Matthew L. Anderson has built a commercial practice focused on real property, representing clients in leasing, development, land-use, and lending transactions, as well as related dispute resolution and litigation. Matt also works for real-estate clients in cases involving title, commercial evictions, and conveyances. In handling complex cases, Matt is able to deftly draw upon his broad experience and combine it with the expertise of other Fabian VanCott attorneys skilled in the firm’s core competency areas. Before practicing law, Matt worked as Area Director on Mike Leavitt’s campaign for Governor of Utah and then as Director of Constituent Affairs for the Governor’s Office. He has stayed involved in the political realm by chairing his city’s Planning Commission. Matt has been active in the Utah State Bar as a past chair of the Real Property Section, the Government Relations Committee, and the Member Benefits Committee. He graduated with honors from the University of Utah and earned his law degree at Columbia, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. After law school, he clerked for the Utah Supreme Court.
Representative Projects
Matt has represented both sides in secured loan transactions that are in default (if the client is the lender) or in need of restructuring (if the client is the debtor). When negotiations fail, Matt has extensive experience in litigating until judgment, payment or bankruptcy.
With respect to real property litigation, Matt has represented clients in easement disputes, quiet title actions, title insurance claims and foreclosures. He has also successfully represented landlords in commercial landlord and tenant disputes. Clients have relied on Matt to prosecute and defend mechanic’s lien and other construction-related disputes.
Matt represents large and small companies, public and private, in commercial litigation including corporate governance, licensing, intellectual property and other contractual disputes.
In the practice of Bankruptcy, Matt has represented creditors in obtaining relief from stay and adequate protection payments for large secured creditors. He has also defended a large construction company in a complex involuntary bankruptcy case. The breadth of his bankruptcy experience includes having represented a Chapter 7 trustee in adversary proceedings involving preferences, fraudulent transfers and other exercises of the trustees' strong-arm powers.
During the legislative session and the ten months preceding it, Matt represented a select group of national and local clients in furthering their cause before the state legislature.
Matt has also established a unique expertise representing clients before the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
Publications & Presentations
Author, "International Peacemaking and Peacekeeping Activities in the Post-Cold War World and Its Relationship to Domestic Implementation of International Obligations: A Summary," Trilateral Perspectives on International Legal Issues
Head Notes Editor, Environmental Law Journal
Community Service
Past member of Board of Directors and Big Brother, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah
Past member, Governor Leavitt's Transition Team, Department of Environmental Quality
Volunteer, 2002 Olympic Games, Salt Lake City, Utah
Volunteer Representative, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Tokyo, Japan
Japanese fluency, literature, golf, basketball, member of National Champion Highland High Rugby Club, little league coach, and so on.
Professional
Chair, Member Benefits Committee, Utah State Bar
Past Chair, Utah State Bar Real Property Section
Past Co-Chair, Utah State Bar Legislative Relations Committee
Recognized as one of Utah's "Legal Elite," Utah Business Magazine
Certified Public Mediator, Columbia Law School Mediation Clinic, New York City
Researched, wrote and disseminated reports, legislative tracking and budget analysis; lobbied for federal education funding
Judicial Clerk, Justice Leonard H. Russon, Supreme Court of Utah, 1997; drafted and researched many opinions for submission and publication
Summer Clerk, Sakura Kyodo Law Offices, Tokyo, Japan, 1994; assisted Japanese and American lawyers on international and U.S. law-related issues
Director of Constituent Affairs, Utah Governor's Office, 1992-1993; liaison for the Governor to the public and other governmental entities
Area Director, Mike Leavitt Gubernatorial Campaign, Utah, 1991-1992; original staff member on successful gubernatorial campaign, traveled with candidate across state, responsible for grass-roots campaign in area representing 45 percent of constituency and represented the candidate at a primary election debate and other events
Intern, Committee for Education Funding, Washington D.C., January-June, 1990
