Spotlight on Matthew Rodgers
November 15, 2019
Matthew Rodgers joined the firm’s Boston office in 2014. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and moved across the country to Brunswick, Maine, to attend Bowdoin College. Today he and his wife Jess Wall, a fellow attorney, live in East Boston, a multicultural community undergoing rapid development – located just across Boston Harbor from the firm’s local office. With his parents living in Madison, Wisconsin, and his sister and her family living in San Francisco, Matt says they have the whole country covered.
Matt focuses his practice on all phases of commercial litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts. He also represents class action defendants and advises energy and telecommunications firms. Prior to joining Eckert Seamans, he clerked for Judge D. Michael Fisher on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. During law school, he interned for Judge Raymond J. Dearie on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
Q&A
What led you to pursue a career in law?
I worked in a law firm before law school, where I noticed that our profession allows us to continue learning, throughout our careers, about the law and our clients’ businesses and industries. This keeps the job interesting and enjoyable.
What do you enjoy most about your practice?
Though the preparation can be stressful, I enjoy arguing before a court.
What is your most memorable trip/vacation?
Last winter, my wife and I traveled to Argentinian and Chilean Patagonia. It was starkly beautiful and the most remote place that I have ever been. Truly, a “once-in-a-lifetime” trip . . . that we hope to repeat!
If you could pick a career outside of the law, what would it be?
I would love to be a national park ranger. There is a program that permits retirees to work as part-time rangers, which I intend to pursue when the time comes.
What’s your favorite place?
It’s a toss-up between Glacier National Park, Montana, and Paris, France, depending on whether I want to be out in nature or in a city.
What’s a movie you can watch over and over again?
Jurassic Park. It was one of the first movies that I remember seeing in a theater. I have seen it countless times, but watching it still transports me back to my childhood.
Tell us something on your bucket list
I hope to learn Spanish someday.