Matthew J. Stokes

About Matthew J. Stokes

I am a labor and employment attorney with a track record of successfully preventing, mitigating, and defending a variety of labor and employment law matters in the municipal and government contractor contexts. I have successfully defended grievances in arbitration, unfair labor practice charges at the National Labor Relations Board, and discrimination charges at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In doing so, I have obtained dismissals on procedural grounds as well as on the facts of the case.Aside from labor and employment litigation, I have counseled employers on labor and employment compliance, training, and transactions to prevent and mitigate a variety of workplace claims. I have conducted internal investigations and walked clients through internal and external audits. I have significant experience drafting and advising clients on non-competes and related enforcement. I have routinely researched, drafted, and advised employers on employee handbooks, policies, procedures, and agreements across the labor and employment spectrum. During several merger and acquisition transactions, I assisted with due diligence by reviewing company policies and procedures and employee classifications for general compliance and advised buyer-side on identified risks.I graduated from Michigan State University College of Law cum laude and Michigan State University with honor. Following law school, I worked as a municipal labor and employment attorney in Michigan. There, I assisted clients with hiring, firing, collective bargaining, arbitration, and numerous aspects of the employer-employee relationship. Drawn to the DMV, I sat for the Washington DC bar exam and relocated to the District in 2021.In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling (especially to China), and hiking with my dog, Saki. Although I never played basketball or football, I am an avid Michigan State Spartans fan and an armchair Spartans\' football and basketball coach with no shame whatsoever.

Experience

1. Trial Attorney, Personnel Law Branch

   Fema

   Jan 2024 — Present

Education

• Michigan State University College of Law

  Juris Doctor (JD), Mater of Jurisprudence (MJ)

  2017 — 2020

• Michigan State University

  Bachelor of Arts (BA), English Language and Literature/Letters

  2015 — 2017