Matthew D. Brinckerhoff

Matthew D. Brinckerhoff has built a long career handling demanding civil rights, commercial, and complex litigation matters. His work includes major class actions, high-impact constitutional cases, and multi-party disputes. Over decades, he has guided clients through challenges involving government misconduct, unlawful practices, and violations of individual rights.

Matthew completed his B.A. at Hampshire College in 1985 before earning his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1990. After law school, he served as a law clerk for Naomi Reice Buchwald of the Southern District of New York, gaining early experience in federal practice.

Matthew has led significant class actions, including representing tens of thousands of defrauded consumers in a case that resolved for $60 million and securing a $50 million settlement for more than 60,000 individuals who were illegally strip-searched. He continues to represent a class of inmates placed under unlawful post-release supervision, and he has handled litigation for diverse clients challenging government abuses and improper enforcement practices.

Matthew spent several years with South Brooklyn Legal Services, where he prosecuted government reform cases and represented clients lacking access to legal support. His appellate experience spans federal and state courts, and he has argued numerous appeals involving constitutional issues and civil rights violations.

Matthew D. Brinckerhoff continues to devote his practice to complex litigation, class actions, and civil rights matters, using careful preparation and determined advocacy to protect people harmed by unlawful practices and to promote accountability where government actions have overstepped. Matthew has received professional recognition for his work, including being named a “Super Lawyer” each year since 2014 and earning a place on the Lawdragon “500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers” list in 2023.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP
• Member, New York State Bar Association
• Member, Federal Bar Council
• Member, American Constitution Society

Licensed State

• New York

Education

• New York University School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Hampshire College
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Awards & Badges