Attorney Bio

MATTHEW H. SCHWARTZ

Matthew H. Schwartz is native of Long Island, New York. He

graduated Cum Laude with a B.A. and Highest Honors in American

Studies from Brandeis University in 1988. Having thereafter

accepted an academic scholarship from Pepperdine University

School of Law, he graduated in the top 25% of his class and a Moot

Court champion in 1992. Simultaneously, Matt became a graduate

of the inaugural class of what is now known as the internationally

acclaimed Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution in Malibu,

California.

Upon passing the California Bar Exam in December 1992, Matt chose the entrepreneurial road less traveled and established his own law firm in Los Angeles, California. Just prior to that, he was accepted into the highly coveted “Producer’s Program” at the UCLA Graduate school of Film & Television. As he developed his legal clientele by day, he earned his Master of Fine Arts degree Summa Cum Laude at UCLA by night.

In 1995, Matt became an embroiled fixture in the “Trial of the Century,” i.e., the O.J. Simpson Double Murder Trial. Matt was counsel of record for Laura Hart McKinney, the North Carolina-based screenwriter who recorded the storied “Fuhrman Tapes” which became a spectacular evidentiary lightning rod in that historical case. As part of this engagement, Matt became admitted pro hac vice in North Carolina and defeated both Johnnie Cochran and F. Lee Bailey in a nationally televised hearing by which he successfully quashed a key defense subpoena on behalf of Ms. McKinney. Later on, Matt appeared before Judge Ito in Los Angeles to oppose a motion to quash a protective order that was issued to protect Ms. McKinney’s intellectual property rights. In a televised debate that lasted in excess of two hours, Matt argued against the defense, the prosecution, the City of Los Angeles (then represented by future Los Angeles mayor James Hahn), the ACLU and Mark Fuhrman to uphold Judge Ito’s protective order – and he prevailed. Following Simpson’s acquittal, trial legend F. Lee Bailey was so impressed with Matt that he began to refer cases to him regularly.

Matt’s practice grew substantially as he represented a wide array of clients in the real estate and entertainment businesses. He was lead counsel in numerous trials ranging in subject matter from real estate fraud to defamation. Along the way, Matt gave legal commentary on several national news programs and was a featured professional on Fox Television’s “Power of Attorney.”

In 2000, Matt established an important legal precedent favoring writers in the California Labor Commissioner’s Office with respect to the scope of the California Talent Agencies Act. He also designed and instructed legal curricula for Chapman University’s Graduate School of Film & Television in Orange, California.

From 2002 through 2004, Matt served on the Committee of the Administration of Justice pursuant to an appointment by the California State Bar Board of Governors. He served as a primary reporter analyzing and revising proposed Judicial Council jury instructions and sundry amendments to the California Rules of Court and the Codes of Evidence and Civil Procedure.

Beginning in 2003, Matt volunteered as a Judge Pro Tem for the Small Claims Division of the Los Angeles Superior Court. On October 5th, 2006, he was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by the Los Angeles Superior Court for his outstanding judicial volunteer service. While practicing in Los Angeles, Matt donated voluminous pro bono services through the Southern California Indian Center and on behalf of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Matt has been published on numerous occasions and has been a featured public speaker regarding such issues as Copyright law, product distribution agreements, administrative law, clergy misconduct, protection of political art and diversity in the workplace.

Since 2004, Matt has represented expanding retailers and has closed scores of lease agreements that govern over 700,000 square feet of commercial real estate in addition to designing compliance structures, coordinating due diligence efforts, defending legal claims, negotiating complex corporate transactions with Fortune 1000 companies, managing IP portfolios, reviewing marketing and promotion campaigns and performing esoteric legal research.

In 2007, Matt relocated to Atlanta for family reasons where he quickly passed the Georgia Bar Exam and reconstituted his private practice maintaining his West Coast clientele while welcoming new clients in his new home city of Atlanta.

In January of 2008, Matt was selected by the Anti-Defamation League to participate in its Glass Leadership Institute program (Southeast Regional Board) for legal review and analysis of claims, issues and public policy initiatives.

© Schwartz Law Group 2015