A Trusted Attorney Looking Out For Your Future

For more than 18 years as a sole pracitioner, Matt has helped hundreds of clients facing criminal charges, family court matters, personal injuries, and small business disputes. He is also licensed to practice law in North Carolina and, as a private pilot, has traveled to most every part of the Carolinas to defend his clients.

Prior to private practice, Matt was an Assistant Solicitor (Assistant District Attorney) in Greenville, SC, where for nearly four years, tried numerous cases involving trafficking in narcotics and violent crimes.

Matt is a member of the U.S. District Court for South Carolina and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. He has the highest rating possible (AV) from Martindale and Hubbell indicating his peers and judges rank him at the highest level of professional excellence.

Matt has also helped hundreds of non-US citizens in state and federal courts preserve and protect their immigration status while facing criminal charges. As far back as 2002, Matt addressed the Greenville County Bar Association and urged them to advise non-US citizen clients of the immigration consequences of a criminal conviction.

View Matt Kappel’s attorney profile.

Experience

• 20 years as a trial lawyer
• 18 years as a sole practitioner
• 3.5 years as a Solicitor in the Drug Unit, 13th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, Greenville, SC
• Lead prosecutor in a wide variety of felony drug cases, many prosecuted to jury verdicts
  Represented numerous clients (pro hac vice) in narcotics cases in the Federal Courts in Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, and Wilmington, NC
• Defended many cases in US District Courts on allegations involving: trafficking narcotics, fraud, white collar crimes, immigration fraud, counterfeit merchandise, employer violations regarding the hiring of illegal aliens, and more
• Representation of non-US citizen clients before the Immigration Court having in three instances persuaded the court to cancel deportation – once in Charlotte, NC by trial and twice in Atlanta, GA by motion and hearing
• Experienced in handling clients with regards to: divorce, child custody, business disputes, automobile accidents, wrongful death, and more
• Licensed to practice law in South Carolina and North Carolina
• 1400 hours of flying experience as a licensed private instrument rated pilot

EDUCATION

Matt graduated from the College of Charleston in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Political Science. After working in Washington, DC for two years for the El Paso Natural Gas Co., Matt moved back to South Carolina to attend Law School at the University of South Carolina. Matt graduated from the University of South Carolina with his Juris Doctor (JD) in 1997. Matt also spent two summers at a language institute in Guatemala studying the Spanish language.

INVOLVEMENT

The South Carolina Supreme Court Character and Fitness Committee
(2010 – present)

In January 2010, the South Carolina Supreme Court appointed Matt to the Court’s Character and Fitness Committee. The committee, which consists of 12 members, is responsible for reviewing every application for admission to the SC Bar. The committee also reviews reinstatement petitions for those whose SC law licenses have been suspended for nine months or more.

South Carolina Aeronautics Commission
(2012 – 2016)

Elected by the General Assembly, Matt served as a member of the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission for the 4th Congressional District and in 2014 was elected Vice Chairman. In this role, Matt participated in the implementation of statewide policy regarding the SC aviation system, which includes 60 airports and state-owned aircraft.

Click here to learn more about the Aeronautics Commission.

Angel Flight Pilot
(2008 – present)

Angel Flight is a non-profit organization out of Atlanta, Georgia that provides free air transportation to individuals with any legitimate charitable or medically related need. Since 2008, Matt has accepted three to four Angel Flight ‘missions’ each year. He has flown disabled children for the Shriners Hospital, as well as burn patients and cancer patients of all ages to their treatment centers across the southeast.

Click here to learn more about Angel Flight.
Click here to read AOPA’s story on Matt.