Matthew M. Yelovich

Matthew M. Yelovich’s practice focuses on government and internal investigations, including defending companies and individuals in a wide range of high-stakes domestic and international enforcement actions and trials.

Matt brings extensive experience as a former federal prosecutor leading investigations related to white-collar crime, with a particular focus on matters before the California bench and within the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Prior to joining Cleary, Matt served as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division in the Northern District of California, overseeing (together with the Criminal Chief) approximately 100 federal criminal prosecutors and 15 supervisors, and managing Division policies and operations. Before this, he served for approximately three years as Appellate Chief, overseeing all briefing and argument at the Ninth Circuit and personally briefing and arguing numerous federal appeals. In these roles, Matt provided legal and strategic advice on some of the Office’s most significant cases—including one of the largest cryptocurrency seizures in DOJ history—and all major corporate fraud cases.

As an Assistant U.S. Attorney for both the Northern and Eastern Districts of California for nearly ten years, Matt investigated and prosecuted numerous fraud and related offenses from case opening through trial and appeal, including corporate, health care, and tax fraud, embezzlement, identity theft, money laundering, and public corruption. Matt has substantial experience with litigating complex issues of first impression, including those involving foreign sovereign immunity and statutory construction, and cross-border legal issues, including numerous extradition proceedings.

Prior to these government experiences, Matt was an associate in the white-collar practice of a major international law firm, in both its New York and Palo Alto offices.

Matt joined the firm as a partner in 2024.