He grew up in Palm Beach County. That’s not just a footnote in Matthew Chait’s story, it’s the foundation. For Matt, this community isn’t just where he lives and works. It’s where his values were shaped, his professional ambition was born, and where he now uses his legal expertise to shape our region’s future at Shutts & Bowen LLP, a full-service law firm providing sophisticated legal services to businesses and individual clients with eight offices across Florida.

Matt is a key member of the firm's Business Litigation Practice Group, where he concentrates on commercial real estate and land use litigation, foreclosure and loan guaranty matters, and complex business disputes. In addition, he oversees a team of 55 attorneys and staff as the West Palm Beach Office Managing Partner. “I guide strategy for the firm in the West Palm Beach market and ensure that our attorneys are getting the support they need to allow their practices to flourish and meet our clients’ needs.”

His forward-thinking approach led him to join the Economic Council of Palm Beach County less than a year ago. “Before I joined, I knew that the area’s top business leaders were all involved in the Council and helping to shape a favorable business environment in the County. I wanted to be a part of that mission.” And he says so far, it’s been beneficial. “My involvement with the Council allows me and my firm to not only be knowledgeable about the policy issues that affect our clients’ business interests, but also to help shape those policies. Our clients are based all over the world, but they come to us for our Florida expertise. That means not only our legal expertise, but also our knowledge of, and involvement in, the business landscape in the County and the State.”

That’s why staying connected to what’s happening locally is so vital, especially when it comes to addressing critical policy issues. “There has been tremendous growth in the County in the last several years. It is critical for the business community’s success and continued growth that there be a strong talent pool from which to draw. That means retaining our area’s homegrown talent and attracting new talent from elsewhere.”

However, one of the biggest challenges is ensuring that employees can find local housing and are not forced into long commutes. “Affordable housing has been and continues to be an area of need. As businesses in the County grow, they need more employees, and those employees need to be able to afford to live here.”

If they can’t live near where they work, retention becomes a challenge, and recruitment costs rise. Despite this challenge, Matt remains optimistic about Palm Beach County’s business climate over the next decade, but he also recognizes the importance of preserving what makes our area special. “The County has grown by leaps and bounds since I grew up here, and I hope that growth continues. I expect that there is a natural cap on how much the County can grow, especially because I think most of us who live here do so because we do not want to live in a huge city.”

While his roots are in Palm Beach County, Matt pursued his education up north, earning his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in 2000 and his J.D. from the Cardozo School of Law in 2003. During law school, he gained invaluable experience through internships with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the Southern District of New York. But Florida was always home. He returned nearly 20 years ago and joined Shutts as an associate. Looking back on nearly two decades of growth, he’s gained more than just legal expertise. He’s gained perspective, reflecting on what he’s learned along the way. “A career in law, like any other career, is a marathon, not a sprint.”

He’s received many accolades, including being named to Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, the South Florida Business Journal’s Power Leaders in Law 250, and as a Florida Super Lawyer, but what matters most to Matt is the opportunity to give back and positively impact the lives of those around him. “I think giving back to the community is part of the very definition of community. Shutts has a long history of civic and non-profit engagement in Palm Beach County, and our culture is for everyone to be involved. Consistent with that, I have been involved in a number of organizations such as Leadership Palm Beach County, Resource Depot, and one that’s especially meaningful to me is the American Heart Association, where my involvement has focused on supporting their work in research and advocacy, particularly in pediatric cardiology.”