Matthew G. Finley

Matt is a Kentucky-native, but after graduating from William and Mary Law School, decided to make Virginia his home. He attended the University of Kentucky prior to law school, receiving Bachelors’ in Political Science and Philosophy. During law school, Matt worked with the Hampton Commonwealth Attorney’s Office where he found his passion for criminal law. Prior to joining Welch & Wright, Matt worked over the past decade as both a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney in Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, and Norfolk.

Matt’s wide criminal law experience ranges from handling traffic matters to homicides. Throughout his career he has tried more than 30 juries and hundreds of trials of varying complexity, both as prosecutor and as defense counsel. Matt’s experience as a prosecutor gives him a unique perspective on how the government places his clients in jeopardy, and situates him to provide the best possible representation, whether that be in a trial or a negotiation. Above all else, Matt enjoys the creativity needed to achieve his client’s goals. He gets to know each and every one of his clients so he can best advise them and help them understand those goals.

Matt lives with his wife Rachel and their three dogs, Baxter, Miss Cleo, and David Wrinkles. In his free time, Matt writes, builds scale models, and reads anything and everything he can find.

Practice Areas

• • Criminal Defense
  • DUI Defense
  • Drug Charges