Matthew McGowan is a senior associate at Beckham Portela, where he focuses on, among other things, complex commercial litigation, contract disputes, business divorces, bankruptcy litigation, and real property disputes. Matthew has nearly a decade of experience handling large, complicated, bet-the-farm lawsuits for both plaintiffs and defendants. An award-winning legal writer, Matthew’s specialty is preparing all manner of long-form legal pleadings, motions, and briefs. Matthew also has extensive experience in civil appeals and has worked as lead counsel on innumerable high-dollar appellate cases at all levels of state and federal appellate courts.
Prior to joining Beckham Portela in March 2024, Matthew was head of the appellate section at a prominent San Antonio law firm that focused on oil and gas, a practice area in which Matthew is Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Earlier in his career, Matthew worked at a commercial litigation law firm in San Antonio, where he focused primarily on civil appeals and bankruptcy litigation.
Matthew graduated cum laude from Texas A&M University School of Law in 2015. While at A&M Law, Matthew published two articles in academic legal journals, won or placed second in national legal writing competitions, was the recipient of the President’s Scholarship (for his high class ranking), and upon graduation was among a small handful of faculty-selected students admitted to the National Order of Scribes (based on “outstanding legal writing while in law school”). During his final year at A&M Law, Matthew was an Articles Editor at Texas A&M Law Review, the school’s flagship legal journal. Matthew obtained his B.A. in print journalism from Texas Tech University in 2008.
In his free time, Matthew enjoys trail running, camping, chess, woodworking, and spending time with his pit bull, Margaret.
Education
Texas A&M University School of Law, Fort Worth, Texas, | J.D., Cum Laude, May 2015
Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas | B.A. Journalism (Minor in Classics), December 2008
Admissions
State Bar of Texas (2015)
Supreme Court of the United States
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
United States District Court, N.D. Tex.
United States District Court, W.D. Tex.
United States District Court, S.D. Tex.
Select Publications
Locomotives v. Local Motives: The Coming Conflict, Statutory Void & Legal Uncertainties Riding with Reactivated Rails-to-Trails, 16 Vt. J. Envtl. L. 482 (2015)
Location, Location, Mis-Location: How Local Land Use Restrictions Are Dulling Halfway Housing’s Criminal Rehabilitation Potential, 48 Urb. Law. 329 (2016)
Co-author, Antitrust and Consumer Protection, SMU Annual Texas Survey (2017–2019)
Co-author, Recovering Appellate Attorney’s Fees in State and Federal Court, 31st Annual Conference on State and Federal Appeals (2021)
Location, Location, Mis-Location: How Local Land Use Restrictions Are Dulling Halfway Housing’s Criminal Rehabilitation Potential, 48 Urb. Law. 329 (2016)
Co-author, Antitrust and Consumer Protection, SMU Annual Texas Survey (2017–2019)
Co-author, Recovering Appellate Attorney’s Fees in State and Federal Court, 31st Annual Conference on State and Federal Appeals (2021)