Michael E. DeMatt

Michael DeMatt’s practice is concentrated in the areas of criminal defense and personal injury litigation — including wrongful death, auto accidents, fall downs and other personal injury actions. He also handles unemployment compensation and general civil litigation matters, such as contract and landlord/tenant disputes.

Mr. DeMatt has litigated scores of civil and criminal matters, including approximately 30 trials as of the end of 2013. He has successfully litigated such trials in both federal and state court. His experience includes five homicide trials, and 19 jury trial verdicts. Over a four year span, Mr. DeMatt was able to obtain total acquittals (not guilty verdicts) in six out of nine trials during this time period. He has had the opportunity to handle several high profile criminal cases, such as: a death penalty case; the first of the infamous “Greensburg Six” murder trials; and some computer crimes cases, one involving the sale of counterfeit software to the United States Army, which resulted in an acquittal in federal court.

Mr. DeMatt is originally from Newark, Delaware, where he attended the University of Delaware, graduating with a degree in English Literature. Before attending college, as a junior and senior in high school, he worked as a draftsman and CAD (computer-aided design) operator for a professional engineer. During college, he studied abroad in Italy, played club lacrosse, and was an assistant coach for his former high school lacrosse team. Following graduation, Mr. DeMatt worked as an instructor at Kaplan, teaching standardized test preparation, helping high school students get into college and college students get into graduate school.

He then attended law school at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating in 2000. Mr. DeMatt was a research assistant to Professor Louise Halper, and had internships with both the Baltimore County Public Defender’s Office in Baltimore, Maryland, and the Rockbridge County Public Defender’s Office in Staunton, Virginia. During each of these two internships, he had the opportunity to assist in the defense of a homicide trial. While in law school, Mr. DeMatt somehow found the time to play rugby and was treasurer, and then president of the Washington & Lee Law Rugby Football Club. Also during this time, Mr. DeMatt met his wife, a native of Greensburg, who brought him north to western Pennsylvania after graduation.

Mr. DeMatt continues to be involved in lacrosse as a coach and playing in a men’s pick-up league whenever the opportunity allows.

Mr. DeMatt can be contacted by email at mdematt@bwc-law.com