Matthew B. Butler is a founding partner of Nicholas & Butler LLP with significant experience in civil litigation. Mr. Butler focuses on complex litigation such as consumer class actions, employment class actions, insurance bad faith, business and construction litigation. Mr. Butler’s experience includes positive results prosecuting and defending several cases through jury trial, bench trial and arbitration. Mr. Butler was rated an AV© Preeminent™ lawyer in 2009 by Martindale-Hubbell© and selected by the San Diego Superlawyers as one of the top attorneys in California for 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.

Mr. Butler is a leader in the legal profession. Mr. Butler was elected to the State Bar of California Board of Governors by the California Young Lawyers Association (“CYLA”) for the bar year 2006-2007. Mr. Butler also served as the District 9 representative to the CYLA Board of Directors from 2003-2006, representing San Diego and Imperial counties. From 2003-2008, Mr. Butler held other leadership positions within the California Young Lawyers Association, such as First Vice President and Treasurer.

Mr. Butler currently holds leadership positions on a national level with the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. He is currently the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Liaison for the General Practice/Solo Division, as well as the Young Lawyers Chair and Council Member of the ABA General Practice, Solo/Small Firm Division for 2010-2011.

Mr. Butler received his Juris Doctor in 1998 from the University of San Diego School of Law. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, where he graduated with a BA in 1995.

Awards

• Martindale-Hubbell© Rating, AV© Preeminent™  (Highest Rating for legal ability and ethical standards)
• San Diego Super Lawyers, Top Attorneys 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012

• American Bar Association General Practice, Solo/Small Firm Division

Young Lawyers Committee Chair, Council Member, (2010-2011)

• American Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division

District Representative: (2005-2007)

GP/Solo Committee Chair (2006-2007)

Credentials Committee (2006-2007)

Committee Director – Advocacy Supergroup (2007-2008)

Resolutions Committee (2007-2008)

Administrative Director (2008-2009)

Host Committee Chair, Fall Conference (2008)

Liaison, GP/Solo Division (2010-2011)

• American Inns of Court, Louis M. Welsh Chapter (2008-2009; 2009-2010)

• American Inns of Court, Wallace Chapter

• American Trial Lawyers Association

• California Young Lawyers Association Board of Directors (2003-2008)

Treasurer (2003-2004)

Career Symposium Committee (2004-2005)

First Vice President (2004-2005)

Third Vice President (2005-2006)

Board of Governors Representative (2006-2007; 2007-2008)

• Consumer Attorneys of San Diego

• Litigation Counsel of America (2009-2010)
• San Diego County Bar Association

• State Bar of California Board of Governors (CYLA representative 2006-2007; 2007-2008)

• Young Lawyers for Youth (with SDVLP, 2007-2008)

• University of San Diego School of Law (J.D., 1998)
• University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana (B.A., 1995)

• Cohen v. Robert Bosch Tool where Mr. Butler and his partner successfully obtained a $5.0 million class action settlement for claims related to saws that were mislabeled as “Made in the USA”;
• Loera v. Akal Security, an employment wage and hour case where Mr. Butler certified a class of approximately 350 guards who did not receive appropriate overtime, breaks, or meal periods in accordance with California law. Mr. Butler secured a settlement for the class members for a total of $9.75 million;
• Vien Dong v. AMCO Insurance Company, The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company, and Alliant Insurance Services, Inc., an insurance bad faith case where Mr. Butler represented a food market that was denied certain insurance coverage for a fire loss under its Premier Business Owners Policy – including the business income coverage and extra expense coverage.  The food market also sued its broker for recommending insufficient insurance coverage.  Mr. Butler obtained a settlement in excess of $1.5 million;
• J.C.M. Iavelli Plastering, Inc. v. State Compensation Insurance Fund and Vanorsdale Insurance Services where Mr. Butler represented a construction contractor in an insurance bad faith case where SCIF refused to defend or indemnify the contractor against a claim for injuries by a worker.  Mr. Butler obtained a settlement in excess of $700,000, which exceeded the amount that J.C.M. paid to resolve the claim by the worker;
• Giametta v. Bakbone Software, Inc., an individual wrongful termination and breach of contract case in which Mr. Butler successfully arbitrated the breach of contract case over the failure of the company to pay full sales commissions to a Senior Vice President for North America at the time of termination.  Mr. Butler obtained and collected in excess of $250,000 including arbitration costs and attorneys fees when the highest offer for settlement pre-arbitration was $58,000.
• Burks v. TSC Restoration; Burks v. Hernandez, two cases related to the same remodel of an individual home in the Bay Park neighborhood of San Diego.   Mr. Butler successfully resolved the two cases for a combined value of more than $1.0 million.  The allegations included breach of contract, negligence, and fraud.