The recipient of numerous national and regional awards and with years of experience skillfully navigating high courts, Matt Nelson serves as a go-to appellate lawyer for clients who have major problems and very sophisticated issues. He represents clients throughout the country in a variety of venues, including the U.S. Supreme Court, the Michigan Supreme Court, other state supreme courts, various federal courts of appeals and the Michigan Court of Appeals. Matt routinely works with trial litigators on dispositive motions, motions in limine, and preparing appellate strategies while a case is still in trial court.
Matt helps governmental clients, especially counties, keep up with the ever-changing flow of state and federal rules and regulations coming from Lansing and Washington, D.C.
In addition, Matt provides legal counsel to both public-and private-sector clients who become involved in conflicts that produce complex litigation issues.
Clients and colleagues alike appreciate Matt’s rich appellate background, which includes submitting amicus curiae briefs in the state and federal courts on behalf of the State of Michigan, the Defense Research Institute, the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and the Michigan Health & Hospital Association. He successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of an individual against the federal government in a case centering on whether the individual could challenge the government’s decision to take land into trust for use as a tribal casino.
Although Matt maintains a relaxed and conversational personality in his personal interactions and in his courtroom style, he brings his highly competitive nature and intellectual intensity to the legal arena. He enjoys the challenge of crafting “clean, clear and crisp” briefs and presenting persuasive oral arguments that persuades appellate courts and results in client wins. Matt also finds it highly gratifying to help clients fend off bet-the-company litigation and reverse business-threatening decisions such as class certification orders and jury verdicts in lower courts.
Matt’s outstanding track record and legal accomplishments have won him several recognitions and honors. He chairs DRI’s national amicus committee and was elected to co-chair the Michigan Appellate Bench-Bar Conference Foundation. Three times, he’s been the recipient of a Distinguished Brief Award by a panel of jurists and professors for briefs he submitted to the Michigan Supreme Court. Three times, Matt was named one of Michigan’s best appellate attorneys under 40, as chosen by the Michigan Super Lawyers/Thomson Reuters legal division.
Matt chairs the firm’s Appellate and Supreme Court Practice.