Matthew C. Hines is an idealist through and through. Rather than accepting circumstances as they are like a realist, he believes in constantly having dreams and then working hard to turn them into reality. This approach has been the driving force behind the success of Law Offices of Matthew C. Hines, which he founded in 2008.
As a Premier Atlanta Personal Injury, Workers’ Comp, and Car Accident Attorney, Matthew leads by example, and he is renowned for his strong work ethic and open communication with his staff. His pragmatic approach to law has allowed him to build a practice that not only succeeds but also makes a difference.
Success, for Matthew, means “being able to create an impact upon society that makes the place better than it was.”
Choosing to Pursue a Career in Law
In school, Matthew was originally interested in business and he believed that becoming a lawyer would make him a better businessman. He felt that by understanding the law, he could make better business decisions. However, during law school, Matthew became attached to the idea of starting his practice rather than working for a large company. “That desire never left,” he says. “I always wanted that, and the law itself was interesting.” It also gave him a vehicle to create something of his own.
Matthew finds the use of information in the legal field fascinating. However, he equally enjoys the business aspect of running a law practice. “I enjoy the business side of it as much as I enjoy the lawyering side,” he says. This combination of legal expertise and entrepreneurial spirit has allowed Matthew to establish a successful practice.
Creating Own Entity
Matthew found the idea of creating his entity far more exciting than joining someone else’s firm. He believed his own law firm would allow him the freedom to do whatever he wanted to do – whether it was launching a different marketing campaign or pursuing an area of practice. “I liked having that control, and I liked the unlimited potential of my own firm – it’s as big as you can make it,” he says. Matthew was also not interested in doing a nine-to-five job, especially with somebody who didn’t have the same ability as him.
He admits that starting his firm was a risky move. He had ambition but lacked experience. “I didn’t have the lawyering skills or the business management skills to get out there and do it,” he says. He had to go through making mistakes and learning from them.
Founding Law Offices of Matthew C. Hines After a Firm’s Closure
In 2004, Matthew formed a Limited Liability Company (LLC) even before passing the bar. He did this for two reasons: first, he knew what he wanted, and second, he wasn’t a “great student.” “I just needed a piece of paper that would allow me to practice law,” he says. “Once I got that, I founded the law firm and immediately started my practice.”
The first couple of years were tough for him. “I was nervous all the time and broke,” Matthew shares. Starting from scratch and establishing something brand new in the highly competitive legal field was not easy. Being from South Carolina, he also didn’t have a network of people in Atlanta to call and say, “Send me all your clients.” Matthew recalls struggling to pay rent and facing uncertainty each month about “how I would survive.”
After those challenging early years, the firm, mainly specializing in real estate closings, began to do well—until it suddenly crashed in 2008. The firm went bankrupt, and Matthew attributes this to multiple factors, including his inability to manage and clients leaving because of the economy not doing well.
In late 2008, Matthew established the Law Offices of Matthew C. Hines. With experience under his belt, he ensured proper management. “It was a much more stable framework from which we could grow,” he says.
As he was “done with real estate,” Matthew shifted his focus to personal injury. The new firm also handled criminal defense, family law, and bankruptcy cases. “I was doing whatever the market wanted at the time,” he says.
Bankruptcies were especially popular at the time, as many people faced foreclosure due to the 2008 crisis. This led Matthew to focus on bankruptcy law. According to him, personal injury and criminal defense were always part of his firm’s overall objective. When there was a decline in bankruptcy cases, Matthew decided to get into immigration. “I’ve sort of done every area of law,” he says.
Then, over time, Law Offices of Matthew C. Hines focused its attention solely on its strengths: personal injury, workers’ compensation, and criminal defense. Matthew decided to pursue things they did best.
Winning a Case with Fighting Spirit
Early on in his career, Matthew fought for a client who was being sued for a substantial amount of money. “In the end of a long trial, the jury denied everything the other party was seeking,” he recalls. “They also awarded my client all of his attorney’s fees back.” Later, the opposing firm tried to hire him. “That was an honor,” he says.
This case was a defining moment for Matthew. He was still a young attorney and didn’t know everything yet. “All I knew was to fight hard—that was my only guiding principle,” he recalls. “I didn’t have extensive legal knowledge, didn’t know all the rules of evidence, but I knew how to fight.”
Surrounded by a Great Team
Law Offices of Matthew C. Hines has grown significantly almost every year, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Matthew credits his team for this success: “That’s [the firm’s growth] an acknowledgment of what our team has done because it’s certainly not me alone,” he says.
He feels fortunate to be surrounded by great executives and people who can not only achieve his vision but also add their own to it. They enhance it and make it even better than what he had envisioned. “That’s important – one person alone can’t accomplish much,” Matthew points out.
“Each year when we hit these targets, it’s a source of immense pride and a reminder of how far we’ve come and how great our team is,” he adds.
Finding the Right People
For Matthew and his team, finding the right people who can take a vision and make it a reality is a major challenge.
“We’ve got the best team we’ve ever had right now,” he says. But, as the firm grows, it needs more good people who can carry that torch and lead with the same compassion that Matthew and his team have. According to him, “That’s hard to find for our company.”
The Law Offices of Matthew C. Hines hires individuals who communicate well, are dedicated, have some type of legal training, and are bilingual. “That’s a big combination,” Matthew says. “There aren’t many people who are like that, and other companies, too, want such individuals.”
He adds, “It’s hard to find people who will stick with you, who are truly dedicated, and who can take the company to the next level.”
Competition Makes the Law Firm Better
Law Offices of Matthew C. Hines specializes in representing personal injury clients, one of the most competitive legal fields in the U.S. Everybody is working hard to obtain these clients – a small pool – Matthew says they have to innovate constantly. “Every week, we’re looking at what can we do better to stay ahead of the game,” he adds. “We have to constantly look for a new way to attract clients and can never be complacent.”
According to him, they even have to compete with firms that are shady and steal clients from them. “This motivates us to constantly market in a unique way to attract clients,” he points out. The competition also does not allow them to become stagnant. Instead, it makes their firm better.
The Law Offices of Matthew C. Hines has an edge over its competitors because it is driven by the motivation to help families, particularly Hispanic families, who find themselves in difficult situations when their breadwinner has been injured. They can’t get loans and have no family to fall back on for financial support. “They’re completely dependent on us to turn their lives around and bring back some normalcy,” Matthew says. They step in to protect such families, help them recover, and ensure their rights are protected.
“When they come into our office and thank us from the bottom of their hearts for changing their lives and saving them from catastrophe, it feels good,” Matthew says. “That’s why we do what we do.”
Typical Day, Motivation, and Work-Life Balance
Matthew’s typical day involves a variety of tasks. He attends meetings, responds to emails, reviews statistics, and follows up on the goals set for the week. Each week, Matthew holds an office meeting, and there is also an executive committee (EC), which consists of all the executives in charge of different divisions within the firm, such as administration, production, and marketing.
Matthew says that he and his team create a “battle plan” – a list of items they want to achieve for the week. “Part of my duty is to make sure that battle plan gets written up and executed,” he adds. He spends considerable time with staff members to make sure the listed tasks are completed. Additionally, he follows up with people on larger strategic goals, ensuring the firm is moving in the right direction.
About 5 years ago, Matthew began to take on more of a management role and less of an attorney role. But he still goes to court, especially when his help is needed. However, he is able to separate from day-to-day legal work and put more attention on the future. “I focus on what we want to achieve and how we can get there,” Matthew says. He works with executives and other staff members to ensure they are moving as fast as possible to get there.
Motivation is something that neither he nor his team lack. Matthew believes, “production is the basis of morale.” He explains that if individuals are producing and getting things done, they are excited to get the next thing done. “Fortunately, right now, we’ve a team that is very productive,” he adds. “With every accomplished goal, we strive for the next one. We all want to grow. We all want more.”
Unlike many in the law field, Matthew is able to maintain a work-life balance. He and his wife, an executive at the firm, are parents to two sons. “I’m able to separate business from personal life,” Matthew says. He makes sure to spend time with his family, especially on weekends, doing typical family activities, including taking his 12-year-old son to soccer practice.
“Fortunately, the business is at a part of its evolutionary cycle where it doesn’t require me 24/7 as it did in the beginning,” Matthew says.
Plans for the Future
Matthew wants to see Law Offices of Matthew C. Hines continue to help more families in Georgia. He also intends to expand the company’s footprint, serving families in other states as well.
“It’s possible that we may expand into other areas of law,” he points out, “but right now we’re focusing on doing more of what we’ve been doing because we do that well.” Their plan is to take their successful model and expand it into other areas.
Matthew recognizes that there are many subpar lawyers out there, so he and his team want to ensure that people are getting the help they deserve. “When clients call a lawyer, they have certain expectations,” he explains. “They don’t expect to have their calls go unanswered or to be treated like just a commodity.”
“We pride ourselves on doing a good job,” Matthew adds. “That’s not to say we haven’t made mistakes, but overall, we perform well. We want to widen our influence and do more of what we do best.”
Message to Aspiring Leaders in Law Industry
Matthew advises aspiring leaders to believe in themselves and not fear failure. He encourages them to hold strongly to their ideas and fight hard to achieve them. “Expect the journey to be hard,” he adds, “but don’t give up, even during the most difficult times.”
He also underscores the importance of the people around leaders. “Your team is going to take your company to the next level,” Matthew says. “You’re not going to do anything on your own; it’s going to be a group effort.”
Still, Plenty of Dreams to Achieve!
Matthew is happy with where he stands now, but he still has plenty of dreams to achieve. One of them is to make a significant impact on the planet. He aspires to help address problems such as literacy, human trafficking, and human rights. “I want to help, influence, and become more involved,” Matthew says. “We’re doing it now, but on a smaller scale. It needs much more attention to truly make a difference.”
