Matthew B. Thiel

Matthew Thiel was born in Dillon, Montana, where his parents worked on his grandparents’ ranch. Matt’s family moved to Helena, Montana in 1968, where he attended public schools and graduated from Capital High School. Matt received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Montana with honors in 1986. He then worked for the Montana Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO from 1987 to 1990 in Helena, before returning to Missoula to begin Law School. Matt graduated from the University of Montana School of Law with honors in 1993, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review. He began his private practice in Missoula as a sole practitioner, focusing on general practice. He was a Partner of the law firm of Smith & Thiel from 1995 to 2006. Matt has been awarded a "B-V" rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the leading national attorney rating service. He is also listed in The Best Lawyers in America (2014-2020) in the practice areas of Employee Benefits law, Employment law – Individuals, and Labor Law – Union.

Matt is an appointed member of the Montana Facility Finance Authority and the ABA Standing Committee on Membership. He also serves on the UM Montana Museum of Art and Culture Collections Committee. He has been an elected Trustee to the Montana State Bar and served as the Chair of the Board of Trustees for the State Bar. Matt served as the President of the State Bar in 2015-2016. Matt also served as a member of the State Bar's delegation to Cuba in 2013 and to London in 2015.

REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS

• American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO

• Laborers International Union of America, Local 1686, AFL-CIO

• International Union of Elevator Constructors, AFL-CIO

• United Food and Commercial Workers, AFL-CIO

• UNITE HERE!, Local Union 427, AFL-CIO

• SEIU Healthcare NW 775, AFL-CIO

• Good Food Store, Missoula, MT

• Missoula Community Access Television (MCAT)

MEMBERSHIPS

• Academy of Trial Advocacy

• American Association for Justice

• Montana Trial Lawyers Association

• American Bar Association

• State Bar of Montana

• Western Montana Bar Association

• American Bar Foundation Sustaining Life Fellow

• ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law