Matthew A. Gardner

Experience

Matthew A. Gardner is a partner of Richardson|Ober LLP who works with community associations, homeowners and HOA boards of directors to amend governing documents, resolve homeowner/member disputes, manage assessment delinquency matters and provide leadership training to volunteers and community members.

In his more than ten years with Richardson|Ober, Matthew has worked with clients on risk management, reserve studies, rule creation and enforcement, financial reporting and budgets as well as community governance responsibilities.

Matthew’s levelheadedness helps him connect with people in a way that puts them at ease, makes them feel heard and enables the process of negotiation and communication to run smoothly. It’s this centeredness and ability to listen that makes Matthew successful whether he’s working on a collections matter, helping a board elect a new president or working with homeowners to amend their governing documents.

His approach to lawyering as a service gives Matthew a sense of mission. Always ready to meet clients at industry events and frequently asked to speak to groups of community leaders, Matthew has established himself as a knowledgeable, reassuring guide to the ins and outs of common interest development living. As a partner, Matthew works closely with new associates, mentoring them and acclimating them to the nuances of the common interest development industry.

In addition to amending CC&Rs and counseling clients, Matthew also manages R|O Collect, our delinquent assessment collection services department. Matthew provides counsel on our judicial foreclosure program and advises why we believe it is the most productive way to retrieve overdue assessment fees. He supervises the collection managers and their collection accounts.

A native of Cincinnati, Matthew attended the University of Notre Dame where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Dayton School of Law, where he was the recipient of the President’s Scholarship (2000-2001) and the Social Justice Scholarship (2002),

as well as the 2003 CALI Excellence Award for the highest grade in his class. Prior to joining Richardson|Ober, he headed his own law firm in South Pasadena, California, which specialized in providing legal services to homeowners and mutual benefit corporations.