Chief Counsel

Matthew Cahill serves as Chief Counsel for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), where he manages legal operations for a federal agency that invests more than $21 billion annually in financial and technical assistance to support and expand public transportation across the country, reaching more than 4,000 local public transportation systems. Leading a team of more than 20 attorneys based in Washington, DC, and FTA’s regional offices, Matthew advises on legal requirements for FTA’s financial and technical assistance, oversight and enforcement, legislation and regulation, labor and employment, procurement, and litigation activities.

Matthew brings to FTA more than a decade and a half of industry experience touching all major modes of transportation. Prior to entering government service, Matthew was in private practice at Sidley Austin LLP, where he represented clients in the transportation and energy sectors in high-stakes regulatory, litigation, and transactional matters. Earlier in his career, Matthew served in consulting, government affairs, and program management roles for major consulting and engineering firms and for an industry association, including program management oversight of more than $2 billion in intercity passenger rail construction grants.

Matthew began his career with a summer internship at FTA while a college student. He is a past recipient of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Foundation scholarship and is an active member of transportation and legal industry professional groups. He earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Eureka College and both a J.D. and M.B.A. from Northwestern University. He resides in rural Maryland with his wife and daughter.