Matt Wasserman is a commercial litigator and business attorney with over 20 years of experience representing clients across a wide range of industries, including franchised businesses, commercial finance, real estate, media, transportation, and manufacturing. His practice spans the full spectrum of business disputes and transactions — from complex real estate finance and development to employment matters, corporate law, estate administration, and property tax. Matt has deep experience working with forensic accountants, business valuation experts, and e-discovery specialists, and has litigated matters in state and federal courts throughout the country. That breadth of experience serves clients across all of Matt’s practice areas, and is particularly valuable in his work on behalf of franchisors, where the legal, financial, and operational dimensions of the franchise relationship often intersect with the full range of his expertise.
Matt has developed a robust franchise practice representing franchisors across a broad spectrum of industries. Working alongside a dedicated team of attorneys, Matt provides comprehensive legal services throughout the entire franchise lifecycle. This includes the drafting and multi-state registration of Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs), negotiating and structuring franchise agreements, and advising franchisors on regulatory compliance matters—including joint employer risk under federal and state law. Matt also counsels clients on the practical and legal dimensions of managing their franchise systems, including their relationships with regional franchise owners, franchise advisory councils, and national and regional franchise associations. When disputes arise, Matt represents franchisors in arbitration proceedings and before state and federal courts across the country, handling matters involving unpaid royalties and fees, post-employment restrictive covenants, and the full range of issues involved in enforcing franchisor rights and protecting the integrity of the franchise system.
Prior to joining Dinsmore, Matt was a Business and Commercial Litigation Partner at Golan Christie Taglia LLP, where he progressed from Associate through Income Partner to Equity Partner. He managed a substantial docket of cases in state and federal courts in Chicago, and collaborated closely with transactional attorneys on matters spanning health care, ERISA, real estate, finance, intellectual property, estate planning, and tax.
Matt has been recognized as a Rising Star by Illinois Super Lawyers Magazine every year from 2010 to 2020. He earned his J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law, attending evening classes while gaining early legal experience as an intern at Howard & Howard f/k/a Defrees & Fiske, LLC. He also served as a Project Assistant at Nixon Peabody f/k/a Ungaretti & Harris and clerked at Krohn & Moss, LLC. He holds a B.S. in Public Policy from Indiana University.
Matt grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and maintains a strong allegiance to Cleveland sports, despite living his entire adult life in Chicago. He enjoys playing golf, exercising, and spending time with his wife and three children.
