Brendan P. Matthews

FIRST RESPONDER LAWYER

Phone: (414) 727-5150

Brendan earned his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Prior to entering law school, Brendan received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Vermont. While at Vermont, Brendan was a member of the varsity men’s tennis team, earning academic honors for multiple years.

Before joining MacGillis Wiemer, LLC, Brendan interned with the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission (“WERC”), the Sheboygan County District Attorney’s Office, and worked for Gingras, Cates & Luebke, S.C. (Now Gingras Thomsen & Wachs LLP). He started working at Cermele & Matthews, S.C. in 2009 and remained there until the firm merged with MacGillis Wiemer, LLC in 2023.

Since beginning his legal career, Brendan has represented hundreds of first responders from across the State of Wisconsin in various venues including the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and various police and fire commissions. He is licensed to practice law in all Wisconsin county circuit courts, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Brendan’s work has been featured nationally on CNN, Forbes, the New York Times, the Today Show, and ESPN, amongst many other outlets. He has achieved countless victories for his clients at all levels, including getting numerous high-profile terminations overturned. In addition, Brendan has authored many legislative bills, leading to substantial rights, protections and benefits for first responders.

Brendan’s passion, coupled with his dedication to representing first responders, is without equal. He thoroughly enjoys advocating for his clients, the collective bargaining process, representing first responders in criminal investigations (including officer-involved shootings), disciplinary appeals, contractual grievances, worker’s compensation appeals, and general civil litigation. One union president described Brendan as follows: He is very approachable, quick to respond, professional, and, most importantly, gets stuff done.”

Though he was born in Colorado, Brendan is a true Wisconsinite. Outside of the office, Brendan enjoys spending time with his wife, Julia, and two sons, Andrew and Jake. He also tries to play as much pickleball as possible, attend sporting events, and pretend he’s a chef/pitmaster.