Candidate for
City Attorney; City of Long Beach

Matthew Pappas, Civil Rights Attorney Bio

Mr. Pappas earned his J.D from Western State University and was admitted to practice law in the State of California in 1994. Mr. Pappas worked as an extern for the Hon. Judge Terry J. Hatter, Jr. U.S District Court Judge appointed by President Jimmy Carter. He is a member of the federal bar for the Ninth Circuit U.S Court of Appeals and the Central, Northern, Southern, and Eastern federal district court bars in California. His past work in the area of civil rights has lead to cases being reviewed by the California and United States Supreme Courts. His cases have been cited in numerous legal journals and in Congressional research reports.

Professional History: Matthew's professional career began when he developed several computer software systems used by businesses throughout Southern California. He continued developing software while attending law school. After passing the Bar, he worked for a small firm in Newport Beach and then as a partner in a firm where he handled litigation matters and several civil rights cases.

In 1997, Mr. Pappas moved to Redmond, Washington where he served as interim Vice President of Engineering and Legal Affairs for Orca Medical Systems, a small company that provided the leading hospital emergency department clinical information system. Mr. Pappas worked for several large healthcare companies managing product development and regulatory compliance issues.

In 2002, Mr. Pappas joined a company focused on healthcare regulatory compliance. He served as the senior regulatory compliance attorney for that company and later headed the company as its CEO. During his tenure as CEO, the company provided the leading healthcare regulatory compliance enterprise management system for companies including Molina Healthcare, Children's Hospital, Pharmerica Corporation, University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, University of Nevada Reno, and others. He also traveled throughout the United States speaking on healthcare issues to physicians, nurses, and hospital administrators.

In 2009, Mr. Pappas returned to his private law practice where he has been focused almost entirely on cases involving civil rights. He represents clients who have been subjected to racial discrimination, health-related discrimination, and police excessive force actions.