Practice Areas

Commercial Litigation | Employment Litigation | Personal Injury Defense

Matthew joined SBH in 2025 following a 16-year career as senior in-house litigation counsel at the Social Security Administration (SSA) in Kansas City, where he handled all aspects of trial and appellate practice in a variety of matters before administrative agencies and federal courts. His work focused on employment litigation and advice.

During his time at SSA, Matthew maintained a successful track record on behalf of the agency. Some of his most notable accomplishments at the agency include his leadership of two class actions: a headquarters-wide case involving intersectional discrimination claims before the EEOC and a nationwide case addressing pay for military reservists before the MSPB, the Federal Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Prior to working as in-house counsel, Matthew worked in private practice for a large, national law firm on behalf of clients in complex and class action litigation, including product liability, commercial, ERISA, intellectual property, and antitrust matters. He has appeared in federal and state courts nationwide and argued before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Kansas Court of Appeals, and the Kansas Court of Tax Appeals.

Matthew has served as an officer for the governing board of the Earl E. O’Connor American Inn of Court since 2000 and has been involved with numerous boards and committees within the Kansas Bar Association and Johnson County Bar Association. He is admitted to practice in both Kansas and Missouri.

Prior to earning his law degree at Emory University School of Law, Matthew was a world history and religion teacher at a high school in Louisiana as a charter member of the Alliance for Catholic Education.

• Social Security Administration
  • 2024 General Counsel’s Leadership Excellence Award for outstanding leadership and mentorship.
  • 2024 General Counsel’s Citation for superior sustained service in EEO class action litigation.
  • 2022 Regional Commissioner’s Honor Award for outstanding service in general litigation.
  • 2022 General Counsel’s Excellence-in-Service Award for superior litigation skills in complex litigation.
  • 2018 General Counsel’s Citation for performance beyond the call of duty.
  • Office of the General Counsel Quality Service Awards in 2024, 2018, 2017 and 2012.
  • 2015 National Anti-Fraud Award as part of the Office of Financial Policy and Operations Anti-Fraud Efforts Team.
• Kansas Bar Association, 2007 Pro Bono Certificate Award in recognition of work on behalf of indigent clients in domestic relations matters and constitutional litigation.
• Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, 2002 Pegasus Trust Scholar: one of two American winners of competitive scholarship. Studied under three sets of barristers in the English Inns of Court and learned the foundations of the English legal system.

• Civil Procedure, Kansas Bar Association’s Kansas Annual Survey (annually, 2004 through 2014; beginning in 2011, with Scott Nehrbass and Matthew Stromberg; prior to 2011, with Scott Nehrbass).
• Responding to Semi-Objectionable Discovery, Law360.com, August 3, 2009.
• Academic Contributor, Black’s Law Dictionary (9th ed. 2009).
• Kansas, State Antitrust Practice and Statutes (ABA Section of Antitrust Law 4th ed. 2009) (with Joseph Matye).
• The Availability of the “Full Consideration” Remedy to Indirect Purchasers under the Kansas Restraint of Trade Act, KADC Legal Letter, Winter 2004, at 11 (with Scott Nehrbass).
• Reimbursing the ERISA Plan, For the Defense, May 2003, at 10 (with Timothy O’Brien).
• Through the Deposition Glass; or, Alice and Out-of-State Witnesses, For the Defense, August 2001, at 24.
• The Lawyer’s Inferno: A Guide to Discovery Disputes, Journal of the Kansas Bar Association, March 2000, at 19 (with Paul Rebein).
• An Australian Nunavut? A Comparison of Inuit and Aboriginal Rights Movements in Canada and Australia, 12 Emory International Law Review 1175 (1998), reprinted in part, Robert B. Porter, Sovereignty, Colonialism and The Future of Indigenous Nations 217 (Carolina Academic Press 2004).

• Kansas Bar Association’s Kansas Annual Survey CLE, 2004-2014: presented Civil Procedure chapter of Kansas Annual Survey.
• Kansas Bar Association’s Annual Conference, June 2007: presented summaries of noteworthy Supreme Court cases from previous term.
• American Inns of Court National Conference, April 2007: appeared on panel discussing American and British pretrial discovery with members of United Kingdom’s Commercial Bar Association.
• Kansas Bar Association’s Practical Skills Seminar, multiple presentations: presented to new members of the Kansas bar about practical skills necessary to survive, succeed, and thrive as attorneys.

• Officer, Governing Board of Earl E. O’Connor American Inn of Court, 2000-present
• Member, KBA Professional Ethics Advisory Committee, 2000-2019
• Member, KBA Access to Justice Committee, 2000-2011
• Member, KBA Lawyers Assistance Program Committee, 2000-2011
• Member, Johnson County Bar Association Ethics & Grievance Committee, 2006-2011
• Member, Advisory Board of Kansas Legal Services, 2000-2006

• Boy Scouts of America, Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 10, Leawood, Kansas, 2020-present.
• Blue Valley Recreation Youth Baseball Head Coach, 2018-2022.
• Board of Trustees of Johnson County Bar Foundation, 2006-2015
• Governing Board of Johnson County Developmental Supports, 2012-2015
• Advisory Board of Friends of JCDS, 2001-2007

• Emory University School of Law, J.D. with distinction, 1998
  • Order of the Coif
  • Executive Managing Editor, Emory International Law Review
  • Chief Justice, Honor Court
  • Dean’s Public Service Award
  • State Bar of Georgia’s Employment Law Section Award
• University of Portland, 25 credits toward M.A.T., Education, June 1994 to May 1995
  • Off-site, Alliance for Catholic Education at Notre Dame
• University of Notre Dame, B.A., Government, 1994