About Matthew B.
Matthew B. Hemington followed a straight line from economics to law. He earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1985 and went on to receive his J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 1990. Those academic years set the foundation for a career that has combined business insight with legal training.
He served as a partner at Cooley Godward Kronish LLP, a role that placed him in the middle of complex client work and firm management. As a partner he carried responsibility for major matters, staffed teams, and worked directly with clients on strategic issues. The partnership role demanded both transactional judgment and an ability to coordinate across practice groups.
Collegial collaboration and client counsel were constant themes in his work. He handled negotiations, prepared regulatory filings and client agreements, and participated in deal structuring. He also took part in internal firm governance and mentored younger attorneys. Those responsibilities reflected the dual pressures of client service and running a modern law practice.
Hemington’s training in economics informs how he approaches legal problems. He reads financial statements and business plans as readily as statutes and case law. That combination has helped him translate technical business concerns into practical legal advice. It also shaped how he communicates with in-house counsel and business executives—plainspoken, focused on outcomes and mindful of risk.
He is admitted to practice in California and has spent his career working within that jurisdiction’s legal and commercial environment. His academic credentials and years in private practice have kept him connected to both the legal academy and the business community he serves. Colleagues describe him as steady under pressure and methodical in analysis.
Outside of the firm setting he has participated in the routine professional exchange of ideas that anchors the practice of law—presenting to groups, reviewing matters with peers and guiding junior lawyers through substantive work. That practical involvement has been part of his day-to-day approach to client matters.
He currently practices law in California, concentrating on matters that bridge business and legal considerations.
