About David Matthew
David Matthew Collins built a career that moves from the tight confines of a submarine to the courtroom. He started his adult life in the U.S. Navy as a submarine petty officer in 1989. After military service he pursued legal education, earning an A.A.S. in Legal Assisting from San Antonio College in 1993, a B.A. in Government from the University of Texas at Austin in 1998, and a J.D. from St. Mary’s University School of Law in 2001.
Those academic milestones were followed by a sequence of early legal roles that offered practical training across different settings. Collins worked as a law clerk in 2003 at the Law Offices of Ben Wallis, P.C., and then maintained solo practice for periods beginning in 2004. He held positions at The Carlson Law Office, P.C. and IE Discovery, Inc., and spent time as an oil and gas landman with Abstract & Title Resources, Inc. and the Law Office of B. R. Allen, III, P.C. in 2006. In 2007 he practiced alongside Derek R. Van Gilder.
In 2013 Collins became a partner at the Law Office of Hortick & Collins. The partnership followed nearly a decade of varied experience in private practice, title work and discovery services. His career path shows steady movement between transactional work and litigation support, and an emphasis on matters that require detailed documentation and title review.
Collins holds admission to practice in Texas and is also admitted to the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court. He carries the State Bar of Texas membership that dates back to the mid-2000s and was involved in the 2012–2013 LeadershipSBOT program. He is a member of The College of the State Bar of Texas and maintains ties to local legal institutions.
Civic and bar leadership roles have been a recurring part of his public life. He has been active in the Bastrop County Bar Association since 2007, filling officer roles including secretary, president and interim president, and serving as treasurer beginning in 2012. He has also belonged to the Rotary Club of Bastrop County and previously served as president of the Bastrop Lost Pines Lions Club from 2009 to 2010.
Collins holds a certification that allows appointment as a lawyer ad litem in Texas courts. That credential complements his courtroom practice and his background in land and title matters. He is currently a partner at the Law Office of Hortick & Collins, where he represents clients in Texas courts and accepts court appointments as a lawyer ad litem.
