Matthew Robert Hubbell, Criminal Defense Attorney in Charleston, South Carolina

Matthew Hubbell brings decades of experience to his white collar criminal defense and False Claims Act litigation practice. Mr. Hubbell began his legal career in 1991 as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina, where he gained extensive experience prosecuting complex white collar cases. He subsequently entered private practice in his own firm, where for 17 years he has represented local and global companies, health systems, defense contractors, and numerous CEOs in complex white collar and False Claims Act matters. He regularly defends companies and corporate executives in internal investigations, grand jury investigations, parallel proceedings, litigation, and trials in various areas, including antitrust, anti-corruption, health care, environmental, tax, bank fraud, public corruption, securities, customs, forfeiture, and false claims (whistleblowers).

As an Assistant United States Attorney for nearly 10 years, Hubbell gained recognition for prosecuting numerous complex white collar crimes involving health care fraud, false claims, environmental crime, securities fraud, computer crimes, wire and mail fraud, tax and money laundering offenses, and public corruption. Among his more high-profile cases were his prosecutions of the first federal criminal health fraud case tried in the District of South Carolina, a shipping company in the largest federal oil spill case in South Carolina, and a state judge for fraud and attempted murder for hire.

In private practice, among many other notable successes, Hubbell won a not guilty verdict for his client in a lengthy federal antitrust trial in Charlotte, N.C, and a not guilty verdict for his client in a significant federal Clean Water Act case tried in Charleston, S.C. He also recently successfully represented a S.C. legislator in one of the high-profile prosecutions targeting members of the S.C. General Assembly.

Achievements

Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated Lawyer

Multiple Consecutive Selections for South Carolina Super Lawyers®

Chair of the South Carolina Bar Health Care Law Section (2017-2018)

Top Ten Attorney Award – National Academy for Criminal Defense Attorneys (2014)

Professional/Civic Activities

President, Federal Bar Association, South Carolina Chapter (2016-2017)

White Collar Criminal and False Claims Act /Qui Tam Defense Practice (2001 – Present)

Co-Chair and Founder, Federal Bar Association / S.C. Qui Tam Section (2015-2017)

Board Member, Federal Bar Association Qui Tam Section (National) (2015-2017)

Chair, S.C. Bar Health Care Section (2017-2018)

Council Member, S.C. Bar Health Care Section (2014-2017)

Volunteer Mentor, Federal Drug Court Program (Bridge) (2015)

Board Member and Co-Chair of Criminal Section, Federal Bar Association / S.C. (2014-2015)

Chairman, Merit Selection Panel for U.S. Magistrate Judge, Charleston (2014)

Executive Board, Charleston County Bar Association (2001-2004, 2006-2007, 2011-2012)

United States Magistrate Judge Selection Panel (2007)

Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of South Carolina (1991-2000)

Permanent Member, 4th Circuit Judicial Conference

Speaking Engagements

Speaker, Covid Fraud and Recent DOJ Enforcement Actions, S.C. Bar Convention, Health Law Section (Jan. 16, 2025).

Speaker, Bridging Broad Street. Program for Young Lawyers (United States District Court, Charleston, S.C. (March 27, 2024).

Speaker, S.C. Health Care Fraud Enforcement Panel, Health Law Section Seminar at the South Carolina Bar Convention (Jan. 18, 2024).

Lecture, White Collar Criminal Practice, Charleston School of Law (Nov. 16, 2023).

Speaker, False Claims Act Updates and Pandemic Cases, Charleston Health Care Summit hosted by K&L Gates (Oct. 13, 2023).

Lecture, White Collar Criminal Class, Charleston School of Law (2023).

Speaker, False Claims Act Seminar for District of South Carolina Judges and Law Clerks, U.S. District Court, Charleston, SC, December 15, 2022.

Panel Speaker, “The Defense and Relator’s Counsel Discuss Getting a Case Resolved,” with the Hon. Bruce H. Hendricks, United States District Judge for the District of S.C; Bill Nettles, Esquire (former U.S. Attorney for the District of S.C.), Michael J. Moore, Esquire (former U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of GA), and James Leventis, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of S.C.; Federal Bar Association Annual Meeting and Convention, September 15, 2022.

Interview, COVID Relief Fraud with U.S. Attorney Rhett DeHart: What You and Your Clients Need to Know. In this video, white-collar criminal defense attorney Matt Hubbell and United States Attorney Rhett Dehart discuss the federal government’s enforcement efforts against COVID relief program fraud, December 2021.

Speaker, Health Care Fraud and ABA, 15th Annual Autism Law Summit, Columbia, SC, October 21, 2021.

Panel Moderator, “Practicing Before Federal Judges,” featuring the Hon. A. Marvin Quattlebaum, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit; the Hon. Sherri A. Lydon, U.S. District Judge for the District of South Carolina; the Hon. David R. Duncan, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of South Carolina, and the Hon. Shiva V. Hodges, Federal Bar Association Seminar, July 30, 2021.

Co-Moderator, National COVID-19 Health Care Fraud Town Hall featuring the Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice's Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina, and the Deputy Chief of the Civil Division for the Northern District of Illinois, sponsored by K&L Gates with the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, Louisiana Hospital Association, North Carolina Healthcare, The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania Association, South Carolina Hospital Association, Washington State Hospital Association, August 20, 2020.

Speaker, Health Care Fraud and Collateral Consequences, “How an Investigation Begins, Civil Investigative Demands and Defending Health Care Fraud Cases”, South Carolina Bar, November 14, 2019.

Guest Lecturer, White Collar Crime Seminar, Charleston School of Law, April 11, 2019.

Panel Moderator, “Developments in Health Care Enforcement”, South Carolina Bar Convention, Myrtle Beach, SC, January 2019.

Panel Speaker, “Crisis Management”, K&L Gates Conversation Series, Charleston, SC, November 8, 2018.

Panel Speaker, “Emerging Trends in Qui Tam/FCA Cases,” South Carolina Bar Convention, Kiawah Island, S.C. January 2018.

Panel Speaker and Course Sponsor, “Current Trends in False Claims Act/Qui Tam Whistleblower Litigation,” Federal Bar Association/S.C. Bar-Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Charleston, S.C., May 12, 2017.

Panel Speaker, “Sometimes It’s About More Than Just Money: Defending Parallel Criminal Prosecutions of Qui Tam Cases,” S.C. Bar Convention, Greenville, S.C. January 2017.

Speaker, “FCA Developments: Escobar and Beyond,” Federal Bar Association –Federal Litigation & Qui Tam Conference, Washington, D.C., October 18, 2016.

Panel Moderator and Course Planner, “False Claims Act/Qui Tam Whistleblowers Litigation Involving Health Care Providers,” Federal Bar Association/S.C. Bar-Continuing Legal Education Seminar, May 6, 2016.

Panel Discussion with U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs and U.S. Magistrate Judges Mary Gordon Baker, Kaymani D. West, and Leo Brisbois: “Increasing Diversity Among Federal Magistrate Judges,” The Federal Magistrate Judges Association Board and Diversity Committee, U.S. District Court, Charleston, SC, April 12, 2016.

Moderator, “Panel Discussion: Current False Claims Act Issues” with U.S. Attorney William Nettles, 2016 S.C. Bar Convention, Healthcare Law Section CLE.

Speaker, “Highlights of Proposed Revisions to OIG Exclusion Authority & Trends in Fourth Circuit False Claims Act Case Law,” 2015 S.C. Bar Convention, Healthcare Law Section CLE.

Panel Moderator and Course Planner, “Settling False Claims Act and Qui Tam Cases,” 2015 S.C. Bar Convention, Healthcare Law Section CLE.

Panel Moderator, “Health Care Law in South Carolina: Hot Topics, Tips, and Trends Seminar, South Carolina Bar”, May 9, 2014.

“Federal Fraud Enforcement of Health Care Law,” Healthcare Law in the Federal Courts, Federal Courts Law Review Symposium, Charleston School of Law, January 28, 2011.

“Effects of the Financial Crisis on White Collar Crime,” Symposium on Crime and Punishment, Charleston School of Law, February 19, 2010.

“Ethics: Prosecution and Defense Points of View,” Elements and Defenses of South Carolina Crimes Seminar, South Carolina Bar, June 12, 2009.

Federal and State Securities Enforcement Seminar, South Carolina Bar, December 9, 2008.

“Defense is Not the Dark Side,” South Carolina Federal Criminal Law Update, Charleston School of Law, July 7, 2006.

“Health Care Fraud and Collateral Consequences,” Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, October 25, 2006.

Federal Computer and Intellectual Property Crimes Seminar, South Carolina Bar, March 28, 2003.

Publications

Books

Co-Author, Health Care Fraud and Collateral Consequences, 2d Edition (S.C. Bar 2011)

Co-Author, Federal and State Securities Enforcement, (S.C. Bar 2008)

Co-Author, Computer and Intellectual Property Crimes, (S.C. Bar 2003)

Articles

Co-Author, "District Court SEES a Lack of Good Cause to Intervene After Prior Declination," American Health Law Association, 22 April 202118 September 2020, COVID-19: K&L Gates Triage: OIG Updates Work Plan to Include Audits of COVID-19 Related Reimbursement and CARES Act Funding (Podcast)18 November 2019, Qui Tam Quarterly (Alerts/Updates), Enforcement Trends in False Claims Act Liability for Patient Assistance Programs24 October 2018, The Benczkowski Memorandum: DOJ’s New Guidance on Corporate Monitors (Alerts/Updates)26 January 2018, A Failure to Implement Cybersecurity Measures Could Lead to False Claims Act Liability for Defense Contractors (Alerts/Updates)Co-Author, “Health Care Reform: Recent Developments in Fraud Enforcement,” (S.C. Bar 2008)