About Mateo
Mateo Caballero earned a B.S. in mathematics and philosophy from Washington & Lee University in 2004 and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2007. His academic background blends quantitative reasoning and philosophy, a combination that shaped his early approach to complex legal problems. He moved from those classrooms into large-firm practice and public-interest work over the next decade and a half.
After law school he joined Covington & Burling LLP as an associate in 2007. A year later he served as a law clerk at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York. Those early positions gave him exposure to commercial litigation and federal court procedure, and they helped him build experience handling contested matters under tight deadlines.
Caballero volunteered as a lawyer at Bread for the City in 2012, providing services to low-income clients. He then joined Starn OToole Marcus & Fisher in 2013 as senior litigation counsel. At Starn OToole he handled a variety of civil disputes and litigation matters that required courtroom preparation and strategic case management.
In 2016 he became legal director of the ACLU of Hawaii. In that role he managed litigation and advocacy projects that touched on civil liberties and public policy in the state. He stayed engaged in legal education as well, serving as a lecturer at the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2018. His teaching included topics drawn from both litigation practice and constitutional issues.
Caballero now practices through Caballero Law LLLC. He is licensed to practice in Hawaii, New York and the District of Columbia, and his background spans both private and public-interest work. His record includes courtroom advocacy, case development, and leadership positions at an advocacy organization.
He maintains a practice that handles litigation and advisory matters arising from civil liberties, public interest issues and contested commercial matters, serving clients in his admitted jurisdictions.
