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Matthew is a litigation attorney in Rainey Kizer’s Jackson office who joined the firm in 2011. Matthew focuses his practice on employment, civil rights, and governmental law. He regularly assists public and private employers with all sorts of employment law issues related to Title VII, the ADEA, ADA, FLMA, and state employment law disputes. Matthew regularly defends employers in matters before regulatory bodies, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and Tennessee Human Rights Commission, and in litigation before the district and appellate courts. Matthew also helps employers investigate employment issues, draft and revise handbooks, and prepare employment related contracts and agreements.

Matthew’s practice also includes representing governmental entities in all matters of litigation, including land use and zoning matters, civil rights claims, including § 1983 claims, and tort claims under Tennessee’s Governmental Tort Liability Act and Public Duty Doctrine. Matthew also has experience representing private colleges in litigation arising from the student relationship and in Title IX matters. Matthew has represented clients in commercial litigation. Lastly, Matthew has significant experience representing clients in appellate matters in Tennessee appellate courts and the Sixth Circuit.

  • Beckham v. City of Waynesboro, 2024 Tenn. App. LEXIS 215, at *1 (Tenn. Ct. App. May 14, 2024).
  • King v. Town of Selmer, 2024 Tenn. App. LEXIS 9, at *1 (Tenn. Ct. App. Jan. 8, 2024).
  • Allen v. Middle Tennessee Sch. of Anesthesia, Inc., 2022 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 189966, at *1 (M.D. Tenn. Oct. 18, 2022).
  • Henning v. City of Jackson, 2022 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 153029, at *1 (W.D. Tenn. Aug. 25, 2022), aff’d 2023 U.S. App. LEXIS 14813 (6th Cir. June 14, 2023).
  • Pack v. Freed-Hardeman Univ., 2023 Tenn. App. LEXIS 71, at *1 (Tenn. Ct. App. Feb. 24, 2023).
  • Rogers v. Adventure House LLC, 617 S.W.3d 542 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2020).
  • Paar v. City of Jackson, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63722, at *1 (W.D. Tenn. Apr. 10, 2020).
  • Bynum v. Sampson, 605 S.W.3d 173 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2020).
  • Riverland, LLC v. City of Jackson, 2018 Tenn. App. LEXIS 658, at *1 (Tenn. Ct. App. Nov. 9, 2018).
  • State ex rel. Howell v. Farris, 562 S.W.3d 432 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2018).
  • Holmes v. Southwest Human Resource Agency, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 139742, at *1 (W.D. Tenn. Aug. 30, 2017).
  • Lohner v. Lake Cnty., Tenn., 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 115563, at *1 (W.D. Tenn. July 25, 2017).
  • Bobo v. City of Jackson, Tenn., 511 S.W.3d 14 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2015).
  • Allen v. City of Jackson, Tenn., 981 F. Supp.2d 738 (W.D. Tenn. 2013), aff’d 590 Fed. App’x 490 (6th Cir. 2014).
  • Grice v. Jackson-Madison Cnty. Gen. Hosp. Dist., 981 F. Supp.2d 719 (W.D. Tenn. 2013), aff’d 570 Fed. App’x 539 (6th Cir. 2014).
  • Jones v. Jackson-Madison Cnty. Gen. Hosp. Dist., 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 94831, at *1 (W.D. Tenn. Jan. 2, 2013).

Speaking:

  • May 8, 2024, West TN Society for Human Resources Management Employment Law Conference, “ADA and the Interactive Process.”
  • November 2, 2023, West TN Society for Human Resources Management Employment Law Conference, “Roll Camera for a Legal Update” and “Case Studies.”
  • May 10, 2023, West TN Society for Human Resources Management Employment Law Conference, “Planting & Growing: Age in the Workplace” and “In the Weeds: FLSA Pitfalls to Avoid.”
  • November 16, 2022, West TN Society for Human Resources Management Employment Law Conference, “Top HR Pitfalls” and “Case Studies.”
  • May 24, 2022, West TN Society for Human Resources Management Employment Law Conference, “Deep-Sea Gear: Employee Discipline” and “Case Studies.”

Publications:

  • Cooper v. Dolgencorp., LLC: The Importance of Accurate Job Descriptions; HR Professionals Magazine (May 2024).
  • Here We Go Again: Proposed Changes to the FLSA Salary Test; HR Professionals Magazine (October 2023).
  • Five Tips to Help Employers Return Employees to the Office; HR Professionals Magazine (June 2022).
  • Is this the Beginning of the End? New Efforts to Limit Non-Compete Agreements; HR Professionals Magazine (June 2023).
  • Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s Nondiscrimination Rules: An Overlooked, Yet Important Piece of the Puzzle; DRI – The Voice, vol. 13, issue 15 (Apr. 16, 2014).
  • The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: A Survival Guide for Employers; DRI – For the Defense, January 2014.
  • The Intersection of Hollywood & Jurisprudence: “Examining Change Through 12 Angry Men & the
    Proposed Amendments to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56,” 28 Miss. C. L. Rev. 427 (2009).

Named a "Rising Star" in the area of Employment & Labor Law by Law & Politics Mid-South Super Lawyers magazine (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023)

Practice Areas

Commercial Litigation
Education
Insurance Defense
Labor & Employment
Local Government

Education

Union University, B.S.B.A., 2006, cum laude

Mississippi College School of Law, J.D., 2009, summa cum laude

New York University, L.L.M., 2010

Bar Admissions

Tennessee State Courts (2010)

U.S. District Courts: Eastern, Middle, and Western District of Tennessee

U.S. Court of Appeals: Sixth Circuit

Interests

In law school, Matthew served as the online articles editor for the Mississippi College Law Review. He received the American Jurisprudence award in Corporate and Partnership Taxation, Torts I, Secured Transactions, and Counseling and Negotiation. He was also the recipient of the 2008-2009 Bradley Arant Best Comment Award, Mississippi College School of Law Alumni Award, and the Estates and Trust Section of the Mississippi bar award. He made Dean's List every semester of law school.

In addition to his active law practice, Matthew serves as an adjunct faculty member at his alma mater, Union University. He teaches law courses in Union’s MBA program and Adult and Professional Studies program.

Outside of work, Matthew enjoys family life in Jackson with his wife, two children, and two golden doodle dogs. He is actively involved in his church and enjoys hobbies of reading, watching movies, and playing guitar.

Organizations

Tennessee Bar Association
Jackson-Madison County Bar Association
Defense Research Institute
Tennessee Defense Lawyer Association