Matthew J. Stokes is a labor and employment attorney with a strong history of preventing, mitigating, and defending a variety of labor and employment law matters in the municipal and government-contractor sectors. Matt has successfully defended grievances in arbitration, unfair labor practice charges at the National Labor Relations Board, and discrimination charges at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission where he obtained dismissals on both procedural and factual grounds. Matt has counseled employers on labor and employment compliance, training, and transactions to prevent and mitigate a variety of workplace claims. He has conducted internal investigations and helped clients navigate internal and external audits. Matt has created employee handbooks, policies, procedures, and employment agreements across the labor and employment spectrum, and advised clients on related enforcement issues. Matt conducted due diligence in several merger and acquisition transactions, and he advised the buyer side on identified risks.
At Thatcher Law Firm, Matt handles a wide range of employment law matters-for employees and employers-including discrimination, harassment, disability, whistleblower protection, and wage and hour claims. His clients include public and private sector employees and employers across the D.C. Metro Area. In addition to civil rights and employment litigation, Matt also assists clients with a broad range of general business and legal matters.
Matt graduated from Michigan State University College of Law cum laude, and Michigan State University with honor. Following law school, he worked as a municipal labor and employment attorney in Michigan. There, Matt assisted clients with hiring and firing, collective bargaining, arbitration, and numerous aspects of the employer-employee relationship.
In his spare time, Matt enjoys spending time with his family, traveling with his wife (especially to China), playing tennis, and hiking with his dog, Saki. Matt is an avid Michigan State Spartans fan and, although he never played basketball or football, he is a highly accomplished (and shameless) armchair Spartans' football and basketball coach.