Matthew D. Anderson
(802) 775-7141
Biography
I grew up in the village of Brandon. I graduated from Mount Saint Joseph Academy in Rutland and then The University of Vermont. At UVM I competed for the school’s nationally recognized intercollegiate debate team, the Lawrence Debate Union, and won a few debate tournaments.
After college I moved to Dorchester, Massachusetts to work for Sun Life of Canada on qualified IRC 1035 tax-free annuity exchanges under time pressure. Then I moved south to Williamsburg, Virginia to attend the nation’s oldest law school, the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary, founded in 1779. I live with my wife and two daughters in Pittsford.
Legal Experience
After graduating from William and Mary I returned home to Vermont and began working for the Rutland civil law firm of Webber, Reis, Holler & Urso. Bob Reis was my primary mentor at Webber Reis. He tried over fifty cases to jury verdict in his career and was perhaps the only lawyer in the state who obtained a million dollar jury verdict in a civil case, a defendant’s verdict in a wrongful death medical malpractice trial, and an acquittal in a murder trial. We worked together for over a decade. A few representative matters that are part of the public record include:
- Defense of a gender discrimination action alleging that an Elks Club was not a truly private club and therefore was not entitled to refuse to admit women as full members. Human Rights Comm’n v. Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks of U.S., 2003 VT 104, 176 Vt. 125, 839 A.2d 576 (2003) (reversing trial court grant of summary judgment to the Hartford Elks Club).
- Successful prosecution of a liability insurance coverage priority declaratory rights action between three insurers of a milk truck and trailers involved in a catastrophic, multiple fatality, trucking accident. Fireman’s Fund Ins. Co. v. CNA Ins. Co., 2004 VT 93, 177 Vt. 215, 862 A.2d 251 (2004).
- Obtaining summary judgment for a college student who burned his dormitory down in a federal court action brought by the college’s fire insurer on the grounds that the student was an implied co-insured under the policy and therefore could not be held liable in subrogation to the insurer for the loss. Green Mountain College v. Vaillancourt, 2:02-cv-52 (Niedermeier, J., 2004).
- Obtaining summary judgment on behalf of a property owner using an affirmative defense to the strict liability statutory enforcement regime in a case in which the State of Vermont sought over a million dollars in past and future damages incident to cleaning up perchloroethylene contamination at the dry cleaner site. State v. Howe Cleaners, Inc., 2010 VT 70, 188 Vt. 303, 307, 9 A.3d 276, 278 (2010).
After Bob Reis was lost to cancer in the autumn of 2011 I took complete control of the existing litigation case load we had shared. Since then I have successfully taken multiple cases to jury verdict as first chair counsel. I have also argued over a dozen cases before the Vermont Supreme Court, most recently in the spring of 2025. Presently approximately half of my time is spent on matters litigated in federal court.
In 2013 I joined Pratt Vreeland “Of Counsel” and became a principal the following year. As of this writing approximately one-third of my practice is devoted to personal injury litigation arising from car and commercial truck accidents, falls on commercial property, and downhill skiing, among others. I derive immense satisfaction from working with clients who have been injured and seeing that they receive the full compensation to which they are entitled. The rest of my practice concerns other types of civil litigation including litigating on behalf of corporations, banks, small businesses, property owners, condominium boards, landlords, creditors and real estate developers.
Community Involvement
Member, Vermont Bar Foundation Grants Committee (2018-2021; Chair, 2020-2021)
Member, Grace Congregational Church (UCC), Rutland, VT
Former Member, Rutland City Rotary Club and Rutland South Rotary Club
Member, Rutland Italian-American Club
Past Board Member, Rutland ARC (Advocacy, Resources, Community serving the mentally handicapped).
Youth Soccer Coach, Lothrop Elementary School (2018 & 2019)
Youth Soccer Coach, Christ the King Middle School (2021)
Licensed U.S. Soccer Referee (2022-present)
Summit Futbol Club Board of Directors (2024-)
Testimonials
I am a business owner in Rutland County, Vermont, and I was fortunate to have the assistance of Attorney Matthew Anderson of Pratt Vreeland Kennelly Martin & White, Ltd. on four separate business and civil matters arising between late 2021 and late 2024. His work on my behalf included two collections matters, a contract review that improved both clarity and terms, and the defense of a complex civil malicious prosecution case that proceeded to trial following a failed protective order request.
Attorney Anderson achieved successful outcomes across these matters. He secured an acceptable settlement in the first collections matter, obtained payment in full, including legal fees, in the second, and ultimately secured a “not liable” verdict before a 12-person jury in Chittenden County, Vermont, in a case tried against one of Vermont’s most accomplished active litigators, Attorney ****** ****.
Throughout my time working with Matt, I found him to be communicative, thoughtful, and exceptionally helpful in explaining the legal process in a way that allowed me to make informed decisions at each stage. He approached my matters with professionalism, clarity, and sound judgment, while also ensuring that I understood both the risks and the strategic considerations involved.
At trial, Matt’s closing argument was delivered with such sincerity and conviction that it brought a tear to my eye. He later told me that he truly believed in my case, and that belief was evident in the way he presented it. Matt was able to clearly, ethically, and persuasively summarize the facts and the law to the jury, resulting in a “not liable” verdict and doing so in a manner that brought honor and respect to me personally, to my business, and to our overall legal position.
I both trust and respect Attorney Anderson for his knowledge, integrity, and guidance in complicated legal matters. I recommend him highly to anyone seeking capable, principled, and effective representation in matters of critical importance.
Practice Areas
Car and Commercial Vehicle Crashes
Personal Injury and Wrongful Death, including Traumatic Brain Injuries
Professional Malpractice (medical, legal and engineering)
Professional Discipline
Insurance Coverage
Trial and Appellate Practice
Commercial Litigation including small business divorces and employment law
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
Drug and Alcohol Liability
Catastrophic Injury
Falls on Commercial Properties
Construction Defect Litigation
Trucking Accidents
Unfair or Deceptive Acts in Commerce Claims (Consumer Fraud)
Federal Criminal Defense
Education
Mount Saint Joseph Academy (Rutland, VT)
High School Diploma
University of Vermont (Burlington, VT)
Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy
College of William & Mary (Williamsburg, VA)
Juris Doctor
Memberships
Admitted to all Vermont State courts
Admitted to US Federal Court for the District of Vermont
Admitted to the US Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
Rutland County Bar Association
Vermont Bar Association
Vermont Association for Justice
(formerly Vermont Trial Lawyer’s Association)
Joan Loring Wing Chapter of Inns of Court.
U.S. District Court of Vermont Criminal Justice Act Panel.
Presentations
Rutland County Bar Association Annual Meeting, “Winning Cases Through Motion Practice Under Civil Rules 12 and 56”, 11/2/18
Joan Wing Inns of Court, “2018 Vermont Supreme Court Review”, 3/14/19
Kimball Union Academy, “Familiar Ethical Dilemmas in the Practice of Law, 02/15/25”
64 North Main St., Rutland, VT 05701(802) 775-7141