Matthew LaGarde joined Katz Banks Kumin as a paralegal in October 2011 and became an associate with the firm in August 2016.

Mr. LaGarde focuses his practice on the representation of whistleblowers who have experienced workplace retaliation or wish to report wrongdoing to the government. He has represented numerous clients in claims involving alleged violations of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, the False Claims Act, Title VII, and other whistleblower, anti-retaliation, and anti-discrimination laws in federal and state court and before administrative agencies. Mr. LaGarde co-authored the “Cybersecurity Whistleblower Protection Guide,” an overview of the protections and rewards available to cybersecurity whistleblowers under federal and state law. Mr. LaGarde also served two years as a judicial clerk for Judge George L. Russell, III, at the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.

Mr. LaGarde graduated magna cum laude from the University of Maryland School of Law, which he attended while working full-time at the firm. Mr. LaGarde also received the Larry B. Shoa award, given annually to an evening student who has achieved scholastic excellence, and was a member of the editorial board of the Maryland Law Review. Prior to entering the legal field, Mr. LaGarde spent four years as a professional poker player, during which time he competed at the highest levels of tournament poker, including regular appearances at the World Series of Poker, and produced instructional videos for multiple poker training websites.