Maloney O'Laughlin PLLC fights for employees throughout Washington, from Seattle to Spokane.

Maloney O'Laughlin PLLC fights for employees throughout Washington, from Seattle to Spokane.

Photo of attorney Matt J. O’Laughlin

Matt J. O’Laughlin

Contact Me:

Seattle, WA

Practice Areas:

  • Employment Law

Litigation:

  • 100%

Biography

Matt has devoted his career to exclusively representing employees who have been treated unfairly by corporations and the government, whether through discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. Treating clients with the dignity and respect they deserve is one of Matt's highest priorities. Equally important, Matt is committed to obtaining full justice for his clients.

Over the course of two decades, Matt has established a winning record of both large verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients. He has successfully tried cases in federal and state courts throughout the country. That success comes from an understanding that his cases are not about him, but about his clients' stories and righting the wrongs that have been done to them. He knows that the law can be intimidating and confusing to everyday people. That is why Matt carefully guides his clients through every step of the legal process, protecting and empowering them to ensure the process is a positive one.

Matt is repeatedly ranked as one of the leading attorneys in the field of employment law. He has been recognized by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel, Nation's Top 1%, and as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers. For over five years, his peers have recognized him with the distinction of Super Lawyer. He has also obtained a rating of 10 out of 10 by the peer and client-reviewed organization AVVO. In 2016, he was invited to join the National Advocates Top 100 Lawyers. Matt's writings also have been published on a wide variety of topics and he has been a contributing editor for one of the American Bar Association's authoritative treatises on employment law for many years.

On a more personal level, Matt believes deeply in the service he provides to his clients. From a very young age, he learned the importance of protecting our civil rights. In the 1960s, his father answered Dr. King's call to all clergy in the United States to come to the South to stand for civil rights. Continuing this family tradition, Matt provides fearless and unrelenting advocacy on behalf of his clients in their pursuit of equal justice under the law.

Education

  • University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, Kansas City, Missouri
    • J.D. – 2002
    • Law Review: UMKC Law Review, Articles Editor
  • University of Missouri-Kansas City
    • B.A. – 1997
    • Honors: With Honors
    • Major: Political Science

Bar Admission

  • Washington, 2015
  • Kansas, 2010 (inactive)
  • Illinois, 2004 (inactive)
  • Missouri, 2002 (inactive)
  • U.S. District Court Western District of Washington
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of Washington
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit

Published Works

  • Contributing Editor, Wage and Hour Laws, A State-by-State Survey, American Bar Association Section of Labor & Employment Law, 2019 Supplement
  • Contributing Editor, Wage and Hour Laws, A State-by-State Survey, American Bar Association Section of Labor & Employment Law, BNA Books, (2017 Supplement)
  • Contributing Editor, Wage and Hour Laws, A State-by-State Survey, American Bar Association Section of Labor & Employment Law, (BNA Books, 3d Ed. 2016)
  • Contributing Editor, Wage and Hour Laws, A State-by-State Survey, Aba Section Of Labor & Employment Law, BNA Books, 2014 Supplement
  • The People Can Do No Wrong: An Examination of State and Eleventh Amendment Sovereign Immunity for Missouri's School Districts, 74 U.M.K.C. L. Rev. 883, 2006

Honors

  • National Association of Distinguished Counsel, Nation’s Top 1%
  • National Trial Lawyers Top 100
  • Super Lawyer
  • National Advocates Top 100 Lawyers
  • AVVO Rating (Peer and Client Reviewed): 10/10 “Superb”
  • James Madison Award (For Excellence in Constitutional Law)

Classes & Seminars

  • UMKC, Guest Lecturer – Constitutional Law
  • Webster University, Guest Lecturer – First Amendment Law

Pro-Bono Activities

  • Neighborhood Justice Center Volunteer

Professional Associations

  • National Association of Employment Attorneys
  • Washington Employment Lawyers Association
  • Washington State Association for Justice
  • Washington State Association for Justice Court Rules Committee
  • King County Bar Association