From Business School to the Courtroom—and Back to Business

Mat’s interest in business started well before he became an attorney.

He grew up in Yorba Linda and studied business at California State University, Fullerton. By his final year of college, Mat knew he wanted to work in the corporate world and was deciding between pursuing an MBA
or going to law school.

Law ultimately won out because it gave him the opportunity to work with businesses while keeping more professional options open.

At the University of San Diego School of Law, Mat leaned heavily into that business background. He took courses in corporations, contracts, agency and partnership, taxation, property law, and other subjects that overlapped naturally with what he had already studied.

Then, almost by accident, his career took a turn toward the courtroom.

During his final semester, Mat took a trial-technique course and participated in a law-school clinic representing clients who could not afford an attorney. One of those cases was headed toward trial. Mat prepared to try it using what he was learning in class—and when the prosecutor ultimately dismissed the case, he came away thinking:

Mat and Andy first became friends as young prosecutors. When they were notin trial, they and a small group of colleagues would often grab lunch together.

Over time, those conversations turned into a much bigger idea: starting a practice of their own.

Their work evolved over the years, eventually becoming focused on corporations, real estate and rental-property owners, entrepreneurs, and small businesses.

The setting has changed—from courtrooms and suits to phone calls, Zoom meetings, and long-term business relationships.

But Mat’s interest in how businesses work has been there from the beginning.