Brookfield, Wisconsin
Service Areas:
Education:
- J.D., cum laude, Marquette University Law School
- B.A., University of Wisconsin – Madison
Admissions:
- Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
Matthew is Co-chair of DeWitt's Business practice group and serves the corporate and transactional needs of businesses. He has particular expertise in mergers and acquisitions, with a special focus on Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) transactions, and using ESOPS as a succession-planning tool. He advises clients at all stages, from business formation to well-established companies both large and small. He provides his clients with exceptional and creative legal services and is able to translate complicated legal issues into straightforward and practical solutions.
Like so many of the businesses he represents, Matthew understands that what is good for the community is also good for business. Matthew’s passion for literacy and education inspires him to volunteer his time with various like-minded organizations throughout Wisconsin. He also regularly volunteers with the Milwaukee Justice Center Mobile Legal Clinic.
Matthew’s practice includes:
- ESOP transactions
- Negotiating deal terms and drafting documents related to the sale and purchase of an existing business, both equity and asset transactions
- Business entity formation
- Advising clients seeking B Corp certification
- Negotiating and drafting business contracts for the licensing of intellectual property
- Negotiating and drafting complex commercial real estate leases
- Trademark Prosecutions
Affiliations
- Wisconsin ESOP Association, Member, Program Committee
- The National Center for Employee Ownership, Member
- Milwaukee Bar Association
- United Performing Arts Fund, Next Generation Council Member
- Volunteer, Milwaukee Justice Center Mobile Legal Clinic
- Director - Board of Directors, Woodland Pattern Book Center, Inc.
Articles & Presentations
- Author (with Shawn M. Govern) of Chapter Five, “Buying and Selling a Small Business” in Securities, Mergers, and Acquisitions in Wisconsin (State Bar of Wisconsin)
- Author (with Jordan Rohlfing) of “Constitutional Law” in Annual Survey of Wisconsin Law (State Bar of Wisconsin, 2016)
Awards & Recognitions
- Wisconsin Rising Stars® (Business/Corporate) – 2018-2024
- Associate Editor of the Marquette Law Review
Notable Representations
- Assisted the owner of a second-generation manufacturing company in selling his business to an ESOP trustee for the benefit of his employees
- Represented national retail client in negotiations of commercial lease agreements for new retail stores
- Counseled client and oversaw documentation of purchase of assets from distribution company in Wisconsin Chapter 128 receivership
- Helped client navigate process of becoming a Wisconsin benefit corporation and certified B Corp
Service Areas Subspecialties
- Business
- ESOP Transactions
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Business entity formation
- Commercial Contracts
- Benefit Corporations & B Corps
- Intellectual Property
- Trademark Prosecution
- Licensing agreements