Matthew R. Cooper, J.D.
Matt was nationally recognized for a case that he litigated for an Iraq War Veteran from Hartford, Michigan that protected the rights of all personnel serving in the United States Military. Matt effectuated amendments by Congress to the Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act, protecting the rights of men and women in the United States Armed Forces.
The Hurley case appeared on the front page of the New York Times, and every major newspaper around the world reported on the story. Sergeant Hurley and Matt appeared on a featured story on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, alongside General David Patraeus and his wife, Holly Patraeus.
After graduating from Valparaiso University School of Law, with honor awards in contracts and criminal law, Matt clerked for a Circuit Court Judge. Matt then joined the Law Offices of Schuitmaker, Cooper, Cypher & Knotek, P.C. Over the last 25 years, Matt has represented clients in major litigation cases and has participated in jury trials in Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Barry and Wayne Counties. Further, Matt has prosecuted cases in Illinois, Maryland, Indiana and Michigan at the Federal and State Court levels. Matt has worked on both civil and criminal cases. Matt has appeared in Circuit Court in over seventeen (17) Michigan Counties. Matt has also handled cases in the Western and Eastern Federal District Courts, the United States 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, the Michigan Court of Appeals and the Michigan Supreme Court.
In 2011, Matt was selected by the Paw Paw Chamber of Commerce as the Community Volunteer of the Year. He is a charter member and past President of the Paw Paw Area Rotary Club. Matt is past president of the Optimist Club. For numerous years, he has worked for Paw Paw Rocket Football, Inc., and Paw Paw Youth Baseball, Inc. Matt formed both of these organizations into Michigan Corporations and obtained their 501(c)(3) charitable organization status from the Internal Revenue Service.
On a county-wide level, Matt has served on numerous county-wide boards such as the Van Buren County Local Emergency Planning Committee, the Southwest Michigan Legal Aid Bureau and the Tri-County Headstart Board.
On the state-wide level, Matt sat on the Michigan Bar District Character and Fitness Committee.
Matt and his wife Laurie reside on a small farm in Paw Paw with their children Anella, Drew and Bennett and loyal companion Buck.
Bar Admissions
Michigan, 1989
U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan, 1989
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan, 2007
U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 2005
Education
Valparaiso University School of Law, Valparaiso, Indiana
J.D. – 1989
Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan
B.S. cum laude – 1986
Major: Public Administration, Political Science
Representative Cases
Hurley v Deutsche Bank, et al., 1:08-cv-00361 (MI W Fed Dis Ct 2007)
Honors and Awards
2011 Paw Paw Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year
Past President of Paw Paw Area Rotary
Professional Associations and Memberships
Michigan Association for Justice, 1990 – present
American Association for Justice, 1990 – present
Paw Paw Area Rotary Club
Van Buren County Fraternal Order of Police
Pro Bono Activities
Tri-County Headstart, 2006 – present
Van Buren County Emergency Planning Committee, 2003 – present
Paw Paw Rocket Football, Inc.
Paw Paw Youth Baseball, Inc.
State Bar of Michigan – District Character & Fitness Committee
Fraternities/Sororities
Phi Alpha Delta
To contact Matt via email, click here. You may also contact Matt by mail at SCRA Foundation, Inc., P. O. Box 100, Paw Paw, Michigan 49079 or by phone at (269) 207-4237.
