On January 1, 2023, we welcomed Matthew Rindt as a partner of Gerstle Snelson.  Matthew practices construction and professional liability law in the Dallas office of our firm.  To let you get to know Matthew a little better, we asked him a few questions.  He was mostly responsive.

1. Why did you choose to practice law? Graduating with an English degree tends to cull down perspective careers post-graduation. I considered becoming a professor or going into marketing. My junior year of undergrad, I worked for a construction lawyer in El Paso, Michael Stell, who was a fantastic attorney and became my first mentor. I basically worked on one, large construction defect case that entire summer and I loved it.

2. How did a native of El Paso end up in Dallas? Other than getting my first job out of law school with Gerstle Snelson, my wife (then girlfriend), Dee. I knew she would follow me to El Paso had I asked, but I also knew she always wanted to move back home. I have no complaints—Dallas is a wonderful city and I am so happy to call it home.

3. Speaking of which, how has El Paso changed since you grew up there? El Paso continues to grow exponentially year to year both outward and upward. There are some incredible El Paso-born businessmen who continually invest back into the city, which has paid dividends over the last decade.

4. What is your happiest memory about living in Waco while studying at Baylor for undergrad, and why? Many. The one that sticks out is bitter-sweet. I had just taken the LSAT, my senior year. I got home and sat outside on our rocking chair, just enjoying the moment and the quiet. I was waiting for some UT buddies to drive-in to head to the Baylor-UT football game, the last game of the season. It sticks out I think so vividly because it felt like a true pause before life seemed to pick up rapidly – graduation, law school, marriage, a dog, a baby girl. I had no idea all incredible things that lay ahead.

5. What piece of advice would you give to graduating law school students that you wish someone had given you when you graduated from Texas Tech in Lubbock, and why?Litigation is not that scary and don’t sweat the small stuff. When I graduated, I was very apprehensive about joining a litigation-heavy firm simply because I did not picture myself as a litigator nor did I take any advocacy classes or mock-trial. I know many students graduate knowing they want to be litigators, but not me. But like anything else, it just takes a little practice and hard work. If you know your case and the facts – being in front of a judge or any other fact finder, taking a deposition, etc.–is not only fun but rewarding in a way that transactional matters just cannot replicate. Also, don’t sweat the small stuff. As a 1-3 year attorney, I would worry about trivial things that always worked out one way or another.

6. What is your favorite thing to do to relax? Family time in any form – walks, hanging out on the couch, grabbing a meal. Anything that actively takes your mind away from work.