Overview

Matthew Fedor focuses his practice on helping individuals and families in estate planning, business law, probate, trust and estate administration, elder law guardianships and conservatorships, and litigation in these areas. This combination of practice areas allows him to counsel clients on wealth strategies for their business and personal assets as well as create various limited liability companies and ancillary trusts for this purpose.

Matt has a unique perspective due to his experience in representing both families and business owners and is able to counsel clients regarding protecting their assets and planning for the transfer of those assets to the next generation. Matt represents businesses as their general counsel, advising them in various aspects of the business cycle from choice of entity at start up, buy-sell agreements, real estate transactions, contract review and negotiation, acquisitions, through the eventual sale or dissolution.

Elder law and the areas related to an aging population are becoming more important in the way Matt counsels clients. Estate planning is an important and vital part of that process and Matt takes the time to gather the personal information and histories of clients, recommending a plan that can include tax planning, asset protection, Medicaid planning, guardianships and conservatorships, specifically tailored to the clients’ needs. Matt is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA).

Matt has served in various capacities on behalf of clients including corporate officer, trustee, and general legal counsel, and is able to bring this perspective in counseling clients to achieve their goals.

Matt is a frequent speaker on various topics related to his practice and is a Probate and Estate Planning Certificate recipient from the Institute of Continuing Legal Education. He earned his law degree, Cum Laude, from Michigan State University with a concentration in taxation, and his Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University. He also attended Father Gabriel Richard High School in Ann Arbor.

Affiliations

Memberships & Affiliations

Legal Affiliations:

State Bar of Michigan
- Client Protection Fund Committee
National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)
Client Protection Fund Committee, State Bar of Michigan
Veterans Administration (VA) Accredited, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Indiana University Alumni Association

Community Involvement:

MSU College of Law Alumni Board - 2003-2009; President 2008-2009
Presidents Club, Michigan State University

Experience

Representative Matters

Defended the Trustee of a deceased business owner’s estate in administering a multi-million dollar trust against multiple lawsuits from family members.
Represented business owners in sale of business to multi-million dollar insurance agency.
Successfully defended client against petition for guardianship, obtaining an order of dismissal from the Probate Court Judge.
Successfully represented client to challenge personal representative of father’s estate to have the personal representative removed and replaced with my client.
Successfully negotiated settlement for client of disputed life insurance policy in Federal Court where client was not the last named beneficiary.
Negotiated multi-million dollar buyout of Michigan company by international purchaser.
Assisted client in transitioning real estate condominium development to newly formed condominium association entity.
Created family LLC to hold family cottage with specific provisions providing for details of maintenance, expense sharing, and use schedules.
Negotiated settlement of over $100,000 for victim of dog bite case after filing suit against the insurance company.

Communications

Recent Blog Posts

Elder Law Blog

Publications

Executive Order: Revised Requirement for Businesses and Other Organizations, Foster Swift Legal Update E-blast, July 19, 2020
Whitmer Issues Executive Orders on Masks at Polling Places and Extending Remote Government Meetings, Foster Swift Municipal Law News E-blast, July 17, 2020
Whitmer Enacts Mandatory Mask Executive Order, Foster Swift Legal Update E-blast, July 10, 2020
Governor Whitmer Loosens Restrictions for Northern Michigan and the UP; Previews Future Regulations for Downstate Businesses, Foster Swift Legal Update E-blast, June 5, 2020
Why Employers Need to Support the “Sandwich Generation”, April 30, 2020
How to Spot the Red Flags of Financial Elder Abuse, April 29, 2020

News & Events

Speaking Engagements

Business Interruption Insurance Coverage, Michigan Society of Association Executives (MSAE), January 25, 2021
The Current Status of COVID Orders in Michigan, Foster Swift, November 11, 2020
District Court Civil Law Update, Michigan Judicial Institute: Regional Judicial Seminar, January 14, 2020
Trusts 101: Estate Planning for the Disabled, November 14, 2018
Foster Swift Attorneys Present Trusts Seminars, National Business Institute (NBI), November 14 and 15, 2018
ADMINISTERING THE ESTATE EFFECTIVELY and MAINTAINING AN ETHICAL BALANCE IN PROBATE PRACTICE, Probate Process from Start to Finish (NBI), October 16, 2018