Matthew D. Easton

Co-Managing partner

Orange County, California

Practice Areas

Easton & Easton Law Firm logo

Matt Easton has been a central figure in some of Easton & Easton’s most prominent cases in recent years, including a 2019 mediated settlement for $20,000,000, a 2016 settlement for $3,060,000, a 2013 settlement for $2,750,000, and two 2017 settlements for $1,875,000 and $1,800,000 – all of which were selected as Top Million-Dollar Settlements in California for their respective years, and which contributed to Matt’s lifetime selection to the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum® – The Top Trial Lawyers in America® (an honor given to less than 1% of all attorneys in the United States).

Matt is a partner at Easton & Easton and has been selected each year since 2016 among Super Lawyers’ Up-and-Coming Top 100 (Southern California) and Super Lawyers’ Up-and-Coming Top 25 (Orange County), honors given to less than 1% of attorneys.  Matt has also been chosen each year since 2018 as one of the Best Lawyers in America for Plaintiff’s Personal Injury and Product Liability Litigation.  Best Lawyers selects attorneys who have earned peer recognition through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues. Lawyers cannot buy their way onto this list.  Matt has also been featured among Southern California’s “Best Lawyers” each year since 2017 in the Orange County Register and Los Angeles Times Magazine.

Additionally, he has been chosen each year since 2014 for the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 in California and Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Stars, honors given to less than 2.5% of attorneys in Southern California under the age of 40.  Matt has also been selected each year since 2015 for the American Academy of Trial Attorneys’ Premier 100 Trial Attorneys, the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys “10 Best” Attorneys for California, the National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys’ Top 10 Under 40, and for the highest AV Preeminent rating offered by Martindale-Hubbell, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious peer rating service for legal ability and ethics.

Based on the significant trial skills and incorporation of trial technology that Matt has brought to bear in his cases over recent years, he was also asked to join the faculty at Whittier Law School as an Adjunct Professor to teach a class on Trial Technology from 2015 – 2017.  Additionally, in early 2016, Matt was the youngest litigator asked by NBC to screen test for an upcoming NBC primetime real-life trial series Law & Order: You The Jury – a new reality series created by Dick Wolf to feature high profile real-life litigators trying lawsuits live on primetime television for a voting audience.  While very flattered by the interest in his skills and talents, Matt decided to decline the request due to the time commitments of his law practice and teaching schedule.

The recognition Matt is receiving from his peers in the legal community is not surprising, as he first came to our firm (then known as the Law Offices of W. Douglas Easton) with high marks and accomplishments in college and law school.  He received his B.A. in 2006 from Brigham Young University, where he majored in English and minored in Philosophy and Editing.  Whittier Law School awarded Matt a full academic scholarship, which paid his full tuition for all three years of law school at Whittier.  In 2009, Matt received his Juris Doctor magna cum laude from Whittier Law School, graduating in the top 10% of his class.  He was admitted to the California Bar in 2009.

While at Whittier Law School, Matt was chosen as the “Best Oral Advocate” of the 3rd Annual Susan E. McGuigan Oral Advocacy Competition and “Best Overall Competitor” of the 2008 Spring Trial Advocacy Competition.  He also competed in numerous external oral advocacy competitions on behalf Whittier Law School’s Trial Advocacy Honors Board and Moot Court Honors Board, which took him as far as Vienna, Austria in Competition.  In 2008, Matt was selected as the Chief Justice of the Moot Court Honors Board and served in that position from 2008 till his graduation in 2009.  Matt also continues to serve as a guest coach and judge for oral advocacy teams competing through Whittier Law School’s Trial Advocacy Honors Board and Moot Court Honors Board.

Matt was also a graduating member of Whittier’s prestigious Law Review, where he assisted in the editing and publication of numerous scholarly legal articles.  In addition, Matt’s own article was published in the Whittier Law Review in Fall 2008 (Volume 30, Number 1).  Matt’s article, “Disparate Outcomes Among Medical Malpractice Victims: A New Look at an Equal Protection Challenge to MICRA,” allowed him to passionately address the continuing problems that MICRA poses to California medical malpractice victims, which is an issue he has seen the effects of first-hand through his work at Easton & Easton.

Since joining Easton & Easton, Matt has litigated hundreds of cases for meritorious plaintiffs, including important cases against the State of California, numerous cities, numerous school districts, and countless large corporate entities and other defendants.  In 2019, Matt acquired $20,000,000 in a hotly disputed matter for a client injured on the Defendant’s premises.  In 2016, Matt single-handedly litigated and ultimately orchestrated the mediated settlement of a difficult lane-splitting motorcycle accident for $3,060,000 (10 times the medical bills).  In 2017, Matt acquired $1,875,000 and $1,800,000 for two auto accident pre-litigation cases where the plaintiff’s medical bills were less than $200,000 in each case.  In 2013, Matt was instrumental in securing a negotiated settlement of $2.75 Million for the wrongful death of an unmarried 55-year-old man whose only surviving heirs were his 80-year-old parents, such that he received a Commendation from the City of Lancaster for his work in that case.  In 2014, Matt represented a breast cancer survivor whose healed breast reconstruction incision ruptured after a T-bone collision.  After litigating the case for more than a year, Matt negotiated an exceptional settlement of $1,240,000 one month before trial.

Over the past three years, Matt has acquired countless other impressive awards for his clients, including $2,000,000 for a client who fell from a ladder that he placed of his own volition on top of an unsafe scaffolding; a $1,300,000 pre-litigation settlement for a car accident caused by a drunk driver evading the police; a $1,250,000 settlement for a car accident victim whose post-accident cervical fusion failed and required a revision surgery; a confidential mediated settlement of $350,000 for a slip and fall case against a big box chain store; a mediated settlement of $325,000 that was more than 6 times the medical bills for a dog attack case where no bite had occurred; a confidential settlement of $250,000 for a client who was struck by a wooden stick by an actor in a Halloween maze; $185,000 against Walnut Valley Unified School District in a difficult premises liability case wherein the medical bills were only $25,000; a mediated settlement of $175,000 against the State of California for an extremely difficult and hard fought bicycle roadway defect accident; and a pre-litigation settlement of $80,000 for an elderly couple who experienced food poisoning from room service during their Christmas vacation at a local hotel.

Apart from the verdict and settlement funds Matt has acquired for his clients as a part of his cases, he has also been able to affect lasting change in how corporations, cities, and the state of California conduct themselves in order to prevent similar future injuries.  For example, as part of Matt’s handling of the above-mentioned roadway defect bicycle case against the state of California (which resolved for $175,000), the state of California later coordinated with the cities of Costa Mesa and Irvine to correct the dangerous condition at the location of the incident.  When the case began, the State vehemently contended that it was not negligent.  But after Matt had deposed the State’s experts and illustrated their untenable position, the State asked for a mediation where the case ultimately settled.  Even more telling, however, the State later coordinated very complex efforts with the two neighboring cities in order to rectify the condition that Matt had contended was dangerous and caused his client’s accident.

Similarly, Matt negotiated a significant settlement in a product liability case where a Disney watch had burned the wrist of Matt’s 4-year-old client.  As part of that matter, Disney recalled the watch, which investigation later determined had burned 4 other children in a similar manner as well.  Because of the early recall, countless other children were saved from the unfortunate burns that Matt’s client had suffered.  While the amount of that settlement remains confidential, it can be said that the total settlement amount was more than 50 times the medical bills in that case.

Matt has also experienced great trial success in recent years, receiving several verdicts in excess of the Section 998 Pre-Trial Offers (meaning the jury paid his client more than Matt’s client had offered to settle the case for before trial, such that the Defendants in each of those cases were required to pay many of the Plaintiff’s trial costs and expert witness fees).  These are but a few examples of the type of success that Matt has brought to his client’s cases over the past several years with Easton & Easton.  In recognition of these remarkable results on behalf of his clients,  his growing respect and recognition among his peers, and his importance to our firm, Matt became a full partner at Easton & Easton, LLP in 2014.

Matt is the second youngest son of Doug and Rae Easton and grew up most of his life with the strong desire to work with his father and brothers in providing passionate service to the legal community.  Matt spent almost every summer since High School working for the law firm in various capacities and, in doing so, he saw how lawyers like his father could really help the ordinary person achieve extraordinary and needed aid in their individual lives.  This inspired Matt to become a lawyer and continue the Easton’s legacy of helping the ordinary man achieve justice, no matter how big of a goliath he may be facing off against.

While Matt grew up in Orange County and has a strong love for the community here, he also spent two years abroad in Mexico City on a mission for his church.  There he sincerely fell in love with the Hispanic culture and the people that so warmly welcomed him into their lives.  He also became fluent in Spanish, which has allowed him to help clients in Southern California that do not speak English.

Matt is also an Eagle Scout and continues to enjoy many outdoor activities including camping, mountain biking, snow skiing, rock climbing, waterskiing, wakeboarding, golf, and tennis.  Matt has a strong sense of family commitment, much like his parents, and truly feels blessed to work alongside his family at Easton & Easton.  In addition, Matt and his beautiful wife Rachel have two wonderful sons, Ronan and Liam.

Areas of Practice

  • General Personal Injury
  • Auto, Motorcycle, & Bicycle Accidents
  • Wrongful Death
  • Premises Liability (Slip, Trip, & Fall)
  • Public Entity Liability (City & State Liability)
  • Pedestrian & Bicycle Accidents
  • Products Liability

Litigation Percentage

  • 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Bar Admissions

  • Supreme Court of California, 2009
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 2009
  • U.S. District Court Central District of California, 2010

Education

  • Whittier Law School, Orange County, California
    J.D. magna cum laude – 2009
    Honors: Top 10% of Class
    Law Review: Whittier Law Review
  • Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
    B.A. – 2006
    Major: English
    Minor: Philosophy
    Minor: Editing

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Orange County Bar Association, Member
  • American Bar Association, Member
  • The State Bar of California, Member
  • J. Ruben Clark Law Society, Member
  • Consumer Attorneys of California, Member
  • Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Member
  • American Association for Justice, Member
  • Orange County Trial Lawyers Association, Member
  • Trial Advocacy Honors Board, Coach and Judge for Oral Advocacy Teams
  • Moot Court Honors Board, Coach and Judge for Oral Advocacy Teams
  • Moot Court Honors Board, Chief Justice, 2008 – 2009
  • Consumer Attorneys of Orange County, Member

Classes/Seminars

  • Adjunct Professor, Whittier Law School – Litigation and Trial Presentation Technologies (Beginning Winter), 2015 – 2017

Published Works

  • Disparate Outcomes Among Medical Malpractice Victims: A New Look at an Equal Protection Challenge to MICRA , Whittier Law Review, Fall, 2008
  • How Legal Tech Can Help Level The Playing Field , Superlawyers Southern California Rising Stars, July, 2018

Honors and Awards

  • Super Lawyers Up-and-Coming Top 100 – Southern California, 2016 – Present
  • Super Lawyers Up-and-Coming Top 25 – Orange County, 2016 – Present
  • Super Lawyers Rising Stars – Southern California, 2014 – Present
  • Best Lawyers®, 2018 – Present
  • National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, 2014 – Present
  • Top 10 Under 40 in California, National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys, 2015 – Present
  • “10 Best” Personal Injury Attorneys in California – American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, 2015 – Present
  • Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum – The Top Trial Lawyers in America®, 2015 – Present
  • Premier 100 Trial Attorneys – American Academy of Trial Attorneys, 2015 – Present
  • Highest AV Preeminent Rating – Martindale-Hubbell, 2015 – Present
  • Best Attorneys of America – Lifetime Member, 2016 – Present
  • Commendation from City of Lancaster for $2.75 Million Settlement in Schenk v. Joe’s Street Sweeping, 2013
  • Outstanding Alumni of the Year – Whittier Law School, 2016
  • “Best Oral Advocate” at 3rd Annual Susan E. McGuigan Oral Advocacy Competition – Whittier Law School, 2007
  • “Best Overall Competitor” in Spring Trial Advocacy Competition – Whittier Law School, 2008
  • Moot Court Honors Board, Chief Justice – Whittier Law School, 2008 – 2009
  • Magna Cum Laude, Whittier Law School, 2009
Firm Awards
Accredited Business Bbb Rating A+

The superior client service Easton & Easton provides has earned the firm an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Best Law Firms Orange County 2020

Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen anew each year since 2014 by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers as one of the "Best Law Firms" for the Southern California Metro Area.

Reader's Choice 2019 Best Law Firm

Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen by the LA Times Reader's Choice Poll as "The Best Personal Injury Law Firm in Orange County" for 2018.

Top 100 Trial Lawyers

Doug and Brian Easton have been selected as Top 100 Trial Lawyers for California each year since 2014 — honors given to less than 1% of attorneys.

The Best Lawyers in America

Doug and Matt Easton have each been chosen as one of The Best Lawyers in America for Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation. Best Lawyers lists attorneys who have earned selection through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues. Lawyers cannot buy their way onto this list.

Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California 2016

Brian and Matt Easton were recently honored for their efforts in securing a $1,850,000 verdict for a client in 2016, which was selected as one of the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California by TopVerdict.com.

Super Lawyers

Doug and Brian have each been selected by Super Lawyers, an honor given to less than 5% of attorneys. Matt Easton has been selected among Super Lawyers' Up-and-Coming Top 25 in Orange County and Top 100 in Southern Califonia, an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys under 40 years old.

10 Best Personal Injury Law Firms in all of Southern California

Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen as one of the "10 Best Personal Injury Law Firms” in all of Southern California" each year Since 2015 based on client satisfaction — one of the highest honors we could ever hope to achieve.

People Love Us On Yelp

Easton & Easton received the “People Love Us On Yelp” award in 2016 due to the exceptional client satisfaction reviews given by our clients over the years.

Premier 100 Trial Attorneys for 2015

Doug and Matt Easton have each been featured as Premier 100 Trial Attorneys for California since 2015 — honors given to less than 1% of attorneys.

Multi Million Dollar Advocates Forum

Brian and Matt Easton have each earned lifetime appointment to the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum — The Top Trial Lawyers in AmericaTM through the results achieved for their clients. This is an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys in the United States.

Top Rated Lawyers AV Preeminent

Doug Easton has held the “AV Preeminent” Rating for over 30 years and Matt Easton received this prestigious distinction in 2015. The "AV Preeminent" rating is the highest possible rating for both legal ability and ethical standards, and is based on the legal profession’s oldest peer review rating system, dating back to 1887.

10 Best 2015 Client Satisfaction

Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton have all been chosen as one of the "10 Best" Personal Injury Attorneys in Southern California each year since 2015 based on client satisfaction, an honor given to less than 1% of personal injury attorneys - and Easton & Easton houses three of them.

American Board of Trial Advocate

Brian Easton was selected to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) in 2015. ABOTA is one of the most premier associations of trial attorneys and judges, requiring a certain number of jury trials as lead counsel and approval by a majority vote of the ABOTA board.

The National Top 40 Trial Lawyers Under 40

Matt Easton has been selected each year since 2014 as one of the Top 40 Trial Lawyers Under 40 for California by The National Trial Lawyers — an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys.

Avvo Rating Top Attorney Personal Injury

Doug and Matt Easton have each been chosen as one of The Best Lawyers in America for Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation. Best Lawyers lists attorneys who have earned selection through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues. Lawyers cannot buy their way onto this list.

Nation's Premier Top Ten Attorney Personal Injury

Both Doug and Matt Easton have been selected as Top Personal Injury Attorneys by Avvo with scores of 10 out of 10 based on their skill, experience, results, peer evaluations, and client reviews.

Nation's Premier Top Ten Attorney Personal Injury

Matt Easton has been selected as one of the Top 10 Personal Injury Attorneys Under 40 in California for 2015 by the National Association of Personal Injury Attorneys — an honor given to less than 1% of personal injury attorneys under the age of 40.

Nation's Top One Percent

Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton have all been selected by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel among the Nation's Top One Percent of Attorneys each year since 2017.

What Our Clients Say

Coming out of my first auto accident as an adult, a very difficult and scary time to navigate and understand, I was so incredibly thankful to have been put in contact with Easton & Easton. I honestly was lost with how to handle paperwork, doctors, medical costs and what next steps were, and from the moment I spoke with Travis Easton and my case manager Katie, my mind was put at ease. They have made the entire process stress free for me as I recovered, and I am so grateful for them and their genuine care for my case. Communication from the start has been fantastic, especially making clear what my expectations for the entire process would look like, and I truly believe they have my best interest at heart. 100% I would recommend their firm for anyone that is needing representation! Read more…

Sara McClelland
My experience with Easton & Easton has been amazing! Gabriel Mendoza and my case manager Katie have been so helpful and taken so much stress off my plate. They’ve been super informative and honest and given me very clear expectations. They’ve taken such a terrible experience (my accident) and eased my mind about the outcome. I can’t thank them enough!! Read more…
Caila Dean

Ive used them twice and never been disappointed. Read more…

Lisa Bluemel

The Easton & Easton Law Firm is amazing! The entire team is very helpful and caring. They were always there to answer all my questions. They directed me through the entire process and stayed with me every step of the way. This team is outstanding and were wonderful to work with. Because of the tremendous effort they put on my case they were able to win my difficult personal injury case. I couldn’t have asked for a better law firm to handle my case. They are the Best! Thank you for your patience, professionalism, & guidance! I definitely recommend this firm to handle your case. They go out of their way to fight for your rights. THANK YOU… Read more…

Sofia Sanchez

I could not be more pleased with the services provided by the Law Offices of W. Douglas Easton. The senior partner Mr. Easton took the time to meet with me and my wife while I was still in the hospital, where he gave my family hope that there was light at the end of a very long, and very dark tunnel. Matt Easton then worked my case, and because of his dedication, experience and expertise I received a settlement that was larger than I EVER thought possible. It was truly astounding! Matt and the entire team at Easton & Easton looked out for me throughout my recovery, and in the end they gave me my life back. Five stars is not enough. Thanks Matt! Thanks Easton & Easton! Read more…

Dan Campbell

Brian and everyone at Easton and Easton are simply the BEST at what they do. Brian is thorough, easy to talk to, and truly cares about his clients. If you want a family of attorneys with perseverance and determination to fight for you, give Easton and Easton a call. I am glad I did. Read more…

Kyle Keith

What an amazing law firm, talk about going above and beyond to make such a painful experience go so well. I have referred a co-worker and a family member to them as well and everyone had such a great experience as I had. Read more…

Logan Ross

I can’t say enough amazing things about my experience with Travis Easton at Easton & Easton. Travis and his entire team (Katie, Amy, Dee, Michelle, & Araceli) are phenomenal. It provided me a lot of comfort to know I was being so well taken care of. I was especially impressed that every document for the case was perfectly written and specific to me. Nothing was generic, which shows the level of care and attention they put into each individual case. I had such a great experience and would highly recommend Travis Easton and his firm to anyone going through a personal injury. Travis took a bad situation and made the best of it for me. Thank you again, I’m forever grateful!!

-Allee

Ashlee A.

Retaining Easton and Easton was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! From the initial consultation to our final meeting, they were nothing short of exceptional. I was forced to retain their services after firing my previous attorney for not handling the case properly. I dealt with Gabriel and Brian (partner) exclusively throughout the case. They did as promised and were great communicators throughout the entire process. I will recommend them to anyone I know going through a personal injury case. They were ultimately able to untangle the mess caused by my previous lawyer and get a result that I was extremely happy with. Their staff is exceptional as well and provided top notch customer service. Amera was also extremely helpful and easy to deal with as well.

Jeffrey N.

I was in a pretty bad car accident and decided to have Easton & Easton represent me, Travis Easton to be specific. Travis Easton and his paralegal made the whole process effortless. They were so understanding and helpful! The entire thing was a gigantic mess, yet Travis managed to make it run like clockwork. I would HIGHLY recommend Easton & Easton! If you are ever in need of a personal defense attorney Easton & Easton is the firm to represent you!

Mark B.

They are the best law firm in Orange County period. Choosing them to represent me was the best decision of my life.
My life changed in a matter of seconds after a catastrophic spinal cord injury that left me disabled. Brian Easton and his team worked on my case non stop for 3 years and provided me the justice I deserved. I couldn’t have been more content.
I was treated with utmost respect and I felt like I was being represented by a close family member. The responses to my questions were quick and clear. What E & E has done for me is phenomenal.
My sincere thanks to Brian, Matt, Travis, Doug, Gabriel and Amera. They are what they are because of their dedication to provide high quality and professional service to their clients.

Vamsi P.

Brian Easton and his team, Gabe Mendoza and Amera Hajali, helped me during a very difficult time in my life. I had a significant injury from a car accident, and wound up seeking out Easton & Easton when I was having difficulties getting help from my doctors. The Easton team took a lot of stress off of me while acting as my advocates to help me get the care I needed, and saw my case all the way through to a healthy settlement.

They are the BEST!

Jennifer P.

I have nothing but good things to say about Easton and Easton. Brian handled my case professionally and communicated with me effectively throughout the process. He made sure that the process was effortless and as hands free as possible. This was super important for my busy schedule. I highly recommend Easton and Easton if you are ever found in a situation that you need an attorney.

Claudia C.

I would highly recommend Easton & Easton.
I was rear ended on my home and pushed into a semi-truck. I was not sure how to go about even using an attorney.
Brian, Gab and Amera were so good about helping me thru the process and representing me.
I was able to concentrate on getting myself better knowing they had my back, taking care of the details and keeping me informed along the way

Linda M.

The best Law firm by far. I would highly recommend Easton & Easton, LLP and ask for Gabriel Mendoza and staff. He and his colleagues did and exceptional service. Thank you for everything. Job well done!

Ericka P.

Contact

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Contact