Matthew G. “Matt” Pfau is a founding partner of H&P Law and a Las Vegas personal injury trial attorney who represents people facing serious injuries and lasting losses. His courtroom work includes a $10.8 million jury verdict and a $10 million settlement reached after the plaintiff’s closing argument at trial. He brings that same commitment to preparation and persuasive advocacy to his work as an author, attorney instructor, and founder of the Paralegal Institute.
For Matt, representing an injured person begins with understanding what the injury has taken from that person’s life. Lasting pain, lost independence, and uncertainty about the future deserve careful attention. He builds cases that explain those consequences clearly and confront the evidence defendants would prefer to minimize.
Practicing law since 2008, Matt combines substantial litigation experience with a teacher’s ability to make complicated issues understandable. His approach centers on thorough preparation, sound judgment, and a willingness to take disputed claims into the courtroom.
Trial Results and Significant Settlements
Matt has served as first chair trial counsel in dozens of cases involving unsafe businesses, permanent physical injuries, and violations of constitutional rights. His work with fellow H&P Law attorneys includes:
$10.8 million jury verdict for a teenager injured at a trampoline facility. Matt and Marjorie Hauf tried the case of a 15-year-old boy who suffered fractures to both legs and lasting nerve pain. Their work exposed failures in staff training and supervision, including allowing minors to use the trampoline without adequate oversight. The jury returned a $10.8 million verdict.
$10 million settlement after the plaintiff’s closing argument. In 2026, Matt and Marjorie Hauf tried a premises liability case that concluded with a $10 million settlement after the plaintiff’s closing argument and before a jury verdict. The parties’ identities remain confidential.
More than $477,000 for a young man with permanent nerve damage. Working with Bre’Ahn Brooks, Matt secured a result exceeding $477,000 for a client injured during a plasma donation. The case addressed inadequate employee training and the facility’s attempt to avoid responsibility through a liability waiver.
$450,000 jury verdict in a groundbreaking civil rights trial. Matt and Marjorie Hauf represented a man seriously injured by excessive police force in a case asserting rights under the Nevada Constitution. Following a two-week trial, the jury returned a $450,000 verdict. The case was among the first to bring these state constitutional claims before a Nevada jury.
Awards and Professional Recognition
Matt’s work has earned recognition from legal publications and professional rating organizations. His honors and ratings include:
- Super Lawyers — selected in 2026.
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent — recognized in 2016, 2019, 2025, and 2026.
- Martindale-Hubbell Judicial AV Preeminent — 2019.
- Nevada Business Magazine Legal Elite — 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020.
- National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys Top 10 Attorney Award — 2016.
- America’s Most Honored Professionals, Top 10% — 2016.
- Avvo Superb rating.
Advancing Legal Education
Matt founded the Paralegal Institute to prepare legal professionals for the demands of actual law practice. His experience hiring, training, and working alongside paralegals helped shape a curriculum centered on the skills legal teams need to serve clients effectively.
The program emphasizes practical legal research, writing, case preparation, and litigation support. Through simulated casework and a law firm learning environment, students practice the work they will be expected to perform for attorneys and clients. Matt’s goal is to develop capable professionals who understand how their work contributes to the preparation and success of a case.
His teaching experience also includes the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Paralegal Certificate Program, where he has taught legal studies and practicum coursework. He brings the perspective of a practicing lawyer into the classroom, connecting legal principles with the decisions and responsibilities students will encounter in a law office.
Matt has also developed advanced coursework in legal reasoning and the responsible use of artificial intelligence. His curriculum challenges students to identify missing evidence, evaluate competing explanations, recognize unsupported assumptions, and verify AI-generated work. Students learn to ask better questions and support their conclusions with reliable information.
That educational work reflects a practical conviction: a legal team serves clients better when its members can think carefully about evidence, communicate clearly, and exercise sound judgment.
Books and Legal Writing
Matt’s writing extends his practical approach to legal education. His books and educational work include:
The Practical Paralegal. A guide to the work of a paralegal, covering subjects such as court systems, procedure, filing, case management, and client management. The book helps connect classroom instruction with the daily responsibilities of legal practice.
The Reasoning Paralegal. The foundation for his advanced reasoning coursework, focused on helping paralegals analyze information, evaluate evidence, and develop defensible conclusions. The associated training addresses the judgment required to assess and use AI-generated work.
Continuing Legal Education and Professional Speaking
Matt’s teaching extends to fellow attorneys. He has been invited to teach trial skills through organizations including the Nevada Justice Association, sharing lessons drawn from courtroom practice.
He presented at the 2024 Nevada Justice Association Convention, part of the Richard A. Harris Series of Continuing Legal Education. The sold-out program was held in Newport Beach, California.
His professional speaking history also includes Ethics in Estate Administration, presented as part of Estate Administration from Start to Finish in 2016.
And at the Climb Summit Series 2025, he addressed the use of artificial intelligence in legal education and law firm operations, including the continuing importance of human judgment.
Education and Admissions
Matt earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and his Juris Doctor from Whittier Law School. He is admitted to practice in Nevada and California, as well as before the United States District Court for the District of Nevada and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He began his career in estate planning before focusing his practice on representing injured people.
Family and Life Outside the Courtroom
Matt is married to Debbi and is a father of three. Family is central to his life and a powerful motivation for his work. He is actively involved in his children’s lives and volunteers with their youth activities.
Being a husband and father gives personal meaning to his work for injured clients. He understands why the ability to care for a child, provide for a household, or participate in everyday family life matters so much when someone is hurt. His approach to representation keeps those human consequences in view.
Matt also speaks Italian and enjoys trying unfamiliar foods.
“Change your mind about personal injury attorneys and change your life. Matthew listens to your story and he’ll let you know what can be done to make you whole again. Matt’s firm puts that personal touch into personal injury.”
Dale C.
