Matthew Philbrook Featured in the Oregon State Bar Bulletin’s “Profiles in the Law”
Philbrook Law, Accident and Injury Lawyers, is proud to share that our founder, Matthew Philbrook, is featured in the August/September 2026 issue of the Oregon State Bar Bulletin. The three-page profile, titled “Eye on the Ball” and written by Pacific Northwest journalist Brooke Strickland, appears in the Bulletin’s “Profiles in the Law” section and traces Matt’s path from a farm kid in Southwest Washington to the head of a 12-person accident and injury firm with offices in Vancouver and Portland.
The Bulletin is the official publication of the Oregon State Bar and reaches attorneys across the state. Being chosen for a profile is an honor for Matt and for everyone on our team, and we wanted to share some of the highlights with the community that made it possible.
From Small-Town Roots to the Courtroom
Matt grew up in Southwest Washington in a family of fruit and vegetable farmers. As the profile describes, that upbringing came with a lot of freedom, a lot of responsibility, and adults who believed he could do anything he set his mind to. He credits his family, coaches, and mentors for setting a standard he has tried to live up to and pass on ever since.
Sports came first. Matt played basketball at Clark College and planned to become a teacher and coach. When it became clear a professional playing career wasn’t in the cards, his focus shifted to the classroom, and the idea of practicing law took hold. He didn’t know any lawyers growing up, but he saw them as people who made a real difference in others’ lives. He finished his undergraduate degree at Washington State University Vancouver and went on to Gonzaga University School of Law, where he interned with two plaintiffs’ personal injury firms and worked in the school’s legal clinic representing low-income clients.
After graduating in 2001, Matt came home to Clark County. He spent his early years building courtroom experience and developing a personal injury practice, and a few years later opened Philbrook Law in Vancouver. Over time, the injury work grew until it became the firm’s full focus. In the profile, Matt sums up why he loves representing injured people in a single line: “Justice is always on our side.” He can stand up for anyone regardless of their financial situation, and he can try cases. That combination, he says, keeps him motivated to keep improving.
Mentorship That Shaped the Firm
A large part of the profile is devoted to Matt’s relationship with attorney Tiffany Henson, and it’s a story of which many of our clients already know.
Tiffany joined Philbrook Law at 19 with an associate degree in paralegal studies. She had dreamed of becoming an attorney, but initially chose to set that aside after a discouraging experience at another firm. After five years working alongside Matt, she decided to finish her undergraduate degree. She entered Washington’s Rule 6 law clerk program, a four-year alternative to law school, in which a participant works as a law clerk under an experienced attorney mentor. Upon completion, that participant can sit for the bar exam.
Matt was that mentor. Twenty years after she first walked into the office, Tiffany is a lawyer at the same firm where she started as a teenager. In the Bulletin, she describes what that support meant: “Most mentors show up for the highlights. Matt showed up for everything.” The two families remain close, and the profile includes a photo of them together on a golf trip to Bandon Dunes.
For us, this is what “Your Local Law Team” actually looks like in practice. Our attorneys, paralegals, and reception staff work as one team on every case, and that culture starts with people who have invested in each other for decades.
Growing Across the River
Because our Vancouver office sits so close to the Oregon border, Matt’s caseload has long been split nearly evenly between Washington and Oregon. He has been a licensee of the Oregon State Bar since 2011; and in early 2024, Philbrook Law opened its Southeast Portland office in the Olympic Mills building.
As Matt tells the Bulletin, bringing on more like-minded people has made the firm stronger overall and allowed the team to take on clients and cases that deserve serious attention. Today, after more than 20 years of protecting the rights of people in our community, Philbrook Law employs a large team across both offices.
Looking Ahead
Asked about the future, Matt told the Bulletin that his first priority is the culture of the office: a place where people take ownership of their work, feel proud of their contributions, and share in the successes of the firm. He wants Philbrook Law to be known for doing things the right way, fighting hard for people who need it, never cutting corners, and treating clients, opposing counsel, and judges with respect.
He also returns to the lessons of athletics. The legal profession is adversarial, and no one wins every motion, negotiation, or trial. But, as he puts it, clients deserve “someone who puts in the work and won’t fold when things get hard.” That is the standard Matt has set for himself since his first days in practice, and it’s the standard our whole team works to meet for every client.
Thank You
We’re grateful to the Oregon State Bar Bulletin and to Brooke Strickland for telling this story; and to the clients, colleagues, and neighbors in Southwest Washington and the Portland area who have trusted Philbrook Law for more than two decades. Recognition like this belongs to the entire team.
Injured? Speak With Your Local Law Team
If you or someone you love has been hurt in a car, truck, or motorcycle crash, injured on someone else’s property, or bitten by a dog, Philbrook Law offers a free case review. Our attorneys handle injury cases in Washington and Oregon on a contingency fee basis, so there are no upfront costs to get started.
Reach out to learn about your legal options, or call our Vancouver or Portland office to speak with a personal injury lawyer today.