Appellate Litigation
Illinois appellate courts and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Explore appeals →
Illinois State & Federal Courts
Built for the cases that matter.
Custardo Law is a litigation boutique for consequential disputes—appeals, complex motions, civil rights, employment matters, and commercial litigation that demand disciplined preparation and persuasive advocacy.
Chicago + IllinoisTrial strategy
Appellate advocacy
Complex briefing
Appellate advocacy
Complex briefing
The Firm
Not a volume practice. A strategy practice.
Some disputes need more than a template, a demand letter, or a lawyer moving files from one deadline to the next. Custardo Law is built around focused legal analysis, sharp writing, and direct attorney involvement.
- Appeals and appellate issue development
- Dispositive, emergency, and post-trial briefing
- Constitutional and civil-rights litigation
- Selected employment and commercial disputes
Core Capabilities
Focused where legal strategy changes the outcome.
The firm concentrates on contested matters where issue selection, record development, motion practice, and written advocacy can materially alter leverage and results.
Complex Motions & Briefing
Dispositive motions, emergency matters, post-trial motions, petitions, and precision briefing.
Explore briefing →Civil Rights & Constitutional Litigation
Government conduct, retaliation, excessive force, public employment, and federal civil-rights disputes.
Explore civil rights →Employment & Commercial Disputes
Selected whistleblower, discrimination, contract, construction, and business disputes.
Explore disputes →
Founder & Managing Attorney
Attorney Profile
Matthew R. Custardo
Matthew Custardo represents individuals and businesses in complex litigation, appeals, civil-rights matters, employment disputes, commercial cases, and election-related proceedings. His practice emphasizes legal writing, motion strategy, and building a case theory that can withstand scrutiny.
UIC School of LawJ.D., 2017
Lewis UniversityUndergraduate, 2012
Federal Trial BarNorthern District of Illinois
Seventh CircuitU.S. Court of Appeals
Selected Coverage & Insight
Experience in matters under scrutiny.
The firm has handled disputes that attract legal, political, and media attention. The objective remains the same: isolate what matters, develop the record, and advocate with precision.
Waiver in the Seventh Circuit: how strong arguments are lost before an appeal begins.
A practical discussion of issue preservation and why appellate strategy often begins in the trial court.
View firm insights →Civil Rights
Lake County excessive-force litigation covered by the Post-Tribune.
Public Employment
Retaliation and wrongful-termination litigation involving public agencies.
Municipal Litigation
High-profile disputes involving local government conduct and officials.
Election Law
Candidate petition and ballot-access disputes in Illinois.
Have a matter that needs a sharper legal strategy?
Tell us what happened, where the case stands, and what is at stake. We will evaluate whether the firm is a fit.