Reviews

Matt is by far the very best criminal law attorney in our area. If you or someone you love is ever in need of a defense lawyer, Matt should be at the top of your list to contact. I have known and worked with Matt several times now over the past 10 years. At every step of the way Matt has put my interest and goals at the top of his priority list. The opposition must bring their A game when dealing with Matt. He won't let anyone sneak anything by him or allow any last minute surprises. He does his homework, he is professional at every step and he is prepared for anything and everything that comes up along the way. Bottom line...I wouldn't want to or even try to hire anyone else in Portland for this type of work, period. You might be able to find an attorney with a lower hourly rate...but you do get what you pay for. In the end, Matt has had a higher rate from time to time, but has always saved me money versus the competition. His brilliant legal mind and experience alone save hours of billable research that other attorneys and/or firms will inevitably charge you for. Do yourself or your family a favor and seriously consider retaining Matt if you are ever in need of the Very best legal mind that Portland has to offer.

First...I want to say it was Matt's office administrator who started this out so positively for me. When she answered the phone and listened to my frantic phone call she was sincere, empathic, and had a thoughtful confidence in her response to me. I called several lawyers, and every other one had a general "call service" that answered for the attorney - I needed someone to really listen to my plea for help from the first call. Her interaction with me was the determining factor in making that appointment - perhaps other lawyers should take note of this. When I met with Matt, his confidence, directness, and step-by-step process, allowed me to breathe a huge sigh of relief that someone knowledgeable and capable was now on my side. I didn't feel judged, and I felt my case was important to him. Follow-up emails, or phone calls were taken either immediately or returned very quickly. Several times I called in a confused and upset state - each time he walked me back and calmed me down. I never knew how many problems and how unfair our legal process is (even though it is one of the best in the world - it has many flaws), so his calm confidence helped continue to set and reset my expectations of the slow wheels of the justice system. I would highly recommend him to anyone who is in an unfortunate position to need a defense attorney. Believe, me I would have bet everything I had that I'd never be in a position to ever need one. It is scary how little control we have over things and how something or someone can change your life so drastically out of the blue. When that happens, people such as Matt are angels, paid angels, but worth it. Again, from the first call to the last - first class service and great energy!

Matthew McHenry represents me on appeal in a case that I wish I had hired him for at the trial level, because he is a very bright and good lawyer. In fact, "Awesome" is the best way to describe him. I would encourage anyone looking for an awesome trial lawyer to hire him now, rather than after a conviction--because you may avoid the need to file an appeal. He is a person who truly cares about people, and he is very smart. He prepares to win. I find that he is sincere, dedicated, and passionate about helping people dealing with legal crisis, and he is guy you want fighting the battle for you. I recommend him, based on my personal experience, to anyone looking for a criminal defense attorney and/or to file a civil rights claim. Look no further, you found your warrior.

I have had the pleasure or the unfortunate opportunity, however you look at it, to hire and work with Mr. McHenry on more than one occasion now. Matt is truly the best of the best as it relates to not only his specialized field of criminal defense, but also in a variety of other legal matters. Matt always keeps your best interest ahead of anyone or anything else, including his own. Communication is beyond excellent, constantly keeping me informed along the way and exclusive access to Matt at any time of the day and/or night. If he doesn't answer my first call, he usually calls me back within minutes...not hours...minutes, and even in the middle of the night and/or on weekends. If you ever find yourself in the position of needing the type of legal services that Matt offers, I would not recommend any other attorney in this state or even region...Mr. McHenry is absolutely THE BEST at what he does and you will not be disappointed if you do decide to hire him. Even if you aren't sure who to hire or what to do, give him a call...often times he may end up telling you that you don't even need to hire him...or other times he may suggest hiring him right away, but in the end I don't think you will find a better attorney. Mr. McHenry is far superior to other attorneys in his field and I have personally seen the other side become instantly uncomfortable when they realize that Matt is on your side.

I recently went through one of the most trying times in my life, that made me feel like I was fighting a machine that included all levels of Oregon State Government. Michael Levine and his partner Matthew McHenry teamed up to give me sound advice and council to navigate a very tricky situation which could have resulted in potentially thousands of criminal charges. While I am sure everyone's case is unique, Michael and Matthew took the time to understand all aspects of my case, kept me informed and calm, while giving me advice that enabled me to choose a route that while not conventional led to a positive outcome. I am sure that I challenged them at times, but they always listened and helped show me the pros and cons of potential decisions. This kind of guidance does not come without years of experience and knowledge gained by working a large number of complicated cases through the legal system within the State of Oregon. Would I recommend them? Absolutely! They will give you not only great legal council, but will help you deal with all of the stress that comes with working through the challenge you are faced with. So if you need someone who will be an Advocate for you and do what is needed for a successful outcome, Michael Levine and his partner Matthew McHenry are the legal team for you.

Last year I had run in with the law because of a domestic incident which should have remained private. This was the first time I have ever been in legal trouble and I needed help desperately. After getting my "Get Out of Jail" card, I couldn't return home because of the court order so I had to quickly scramble to find an attorney to help me resolve this. After searching through websites, I finally landed on AVVO and found Levine and McHenry. I started reading the reviews, read his background, what he specialized in, and not having the luxury of time, I took a chance and called Matt McHenry based on his reviews. Matt was very knowledgeable and experienced with my type of case so he quickly made me feel at ease and was confident that I had a good case based on my prior clean no-arrest history. So without hesitation I made an appointment for the next day and retained him. As other reviewers have said, Matt is very professional, patient, responsive and full of confidence. Within a week Matt had won the first battle for me so I could return home to be with my family. That was a major victory! Throughout the process Matt kept me informed and explained the legal jargon and procedures where I didn't understand. A few months later, just as Matt had strategically planned, my case was dismissed! Matt also helped with getting my arrest record expunged. The three things that I liked most about Matt are: *He is very responsive to phone calls and emails *He is very smart and knowledgeable in his field *He is very proactive to communicate with you throughout the process I am very fortunate to have found him and would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone. Thank you Matt!

Extremely ethical, prompt and courteous service. Highly recommend!

Mr. McHenry and Michael Levine are truly the best at what they do. I was facing incredibly great odds in trying to overturn a wrongful conviction. Since I handed them the ball, they have been fighting for me every step of the way. At my recent Post Conviction Relief ("PCR") hearing, Mr. McHenry was truly in a much higher league than the state's attorney. He did an outstanding job--and was clearly prepared and focussed. He didn't just show up to go through the motions; He prepared to win. Though I lost that particular battle, the war continues, and he has stood by me and vows to obtain justice. You literally cannot ask for more from a person or an attorney. This is the kind of representation you need if you are reading this review and find yourself facing criminal charges or trying to fight a conviction. And, if you are facing charges, hire him now so you never have to deal with what I have! I tell everyone that I know who needs a criminal law lawyer that the first you need to go is McHenry and Levine. Their combined experienced, in my opinion, is unmatched. Plus, they are great people.

I am confident that Mathew McHenry, himself, would rather you not need to hire him, afterall, he represents criminal defendants. But, if you have been charged with a crime, you NEED to hire him to protect your rights. He is a person who will stand up for what is just and right. He is a caring, compassionate, and understanding person while also being a very intelligent, thorough, and hard working attorney. I would refer anyone who needs a lawyer for any criminal matter to him, as well as anyone who needs a good civil rights lawyer.

After two years at being unsuccessful in facing the Judge and District Attorney, we decided to seek out proffessional help. After meeting with Mr McHenry, my parents and I had a glimmer of hope that he could make things happen. Mr McHenry was very knowledgeable and empathetic with my history and present situation. He kept me informed of the process and never made me feel like any question was too small or too silly. In the end Matt successfully achieved what I was trying to do. He in part gave me my life and livelyhood back. I dont think there are words to describe my grattitude and appreciation for his hard work. I recomend him without hesitation to anyone facing the legal system.

Matthew McHenry and Michael Levine represented me in a criminal appeal. I had been in the system for several years before retaining them to work on my behalf. They fought hard, and I got my first successful outcome. A lot of attorneys have experience, some have compassion, some work hard, but these gentlemen (Esquires) have all three attributes. You cannot do much better than Matthew McHenry and Michael Levine, but you can do much worse! I would not hestitate to recommend Matthew McHenry to anyone needing top-notch representation, and I have recommended people in the past. I know when you are facing a criminal charge and needing to hire a lawyer, you have many options and choices to make, but honestly, there is no other decision more important than the attorney you retain to be your advocate. You will never regret your decision to hire Matthew McHenry and/or Michael Levine. Great attorneys. Great people. They care what happens to you and the same cannot be said of many lawyers.

Some people may read this review all the way through, others might just skim over it. For those who want the quick version: HIRE THIS ATTORNEY. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT! How do you write a review for a person who gave you your life back? I was arrested and falsely accused of domestic violence by my spouse in attempt gain "easy custody" of our child. This was an extremely stressful situation for me as I am a green card holder and (if convicted) potentially faced deportation. I lost many nights of sleep and over 30lbs due to stress. Every time I spoke with Matt I felt SO much better. Matt has an excellent way of breaking things down and putting things in perspective. Several attorneys I spoke with (before Matt) seemed more interested in my money than in helping. Matt talked about the case first, money second. I am intelligent individual but the stress of what I went through reduced me to relying on post-its, calendars, and lists just to get through my day. I was a wreck. Matt adapted his communication style perfectly. Since I told him I needed to work from lists, he would literally give me "To Do" lists. He would respond to my emails point for point (literally number for number) with answers to my questions. When I called his office to speak with him he was almost always available. The few times he was unavailable or returned my call promptly. When I say "promptly" I mean typically within less than an hour. One couldn't help but get the impression he was on top of things and CARED! As Matt began digging into my case it didn't take him long to realize I was telling the truth. I was innocent! That being said, I had made some very stupid mistakes. I talked to the police, wrote things down, etc. This didn't deter Matt in the least. He worked around it or went through it. The case went on for almost a year. To make matters even worse, I was forced to continue interacting with my spouse if I wanted to spend time with my child. This ended up creating a dynamic and constantly evolving case week by week as more crazy stuff would often happen. Matt continued to adapt our short term strategy while always keeping the big picture in focus. As one might imagine, after working with Matt for several months we got to know each other fairly well. After one particularly frightening episode with my soon-to-be ex I expressed concern that my spouse was trying to set me up and I had a very real fear of being arrested again. I asked Matt for his cell phone number and promised him I would only call him in case of an emergency. He didn't even blink. He gave me his cell number without hesitation. Words can not even begin to describe the sense of security I felt knowing that I had a "life line" in case of trouble. As the weeks and months passed Matt went out of his way to routinely call and check up on me to see how I was doing. Matt checked up on me and reassured me more than many of my friends and even some of my own family. To this day I consider him "family". I know what you must be thinking right now.. HE'S A LAWYER! They have no heart! They have so soul! Yeah, believe me, I know where you're coming from. THIS GUY IS DIFFERENT! Matt kept me informed every step of the way as to the status of my case, shared both short term and long term strategy with me, and explained everything in terms I could understand. In the end, the case was dismissed and my spouse (who was clearly expecting a conviction) immediately lawyered up with a divorce attorney. At least now we BOTH have to spend money and I don't have any bogus charges hanging over my head. Matt took a seemingly hopeless situation, worked hard, uncovered the truth, got a dismissal, and put me back on a level playing field heading into a divorce case. I am currently suing for custody of our child and that would NOT have been possible without Matt's dedication and hard work. Sadly, I had to limit the length of my review. I could have easily written a novel.