Matthew J. Kappel
Top rated Criminal Defense attorney in Greenville, South Carolina
Law Office of Matthew J. Kappel, PC
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, Aviation & Aerospace, Civil Litigation; view more
Licensed in South Carolina since: 1998
Education: University of South Carolina School of Law
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2024 - 2025 Call today:
864-210-1985
Law Office of Matthew J. Kappel, PC
114 Whitsett St.Greenville, SC 29601 Visit website
Details
Working at the Law Office of Matthew J. Kappel, PC, located in Greenville, South Carolina, for the past 19-plus years, attorney Matthew J. Kappel is licensed to practice in both South Carolina (1998) and North Carolina (2013). Experienced in handling cases from a broad range of areas of law, his practice encompasses criminal defense, aviation law, civil litigation and family law.
Practicing solo for more than 18 years, Mr. Kappel has attended to a wide spectrum of clients in a variety of cases. He also has worked for more than three years as a solicitor in the drug unit of the 13th Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office, where he prosecuted several criminals in cases of narcotics and violent crimes. Owing to his proficiency in the field drawn from decades of experience, he has been peer-review rated AV Preeminent* through Martindale-Hubbell.
Mr. Kappel represents non-U.S. citizens before the immigration court and has experience persuading the court to cancel deportation and handling other issues through trial, motion and hearing. Whether it is an injured victim who needs compensation or an individual who needs a legal separation from a bad marriage, he serves them with empathy and diligence.
Completing his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1992 from the College of Charleston, Mr. Kappel graduated from the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law, Columbia, in 1997 with his J.D. He gained admission to the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. He also attended an informal immersion Spanish language program.
Recognizing his leadership skills that are on par with his professional legal acumen, Mr. Kappel has been selected to the Character and Fitness Committee of the South Carolina Supreme Court and the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission for South Carolina’s 4th Congressional District. In addition, he holds private pilot license and instrument rating with about 1400 hours of flight time.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
Practice areas
Criminal Defense, Aviation and Aerospace, Civil Litigation: Plaintiff, Family LawFocus areas
Adoption, Alimony & Spousal Support, Arrest & Arraignment, Assault & Battery, Aviation, Aviation Accidents - Plaintiff, Child Support, Criminal Domestic Violence, Criminal Fraud, Criminal Law, Custody & Visitation, Debt, Dissolution, Divorce, Domestic Violence, Drug & Alcohol Violations, Expungement, Failure to Pay Child Support, False Accusations, Father's Rights, Felony, Juvenile Delinquency, Juvenile Law, Marital Property, Mediation & Collaborative Law, Misdemeanor, Motor Vehicle Offenses, Murder, Name Change, Parole, Paternity, Probation, Prosecution, Same Sex Family Law, Sex Offenses, Tax Evasion, Theft, Traffic Violations
- 70% Criminal Defense
- 10% Aviation and Aerospace
- 10% Civil Litigation: Plaintiff
- 10% Family Law
First Admitted: 1998, South Carolina
Professional Webpage: https://www.kappellaw.com/attorney/kappel-matthew-j/
- North Carolina, 2013
- Greenville Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- South Carolina Association of Justice
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, 2013
- South Carolina, 1998
- U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 2005
- U.S. District Court District of South Carolina, 2001
- Member of the South Carolina Supreme Court Character and Fitness Committee, 2010 to Present. The Committee reviews all bar applicants prior to their admission to the South Carolina Bar. The Committee also reviews all petitions to reinstate those members of the bar who have been suspended from the practice of law for nine months or longer.
- Angel Flight Pilot, 2008 to present. ANGEL FLIGHT coordinates free air transportation for patients with medical conditions who cannot use or afford commercial airlines. Since 1983, Angel Flight pilots have been flying patients to their life-changing medical treatments, free of charge serving all of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, the Carolinas, and Tennessee.
- South Carolina Aeronautics Commission, Member, 2012 to 2016
- Private Pilot with Instrument Rating with over 1900 hours of flying experience.
- AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- College of Charleston, B.A., Bachelor of Arts, 1992
- Academia Espanol de Guatemala – Informal immersion Spanish Language Program – 1997, 2001
- In 2002, I was asked to give a lecture to the Greenville County Bar Association about advising non-US citizens charged with a criminal offense of the possible immigration consequences of a conviction. Just 8 years later, the US Supreme Court in Padilla v. Kentucky confirmed that all criminal counsel must advise their non-US citizen clients of the possible immigration consequences of a criminal conviction. , Lecturer, Representing non-US citizens in criminal cases, Greenville County Bar Association, 2002
- In 2016, I presented a lecture to the Greenville County Bar Association on the significance of IRS form 8300 and how to account for cash receipts in excess of $10,000. The presentation covered the IRS rules regarding the criteria for cash receipts and how to fill out the form 8300., Lecturer, Cash is Not Always King & IRS Form 8300, Greenville County Bar Association, Greenville County Bar Association, 2016
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2024 - 2025
