Matthew J. Owens

Matthew Owens is a partner and shareholder at Miner, Barnhill & Galland, P.C. He joined the firm following judicial clerkships with a federal district judge and federal appellate judge.

Matthew's practice is focused on environmental justice, civil rights, and consumer protection. Representative matters include the following:

• Numerous environmental cases on behalf of residents subjected to noxious pollution and toxic chemicals, including a class action that settled for $51.5 million;
• A single-plaintiff racial harassment case that settled for $950,000;
• A class action alleging minimum wage violations that settled for $2.3 million;
• Numerous cases on behalf of state attorneys general alleging consumer fraud that resulted in hundreds of millions in jury verdicts and settlements.

Matthew is a volunteer attorney for the Election Protection program run by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, which works to eliminate barriers to voting and civic participation. He also serves on the Chicago Council of Lawyers, a public interest bar association dedicated to achieving a justice system that is accessible, effective, and fair.