A life-long resident of Washington State, Matt attended the University of Washington where he studied Asian History and Mandarin Chinese. After being elected Phi Beta Kappa in his junior year, he graduated magna cum laude and went on to earn his Juris Doctorate from the UW in 1979.

For over 30 years, he has represented plaintiffs in claims involving personal injury and wrongful death, primarily in the areas of medical negligence, construction accidents, and product liability, including toxic substances and pharmaceuticals. In addition to extensive work on various committees of the State and King County Bar Associations, Matt has served on the Board of Governors of the Washington State Association for Justice (WSAJ) and is a former Chair of the Association’s Medical Negligence Section. He is also a past editor of the Association’s magazine, Trial News, and has been a member of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) since 1985.

Matt enjoys speaking at legal seminars and has published on various litigation subjects in legal periodicals and journals. Matt is consistently ranked as a “Super Lawyer®” by Washington Law & Politics magazine. In his free time, Matt is something of an exercise nut, regularly running, biking and weightlifting, but what Matt enjoys most is spending time with his wife and two daughters. He also served for a number of years as a member and President of the Board of Olympic Ballet Theatre in Edmonds, WA, where he has participated onstage in several productions. When he began in his profession years ago, Matt wanted to change the world. He soon discovered that what he can do best is help individuals. He derives his greatest satisfaction from doing just that—helping one person at a time.