Matt Chait is the Managing Partner of the West Palm Beach office of Shutts & Bowen LLP, where he is a member of the Business Litigation Practice Group. His statewide practice focuses on commercial real estate and land use litigation, commercial foreclosure and loan guaranty matters, and general business litigation, including partnership and LLC disputes, healthcare, fraud, deceptive trade practices, and complex judgment domestication issues. A Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ rated commercial litigator, Matt has been recognized by the Daily Business Review as a top 40 attorney under 40 and as a Rising Star by Florida Super Lawyers.
Prior to joining the firm, Matt practiced law in New York. He served as an intern in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and for United States District Judge Richard Conway Casey in the Southern District of New York.
Outside of the office, Matt devotes substantial time to the community. He serves on the Board of Directors of Resource Depot, a non-profit organization that collects and distributes reusable materials to the arts and education community, and also serves on the Board of Directors and as a Trustee of the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches. Matt is a graduate of Leadership Palm Beach County.
Credentials
Education
- Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, J.D., 2003
- University of Pennsylvania, B.A., 2000
Bar Admissions
- Florida
- New York
- New Jersey
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
Professional and Civic
- Board of Directors and Trustee, Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches
- Board of Directors, Resource Depot
- Member, American Heart Association Executives with Heart, 2019-present
- Economic Forum of Palm Beach County
- Leadership Palm Beach County, Class of 2015
- University of Pennsylvania Secondary School Committee
- Florida Bar
- Business Law Section
- Business Litigation Committee
- Real Property Probate & Trust Law Section
- Real Property Litigation Committee
- Landlord & Tenant Committee
- Business Law Section
- Federal Bar Association, Palm Beach Chapter
- Palm Beach County Bar Association
- Former Co-Chairman, American Heart Association Lawyers Have Heart 5K Run
News & Insights
News & Speaking Engagements
Publications
- Media Mention, "Clevelander blasts Miami Beach mayor's remarks. He responded with quips about Canada," Miami Herald, November 1, 2023
- "The Professional Service Businesses Deserve," Florida Trend, September 2023
- "Fla. Judge Tosses Suit Against Uber, Checkr Over ID Theft," Law360, September 2023
- "4 Notable Fla. Commercial Real Estate Cases from 2019," Law360, December 2019
- “What Does ‘Ordinary Wear And Tear’ In A Commercial Lease Really Mean?,” ActionLine (Fall 2019), Florida Bar Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section
- Author, "Landlord and Tenant Disputes," Florida Real Property Litigation, 9th Edition (2018)
- "Must A Commercial Landlord Consent To A Lease Assignment?," ActionLine (Winter 2017-2018), Florida Bar Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section
- "Why Many Manager Removal Provisions Are Doomed to Fail," Daily Business Review (April 26, 2016)
- Author, “Landlord and Tenant Disputes,” Florida Real Property Litigation, 8th Edition (2016)
- Author, "Renvoi in Multinational Cases in New York Courts: Does Its Past Preclude Its Future?" 11 Cardozo J. Int’l & Comp. L. 143 (2003)
Blog Posts
Practice Areas
Industry Focus
Accolades
- Martindale Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ Rated
- Florida Trend Legal Elite NOTABLE Managing Partners, 2024
- Florida Trend Florida Legal Elite™, Commercial Litigation, 2020, 2021
- Palm Beach Illustrated, "Top Lawyer," 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
- "Top Lawyer," Jupiter Magazine, 2022-2024
- Florida Super Lawyers, Super Lawyer, Business Litigation, 2024
- Florida Super Lawyers, Rising Star, Business Litigation, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
- Best Lawyers in America®, Commercial Litigation, 2019-2025
- Daily Business Review, "On the Rise 40 Under 40", 2015