Philosophy: Work Hard, Listen

Great attorneys don’t have to be intimidating to be effective litigators. You won’t see me in the courtroom pounding a fist on the table in outrage. My central philosophy has always been “work hard and listen to what people are telling you.”

Too often people are brushed aside by the legal system or corporate interests and that really irks me. My job is to take the stress off my clients’ shoulders and a big part of that is listening carefully and then helping them understand the law and what the law says they are entitled to. I can then determine their best options for their situation.

My love of legal research is a real asset to my clients because I can build very strong cases, leveraging a better the outcome for my clients.  Most people aren’t fully informed about their legal rights and responsibilities. It’s very important to make the law understandable to my clients. An informed client is a great client because they will trust my advice and feel comfortable as we walk through the process together.

Expertise – Portland Attorney for Over 20 Years

I have been a Portland Attorney for over 20 years. Prior to opening my own law office, I worked as an in-house attorney for Allstate for 17 years following a 3-year stint as a public defender. I have extensive experience trying cases in front of juries, advocating for clients at arbitration hearings and participating in mediation. I have valuable knowledge of how insurance companies work, and how they will try to minimize your recovery from all types of injuries. During my time at Allstate I handled cases involving auto accidents, dog bites, slip and falls on property, drunk drivers, bicycle accidents, motorcycle accidents and Allstates own customers making claims against Allstate to get insurance benefits.

About Matt Rizzo

My father was a great yet humble man that I have always admired. I am proud to be a second generation attorney. Both of my parents did public service work and I get my sense of justice from them. I think it’s important to give back, especially after my experiences as a public defender and enjoy doing pro bono work.

I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA and I’m an AVID Pittsburgh Steelers fan! I enjoy running, yoga, the outdoors and dogs. My wife and I like to travel and hike with our dogs Rascal and Norman. People are surprised to learn that I enjoy baking bread (it’s so relaxing) and trying out new recipes.  I am looking forward to participating in the 2016 Artesan Bread II Class at the San Francisco Baking Institute this winter.