Being lawyers isn’t just about winning battles—it’s about achieving the best possible outcomes for our clients.
Excellence and quality are at the core of our firm. We believe that every client deserves the highest standard of service, and we are committed to delivering just that. Our work speaks for itself, and we take pride in the lasting relationships we build with clients, looking forward to serving them again and again for all their residential legal needs.
When you work with us, you’ll have a team that listens, communicates clearly, and works tirelessly to protect your interests. Our empathy and understanding guide every step of our practice, ensuring that your goals remain at the forefront of everything we do.
Meet Matthew T. Vela
Bar Admission for United States District Court - Central District of California.
EDUCATION
- Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law, J.D. (2018)
- Carnegie Mellon University, B.S., Policy and Management, Decision Science (2014)
Matthew T. Vela, Esq. is the President and Principal Attorney of Residents Rights: your full-service legal partner throughout all of your residential legal needs. An Orange County native, Mr. Vela is an experienced civil litigator with years of both big law and small firm experience. However, after years of running the gamut from one law firm to the next, Mr. Vela decided it was time to step away from conventional corporate America and confront arguably the biggest generational problem of our time: the housing crisis.
With a web stretching into nearly every aspect of civil society, the absence of affordable housing has entangled everything from job security to family stability, influencing how people live, work, and plan for the future. In the modern era, housing law isn’t just a legal issue—it’s a human one. Because a safe, secure home is the foundation for everything else in life, Mr. Vela is driven daily by the knowledge that helping someone secure their home means helping them secure their future.
Empowered by his vast swath of pro bono experience, Mr. Vela is no stranger to fighting the good fight. Following years of stints at various public interest firms and offices, including Public Law Center, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the US Attorney’s Office, the Orange County Board of Supervisors, and Veterans Legal Institute, Mr. Vela founded Residents Rights on the principle that every human being deserves the right to call somewhere “home.” From tenants’ rights to business litigation, estate planning to criminal defense, Mr. Vela has committed his practice to giving people a fair shot at stability, dignity, and the opportunity for a better life.
Prior to founding Residents Rights, Mr. Vela was counsel at Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara, LLP and Selman Breitman, LLP, where he extensively litigated breach of contract, corporate, tortious, and insurance related matters throughout various California courts. His vast experience in civil litigation provides him with the ability to intrinsically understand and reduce complex legal issues into practical advice and representation to his clients. He handles all stages of litigation and works tirelessly to facilitate the best possible strategy tailored to the law and facts of each case as well as the client’s own unique needs.
A 2014 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Mr. Vela received his Bachelors of Science in Policy & Management, with a double major in Decision Science, and ultimately won the University’s prestigious James Ledlie Barr Memorial Prize in Humanities and Social Sciences upon graduation. Following his lifelong passion for serving others, Mr. Vela then graduated in 2018 from Chapman University, Fowler School of Law with the law school’s pro bono award distinction. He subsequently passed the notoriously difficult California bar exam that same year on his first attempt. Mr. Vela is licensed to practice before all the courts of the State of California and is federally licensed in the Central District of California.
While in law school, Mr. Vela was also an academic fellow for Chapman University’s Military & Veterans’ Law Clinic where he vigorously represented a Navy veteran before the Naval Discharge Review Board in Washington D.C.
If you’re facing a housing issue, know that you’re not alone. With a team of experienced litigators, Residents Rights confronts your crisis head on while providing you with excellent guidance every step of the way. No one deserves to be homeless. So let us fight to keep the roof over your head.