Matthew A. Hurd

Matt has an extensive background in municipal litigation and has spent his entire career as a trial attorney. Previously, he worked with the City of Chicago Law Department for almost 20 years where he headed the Tort’s Division, the Special Litigation Division, and the Federal Civil Rights Division. As head of each Division, he took over 50 jury trials to verdict, including slip/trip and falls, auto accidents, wrongful death, wrongful detention, paramedic malpractice, police pursuits, excessive force, false arrest and police involved shootings.

Matt also has experience as trial counsel in commercial, medical malpractice, civil rights and personal injury litigation.

Matt graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame Law School. While in law school, he received the American Jurisprudence Awards in Constitutional Law and Criminal Law.

Highlights of his legal practice include:

• Obtained a not guilty verdict in Gonzales v. City of Chicago, a police shooting with claims of wrongful death and civil rights violations, after a three-week trial where the plaintiff asked for $18 million dollars.
• Obtained a not guilty verdict in Burgs v. Peterson, a police shooting with claims of wrongful death and civil rights violations, after a three week trial where the plaintiff asked for $17 million dollars.
• Obtained a not guilty verdict in Green v. Junious, alleging excessive force and civil rights violations, after a two-week trial where the plaintiff asked for $6 million dollars.
• Defended the City of Chicago and 14 individual police officers in Paine v. City of Chicago, a civil rights lawsuit involving claims of police misconduct.
• Defended the City of Chicago in Mitchell v. City of Chicago, a lawsuit for damages relating to a firetruck incident.
• Successfully defended, at trial, over 20 slip and fall cases.