Interview With Matthew L. Sharp
Attorney Matthew L. Sharp has earned the nickname the “Honey Badger” for his fierce and tireless work holding large corporations and negligent parties accountable for their actions. He is the founder and owner of the Law Office of Matthew L. Sharp, where he proudly helps his clients recover compensation for their damages.
Lawyer Minds: What types of cases do you handle?
Matt Sharp: The type of cases I handle are complex cases with serious personal injury or catastrophic property damage involving insurance bad faith, product liability, wildfire litigation, and trucking cases.
Lawyer Minds: What efforts do you make to give back to your local community and why?
Matt Sharp: I give back to communities that have supported me, including funding local scholarships for disadvantaged young people who need help to pursue post-high school degrees, two permanent scholarships at the University of Nevada for education and engineering, one permanent scholarship at the University of Arizona Law School, and funding for our church.
Lawyer Minds: What do you feel are the three main attributes of a successful lawyer?
Matt Sharp: The three main attributes of a successful lawyer are honesty, preparation, and humor (never take yourself too seriously).
Lawyer Minds: What advice would you give to a person who is seeking legal representation for the first time?
Matt Sharp: Hiring a lawyer for the first time is an important decision that can affect your future. The best lawyer is the one you can trust to prepare your case for trial and to tell you the truth. No lawsuit is won without work and risk, and you need to know that your lawyer understands risk and has your back. Any lawyer who gives you guarantees about how much money they can recover is trying to sell lakefront property in the Black Rock Desert.
Lawyer Minds: What was it like when you got your first win for a client?
Matt Sharp: When I won my first jury trial, I felt a sense of justice and respect that the jury had the strength to punish an insurance company who had denied cancer care for its insured.
Lawyer Minds: If you could put a billboard up—that’s not an advertisement—what would it say?
Matt Sharp: Understanding and Empathy Builds Communities and Division and Indifference Destroys Communities.
Lawyer Minds: Why do you take the cases that you do?
Matt Sharp: I take the cases I do to help my clients whose lives have been forever altered by the wrongdoing of another. Trial by jury is the linchpin to our democratic system. Whether we are representing a client harmed by corporate abuse or government, we, as trial lawyers, give voice and representation to ordinary people.
Lawyer Minds: What are the essential building blocks for any law firm?
Matt Sharp: In building a law firm, it is essential to be trustworthy and willing to fight. I have always been honest with clients and the judiciary and willing to accept high risk with the potential for high reward.
Lawyer Minds: Are there any organizations you involve yourself with that you’d recommend to young lawyers?
Matt Sharp: I think the key organizations for lawyers in Nevada are the Nevada Justice Association (or whatever your local trial lawyer association is) and the American Justice Association.
Lawyer Minds: What’s one thing we didn’t cover in this interview you’d like to share with readers who aren’t lawyers?
Matt Sharp: The civil jury is what the powers that be truly fear, and it is what gives access to justice for ordinary people.
