Matthew (Matt) Jacobs

Matt Jacobs is an accomplished legal and strategic advisor with more than 35 years of experience guiding corporate, governmental, and nonprofit leaders through high-stakes litigation, internal and regulatory investigations, and enterprise risk management. He most recently served as General Counsel for the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), the largest U.S. public pension fund, where he was a member of the executive team, a strategic advisor and parliamentarian for the Board, and led the Legal, Compliance & Risk, and Information Security offices.

Before joining CalPERS in 2014, Matt was a litigation partner at the international law firm DLA Piper LLP (US) and at other leading firms, representing public agencies, corporations, and executives in complex civil and criminal matters. Earlier in his career, he served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney and Chief of the Criminal Division in the Eastern District of California, where he supervised the office’s most significant prosecutions.

Matt is widely respected for his ability to manage crisis situations and deliver practical solutions in matters involving governance, regulatory risk, ESG, healthcare, and financial services. He has successfully represented major pension funds, healthcare systems, and public agencies, and has extensive experience in internal investigations and complex litigation.

Matt is active in civic and professional organizations, serving on the boards of WEAVE and the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, and has held leadership roles with the National Association of Corporate Directors, the Council of Institutional Investors, and the Federal Bar Association. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law and a Judge Pro Tem of the Sacramento Superior Court. Matt earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School and his B.S., cum laude, from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.