Matthew A Heider

Matt was born in Ferguson, Missouri, and was raised primarily in the Midwest. As the son of a single mother, Matt learned the value of a dollar from a young age. Matt attended four separate high schools, in Indiana, Missouri, Florida, and finally Illinois. In 1999, Matt began his Bachelor’s at Southern Illinois University, in Carbondale, Illinois. When he was three classes from graduating with his degree in Psychology, Matt left school in order to work at the family business in South Carolina. Matt spent ten years in South Carolina, learning the family furniture business, and helping it grow. His time in the business taught him how to be an independent self-starter, and how to meet and exceed client’s needs, but most importantly, how to be a creative problem solver.

After ten years in the furniture business, Matt decided he wanted to finish his degree and pursue other careers, but was unsure of what direction he would go. After careful consideration, Matt thought back to all those arguments won, all the times strangers would tell him he would make a good lawyer after coming up with creative solutions to customer issues. It seemed like a long-shot at the time for a man who was already 34 years old, but two and a half years later, with the support of his wife and two young children, Matt would graduate from Florida Coastal School of Law (“FCSL”) number 1 in his class of 241, Summa Cum Laude, with numerous other honors and achievements, including being named a Dean’s Scholar all semesters, receiving 6 book awards (recognizing top performance in individual classes), and an invitation into the Academic Honors Program. Matt was also a member of the FCSL Law Review, an Assistant Director of the Pro Bono Program, for which he received recognition for providing more than 75 hours of pro bono service, and a member of Phi Delta Phi Legal Honor Society.

While in Law School, Matt devoted extra time to the study of Criminal Law, completing externships at both the Public Defender’s Clinic, and the Office of the State Attorney for the 4th Judicial Circuit, as well as additional classes concerning criminal procedure and trial practice. This extra focus in the area of criminal law earned Matt an advanced certificate in criminal law.

After law school, Matt applied to 18 of the 20 Offices of the State Attorney and ultimately decided that Fort Myers was the place he wanted to begin the practice of law and raise his family. Matt spent approximately two and a half years at the Office of the State Attorney for the 20th Judicial Circuit, working cases ranging from DUI to drug trafficking, and working on specialty court dockets such as drug court and domestic violence. His time as a prosecutor taught him how to be efficient and detail-oriented, and gave him a comprehensive understanding of how local offices prosecute criminal cases.

In January 2020, Matt joined the Rios Law Group in order to continue his pursuit of justice. With a keen eye for spotting legal issues, Matt is able to apply his experience as a prosecutor in order to come up with creative solutions to the complex problems associated with criminal prosecutions.