Joseph Michael Matthews

Joe Matthews was a trial and appellate advocate for more than 45 years. He is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Miami, School of Law where he was an Editor of the Law Review and recipient of the Wesley Sturges Award.

He is a Fellow and Past-President of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, a member of the American Law Institute and an Honorary Bencher of the Inn of Court of Northern Ireland.

Mr. Matthews has been an arbitrator for more than 30 years. He is a Chartered Arbitrator and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a Fellow of the College of Commercial Arbitrators. He served for 12 years as a member of the Board of Directors of American Arbitration Association and for 3 years on its Executive Committee. He now serves as a Fellow and member of the Board of Directors of The Dispute Board Federation.

He is a Florida Certified Circuit Civil Mediator and Certified Mediator by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) and by the International Mediation Institute. He serves as mediator in complex commercial, construction, insurance, hospitality, health care, employment, class action and personal injury cases pending in state and federal courts of the United States, as well as in commercial and investment arbitration disputes domestically and internationally. He is a member of the Panel of Mediators appointed by the United States District Courts for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida and is also on the AAA/ICDR Panel of Mediators.

Mr. Matthews has lectured and taught extensively in the US and other countries on various topics including substantive law, civil justice systems and procedure, trial tactics, arbitration, rule of law and ethics, as well as technology. He taught arbitration at the National University of Mongolia and at the University of Dundee, in Dundee Scotland. He has lectured at the Central Party School, Beijing, China, Dubai, Salzburg, Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh and throughout the United States. He has been an Adjunct Faculty member at the University of Miami School of Law and Florida International University School of Law 

• University of Miami School of Law, J. D. (1977) No. 1 of 341; Wesley Sturges Honor Scholar; Articles and Comments Editor, UM Law Review
• Undergraduate: The Defiance College, Defiance, Ohio, B. A. (1974) Summa Cum Laude, National Champion, Persuasive Speaking

• International Academy of Trial Lawyers (President 2015)
• Honorary Bencher, Inn of Court of Northern Ireland
• American College of Trial Lawyers 
• American Board of Trial Advocates 
• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Fellow and Chartered Arbitrator)
• College of Commercial Arbitrators (Fellow)
• American Arbitration Association, Board of Directors and Executive Committee (2003-2015; Arbitrator, Commercial, Large and Complex Case, Class Action and International Panels; Panel of Mediators)
• Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre
• Court of Arbitration for Art
• American Law Institute (Member)
• Florida Certified Circuit Civil Mediator
• Mediator, United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
• Certified Mediator, Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR)
• The Florida Bar
• District of Columbia Bar
• Miami-Dade County Bar Association
• Commissioner, Third District Court of Appeal, Judicial Nominating Commission (1983 - 1987)
• Member Florida Board of Bar Examiners (1987 - 1990)

$500 per hour for arbitration and in person mediation