Matt is a trial attorney with a diverse complex litigation practice covering subject matter areas, ranging from federal securities disputes and high-value contract and business tort claims, to federal CERCLA and state law environmental matters. He has represented employers and defended executives in the U.S.’s largest corporations, and has published material regarding the rights of corporate officers regarding advancement and indemnification of defense costs.

Additionally, Matt holds leadership roles in a number of professional organizations, most recently serving as the 60th president of the Federal Bar Association for the Eastern District of Michigan. He is serving a second term as the president of the Board of Trustees for the Court Historical Society for the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan. Through appointment by the judges of the Eastern District of Michigan, Matt serves as a member of the Local Rules Advisory Committee, which is comprised of attorneys who advise the court on revisions to its local rules. He served for nearly a decade on the U.S. Courts Committee for the State Bar of Michigan, and is a former director of the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association.

Matt’s practice also includes a strong and long-standing commitment to pro bono and public interest litigation. On the eve of the 2008 general election, Matt successfully pursued a federal voting rights case that challenged the systematic purging of voter lists and related disenfranchisement of thousands of Michigan voters. His work on the case was recognized by the American Lawyer magazine in a June 2009 feature entitled “Franchise Players,” and he was awarded Pepper Hamilton’s William R. Klaus Pro Bono Award “in recognition of [his] distinguished role in protecting the fundamental right to vote and [his] inspiration to Pepper lawyers to be defenders of the constitutional rights of all.” Matt is the only attorney to have been awarded the Klaus Award a second time, receiving it again in 2014 for his work on a federal lawsuit challenging Michigan’s child removal laws and procedures. The case was recognized by Michigan Lawyers Weekly in its annual “Most Important Opinions” review.

Matt heads the firm’s Michigan litigation practice and serves on its national pro bono committee.

Trial and Dispute Resolution

• Served as lead trial attorney defending a major utility company against federal and state environmental claims for recovery of costs exceeding $20 million in relation to alleged groundwater contamination at former manufactured gas plant.
• Served as lead trial attorney defending the former chief accounting officer of a Tier I automotive supplier in 10-week federal securities fraud trial against the SEC, arising from the accounting for commercial transactions in excess of $500 million.
• Served as litigation counsel to a group of banks and hedge funds in pursuing a $340 million claim for past-due interest on lending commitment.
• Prosecuted and defended multimillion dollar claims on behalf of automotive suppliers for contractual indemnification under Michigan law.
• Obtained summary judgment on behalf of a Tier I automotive supplier in product liability-based wrongful death lawsuit involving robotic assembly system.
• Served as lead trial attorney in CERCLA cost recovery action on behalf of municipality involving the migration of chlorinated compounds toward municipal drinking water supply (Milford v. K-H Holding Corp., 390 F.3d 926 (6th Cir. 2004)).
• Represented a finance company as lead litigation counsel in a purported class action alleging violation of state licensing statutes.
• Served as lead trial attorney defending an automotive finance corporation against claims under the Michigan Consumer Protection Act involving alleged misrepresentations in the issuance of credit.
• Defended claims brought by investors in a commodities fund against the company COO/investment advisor alleging breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and violation of securities laws.
• Defended claims brought by the SEC against an investment relations business owner alleging securities fraud in the promotion of penny stocks.
• Defended the former owner of one of the nation’s largest car dealerships against claims of personal liability for $5 million of corporate obligations.
• Defended a Class I railroad in federal trial and related appeal determining rail access to industrial site in southeast Michigan.
• Defended a former executive of one of the nation’s largest retailers against a $3.4 million claim alleging fraud, conspiracy, and breach of fiduciary duty.
• Defended a physical therapy chain as lead arbitration counsel against earn-out claims asserted by the former owners of an acquired entity.
• Served as counsel to an independent examiner appointed by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois to analyze public disclosures of a retailer in connection with an enforcement action filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
• Obtained multiple awards of summary judgment on behalf of employers in claims alleging age, race, and disability discrimination under federal and state law.
• Obtained “no-cause” awards in labor arbitration hearings on behalf of an international glass manufacturer in disputes involving interpretation of collective bargaining agreements as to rights of promotion and creation of job positions.
• Represented multiple employers in enforcing noncompete obligations against former employees of all levels.
• Successfully resolved claims in a product liability action against a tire manufacturer involving installation injury (Fleck v. Titan Tire Corp., 177 F. Supp. 2d 605 (E.D. Mich. 2001)).
• Represented clients in multiple appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Michigan Court of Appeals and Michigan Supreme Court.

• Chambers USA: Litigation – General Commercial, Michigan (2020-present)
  • “Matt displays excellent written and oral communication regardless of the audience. He takes the time to truly understand the subject matter.” Chambers USA, 2025
  • “…[A] very careful, thoughtful and considerate lawyer; he is the epitome of professionalism and his word is gold.” Chambers USA, 2021
• Super Lawyers: Michigan (2013-present)
• Best Lawyers in America®: Commercial Litigation (2014-2026)
• American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan Civil Libertarian of the Year (2014)
• American Jurisprudence Award, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
• Frank Murphy Honor Society Award, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law