About Bernard Lilse Mathews
Bernard Lilse Mathews III brings an uncommon combination of engineering training and courtroom experience to his practice. He trained first as an engineer and later turned to law. The result is a methodical approach to litigation that shows in how he prepares cases and argues them.
He earned a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1969. Nearly a decade later he completed a J.D. at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles in 1978. Those two degrees sit at the foundation of a career that spans state and federal courts. The engineering background informs his attention to technical detail. The law degree provided the tools to put those details to work in the courtroom.
Mathews has spent much of his professional life in litigation. He is a lawyer at Vacek & Freed, PLLC. Over the years he has appeared before trial courts, appellate courts and specialized tribunals. He combines trial courtroom practice with appellate briefing and argument. Colleagues describe him as thorough in preparation and persistent when a matter requires further review.
He is admitted to practice in Texas and in the United States District Courts for all districts of Texas and all districts of California. He is also admitted to the Fifth Circuit and to the United States Tax Court. Those admissions allow him to move cases from trial court to appeals, and to represent clients in tax litigation when matters require it.
Certifications mark a central part of his profile. Mathews is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. That certification reflects a focus on civil trial work and indicates experience trying cases in the state’s courts.
Outside of court, Mathews holds membership in the Houston Bar Association. The organization provides a regular forum for judges and lawyers to discuss developments in Texas law. He has maintained bar association ties throughout his career.
He approaches cases by parsing complex facts and setting out clear legal arguments. He has handled matters at trial and on appeal, and he is comfortable operating in both state and federal dockets. His practice balances litigation in district courts, appellate work in the Fifth Circuit, and proceedings before the United States Tax Court.
He currently practices civil trial law at Vacek & Freed, PLLC, handling litigation in state and federal courts, appeals, and tax court matters.
