Matthew F.X. Craven.
Matt’s practice is focused on insurance law and civil litigation – particularly the investigation and defense of insurance coverage, tort, and contract claims.
Matt is a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (“CPCU”) and one of a mere two dozen attorneys Board Certified as a Specialist in Insurance Coverage Law by the Ohio State Bar Association. In fact, he is the only attorney who holds both designations. He is also one of the top-rated insurance coverage attorneys representing clients in Ohio and Kentucky, having been recognized in “Super Lawyers” numerous years.
Matt has authored scores of legal opinions for both national and regional insurance companies analyzing almost every type of insurance policy written (e.g., home, farm, fire, flood, hurricane, all other perils, personal property, boatowners, commercial property, crop-hail, garage, general liability, gun owners liability, public officials liability, errors & omissions, employers liability, employment practices liability, liquor liability, pollution legal liability, businessowners, commercial package, completed operations, builders risk, equipment breakdown, ocean marine, inland marine, umbrella, and excess).
Matt has worked closely with home office counsel and underwriting departments to advise and develop insurance policy language as well as insurer “best practices” to guard against future litigation.
Matt has defended insurance companies and their insureds against hundreds of lawsuits arising out of all manner of claims (e.g., bodily injury, personal injury, property damage, fire, water / flood, auto accident, premises liability, dram shop liability, animal owner liability, breach of contract, commercial construction, workplace accident, product liability, toxic tort, logging operations, equine, professional negligence and malpractice, civil rights, no-fault insurance (BRB / PIP), declaratory judgment, and bad faith). He has extensive litigation, trial, and appellate experience and has served as lead counsel for numerous bench trials, jury trials, and appeals – including a 2022 win in the Supreme Court of Ohio.
Matt is originally from the Washington, D.C. area and a graduate of Gonzaga College High School. He met his wife, Lauren (a Cincinnati native and McAuley High School graduate), when they were both undergrads at the University of Dayton. After the two completed their doctoral degrees and Lauren finished her psychological residency, they settled in her hometown and started a family.
Prior to joining Rolfes Henry, Matt was associate general counsel to a leading insurance industry company, practiced at an AV-rated insurance defense firm in Louisville, Kentucky, and served as summer law clerk to the Hon. Sandra S. Beckwith, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio. Outside the legal realm, he volunteered for eight years as a firefighter and emergency medical technician (“EMT”).
In his spare time, Matt enjoys golfing, playing with Tucker (his awesome Australian Shepherd), and reading historical biographies.
Education.
University of Richmond, T.C. Williams School of Law , Richmond, Virginia Juris Doctor, 2011.
John Marshall Scholar.
Trial Advocacy Board; Chief Justice Harry L. Carrico Pro Bono Award Recipient.
University of Dayton , Dayton, Ohio Bachelor of Arts in Political Science & Sociology, 2008.
Presidential Scholar; University Honors Program.
Sigma Phi Epsilon, Vice-President; Inter-Fraternal Counsel, delegate.
University of Cambridge, Selwyn College , Cambridge, England Certificate in International Politics, 2006.
Admitted to Practice.
Federal Courts:
Southern District of Ohio Northern District of Ohio Eastern District of Kentucky Western District of Kentucky Eastern District of Missouri Western District of Missouri United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
State Courts:
State of Ohio Commonwealth of Kentucky State of Missouri.