[email protected]
18 W. 9th Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
P: 513.579.0080
F: 513.579.0222

Biography

Matt’s practice is focused on insurance law and civil litigation – particularly the investigation and defense of insurance coverage, tort, and contract claims.

Matt is a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (“CPCU”) and one of a mere two dozen Ohio attorneys board-certified as a Specialist in Insurance Coverage Law by the Ohio State Bar Association.  In fact, he is the only attorney who holds both designations.  He is also one of the top-rated insurance coverage attorneys representing clients in Ohio and Kentucky, having been recognized in “Super Lawyers” numerous years.

Matt has authored scores of legal opinions for both national and regional insurance companies analyzing almost every type of insurance policy written (e.g., home, farm, fire, flood, hurricane, all other perils, personal property, boatowners, commercial property, crop-hail, garage, general liability, public officials liability, errors & omissions, employers liability, employment practices liability, liquor liability, pollution legal liability, businessowners, commercial package, completed operations, builders risk, equipment breakdown, ocean marine, inland marine, umbrella, and excess).

Matt has worked closely with home office counsel to advise and develop insurance policy language as well as insurer “best practices” to guard against future litigation.

Matt has defended insurance companies and their insureds against hundreds of lawsuits arising out of all manner of claims (e.g., bodily injury, personal injury, property damage, fire, water / flood, auto accident, premises liability, dram shop liability, animal owner liability, breach of contract, commercial construction, workplace accident, product liability, toxic tort, logging operations, equine, professional negligence and malpractice, civil rights, no-fault insurance (BRB / PIP), declaratory judgment, and bad faith).  He has extensive litigation, trial, and appellate experience and has served as lead counsel for numerous bench trials, jury trials, and appeals – including a 2020 win in the Supreme Court of Ohio.

Matt is originally from the Washington, D.C. area and a graduate of Gonzaga College High School.  He met his wife, Lauren (a Cincinnati native and McAuley High School graduate), when they were both undergrads at the University of Dayton.  After the two completed their doctoral degrees and Lauren finished her psychological residency, they settled in her hometown and started a family.

Prior to joining Rolfes Henry, Matt was associate general counsel to a leading insurance industry company, practiced at an AV-rated insurance defense firm in Louisville, Kentucky, and served as summer law clerk to the Hon. Sandra S. Beckwith, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio.  Outside the legal realm, he volunteered for eight years as a firefighter and emergency medical technician (EMT).

In his spare time, Matt enjoys golfing, playing with Tucker (his awesome Australian Shepherd), and reading historical biographies.

EDUCATION

University of Richmond, T.C. Williams School of Law, Richmond, Virginia
Juris Doctor, 2011

John Marshall Scholar

Trial Advocacy Board; Chief Justice Harry L. Carrico Pro Bono Award Recipient

University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science & Sociology, 2008

Presidential Scholar; University Honors Program

Sigma Phi Epsilon, Vice-President; Inter-Fraternal Counsel, delegate

University of Cambridge, Selwyn College, Cambridge, England
Certificate in International Politics, 2006

FEDERAL COURTS:

  • Southern District of Ohio
  • Northern District of Ohio
  • Eastern District of Kentucky
  • Western District of Kentucky
  • Eastern District of Missouri
  • Western District of Missouri
  • Eastern District of Texas
  • Western District of Texas
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

STATE COURTS:

  • Commonwealth of Kentucky
  • State of Missouri
  • State of Ohio

Publications

Presentations

  • “Context Is Key: Influencing Outcomes in Coverage Analysis”, (2021), In2Risk, the CPCU Society Annual Conference, Orlando, Florida
  • “Differing Perspectives in Coverage Analysis”, (2019), Annual Insurance Law Update Seminar, Cincinnati, Ohio

Significant Cases

Collins v. Miami Valley Paper Tube Co., 2022 Ky. App. Unpub. LEXIS 402 (July 15, 2022)

McGrath v. Natl. Specialty Ins. Co., M.D. Fla. No. 6:21-cv-247 (Jun. 22, 2022 Order granting motion for summary judgment)

Greenville Cumberland Presbyterian Church v. State Auto Prop. & Cas. Co., Muhlenberg Circuit No. 20-CI-00015 (Apr. 1, 2022 Order granting motion for final summary judgment)

Northpark Place Invest. Condo. Assn. v. Metro Dev., Delaware C.P. No. 18 CV H 07 0394 (Jan. 18, 2022 Order granting motion for summary judgment)

Greenville Cumberland Presbyterian Church v. State Auto Prop. & Cas. Co., Muhlenberg Circuit No. 20-CI-00015 (Nov. 17, 2021 Order granting motion for partial summary judgment)

Crown Servs. v. Miami Valley Paper Tube Co., Hamilton C.P. No. A2003383 (Apr. 20, 2021 Order granting motion to dismiss)

Crown Servs. v. Miami Valley Paper Tube Co., 162 Ohio St.3d 564, 2020-Ohio-4409, 166 N.E.3d 1115

Ohio Valley Physicians v. Scottsdale Ins. Co., 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 197167 (S.D. Ohio Oct. 22, 2020) (adopting the Sept. 28, 2020 Report & Recommendation of the Magistrate Judge reported at 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 197331)

Collins v. Miami Valley Paper Tube Co., Grant Circuit No. 19-CI-00254 (May 20, 2020 Order granting motion to dismiss)

Blue Rock Invests. v. City of Xenia, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 214544 (S.D. Ohio Dec. 12, 2019)

Moore v. Hodge, 1st Dist. Hamilton No. C-180633, 2019-Ohio-4752

The Village at Beckett Ridge COA v. Owners Ins. Co., Butler C.P. No. CV 2018 04 0972 (May 13, 2019 Order granting motion for judgment on the pleadings)

Crown Servs. v. Miami Valley Paper Tube Co., 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 108323 (Apr. 10, 2019 Order granting motion to dismiss)

Blue Rock Invests. v. City of Xenia, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 53014 (S.D. Ohio Mar. 28, 2019)

Crown Servs. v. Miami Valley Paper Tube Co., Cuyahoga C.P. No. CV-18-902556 (Feb. 26, 2019 Order granting motion to dismiss)

Tri-Lady Marine v. Bishop Mech. Servs., 763 Fed. App’x 882 (11th Cir. 2019)

Tri-Lady Marine v. Bishop Mech. Servs., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 234844 (S.D. Fla. Oct. 30, 2018)

Tri-Lady Marine v. Bishop Mech. Servs., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 234719 (S.D. Fla. Sep. 20, 2018)

Barker v. Lo, Hardin Circuit No. 16-CI-00123 (July 3, 2017 Order granting motion for summary judgment)

Tri-Lady v. Aqua-Air Mfg., 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 55893 (S.D. Fla. Apr. 12, 2017)

Ky. Farm Bureau Mut. Ins. Co. v. Zielke, Jefferson Circuit No. 14-CI-03967 (Nov. 30, 2016 Order granting motion for summary judgment)

Gibbons v. Ky. Farm Bur. Mut. Ins. Co., 2016 Ky. App. Unpub. LEXIS 377 (May 27, 2016)

Hamlet v. Allstate Ins. Co., 2016 Ky. App. Unpub. LEXIS 92 (Jan. 29, 2016)

Cheatham v. W. Shelby Water Dist., Shelby Circuit No. 14-CI-00323 (Jan. 27, 2016 Order granting motion for summary judgment)

McGarry v. Clark, Jefferson Circuit No. 12-CI-04367 (Dec. 21, 2015 Order granting motion for summary judgment)

Husband v. Ky. Farm Bureau Mut. Ins. Co., Jefferson Circuit No. 15-CI-02249 (Dec. 1, 2015 Order granting motion for summary judgment)

Alzubaidy v. Epperson, Jefferson Circuit No. 13-CI-05262 (Apr. 9, 2015 Order granting motion for summary judgment)

Savage v. Allstate Ins. Co., Jefferson Circuit No. 12-CI-06824 (Oct. 30, 2014 Order granting motion for summary judgment)

Professional Certifications

  • Certified Specialist in Insurance Coverage Law, Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA), 2021
  • Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), 2020

Memberships

  • Kentucky Bar Association
  • Louis D. Brandeis American Inn of Court (past barrister)
  • Ohio State Bar Association
  • The Society of Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters (CPCU)

Recognitions

  • Named to the Ohio Super Lawyers-Rising Stars List for 2020 – 2025