About Matthew D.
Matthew D. Ports grew up focused on the law early enough to make a clear map of his career. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1994 and took his legal degree from DePaul College of Law in 1999. Those credentials set the foundation for practice in Illinois.
He began his legal career as an associate at Bruce R. Pfaff & Associates, Ltd. in 2000. Eight years later he became a shareholder at Pfaff & Gill, Ltd., a role that placed him in firm leadership and client-facing litigation work. In 2024 he moved into a shareholder position at Gill Ports, Ltd., carrying forward the firm-side responsibilities that come with equity ownership.
Ports maintains an active presence in professional circles. He is a member of the American Association for Justice, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and the American Board of Trial Advocates. He also belongs to the American Constitutional Society, the Chicago Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association. Those memberships reflect sustained engagement with trial practice, civil justice issues and bar governance.
Colleagues describe his path as steady. He moved from associate to shareholder over the course of a decade and continued to shape his practice after that. His work has centered on litigation handled in Illinois courts. He has balanced courtroom work with the administrative duties expected of a shareholder, including managing client relationships and participating in firm strategy.
Ports continues to practice in Illinois and serves as a shareholder at Gill Ports, Ltd. His current work centers on litigation matters handled through the firm in Illinois courts.
