Matthew E. Szwajkowski

Overview

Matt Szwajkowski is an experienced litigator who focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation and insurance coverage disputes at the pre-suit, trial, and appellate levels. He has obtained considerable success for clients on motions to dismiss and at summary judgment, including matters involving novel questions of Illinois law.

Matt maintains a track record of favorable results in bench and jury trials. Additionally, he is a seasoned appellate advocate before federal and state appellate courts across the country, recently obtaining a reversal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.  Matt also recently obtained affirmances in the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Seventh and Ninth circuits and in the Illinois and California state appellate courts.

Matt represents clients across a wide variety of substantive legal disciplines, including complex commercial, class action, and multi-jurisdictional litigation, as well as consumer fraud defense, securities and financial products litigation, contract disputes, and local government and municipal law related claims. He also navigates businesses and individuals through real estate litigation, partnership disputes, employment litigation, bankruptcy, trade secret lawsuits, and other business torts.

In the courtroom, Matt deploys a formidable blend of tactical precision and adaptability in high stakes litigation. Outside formal litigation, Matt excels at leveraging pre-litigation negotiation to secure favorable settlements. As an appellate advocate, Matt's briefing transforms complex legal frameworks into persuasive narratives accessible to judicial panels.

Experience

• Obtained two key summary judgment wins in the Circuit Court of Cook County in six months for the same multinational architecture, engineering, program and construction management firm (2026)
• Successfully briefed, argued and won an appeal in a case of first impression in California; in a May 27, 2025 opinion that was certified for publication, the California Court of Appeal, Fourth District affirmed the San Diego Superior Court’s entry of order and judgment in favor of our client, while establishing controlling California precedent addressing the duties of parties that are the targets of cybercriminals
• First-chaired a week-long arbitration on behalf of a Michigan technology company faced with claims of violations of the ADA, Title VII, Section 1981, and intentional infliction of emotional distress; achieved a complete defense victory, with the arbitrator denying the plaintiff’s claims in their entirety

Speeches

• Speaker, “Bad Faith Claims: A Focus on the Midwest United States,” EC Defense Network, New York, NY, May 5, 2023

News

Professional

• Member, Appellate Lawyers’ Association of Illinois, 2026 to Present
• Member, Federal Bar Association, 2026 to Present

Community

Matt has served as a pro bono attorney for the National Immigrant Justice Center, securing asylum in the United States for several clients.