Matthew M. Coman

Matthew M. (“Matt”) Coman is a nationally-recognized litigator with 24 years of in-depth experience who has tried more than 160 jury trials to verdict in both state and federal courts. In addition, Matt has tried hundreds of bench trials over that same time span.

Matt spent almost 15 years as a federal prosecutor in New Orleans, Louisiana. There, Matt prosecuted dozens of jury trials with a 100% conviction rate as to all defendants. Notably, Matt was the lead prosecutor in United States v. C. Ray Nagin. In that prosecution, Matt and his team successfully prosecuted the former Mayor of New Orleans of multiple corruption offenses. Mayor Nagin is the only Mayor of New Orleans ever indicted and prosecuted in more than 300 years. For those efforts, the United States Department of Justice, through the United States Attorney General, awarded Matt the National Award for Superior Performance in Litigation. In addition to his trial success, Matt also supervised white collar prosecutions in the Eastern District of Louisiana as the Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division and successfully argued several appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Matt’s efforts in multiple cases have been chronicled in documentaries such as CNBC’s American Greed and Gangsters: America’s Most Wanted. In addition, Matt often provides legal analysis to local and national media outlets.

Notably, as a state prosecutor, Matt successfully prosecuted dozens of murder cases to verdict. In 1997 alone, Matt prosecuted 71 jury trials to verdict. Those efforts represented the most jury trials by any prosecutor and resulted in Matt receiving the award for “Trial Attorney of the Year.”

At Garcia & Artigliere New Orleans, Matt is dedicated to obtaining justice for elderly and infirm adults and their families when their care, rights, and safety are put in jeopardy by their long-term caregivers. In addition, Matt has substantial experience in the prosecution and defense of False Claims Act matters. In those matters, commonly referred to as “qui tam” suits, Matt draws upon his experience as a federal prosecutor in order to best position his client in such complex and high-stakes litigation.

In addition to the above-listed areas, Matt maintains a robust practice in white-collar defense at the federal level.

Areas of Practice:

• Elder Abuse
• Wrongful Death
• False Claims Act (Qui Tam Actions)
• White Collar Defense