lecture on managing discovery to law firm.
• Conducted internal investigation, prepared materials for the SEC, and interviewed international witnesses in connection with corporate violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Credentials

Education

• J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School, 2004
• B.S., University of Florida, 2000

Admissions

• Florida
• New York (3^rd Department)
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
• United States District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York

Recognition

• Chambers USA, Litigation: Medical Malpractice Defense (South Florida), Band 1, 2021-Present