Marc Matthews
From Seminole, Florida University of Central Florida (B.A., 2000) University of Florida College of Law (J.D., honors, 2003)
In 2010, Marc Matthews joined Swope, Rodante, P.A., bringing with him significant experience defending large companies and truck drivers in trucking accidents, catastrophic injury and product liability cases. Relying on that experience, he now represents individuals and families who have been injured or lost a family member due to the negligence of others, as well as those clients in need of a trial attorney due to insurance company bad faith.
Originally from Pinellas County, Mr. Matthews attended the University of Central Florida on an academic scholarship before graduating from the University of Florida College of Law with honors. Since law school, Mr. Matthews has worked in the trial departments of some of the largest and most prestigious law firms in the U.S., including Holland & Knight LLP and DLA Piper US LLP. He has lived and practiced law in Orlando, West Palm Beach and Tampa, Florida. Mr. Matthews’ experience includes litigating cases throughout the state of Florida and the nation involving catastrophic trucking accidents, traumatic brain injuries, tire blowouts/rollovers, wrongful death and product liability claims.
Mr. Matthews is admitted to practice in all of the state and federal courts throughout Florida. He has appeared in the Northern, Middle and Southern District Courts of Florida in cases ranging from multi-million dollar business disputes to multi-million dollar insurance claims. Mr. Matthews’ practice focuses on trucking accidents, personal injury, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, wrongful death, and insurance bad faith.
Distinctions
Invited to join The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers, recognizing the top trial lawyers in Florida and throughout the nation.
University of Florida College of Law (with honors, 2003)
- Presidential Recognition Award
- Highest Grade in Estates and Trusts Law
- President – Entertainment, Art & Sports Law Society
- Assistant Editor – Journal of Entertainment, Art & Sports Law
- John Marshall Bar Association
- Sports Lawyers Association
- Previously licensed as an Athlete Agent in the State of Florida and as a Contract Advisor with the NFLPA
University of Central Florida (Bachelor of Arts, 2000)
- Minor in Business Administration
- Florida Academic Scholar
- President’s Scholar
- Golden Key National Honor Society
- Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity
- Vice President – Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity
Professional and Community Involvement
- May 2011, attended the American Association for Justice seminar Litigating Truck Collision Cases: “Rules,” “Reptiles,” & Experts
- American Association of Justice, AAJ’s Interstate Trucking Litigation Group
- National Advisory Board Member with the Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America
- Florida Justice Association
- Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association
- Hillsborough County Bar Association
- Leadership Tampa Bay
- Outback Bowl
- Florida Citrus Sports
- UCF Alumni Associations
- UF Alumni Associations
- Tampa Bay Watch
- Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)
Publications & Presentations
September 2011, Speaker at the Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America (APITLA) Super Summit: How to Bullet Proof Your Trucking Case for Trial, in St. Louis
August/September 2011 issue of FJA Journal, Tales from the Defense – The Rise of the Negligent Selection and Hiring Claim
Selected Decisions
DeSilva v. First Community Bank of America, 42 So. 3d 285 (Fla. 2d DCA 2010)
Reddick v. Rosemary Beach Land Co., 9 So. 3d 621 (Fla. 1st DCA 2009) (per curiam affirmation of directed verdict on tort claims and jury verdict on contract claims)
Boga v. de Teresa Sosa, 2007 WL 2264599 (M.D. Fla. August 6, 2007)