Overview

Management looks to Matt Brown for his distinctive labor and employment experience. With a unique background as a state official and a defense attorney, he provides legal representation that aligns with his clients’ business goals.    

As an appeals hearing officer for the state of South Carolina, Matt presided over thousands of disputes involving dismissed workers, their former employers and complex unemployment insurance claims. He would hear testimony from both parties, review the facts of each case and issue decisions in compliance with state and federal law.

That quasi-judicial role advanced Matt’s tactical litigation skills when he later moved into private practice and defended clients in a range of industries, including governmental entities and municipalities; colleges and universities; and local businesses and international corporations. He has defended clients against an assortment of claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1983 (42 U.S.C. § 1983).

Among the positive results Matt has secured for his clients are the following:

  • Obtained summary judgment in federal court on behalf of a municipality that was sued by a former police officer who alleged wrongful termination and failure to accommodate in violation of the ADA.
  • Favorably resolved a lawsuit in defending a South Carolina university in a wrongful termination action brought by a former professor.
  • Successfully defended a national church in a property dispute involving principles of corporate law with several local congregations in South Carolina.

Matt advises clients on employment policies and procedures related to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), among others, and guides employers in preparing legally compliant employee handbooks. 

He helped start the Phi Delta Phi chapter at the Charleston School of Law and served as an officer for the fraternity.

Professional & Community Affiliations

Member

Employment and Labor Law Section

South Carolina Bar

Member

Young Lawyers Division

South Carolina Bar

Member, Board of Trustees

Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte

2019-2020

Recognition

Named, Legal Elite of the Upstate

Labor and Employment Law; Workers’ Compensation Law

Greenville Business Magazine

2016

Dean's List

University of South Carolina and Charleston School of Law

Speaking Engagements

2024 Carolinas Regional Employer Conference

Charlotte, NC

September 12, 2024

2023 Carolinas Regional Employer Conference

Charlotte, NC

September 14, 2023

Why AI Matters

Charlotte Area SHRM Legal Update, Charlotte, NC

March 13, 2023

2022 Carolinas Regional Employer Conference

Charlotte, NC

September 8, 2022

Feeling Lucky? Ask Us Your Labor and Employment Related Questions

March 17, 2022

The Time is Now to Plan for AI & Robotics to Improve Your Company’s Hiring Learning Security Productivity & Morale

Association of Corporate Counsel South Carolina Annual Meeting, Charleston, SC

September 23, 2019

None of Your Business? Discrimination and Leave Compliance Issues When Managing Employees with Substance Addictions

Charlotte, NC

September 12, 2018

Update Your Status: Current Legal Risks Related to Social Media in the Workplace

Charlotte, NC

April 27, 2017

Education

  • J.D., Charleston School of Law, 2009
  • B.A., University of South Carolina, 2003

Bar Admission

North Carolina
South Carolina

Courts

  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of North Carolina
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of North Carolina
  • U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina