Departments

Phone: 314.552.6820
Fax: 314.231.1776

Matthew C. Hans

Shareholder

Mr. Hans uses his extensive litigation experience to advocate for clients in a wide range of complex commercial and business litigation, including shareholder derivative actions, antitrust claims, appeals, mediation, arbitration, partnership disputes, class actions, contract disputes, insurance coverage disputes, securities matters, and fiduciary litigation. His clients range from start-up companies, to closely held and family owned businesses of every size, to publicly traded companies. He has represented shareholders, officers, directors, and corporations in disputes relating to fiduciary and corporate governance issues.

Mr. Hans also uses his background in antitrust law to represent and advise clients related to numerous competition issues involving pricing policies, mergers, collaboration among competitors, exclusive dealer relationships, restraints of trade, and dealer and franchisee termination. He focuses his antitrust practice in the health care industry, working closely with several hospital systems. 

Memberships and Affiliations

  • The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
  • American Bar Association
    • Section of Antitrust Law
  • Legal Services of Eastern Missouri
    • Board of Directors
  • Young Friends of Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Co-founder
  • DeSmet Jesuit High School Alumni Board

Distinctions

  • FOCUS St. Louis selected Mr. Hans as a member of its 2010-2011 Leadership St. Louis Class
  • Listed in Missouri and Kansas Rising Stars, 2009
  • V.I.S.I.O.N., Polsinelli Shughart's community volunteering program
    • Co-Captain
  • United Way's Young Leadership Society Member
  • DeSmet Jesuit High School
    • Alumni mentor
  • Legal Services of Eastern Missouri
    • Volunteer Lawyers Program
  • STL 250 Advisory Committee

Experience

  • Obtained a judgment for a director and officer of a closely held corporation facing claims of breach of fiduciary duty for excessive compensation and other self-dealing.
  • Obtained a $900,000 jury verdict for an investor defrauded by a limited liability corporation.
  • Submitted an amicus curiae brief to the Missouri Court of Appeals, in support of an immigrant who sought to be reunited with her son, who had been wrongfully placed with and adopted by another family.
  • Served as a staff attorney at the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, where he advised the court on a wide variety of appeals, involving employment discrimination, civil rights disputes, and constitutional law.
  • Worked in the Antitrust and White-Collar Crime groups at a large Washington, D.C. law firm. While there, Mr. Hans assisted in conducting an internal investigation into whether a client’s employees had engaged in price fixing, defended another client in a federal grand jury investigation into possible bid-rigging, and defended a client in the airline industry against a civil case brought by the federal government alleging that a joint venture agreement had anticompetitive effects.