Matthew Consolo

Matthew J. Consolo’s extensive litigation experience includes an array of business sectors, such as manufacturing industries, financial services, dealerships, distributors and contractors. He frequently represents clients with several millions of dollars at stake. He has managed negotiations when the goal is avoiding litigation, as well as represented clients in the courtroom when litigation is necessary to reach their objectives. Mr. Consolo is dedicated to providing the best counsel to his clients no matter the situation. In 2019, Mr. Consolo successfully defended a real estate client in a fast-track arbitration with no discovery. Throughout the day-long arbitration hearing, Mr. Consolo successfully conducted direct examinations of several key witnesses and cross-examined the Plaintiffs and its witnesses earning a no cause of action in favor of his client. In 2019, Mr. Consolo successfully defended a medical provider in a lawsuit where the Plaintiff suffered injuries following a procedure. Mr. Consolo discovered that after the occurrence but before filing the lawsuit, Plaintiff declared bankruptcy to discharge his debts. Mr. Consolo successfully wrote a Motion for Summary Disposition based on Plaintiff’s lack of standing because once Plaintiff filed for bankruptcy the lawsuit asset transferred to the bankruptcy trustee. In 2018, Mr. Consolo successfully defended a residential contractor with allegations of defective workmanship, and total damages in excess of $50,000. After procuring key testimony through depositions and affidavits, Mr. Consolo received a dismissal of claims in favor of his client. In 2017, Mr. Consolo successfully defended a home improvement store and a construction company in an arbitration in a claim involving the defective repair of a roof. Through direct examination, cross-examination, and the of key evidence, Mr. Consolo’s clients received a $3,500 award against them when the alleged damages were more than $30,000. In 2016, Mr. Consolo successfully defended a commercial real estate developer in a dispute regarding property damage to an adjacent property where the alleged damages were $300,000. After nearly a year of discovery and several depositions, he successfully wrote and argued a Motion for Summary Disposition and an Oakland County Circuit Court Judge dismissed the case in favor of Mr. Consolo’s client. In addition to vigorously prosecuting or defending his clients in civil litigation, Mr. Consolo has vast experience in drafting various contracts to help protect their business interests including operating agreements, membership agreements, speaking engagement agreements, and resource partnership agreements as well as non-disclosure, non-compete, and non-solicitation agreements. Mr. Consolo has been named to Super Lawyers magazine’s list of Michigan Rising Stars in the area of Business Litigation from 2016 through the present. In 2018, Mr. Consolo was selected among America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators.® To be selected for this award, an attorney must have successfully litigated a matter with at least $2,000,000 in alleged damages at stake or with the fate of a business worth at least $2,000,000 at stake (i.e., bet-the-company litigation valued in excess of $2,000,000). Thereafter, qualifying candidates are ranked and selected based on a broad array of criteria, including the candidate’s professional experience, legal achievements, significant case results, peer reputation and community impact. Additionally, Mr. Consolo was selected as a Barrister for the Oakland County Bar Association’s Inns of Court program in 2017. American Inns of Court are designed to improve the skills, professionalism and ethics of the bench and bar. American Inns of Court is a combination of judges, lawyers, and in some cases, law professors and law students. Matthew Consolo joined Secrest Wardle’s Troy office in 2013. He became a Partner in 2016, an Executive Partner in 2020, and a Senior Partner in 2023. Mr. Consolo is also a member of the Firm’s Commercial and Business Law, Environmental and Toxic Tort, Intellectual Property/Advertising Injury, Motor Vehicle Litigation, Trucking/Commercial Vehicle Litigation, Premises Liability, Construction and Product Liability Practice Groups. Mr. Consolo graduated cum laude from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. While in law school, Mr. Consolo served as Senior Associate Editor of the Thomas M. Cooley Law Review, worked as a Research Assistant in Gaming Law and participated in Moot Court. He was also a law clerk for the Oakland County Bar Association’s Inns of Court and an active member in both the Environmental Law Society and the Sports and Entertainment Law Society. Mr. Consolo is admitted to practice law in the State of Michigan and the United States District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan’s Intellectual Property Law, Litigation, Negligence Law, and Young Lawyers Sections. Mr. Consolo is also an active member of the Oakland County Bar Association.