Matthew T. Lockaby

The managing partner of Lockaby PLLC, Matt maintains a diverse practice that stems from his joy working with small business. For nearly two decades, Matt has provided strategic advice and counsel to businesses of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, to resolve the myriad day-to-day HR and personnel issues that arise during the employment lifespan, from recruiting and hiring to termination, layoffs, and reductions in force—and everything in between. Matt has also fiercely defended employers and management against a wide variety of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, and wage-and-hour claims in state and federal courts, including class-action and FLSA collective-action claims.

Matt has also carved a special niche for non-compete litigation, particularly for startups and their owners, successfully litigating breach-of-contract and breach-of-fiduciary-duty actions in Kentucky and beyond, including federal court in New York and arbitration in Florida.

His work with small business owners extends beyond labor-and-employment guidance, as Matt also provides corporate and transactional expertise and general counsel services, all of which is aided, in no small part, by the fact that he is a small business owner himself—of Lockaby PLLC and of Axis HR Solutions LLC, a human-resources consulting company that provides outsourced HR services and HR and human capital due diligence and integration solutions to buyers and sellers in middle-market M&A transactions.

Matt’s expertise spans the business lifecycle, including entity selection and formation for startups (including the preparation of operating, partnership, and shareholder agreements and related documents); employment, management, and operating contracts (including employment and independent contractor agreements, restrictive covenants, master service agreements, supplier agreements, and vendor agreements); and the purchase and sale of businesses through mergers and acquisitions.

Finally, Matt helps buyers and sellers manage the complex labor-and-employment issues that arise during a merger or acquisition, often working in conjunction with corporate counsel and the entire deal team to help clients achieve the desired transaction goals, minimize the risks inherent in any integration, and ensure compliance with the myriad international, federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

Beyond Lockaby PLLC

Matt resides in Lexington, Kentucky, with his wife and law partner, Amanda, and their two children. Outside the office, you can usually find him outdoors: He has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa; Mt. Rainier in Washington; and Quandary Peak in Colorado, and he escapes to Lake Cumberland and the U.S. Virgin Islands to go boating every chance he gets.