Matthew Preusch
Santa Barbara
801 Garden Street, Suite 301
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Matthew Preusch is a partner at Keller Rohrback and practices in its nationally-recognized Complex Litigation Group.
Matt focuses his work on cases that protect people and the environment. He has helped initiate landmark consumer litigation related to Volkswagen’s “Clean Diesel” deceit and Wells Fargo’s unauthorized account scheme. When studies of moss samples in trees in Portland, Oregon identified several pollution “hotspots” in that city, he and others at Keller Rohrback launched cases on behalf of residents that resulted in the largest environmental class action settlement in Oregon history. More recently, he served as co-lead counsel representing survivors of four utility-caused wildfires in Oregon. That case resulted in a historic, first-of-its-kind jury verdict finding a utility liable to a class for punitive damages. In addition, Matt serves as individual plaintiffs’ Liaison Counsel for the Marshall Fire litigation in Colorado.
Before joining Keller Rohrback, Matthew served as an honors attorney in the Oregon Department of Justice’s appellate and trial divisions. He was a judicial extern for the Hon. Michael W. Mosman in the District of Oregon during law school. Prior to his legal career, he spent 10 years as a journalist in the Pacific Northwest, covering regional and national news for The Oregonian, The New York Times and other publications.
Honors & Awards
Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America®, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Action - Plaintiffs - Santa Barbara, California, 2025 (Recognized since 2024)
National Trial Lawyers: Top 100, 2024
Professional & Civic Involvement
Santa Barbara Bar Association, Member
Underscore Media Collaboration, Board Member
Articles & Presentations
Speaker, National Wildland Fire Conference (April 2024).
Panelist, Bridgeport Consumer Class Action Litigation Conference, Current State of the Law on Ascertainability and Standing (January 2017).
Speaker, Bridgeport Environmental Class Action Webinar (March 2016).
Panelist, Lewis and Clark Law School, Public Interest Law Project, Cutting-Edge Bet the Company Mega Class Action CLE (February 2016).
Speaker, Harris Martin Porter Ranch Gas Leak Litigation Conference, Remedies (January 19, 2016).
Panelist, Bridgeport Consumer Class Action Litigation Conference, Current State of the Law on Ascertainability and Standing (January 2016).
Author, How to Ethically and Effectively Talk to Reporters, Environmental Law News, Vol. 25, No. 1 (Spring 2015).
Speaker, Don't Say, "No Comment”: How To Ethically and Effectively Talk to Reporters, Santa Barbara County Bar Association (September 16, 2015).
Oregon State Bar Environmental & Natural Resources Section Case Notes (July 2015).
Author, Tim Weaver, Yakama Tribes' Salmon Champion, Says His Goodbyes, The Oregonian (January 1, 2010).
Author, DEQ to Help Polluter Seek Federal Break on Mercury Emission, The Oregonian (Aug.ust19, 2009).
Author, Amid Forests Ashes, A Debate Over Logging Profits is Burning On, The New York Times (April 15, 2004).
Case Media
CVN's Top 10 Most Impressive Plaintiff Verdicts of 2023, Courtroom View Network (January 17, 2024).
Environmental Group Of The Year: Keller Rohrback, Law360 (February 12, 2024).
Xcel lawsuit chronicles Louisville neighbors’ Marshall Fire tragedies, BizWest (August 29, 2023).
PacifiCorp verdict finds utility negligent in four Labor Day wildfires; jury awards victims nearly $72 million, OregonLive.com (June 12, 2023).
Sony Attack: Studio Hit With First Class Action By Ex-Employees, Deadline (December 16,2014).
Suit seeks damages for all victims of alleged Wells Fargo customer abuses, Los Angeles Times (May 13, 2015).
Bullseye Glass settlement money working its way toward neighbors who sued over air pollution,The Oregonian (May 16, 2019).
Neighbors hope to expand Castparts pollution lawsuit, Portland Tribune (May 23, 2019).
Earnin Flouts Lending Laws With 'Linguistic Trick,' Suit Says, Law360 (November 18, 2019).
Portland Is Getting 6 New Air Pollution Testing Stations Near Bullseye Glass, Oregon Public Broadcasting (February 11, 2020).
PacifiCorp faces class action lawsuit for downed power lines that allegedly ignited devastating Oregon wildfires, The Oregonian (October 1, 2020).
Practice Emphasis
Education
Pomona CollegeB.A., 2000, Politics, Philosophy, and Economics
Lewis & Clark Law SchoolJ.D., magna cum laude, 2013, Environmental & Natural Resources Law Certificate
Bar and Court Admissions
2013, Oregon
2014, California
2014, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
2014, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
2014, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
2014, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
2014, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
2018, U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon
